Posted March 6, 2009
Spain – Salesian Venerable Dorotea, a new Biography
(Barcelona) – On January 21, 2009, Fr. Ramón Alberdi, S.D.B., from the Barcelona Province, presented his biography of a Salesian Venerable: Dorotea de Chopitea y de Villota (1816-1891). She had been declared Venerable by John Paul II in 1983.
The book looks at her life through the lens of her commitment to social justice and improving the lives of those less fortunate. Fr. Alberdi tells the story of the life of a woman who was an exemplary mother, a Salesian- Cooperator, and caretaker of thirty religious foundations: churches, colleges, hospitals, hostels and oratories. She provided assistance to ten religious orders in Barcelona towards the end of the 19th century.
Among the many other people present at the presentation were various members of the Salesian Family, religious of various orders and congregations, as well as some descendants of Venerable Dorotea.
In addition to the known historical documentation on the life of Dorotea, Fr. Alberdi has added some new unpublished material regarding the historical and social context of Dorotea de Chopitea’s times. He points out an interesting parallel between the transformation of the city and the interior transformation of this noble lady.
Angola – The Pope to visit Salesian Parish in Luanda
(ANS – Luanda) Pope Benedict XVI will visit the Salesian Parish of St. Paul in Luanda on March 21, 2009. This will take place during his apostolic visit to Cameroon and Angola, March 17-23, 2009. He will meet the Bishops, priests, male and female religious, members of ecclesiastical movements and catechists from Angola and São Tomé in the Salesian church and will preside at Mass there.
The church of Saint Paul’s in Luanda was built by the Capuchins in the 1960s and was entrusted to the Salesians in 1982.
Australia - Salesian Honored with Australia Day Award
(Sydney) – Fr. John Briffa, S.D.B. has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia during the Australia Day Awards on January 26, 2009. Fr. Briffa was recognized for his Salesian service to the community through contributions to the establishment and support of educational and aged care facilities.
Engadine, south of the city business district of Sydney, is the area where Fr. Briffa has long ministered as Pastor. He built John Paul II Village, a 163 bed residential facility for the elderly and invlolved the entire parish community in making it a most welcoming home for the elderly, a model for the entire country.
Fr. Briffa is the fourth Salesian to receive one or other level of the Order of Australia in recent years. The others are Fr. Frank Moloney, Fr. Chris Riley, and Brother James Hamilton.
The Order of Australia is the pre-eminent way that Australians recognize the achievements and service of their fellow citizens. The nominations come directly from the community. A 19 member Council for the Order of Australia then considers the nominations and then makes their recommendations directly to the Governor General who represents the Queen.
Lithuania – A biography of Don Bosco for the young
(Vilnius) – A new biography of Don Bosco, written for the young, has been published in Lithuania, Let the Sparrows Sing. This is a response to the call of the 26th General Chapter to make Don Bosco better known.
The biography was published by the Salesian Bulletin of Lithuania and is adapted to the local culture and language. It was produced by Lene Mayer-Skumanz, a German writer, and published by the Salesian Publishing House in Germany.
The book was presented to the public on January 31st, the Feast of Saint John Bosco. The presentation of this new book, on the radio and in the press, will provide Lithuanians with information about events in the Salesian world: the Feast of Don Bosco, the opening of the Jubilee of the Salesian Congregation on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of its foundation, and the 75th anniversary of the presence of the Salesians in Lithuania.
There are only two communities of Salesians and one of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Lithuania. The Salesian Bulletin is published every three months with a print run of 7,000 copies, and has 2,500 subscribers.
Guatemala – An Experience of Shared Spirituality
(Guatemala City) – The novices of the Salesian Province of Central America had a joint retreat with some Volunteers with Don Bosco (VDB) as 2008 ended and 2009 began. The Retreat was preached by the Provincial of the Salesians of Central America, Fr. Luis Corral, at Monte San Francisco Retreat House at Puerta Parada.
The Volunteers with Don Bosco is a male Public Ecclesiastical Association of lay faithful. Presently, they are in the process of becoming a Secular Institute belonging to the Salesian Family.
Before the Retreat began, the VDB arrived from Mexico, El Salvador, Venezuela, Costa Rica and Guatemala to become acquainted with each other, sharing their experiences and understanding of their Salesian vocation and becoming familiar with the Salesian presence in Guatemala.
At the end of the Retreat on January 3rd, the Volunteers with Don Bosco renewed or made first profession as consecrated laymen. On Sunday, January 4th, in the church of the Salesian House of Philosophy, the 5 novices: José Ramiro Aguirre, Marcos René Castillo from El Salvador, Cesar Augusto Lacayo from Nicaragua, Josué Saborio Arias, from Costa Rica and Jhonny Alexis Zavala from Honduras, made their first profession as Salesians of Don Bosco.
RMG –The Salesian Family Welcomes Three New Groups
(Rome) – The Rector Major, Fr. Pascual Chávez, and his Council approved three new groups for inclusion in the Salesian Family: Canção Nova, The Disciples, and the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Michael the Archangel.
