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Whom shall I send? –
LORD,
send me!Whom shall I send ? Lord send me!
2
Whom shall I send ? Lord send me!
3
“Go out from your country, your relatives
and your father’s household to the
land that I will show you. Then I
will make you into a great nation…” commanded
Yahweh to Abraham (Gen 12:1-2). Heeding this call
made Abraham the father in faith for a multitude of
nations. Jesus felt the need to leave his native place
and settled down in Capernaum (Mt 4:13) and later to
leave from there to other places to preach the good
news (Mk 1: 38). The Church is the people of God that
constantly goes out of itself towards others. “Go out”
is also the clarion call of Pope Francis to a stagnant
Church intent on its own security and comfort. It is
this going out that has made the Church alive.
Don Bosco had hardly a few Salesians in his hands when he chose to send out the best among them to the missions in Patagonia. Blessed Philip Rinaldi, another Don Bosco, understood that the missionary dimension was an indispensable aspect of Salesian Charism, nay of our baptismal call itself. So he came up with the genial idea of a “missionary aspirantate” in Ivrea, just about 50 kilometres from Turin in 1922.
In about 40 years this power house of the sent out about 1000 missionaries all over the world, a large number of them landed also in India. We know what they have done to Salesian India. The congregation is commissioning its 145th missionary expedition in 2014. Our Congregation has become a force to reckon with in the Church only because of its missionary dynamism.
The Indian Church has a long tradition of being missionary. From the Western Coast, Southern parts of the peninsula and Chotanagpur area thousands of missionaries have gone out to the rest of India and the world to preach the Gospel. May be these areas have a vibrant Christian faith precisely because they were missionary. A Church that sends out Gospel workers is always blessed a hundredfold. According to a recent survey Indian Catholic missionaries are found working today in more than 166 countries! Salesians from India are working today in all the continents, working marvels of faith and development.
MWhom shall I send ? Lord send me!
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Whom shall I send ? Lord send me!
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Wanting to work for one’s own people only could be
an indication of ageing and stagnation of the faith.
All the provinces, aspirantates and formation houses are places of missionary formation. But we have started two missionary aspirantates in India, one in Sirajuli, Assam and another in Perambur, Tamil Nadu with the intention of giving a fresh impetus for the missions, particularly to take care of those young men whom the Lord may be calling right from the beginning to go out of their native area, whether within India or abroad. These houses, besides having special programmes are also a reminder to the rest of our basic missionary call. If there are some signs of stagnation and fatigue in our religious life and a slump in vocations, a missionary thrust is one of the best ways of renewal and fresh dynamism. The Lord is never outdone in generosity. We will always have works in our own native areas. But that should not blind us to the ever increasing needs in other parts of the world.
This leaflet of information, we hope will serve to create greater understanding, not only of the missionary aspirantates, but of our universal missionary vocation itself. Let us keep going out. The Lord will keep coming in!
Lovingly in Don Bosco
Fr. Václav Klement, General Councillor for the Missions
Fr. Maria Arokiam Kanaga, General Councillor for South Asia Region
31 January 2014, Feast of Don Bosco
Fr. Václav Klement
Fr. Maria Arokiam Kanaga
1. The Missionary Aspirantate
2. The Urgent Need of Missionary Promotion
3. Salesian World Map
4. Missionary Institute of Cardinal Cagliero, Ivrea
5. Catholic Church is by nature Missionary
6. Indian Missionaries Abroad
7. The Missionaries Ad Gentes
from South Asian Region
8. Testimonies of Missionaries
9. Missionary Aspirantates of India: Sirajuli (Assam),
Perambur (Tamil Nadu)
10. Missionary Formation Curriculum
11. Suitability to Join the Missionary Aspirantate
12. Missionaries need your help
13. Contact us
CWhom shall I send ? Lord send me!
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Whom shall I send ? Lord send me!
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THE MISSIONARY
ASPIRANTATE
- FR. VÁCLAV KLEMENT, SDB
A fter the First World War the
universal Church experienced
a period of missionary revival,
marked by large-scale meetings and
missionary exhibitions, a flowering
of missionary youth groups and
publications at all levels. Missionary
promotion has contributed to
sending thousands of European
missionaries to all the other
continents. The young
Salesian Congregation also received
various responsibilities in mission
territories (mission Prefectures,
Vicariates or Prelatures) in America,
Africa, Asia and Oceania.
The third successor of Don Bosco, Blessed Philip Rinaldi, in communion with the Church, founded the magazine Gioventù missionaria to animate groups of the ‘Friends of Gioventù missionaria’. Finally, in 1922, the first institution which was meant for the formation of future missionaries ad gentes was founded in Ivrea near Turin. After high school young people were leaving for the missions, where they began their novitiate.
