By Fr Edward Sein Mynt SDB

Anisakan, Myanmar, 14 November 20245 -- As the Congregation celebrated the feast day of St Artemides Zatti on 13 November 2024, the Vice-province of Myanmar also celebrated Salesian Brothers Day in honor of Salesian brothers and to promote the holy Salesian brother vocation among the young.

At 6:20 a.m., Fr Edward celebrated Mass, concelebrated by the Provincial and other priest-confreres from the Provincial House, Thibaw Community, Novitiate and Nazareth; in his Homily, Father highlighted Zatti’s sense of a Vocation and his spirit of Faith in God’s Providence, as also his love for the Community of SDB and the Community of the sick poor and the Medical Staff. The feast-day’s Gospel (Lk.10:25-27 on the Greatest Commandment of One Love two Faces was the gist of Zatti’s life spent in Worship of God and Service of the sick giving them healing and hope of life.

At 1.00 p.m. there was a nice program honoring St Zatti and our Salesian Brothers (with Fr Paschal TKS as MC: action song by the post-novices, sharing of personal experiences of Fr Edward regarding the 8 deceased Brothers {Bro. Bongiorno (Master Tailor); Bro. Charles dell’Acqua (in charge of the Lafon sacristy and Church, plus the cash earner through his small ‘sweets and stationery shop’. Lafon’s, prestigious though it was had no car of its own and the fees from the days’ scholars were used for the salaries of the teachers and for the yearly maintenance of the School, but Bro. Charles was supplying the small needs of the Community; Bro. Silvio Vitali (the humble holy man who stitches shoes and footballs for the confreres and boys); Bro. Joseph Kramer (cook, factotum and furniture maker who, out of obedience to Fr. Giacomin, learned to be a contractor and architect); Bro. Peter Gontram (cleric turned Brother because of his heart disease, who helped at Lafon’s Parish); Bro. Charles Sein Win (from a simple village farmer of Monhla became a Brother who studied in Italy and built up Don Bosco Liluah Technical Department); Bro. Victor Zeya (a Physical Trainer and Drill Master in Lafon’s, leader of DSC – Dominic Savio Club --, organizer, artist, play-director, ventriloquist, magician); Bro. Paul Bikho (a late vocation, a Machine Shop Master who worked in Calcutta Province, India and died there).

After the sharing of Fr. Edward, there was the personal sharing and interview of the present 3 young Brothers, viz. John Hein Htet Aung, Cyprian and Joachim. Senior Brothers Stephen Tuang Lian Pau and James Mung Aung were absent. They recounted their experience in choosing the vocation of a Salesian Brotherhood with mixed feelings of joy in being a Salesian and of being misunderstood by their relatives (who as usual in Myanmar, look upon only the priests, people with cassocks, with reverence and esteem). In their interview, they encouraged the boys (who would like to be Brothers) to pray for courage and conviction to follow what God wants from them.

Then followed the long-awaited and much-expected short play (rather Operetta) on Bro. Zatti’s life was performed by the Prenovices! It was very well acted out by each of the characters. Of course, our old Maung Bamar bicycle became Zatti's famous bicycle!

In his conclusion, Fr Provincial (Fr Bosco Zeya Aung) profusely thanked all who had contributed to the wonderful program of the day (all the Rectors of Nazareth, Provincial House, Thibaw group, and Don Bosco Postnovitiate), and wished that more of the Salesian Family had come; Father also expressed his strong desire that the play (Operetta) be performed again for the forthcoming Sacerdotal Ordination on 8 December.

Around 3.00 p.m. there was a friendship football match between the Thibaw prenovices and the postnovitiate Students (Salesians and Missionaries of St Paul); with one to one draw, the penalty kicks decided the winners, and the postnovitiate took out the Zatti Trophy 2024!

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