Dearly beloved,
With these few lines of greeting, I would like to focus attention on the Salesian mission, a concept that has undergone many changes in recent years, both in practice and in theological reflection. Like world Christianity itself, Salesian mission has also become multidirectional, embracing an increasingly diverse field, and employing many missionaries from various backgrounds. Today more than ever, after 149 years since the first Salesian missionary expedition, we are challenged to go out to the new horizons of humanity in its various dimensions for the integral salvation of man and the common home. All this requires, not only from missionaries but also from everyone, the willingness to take the initiative, get involved, accompany, fructify, and celebrate. In a world of migrations and displacements, while preserving its fundamental dimensions of mandate and movement not only from one country to another but also from one situation to another or from one context to another, the Salesian mission takes as its key words proclamation, education, witness, and prophetic hospitality. The latter encourages us to clarify our identity and deconstruct the image of the stranger, with a view to a mission that favours open intercultural dialogue.
▀ Fr. Samuel Amaglo SDB
Lecturer in Missiology
– Rome UPS
The phenomenon of volunteering has developed considerably in recent decades. But what really is volunteering? Above all, it is important to remember that people of all ages carry out simple activities that are synonymous with volunteering, such as helping at homeless centres, coaching a sports team, acting as a guide in a museum or participating in community service to clean up a neighbourhood.
By its very nature, volunteering is a free service willingly given to help and support individuals or groups, for philanthropy, religious or personal reasons. Of course, volunteering will not change the world. However, it offers individuals the opportunity to make a difference through free service. Therefore, volunteers play a key role in promoting positive change in the world. Volunteering also has a cost. Volunteers provide their time, their gifts and sometimes even their personal resources. It is 'a demanding request' that 'interrupts one's ordinary daily life'.
Christian-inspired volunteering stems from the conviction that the human person is the 'image and likeness' of God who revealed Himself in Jesus Christ by entering freely, and that it teaches charity as the principle of the relationship between God and humanity and between people. It offers the opportunity for every missionary disciple to live out the Gospel call to service in daily life and not only in emergency situations. Volunteering is a way to concretely live a key principle of Catholic social teaching: solidarity.
Don Bosco promoted various forms of voluntary work among his boys at the Oratory in Valdocco. One of the most striking examples was during the cholera epidemic that struck Turin from 1 August to 21 November 1854, killing 1,400 people. However, none of the boys sent by Don Bosco to care for the cholera victims were infected. Today, this example continues through 'Salesian Missionary Volunteering' as a service of solidarity, provided free of charge by a young person (17-35 years old), motivated by faith, sent, and welcomed by a community, with a missionary style and according to Don Bosco's pedagogy and spirituality. Invite young people to do something meaningful for God through the SMV!
▀ Fr. Alfred Maravilla SDB
General Councillor for the Missions
Dear Fr. Amatus, Pope Francis’ prayer intention of this month is for the migrants. You are working in a refugee camp in Palabek, can you tell us the actual situation of the migrants and refugees there?
In the refugee settlement of PALABEK, there is a lot of movement in and out. They have different reasons for fleeing their country. Some move because of famine and they move to look for a place where they can get something to eat, others move because of the tribal or clan conflicts, fights that lead deaths and stealing of cattle from each other. Before Easter this year, some members of the Nuer tribe fought among themselves and many of them lost their lives, and some houses were burnt down. The situation is now calm. Most of these refugees are teenagers and children. In the schools (Primary and nursery), there are more than 300 learners in a classroom. After completing primary school, many of them do not continue with secondary education because there is only one secondary school in the whole settlement which does not have the capacity to accommodate all the students who graduate from the many primary schools. While many of them drop out of school and remain at home, a few join the Don Bosco TVET school. As a consequence of high school dropout, we have a high rate of teenage pregnancies in the settlement. The boys and girls who find themselves jobless need both spiritual care and material assistance.
What do you see as the Salesian specificity in working with refugees?
As Salesians, our intervention is of great value especially in our way of rebuilding their lives. We try our best to help them cultivate hope in life and help them to learn different TVET skills, aimed at empowering them to face the life challenges. We face many challenges including: limited space which cannot accommodate all the students, high dependency on donors since the students don't have the financial capability to pay the necessary tuition fees. Their contribution is basically in form of manual work when it is practically possible.
How can we be enriched by these people who have left their homes and ventured into the unknown?
We can be enriched by the way these sons and daughters of God have kept their optimism and joy. Their courage and the way they feel at home when they are with the Salesians of Don Bosco is an encouraging element in work among them. We take care of their spiritual life through catechesis (number of neophytes increases), Eucharistic celebration and sacraments organized with different students’ groups like the Altar Servers, Choirs, ...