From the first missionary
Aspirantate - Cardinal John Cagliero
Institute, Ivrea - other missionary
aspirantates were established in
Penango, Gaeta, Bagnolo, Mirabello,
Novi Ligure, Cumiana, Turin -
Rebaudengo, Colle Don Bosco (Italy),
Astudillo (Spain), Shrigley (UK), Coat-
an-Doc’h (France) - not to mention
other specifically missionary houses of
formation (Turin Valdocco, the various
‘missionary seminaries’). A good part
of the 11,000 Salesian missionaries
is the result of the typical Salesian
tradition, having confidence in young
people - even in the field of mission
ad gentes, ad extra, for life. Like many
other traditions in the immediate post-
Vatican II period, all the missionary
aspirantates in Europe were closed
in the 60s. On the other side of the
globe, in the region of South Asia
during the centenary celebrations of
Don Bosco in India (2006), the idea
to continue the original tradition of
Salesian missionaries aspirantates
came up. Thus, with the permission
of the Rector Major, the first two
missionary aspirantates outside
Europe were opened: The fi rst in
Sirajuli (Hubert D’Rosario Institute,
Guwahati, 2011) and the second in
Perambur (Don Bosco Missionary
Aspirantate, Chennai, 2012). Now
there are about 70 young
aspirants in India, 18 pre-novices, 6
novices being formed specifically to
be missionaries. The project is open
to all 12 provinces of the region. It is
envisioned that after the postnovitiate
the young missionaries will be sent
either to other parts of the region
or to missions ad gentes in other
continents. The main motivation of
the project is that “after receiving 400
Salesian missionaries, we now have a
strong faith and vocations. As a sign
of gratitude, the time has come for
India to send missionaries around the
world and in Europe.”
The opening of missionary
aspirantates was warmly endorsed
by other Provinces rich in apostolic
vocations. The specific missionary
formation is expressed mainly in
the environment permeated by
missionary enthusiasm: contents of
conferences, good nights, missionary
literature, and contact with
missionaries ad gentes, missionary
experience in the local oratory or the
experience of initial proclamation of
Jesus in the rural area.Whom shall I send ? Lord send me!
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Whom shall I send ? Lord send me!
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THE URGENT
NEED FOR
MISSIONARY
PROMOTION
(FR. ALFRED MARAVILLA, SDB)
I t is not uncommon to hear
statements like “we are in the
missions already, so what is the
need for missionary promotion?”,
or “we also need personnel in
our Province so why encourage
our Salesians to be missionaries
abroad?”. These statements seem to
indicate that missionary promotion
is often misunderstood as fishing for
missionaries. No wonder confreres
sometimes wonder at the sense
missionary promotion has when there
is lack of personnel in the Province!
Looking back to Don Bosco What is missionary promotion? It might be helpful to return to Don Bosco in order to shed light on what we mean by Salesian missionary promotion. From 1841 to 1850 Don Bosco established his first works for the young. From 1850 to 1860, at a time of great danger for the faith of the people, he undertook a bold initiative of founding the Salesian Society in 1859 and of establishing a printing press as well as the publication of the Catholic Readings.
In the next fifteen years he founded the other branches of his family: the Association of Mary Help of Christians in 1869, the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in 1872 and the Salesian Cooperators in 1876. Finally, he opened an entirely new page in the life of his young Congregation by sending out his first missionaries in 1875, immediately after the approval of the Salesian Constitutions (1874).
A closer look at the missionary
thrust of Don Bosco reveals that it
is but the ultimate fruit and liveliest
manifestation of his missionary zeal
to make Jesus known. This apostolic
passion is the dynamism which
underpins all his initiatives. In fact,
if we examine closely his ministry
to young people, it is easy to realise
that this was deeply permeated by
his passion for preaching the Gospel:
During the outbreak of cholera in
1854 Don Bosco challenged his best
boys to look beyond the safe confines
of the Oratory and go and help those
stricken with cholera. Dominic Savio’s
dreamvision of the Pope bringing
the light of faith to England reflects
the missionary spirit that reigned in
the Oratory. “Don Bosco’s oratory”
stressed Fr. Vigano, “is conceived with
a missionary perspective for young
people without a parish.” 1
This missionary zeal – synthesised
in Da mihi animas – was the animating
dynamism which cuts across all his
initiatives. Fr. Michael Rua wrote that
“Don Bosco, in the ardent zeal by
which he was devoured, shouted out:
Da mihi animas! It was this need to save
souls which made the old world seem
narrow and drove him to send his sons
to the distant missions of America” 2 .
In 1925, the fiftieth anniversary of the
first missionary expedition, Fr Philip
Rinaldi used these words to describe
Don Bosco’s missionary zeal: “The
apostolic ardour of a Francis Xavier
had been burning in his large heart
for many a year, fed by a divine flame
which lit up the future through his
dreams... He was a true missionary,
an apostle devoured by a passion for
1 E. Viganò, “The Pope’s Appeal for the Mis-
sions,” p. 34.
