By Missions Sector Team

We are in a different context from that of the missionary projects that spread the Congregation to the Americas (1875), Asia (1906), and Africa (1980). New perspectives and new questions have led to new missiological reflections. Today, 'missions' cannot be understood merely in geographical terms, as movement towards ‘mission lands’ like once upon a time.

Today, speaking of “missions” no longer means only thinking of geographically distant lands or so-called “mission territories.” Rather, ‘Missions’ are also to be understood in sociological, cultural terms and even in terms of our presence in the digital continent to proclaim the Gospel—including in countries with a long Christian tradition, which now need a renewed proclamation of the Gospel through a new evangelisation, as highlighted by Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium (no. 14).

Already in 1971 - 1972, the Special General Chapter (GC20) acknowledged this development: "Re-proclaiming the Gospel and reestablishing the Church in de-Christianized areas is also missionary action" (GC20, no. 465).

During the previous 5-year period, the members of the Missions Sector have worked through the Regional meetings of the Provincial delegates for Missionary Animation (PDMA) to help the Congregation understand this theological and missiological development.

There are no more Provinces which only send missionaries nor Provinces which receive only missionaries. Today all Provinces send and receive Salesian missionaries who come from all continents and are sent to all continents.

From 2020-2024, in our EAO Region the provinces of INA, KOR, FIN, FIS, THA, TLS , PGS, and VIE have sent a total of 32 missionaries. Different Provinces of our EAO region also received 17 missionaries.

During the recent GC29, through a process of deep discernment and dialogue, this renewed vision was formally adopted as a shared heritage of the Congregation through the revision of Article 30 of the Salesian Constitutions, which will now be submitted to the Holy See for approval.

The proposed new version of the article reads:

"People not yet evangelised have always been the focus of Don Bosco’s apostolic zeal and concern. They continue to inspire and sustain our missionary fervour: we see missionary work as an essential characteristic of our Congregation. Through missionary action, we carry out a patient work of evangelisation, the establishment of the Church within a human group, and the revitalisation of faith even in countries with an ancient Christian tradition..."

“It is especially meaningful that, in this 150th anniversary year of the first missionary expedition, we have approved the updating of the concept of missions in our Constitutions,” emphasised the Rector Major, Fr. Fabio Attard.

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