2 Bolletino Salesiano (January 1897), 4.
souls” 3 . Indeed, Don Bosco passed on to his first Salesians and to his boys this ardent desire to share his faith with poor and abandoned boys in Valdocco, with the people of Turin and with those who lived beyond Italy’s shores. Truly his example indicates that the missionary commitment to mission ad gentes “would be the Congregation’s on-going concern, in such a way that it forms part of its nature and purpose.” 4 The Twofold Purpose of Salesian Missionary Promotion In the light of Don Bosco’s experience we can now draw up our purpose for missionary promotion.
Salesian missionary promotion has a twofold purpose which is interrelated and mutually complementary. Above all it aims at keeping alive in every Salesian the passion for making Jesus known and for preaching the Gospel. Such missionary zeal leads to a rediscovery of “the joy of being Christians, of being sustained by the inner happiness of knowing Christ and belonging to his Church” 5 . Hence, an effective missionary promotion renews “the passion for the salvation of others, by the joy of sharing the experience of the fullness of life of Jesus” 6 of individual Salesians and, consequently, makes every member of the local and Province community 3 P. Rinaldi, ACS 30 (1925) p. 367.
4 Acts of the General Chapter XIX, 178; Acts of the General Chapter XX, 471.
5 Benedict XVI, “Homily, Parco Expo Bicente-
nario, León, Mexico” (March 25, 2012).
6 P. Chávez, “Address at the Closing of the General Chapter 26”, Acts of the General Chapter XXVI, 137.Whom shall I send ? Lord send me!
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Whom shall I send ? Lord send me!
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“happy from deep within.” 7 From this
inner joy energy springs “to serve
Christ in hard-pressed situations
of human suffering, the strength
to put oneself at his disposal” 8 and
live our Salesian life radically. This,
in turn, overcomes “faith fatigue” or
the “sense of having had enough
of Christianity” 9 which causes inner
weariness, small mindedness, and loss
of apostolic zeal which, ultimately,
“ends up in a state of paralysis and
acedia” 10 expressed in the joylessness
and inner sadness in living the
Christian and consecrated life.
Enthusiastic Salesians attract young people to Salesian life. An effective missionary promotion, therefore, is intimately linked to vocation promotion.
This missionary zeal that should
be present in every Salesian does
not preclude but actually implies
that there are Salesians who have a
specific vocation to be engaged in
the missionary apostolate outside
their own homeland, cultural milieu
and language group (ad exteros);
among those who have not yet heard
the Gospel, or where the Church is
not yet fully established (ad gentes);
and in contexts where there is an
abandonment of the faith or where it
is lived as merely something cultural
(new evangelisation) 11 through a life-
7 Benedict XVI, “Christmas address to the
Roman Curia” (December 22, 2011).
8 Ibid.
9 Ibid.
10 Francis, Evangelii Gaudium 81, 83.
11 FABC Office of Evangelisation, “Consulta -
tion on Asian Local Church and Mission
ad Gentes,” Franz Josef Eilers, ed., For All
the Peoples of Asia, III, n.5, (Claretian Pub-
long commitment (ad vitam) 12 . Thus,
the second purpose of missionary
promotion which flows from its
primary aim is to help Salesians discern
whether they have the missionary
vocation ad exteros, ad gentes, ad
vitam. Those who feel called to be
missionaries are helped to start the
initial process of discernment by
seeking the help of a spiritual guide to
discover God’s call, purify and deepen
their motives, discern their qualities
and attitudes in view of determining
their basic suitability for Salesian
missionary life.
Our Salesian vocation places us at the heart of the Church 13 which “is missionary by her very nature” because she “is sent forth to the nations.” 14 In the same way that within the one Salesian vocation some are called to be priests while others to be brothers, similarly the Salesian missionary vocation is a call within our common Salesian vocation. 15 In this light, it is not a matter of “we need confreres here” nor of “escaping” from the needs of the Province. No, no! It is a matter of helping a confrere respond to his vocation to be a Salesian missionary!
Missionary Promotion in Salesian
Communities
Salesian missionary promotion in
the whole Province is under the care
lications: Quezon City, 2002) 222; RM 33;
Benedict XVI, Motu Proprio Ubicumque et
Semper (2010).
12 Ad Gentes 6, 27; RM 32, 79; Acts of the General Chapter XX, 465.
13 Const. 6.
14 Ad Gentes 2; RM 1, 62.
15 E. Viganò, “The Pope’s Appeal for the Mis-
sions,” p.11.
of the Province Delegate for Mission Animation (PDMA) who works in close collaboration with the Province Delegates for youth ministry, social communication and formation. In our local communities missionary promotion could take different forms.
Here are 4 simple proposals:
The annual celebration of the
Salesian Mission Day on a common
date chosen by the whole Province is
meant to foster awareness to different
missionary situations and overcome
every temptation to shut oneself
off in one’s own context. Every year
the Missions Department prepares
a poster, printed materials, a DVD
with short films on the theme which
are also available on Youtube. These
draw attention to the universality of
the Salesian charism and its vitality
as shown in the expressions of
the missionary zeal of Salesians in
different contexts.
The Monthly Missionary Intention as well as prayer for missionaries every 11th of the month underline the importance of spiritual dimension of mission and the possibility of all confreres to support the Congregation’s missionary activity through their prayer and sacrifices.
The monthly issue of Cagliero 11, distributed to the communities through the PDMA, offers resources not only for spiritual reading of the community but also for the ‘Good morning’ talks to students.
The formation of a missionary group in every local setting fosters the revival of the missionary consciousness of young people and the whole educative pastoral community (EPC), revitalises the enthusiasm for the faith and the fascination for the Salesian charism.
A missionary group could also foster volunteer service among the young and all the members of the EPC.
These, in turn, stir up the ardour that gives birth to new vocations.
The Sense of doing Missionary
Promotion
So, do we really need missionary
promotion today? In fact, we really
do! Salesian missionary promotion
helps us to rediscover the “joy of
believing” and of “ communicating
Jesus Christ” 16 which “enlivens the
community of disciples.” 17 Indeed, an
effective missionary promotion will
be that spark that could trigger an
“openness to a constant self-renewal” 18
in every Salesian and, consequently,
“the renewal of structures demanded
by pastoral conversion” 19 in every
community and Province, less we
give in to ‘faith fatigue’, and slide
back comfortably to the joyless and
ardourless “maintenance mode” of
Salesian presence. Salesians overfl
owing with the “delightful and
comforting joy of evangelising” 20 will
certainly attract young people to the
Salesian life!
16 Francis, Evangelii Gaudium 86, 30.
17 Idem, 21.
18 Idem, 26.
19 Idem, 27.
20 Idem, 10, 13, 83.
This missionary zeal – synthesised in Da mihi animas – was the animating dynamism which cuts across all his initiatives.Whom shall I send ? Lord send me!
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Whom shall I send ? Lord send me!
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MISSIONARY
INSTITUTE OF
CARDINAL CAGLIERO,
IVREA
T he Cagliero Institute, Ivrea,
is a milestone for the
Salesian missions. A gift to
the Congregation from the mother
of Cardinal Richelmy, it began in
1892 as a house of formation and
novitiate. In 1922, at the wishes of
the Rector Major, Fr Philip Rinaldi,
the Institute was changed into
a Missionary Aspirantate named
“Cardinal Cagliero”, the leader of the
first Salesian missionary expedition.
From this Institute alone (1922-65) more than 1000 missionaries left for the whole world, taking the Gospel of Jesus and the heart and the mission of Don Bosco to countless young people. Majority of 460 foreign Salesian missionaries who worked in India came from there. Among the students of “Cagliero” there have been several bishops. Venerable Fr.
Giuseppe Quadrio and Fr Francesco
Convertini, a missionary in India
and Bangladesh were also from this
Institute.CATHOLIC CHURCH
is by nature
MISSIONARY
(EXTRACTS FROM AD GENTES)
groups by permanent cultural ties,
by ancient religious traditions, and by
firm bonds of social necessity. Some
of these men are followers of one of
the great religions, but others remain
strangers to the very knowledge of
God, while still others expressly deny
His existence, and sometimes even
attack it. The Church, in order to be
able to offer all of them the mystery
of salvation and the life brought by
God, must implant herself into these
groups for the same motive which
led Christ to bind Himself, in virtue
of His Incarnation, to certain social
and cultural conditions of those
human beings among whom He
dwelt. (Ad Gentes, No. 10) Although
every disciple of Christ, as far in him
lies, has the duty of spreading the
Faith, Christ the Lord always calls
whomever He will from among
the number of His disciples, to
be with Him and to be sent by
Him to preach to the nations
(cf. Mark 3:13). Therefore,
by the Holy Spirit, who
distributes the charismata as He wills
for the common good (1 Cor. 12:11),
He inspires the missionary vocation
in the hearts of individuals, and at
the same time He raises up in the
Church certain institutes which take
as their own special task the the
duty of preaching the Gospel, a duty
belonging to the whole Church. (Ad
Gentes, No.23)
They are assigned with a special
vocation who, being endowed with
a suitable natural temperament,
and being fit as regards talent and
other qualities, have been trained to
undertake mission work; or be they
autochthonous or be they foreigners:
priests, Religious, or laymen. Sent by
legitimate authority, they go out in
faith and obedience to those who are
far from Christ. They are set apart for
the work for which they have been
taken up (cf. Acts 13:2), as ministers
of the Gospel, “that the offering up of
the Gentiles may become acceptable,
being sanctified by the Holy Spirit”
(Rom. 15:16). (Ad Gentes, No. 23)
T he pilgrim Church is missionary
by her very nature, since it is
from the mission of the Son
and the mission of the Holy Spirit that
she draws her origin, in accordance
with the decree of God the Father.
(Ad Gentes, No.1) “Missions” is the term usually given to those particular undertakings by which the heralds of the Gospel, sent out by the Church and going forth into the whole world, carry out the task of preaching the Gospel and planting the Church among peoples or groups who do not yet believe in Christ. ... The proper purpose of this missionary activity is evangelization, and the planting of the Church among those peoples and groups where it has not yet taken root. ... The chief means of the planting referred to is the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. ... (Ad Gentes, No. 6) The Church, sent by Christ to reveal and to communicate the love of God to all men and nations, is aware that there still remains a gigantic missionary task for her to accomplish. For the Gospel message has not yet, or hardly yet, been heard by two million human beings (and their number is increasing daily), who are formed into large and distinct Whom shall I send ? Lord send me!
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Whom shall I send ? Lord send me!
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W hile most of the priests are involved
in Pastoral Ministry and Proclamation
Ministries, most of the Brothers are
involved in Education, Teaching (Technical training)
and social work. Most of the Sisters are involved in
Health Ministry, Social Ministry and Pastoral Ministry.
The mission differs from continent to continent.
Priests: There are 799 priests working in Europe, 486 in American Continent, 352 in Asia and Oceania and 303 in Africa. While many in Europe are involved in Pastoral Ministry and in Studies specially in Italy and Germany, they are involved in Africa in Pastoral Ministry and Proclamation.
Brothers: There are 32 Brothers in Europe, 33 in American Continent, 48 in Asia and Oceania and 47 in Africa. In Asia, Oceania and Africa, most of them are doing Education Ministry, Social Work and Teaching (technical training) ministry.
Sisters: There are 3671 Sisters working in Europe, 1002 in American Continent, 544 in Asia and Oceania and 1326 in Africa. While many in Europe are involved in Social Work and health ministry especially in Italy and Germany, they are involved in Africa in Education and Social Development.
As per statistics, the 8642 missionaries from 246 (out of 330) congregations (67.72 percent) and from 40 (out of 164) dioceses (24.39 percent) work in 166 countries. But there are more than 4058 missionaries from 84 (32.28 percent) congregations and 124 (75.61 percent) dioceses who are missionaries abroad to give us a total number of more than 13500 missionaries abroad. It is needless to say that more than 10 percent of Indian priests and religious are missionaries abroad.
INDIAN
MISSIONARIES
ABROAD
(From a Study conducted 2012 by Fr. Balthazar Castelino MEP and
Fr. Sudil IMS under the patronage of CBCI-CRI)
1940
Religious Priests
159
Religious Brothers
6543
Religious Sisters
226
Diocesan Priests
166
COUNTRIES
THE MISSIONARIES
AD GENTES FROM
SOUTH ASIAN REGION
Maharashtra
Gujarat
Uttarpradesh
Punjab
Himachal
Pradesh
Rajasthan
Madhya Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Karnataka
Jharkhand
Bihar
West
Bengal
Delhi
Haryana
Uttarakhand
Goa
Kerala
Jammu
&Kashmir
Nepal
Sikkim
Assam
Meghalaya
Nagaland
Manipur
Mizoram
Tripura
Arunachal
Pradesh
SRi
LANKA
Tamil Nadu
Chhattisgarh
Odisha
(Orissa)
T here are 112 Indian salesian missionaries
in other countries. Many of these
missionaries are in Africa. In the past 10
years 37 confreres have been offered for the
Project Europe of whom 23 still continue. The
Salesians from South India (Kerala, Tamil Nadu)
and Central India (Chotanagpur area) still opt to
work in the North or North East India.
INB INC IND ING INH INK INM INN INP INS INT LKC Net Total
Total Sent 16 14 07 16 07 42 24 04 01 01 08 02 142
Returned to the province 05 04 00 01 01 04 05 00 00 00 02 00 22
Left + Died 02 01 00 01 00 04 00 00 00 00 00 00 8
Remaining 09 09 07 14 06 34 19 04 01 01 06 02 112Whom shall I send ? Lord send me!
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Whom shall I send ? Lord send me!
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(1) Fr. David
Tulimelli SDB
Before you became
a Christian you
were a Hindu. Was
it difficult hearing
the call to become a
Catholic and then a
priest?
Not very much in fact, because my
parents had already become Catholics
before I did. Now the whole family
including my brothers is Catholic. It
was a little more difficult beginning
the journey towards the priesthood.
I had met the Salesians for the first time when I was in elementary school at Nuzvid, in Andhra Pradesh, because they were running the regional diocesan seminary across the road.
I told them I wanted to become a priest and they said they would begin to guide me for some time. That happened for two years and then I decided to try my vocation in their aspirantate.
You have already spent six years as missionary in Sudan. From your experience what are the most necessary qualities? When I had just arrived in Sudan the fi rst thing Fr Ernesto de Gasperi, a Salesian missionary there told me was: “Accept everyone, and judge no one.” Even before I had left, while I was waiting for the visa for Sudan, I met again the fi rst Salesian I had known, Fr Johann Lens, my spiritual father in the stages of my vocational discernment.
I asked his advice about how I
might be a good missionary and he
told me three things: “Think well of
all, speak well of all and do good to
all.” That became my motto. Then
another very important thing is being
present. Being among the people will
make them happy; I learned this from
experience. When I was there in Sudan
there were so many problems, people
came asking you for things, they had
no food … but just the presence
among them of a Salesian missionary,
used to calm them down and bring
them joy. Why did you offer to go on
the mission “ad gentes” rather than
carry out your ministry among young
Indians? It is the question I asked
myself in 2000. It was a decision I did
not take lightly. But looking at Fr. Lens,
who had come from Belgium and was
a missionary for 60 years, I wanted to
be like him. I once asked him why he
had decided to become a missionary
and he told me: “I was sent”. And that
touched me to the heart. (Courtesy:
ANS, 17 September 2012)
(2) Fr. George
( J o r g e )
P u t h e n p u r a
SDB (First
indian Salesian
M i s s i o n a r y
Abroad)
Fr George
( J o r g e )
Puthenpura born
in Kerala made his fi rst profession
at Sunnyside Shillong in 1960. After
his philosophical studies at Salesian
College Sonada (Darjeeling) and
practical training, Fr Puthenpura did
theological studies in Barcelona, Spain.
He was ordained priest in March 1970, and became the fi rst missionary ad gentes from India to Guatemala. Seven years after his arrival in Guatemala, in 1977, he founded the “Congregation of the Sisters of the Resurrection,” which in 2004 became the 22nd group of the Salesian Family. Today the Congregation he founded has more than 50 professed sisters and some 30 novices, in 10 communities and 3 dioceses, and working in over 400 villages. The characteristic of this Congregation is the missionary spirit.
All the Sisters are indigenous.
(3) Fr. Jose D’Souza SDB: A Personal
Testimony
In 1967 when I was a Deacn in
Kristu Jyoti College, Bangalore,
we were taken to Goa
for a Retreat in
p r e p a r a t i o n
for our Priestly
Ordination. We
were also taken
to see Bom Jesu
Basilica and
the body of St.
Francis Xavier.
There, in front of the coffi n, inspired by the Holy Spirit, I uttered this simple prayer: “St. Francis Xavier, your body is here in the South, give us your Spirit in the North.” In 1968 after my Ordination, I requested my Provincial not to send me to the Missions, as I was afraid of darkness, snakes, scorpions, loneliness, etc.
He sent me to Salesian College, Sonada as Bursar of the House and as a Teacher of Logic, Cosmology and English. Everything went off well for six month. One Friday, the Parish Priest, Fr. Iellici came to me saying that he was supposed to go for a tour of 3 days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) and celebrate Mass in 5 villages on the hills and valleys of the Sonada Parish, but because of fever he was unable to go. He asked me if I could go. In the beginning I refused, but after some dialogue and coaxing I agreed to go reluctantly (because of fear and other prejudices) and ‘for the fi rst time and the last time’. But that fi rst experience of the people ‘like sheep without a shepherd’ waiting for the priest and for the sacraments was the beginning of my conversion.
On my return I asked Fr. Iellici to send me every Saturday and Sunday to the villages for my priestly ministry, and he did so willingly!
TESTIMONIES OF MISSIONARIESWhom shall I send ? Lord send me!
21
In 1969 I was transferred to
Bongaon as Parish Priest and I started
visiting the villages and opened 6
new mission centers. I remained
in Bongaon till 1979. In 1973 while
Parish Priest in Bongaon, I founded
the Institute called ‘The Disciples’ or
also known as Don Bosco Secular
Institute for spreading of the Gospel
in the rural areas.
In 2009 the Institute was accepted by the Rector Major and his Council as a member of the Salesian Family. In his letter he declares: “The mission of the Association is the Proclamation of the Love of God, with the announcing of the Gospel following the example of the Apostles, the fi rst Disciples of Jesus, in the service of the poorest and the needy according to the Salesian Spirituality, imitating Don Bosco, in the style of the Good Shepherd.” (Fr.
Pascual Chavez, Rector Major).
I think St. Francis answered my prayer of 1967 because today we are in about 50 dioceses in the North, East, and West India, and in 4 dioceses in South India, and in 2 countries abroad, Italy and Peru. We had 2 Sisters working in the Republic of Central Africa (RCA) for the past 2 and half years, but they had to return in March 2013 because of civil war in the country. At present we have about 325 Sisters and 80 Brothers scattered over 190 centres in India and abroad.
Whom shall I send ? Lord send me!
20
MISSIONARY
ASPIRANTATES OF
INDIA
(1) Bishop Hubert D’Rosario
institute, Sirajuli, Assam
On November 22, 2011 the first
missionary aspirantate in India was
inaugurated in Sirajuli, Assam. It is
situated in the Guwahati province.
It is situated on the main road to Tezpur in lush green paddy fields.
The newly constructed edifice is a welcome sight. The Sirajuli missionary aspirantate will serve the Indian Provinces of Guwahati, Sichar, Dimapur, Calcutta, Mumbai, Konkan and New Delhi. It had that year 13 prenovices and 40 aspirants!
This year there are 18 prenovices and 61 aspirants. Six have entered the novitiate.Whom shall I send ? Lord send me!
22
Whom shall I send ? Lord send me!
23
(2) Don Bosco Missionary
Aspirantate, Perambur, Chennai
The second missionary aspirantate
of India was started on 29th June
2012. It is the missionary aspirantate
for the Southern India, for provinces
of Chennai, Trichy, Bangalore and
Hyderabad. It had 12 aspirants in the
first year. Now this year the number
has risen to 28 and five have been
sent to the Missionary prenovitiate at
Sirajuli, Assam.
Don Bosco, Perambur is situated in the heart of Northern Chennai in a 5.36 acre property with spacious grounds. In addition to being the Missionary Aspirantate it is a home to Don Bosco Higher Secondary School with 2200 pupils and Don Bosco Nursery and Primary School with 515 pupils. The students frequenting the school are from middle class and lower middle class families. Hence, it is a healthy interaction for our aspirants.
The ministry of education that the community is engaged in becomes a first-hand experience of Salesian apostolate and preventive system for our aspirants.
SPECiFiC MiSSiONARY FORMATiON
AT THE MiSSiONARY ASPiRANTATE
The Missionary Aspirantate
It is a stage of first contact with the
Salesians. It aims at familiarizing the
candidates with Salesian religious life
and apostolate. The candidates are
brought into direct contact with the
Salesian community. The candidates
live in a salesian community and are
beneficiaries of the Salesian school.
The salesian community creates in them an interest for the Salesian Missions ad gentes.
Contents to be emphasized
Knowledge of Don Bosco
Knowledge of the Salesian Mission
ad gentes
Knowledge about the
Salesian Missionaries
Attitudes to be fostered
Interest in knowing the catholic
faith to be able to share it with others
Compassion for the poor and
those who do not know Christ
Love of simplicity and responsible
service
Experiences to be encouraged
To know the missionaries from
the province through videos, visits by
missionaries
To share one’s catholic faith with
fellow candidates
SOME SPECiFiC ACTiViTiES
1. Missionary ambient created
by constant references to the
missions in the talks, sermons,
goodnights, other instructions, Whom shall I send ? Lord send me!
24
Whom shall I send ? Lord send me!
25
classes, notice boards, etc.
2. Monthly commemoration of the
first missionary expedition with
prayer service & Mass
3. Missionary month (like the Marian
month) with talks, competitions,
etc. from October 11 to November
11
4. Participation in the Salesian
Mission Day of the province
5. A month-long missionary
exposure in the missions
6. Conferences by visiting
missionaries (missionaries on
home holidays)
7. Classes on world (mission lands)
history, geography & culture
8. Screening of missionary videos
from ANS
9. Daily prayers for the missionaries
and for missionary vocations
10. Missionary sodalities
11. Teaching of languages: Hindi,
Italian (in addition to English)
12. Building up of a library providing
literature on the missions &
missionaries
13. Preparation of prayer services for
commemoration of the monthly
missionary day in Tamil & English to
be circulated in the communities
of the province
14. Contributing Articles for the
Salesian Bulletin on missionary
themesEntry
after
Aspirantate
Preparatory
Aspirantate
Studies
Novitiate
Post
novitiate
University
Stage
Class X
Class XII
Univ
1 year
1 Year
1 Year
2 Years
----
----
One year
One year
One year
2 yrs, sci.
studens; 3
arts stud
Depending
on receiving
provinces
Contents
English,
Salesiana
Plus 2
Curriculum
(choice)
As per
Ratio
Philosophy,
Culture,
languages
Subject acc.
To need
Location
Sirajuli;
Perambur
Sirajuli,
Perambur
IND, ING IND, INT
Different
places
Send off
After nov.
for Indian
missions
After phil.
For Foreign
Missions
After College
or return for
college
Guiding document for formation and studies: Ratio, Salesian Missionary
formation guidelines
MISSIONARY
FORMATION
CURRICULUM
Whom shall I send ? Lord send me!
27
Whom shall I send ? Lord send me!
26Whom shall I send ? Lord send me!
28
Whom shall I send ? Lord send me!
29
The following are some of the qualities expected of a missionary:
(1) Free decision
(2) Right intention (to communicate faith, not merely to help in material
progress)
(3) Normal health to put up with difficulties in the mission
(4) Capacity for community-living and working together
(5) Sense of responsibility
(6) Adaptability to the new culture, language, etc.
SUITABILITY TO JOIN
THE MISSIONARY ASPIRANTATE
Hence the candidates wishing to enter the missionary aspirantate should
have the following qualities:
(1) A strong desire to be a missionary for life outside the province territories
(2) Free decision
(3) Enjoy normal health
(4) More than average intellectual capacity. The candidates desirous of joining
the Missionary aspirantate should have finished Class X or Class XII or Higher
studies. He should be duly selected by the provinces (through family visits,
camps, etc.) and recommended to the missionary aspirantate.Whom shall I send ? Lord send me!
30
M issionaries need prayers.
Pray for the missionaries.
The following prayer may
be used:
God, our Father, You desire that
all men and women come to the
knowledge of your truth and be
saved. You sent Jesus, Your Son, as
Your messenger to bear witness to
the truth. He preached the kingdom
of God by his words, actions,
life and death. To continue that
mission Jesus called the disciples,
prepared them and sent them
out so that the Gospel could be
preached everywhere. Behold,
the harvest is yet plentiful and
the labourers are few. We beseech
these to send labourers into Your
harvest. Inspire many young men
and women to become missionaries
to take Your Word to the ends of the
earth. Strengthen the missionaries in
their toil and stress. Bless their work
and bring it to fruitful completion.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
MISSIONARIES NEED
YOUR HELP
You may wish to sponsor a missionary
candidate or offer scholarships.
Please contact the Rectors of the Missionary Aspirantates.
S. No. PROVINCE NAME EMAIL-ID CONTACT NO. ADDRESS
01 INB Fr. Thomas D’Costa sdbthomasd@gmail.com
9623066229
0241-2343038
St. Anne’s Parish, Near Collector’s Office,
Ahmednagar-414 001
02 INC Br. Lawrence Mondal lawrence.sdb@gmail.com
08017885680
033-23292024
Salesian of Don Bosco
52A, Radhanath Chowdhury Road
Tengra P.O., Kolkata-700 015
03 IND Fr. Elow Samuel elowsamuel@yahoo.it 9436266456
Don Bosoc Provincial House
PB 40, Dimapur-797 112, Nagaland
04 ING Fr. Thadeus Kujur tkujur2002@yahoo.co.in
9859938434
0361-2515501
Bosco Reach Out, B.K. Kakati Road
Bholanath, Mandir Bye Lane
Ulubari-781 007, Guwahati, Assam
05 INH Fr. Yeruva Joji Reddy yeruvajoji@rediffmail.com
8179998014
0866-2450386
Don Bosco, Carmel Nagar, Gunadala
Vijayawada-520 004, Andhra Pradesh
06 INK Fr. Konnanikad Michael dbcallsu@gmail.com
Don Bosco, Don Bosco Road
Kanteerayanapalaya,
Tumkur - 572106 Karnataka
Contact us
Whom shall I send ? Lord send me!
31Whom shall I send ? Lord send me!
32
07 INM Fr. Parthibanraj Soosai sparthisdb@gmail.com 09940276203
Don Bosco Boy’s Home
M. H. Road, Perambur, Chennai – 600 011
Tamil Nadu
08
INN
Delhi Region
Fr. Anand P Surin
anandsurinsdb@yahoo.com
8989535188
9968474733
0761-2603690
Don Bosco Yuva Sadan, Mandla Road,
Bilheri, Jabalpur-482 020 M.P.
Chottanagpur
Region
Br. Joseph Kandulna bjkandulna@yahoo.co.in
9009890508
07764-201861
Catholic Ashram, Jokbahla P.O. Jashpur Dt.,
Chattishgarh-496 225
09 INP Fr. Maxim D’Souza maximsdb@gmail.com
0820-2576655
Don Bosco Youth Centre
Benjith Nagar, Shirva P.O.
Udupi Dist.Karnataka-574 116
10 INS Fr. Paul Olphindro Lyngkot
lyngkot@gmail.com
insviceprovincial@donboscosilchar.
org
9436789408
0364-2550577
Don Bosco Provincial House
Mathias Institute, Mawlai
Shillong-793 008, Meghalaya
11 INT Fr. casimir Raj casisdb@gmail.com 0431-2680473
Don Bosco, 3/121, Karunya Nagar Road,
Manikandam Union (PO)
Tiruchy-620 012
12 Sirajuli Fr. Joe Almeida jalmeida@gmail.com 09435117838
Hubert D’Rosario Institute, Don Bosco
Centre, Shikaribasti, Sirajuli P.O., Sonitpur
Dt. – 784 117 ASSAM
13 Perambur Fr. Pathiaraj pathiaraj@rediffmail.co m 09865713978
Don Bosco Missionary Aspirantate, 130
M. H. Road, Perambur, Chennai – 600 011
TAMILNADU
14 RMDA Fr. T. C. George tcgsdb@yahoo.com 09448815694
Viswadeep, Kristu Jyoti College,
Krishnarajapuram, Bangalore – 560 036
KARNATAKA