Canção Nova is an international movement of lay people engaged in evangelization, especially through the media. It began in Brazil in 1978 with a group of 12 young people under the guidance of Fr. Jonas Abib, S.D.B.. It is a response to Article 45 of the Papal Document Evangeli Nuntiandi which encourages the use of media in evangelization. The headquarters of the movement is located at Cachoeira Paulista, in Brazil and includes the Dom João Hipólito de Moraes which can hold 70,000 people, the My Lord Hall with space for 4,000, and the 700 seat São Paulo Auditorium. On November 3, 2008, the Vatican recognized Canção Nova as an Association of the Faithful.
The Disciples, also known as Don Bosco Secular Institute, is a public ecclesiastical association of men and women that began in India in 1973, directed by Fr. Joseph D’Souza. S.D.B. While it began as two separate groups for men and women, The Disciples formed a single group in 1983. On April 21, 2000, the diocese of Ambikapur recognized the Secular Institute. The Disciples, drawing inspiration from the gospel passage in which Jesus sends 72 disciples to evangelize, are dedicated to the proclamation of the Gospel, to teaching catechism, to caring for the sick, and service to the poor. Today, there are 400 Disciples, present in 44 dioceses in India and 6 in Italy.
The Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Michael the Archangel, also called Michaelite Sisters, was founded at the end of the 19th century by Blessed Bronislao Markiewicz and the Servant of God Mother Anna Kaworek. In 1956, the congregation was recognized as a religious institute of ontifical right. The Michaelite Sisters combine a contemplative life with apostolic charitable work in the educational, catechetical, and social fields through their work in parishes and the missions. The Congregation has 300 sisters who minister in Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Germany, France, Cameroon, and Italy.
News of The approval of these groups was announced at the opening of the 27th Gathering of the Salesian Family for Spirituality Days.
Zambia – Meeting of young Salesian volunteers from Poland
(Lusaka) – Eleven young Polish volunteers, 9 from Don Bosco International Voluntary Service (MWDB), and 2 from Salesian Young Missionary Voluntary Service for the World, met for the week of January 6-12, 2009 in Zambia. The meeting was held at the headquarters of the Vice Province which includes the countries Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
The young people are engaged in volunteer service in various Salesian centers in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Uganda. Some of the volunteers working in Zimbabwe were not able to obtain visas to enter Zambia, so an additional meeting was held in Hwange, Zimbabwe.
The meeting was chaired by Fr. Stanis?aw Rafa?ko, Director of the Salesian Missionary Center in Warsaw. It provided a forum for the young volunteers to share their experiences as new missionaries in Africa and to learn from each other about inculturation.
The volunteers visited the Cathedral in Lusaka and prayed at the tomb of their countryman Cardinal Adam Koz?owiecki who died in 2007 after many years of service as a missionary.
Presently, there are 18 MWDB volunteers working in four other countries around the world.
Mexico – The Salesian Presence at the Sixth World Meeting of Families
(Mexico City) – Over 10,000 people from all over the world gathered in Mexico City for the Sixth World Meeting of Families, January 13-18, 2009. Among those present were various Cardinals, Bishops, priests, lay people and experts in social, pastoral, and family issues.
The President of the Republic of Mexico, Felipe Calderón, spoke at the opening ceremony on January 13th, and he emphasized the need to face the current economic crisis in order to protect families. Additionally, he stressed the need to restore the values of honesty, justice, love, work, and solidarity within the nuclear family.
The Salesian Family was represented at the event through various Salesians, from Mexico and elsewhere, and also some Salesian Sisters. Among the Salesian Bishops present were Cardinal Oscar A. Rodríguez Maradiaga, archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Bishop Héctor Guerrero Córdova, Bishop Prelate of Mixes, and Bishop Bernardo Bastres, of Punta Arenas, Chile. Additionally, the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, also a Salesian, represented Benedict XVI as Papal Legate at the gathering.
The final Mass was celebrated in the square in front of the Basilica of Guadalupe with Cardinal Bertone presiding, and many other Cardinals, Bishops, and priests concelebrating. At the end of the celebration, the Pope delivered a taped message to the congregation that was broadcast on large TV screens throughout the plaza. The next World Meeting of Families will be held in Milan, Italy in 2012.
Peru – A place to start again
(Grocio Prado) – Eighteen months ago, a severe earthquake struck the regions of Pisco, Ica, Chincha and Cañete in Peru, leaving many families homeless. The Salesians in Peru established the Don Bosco Foundation to raise money to fund the building of homes of the poorest families in the region. The goal was to complete 22 homes. On Saturday, January 17, 2009, Fr. Vincent Santilli, Provincial of Peru, gave the keys to the homes to the poor families who awaited them.
The Salesian group of houses has been named Mary Help of Christians Village. It is in the Grocio Prado district, in the Province of Chincha.
The homes were a collaborative effort of the worldwide Salesian network including the Salesian Missions Office in the United States, which built a chapel in the village. Future development plans include a sports field for the youngsters.
Each house was able to be constructed for $21,500.00. The whole project required an investment of about half a million dollars.
Mary Help of Christians Village is one of many projects the Salesians in Perù are providing on behalf of the earthquake victims. Immediately after the tragic events, the Salesians opened the Oratories of Hope, youth programs in which hundreds of boys and girls were gathered together for humanitarian, educational, and recreational activities.
Vatican – The Salesians and Europe
(Rome) –On January 19, 2009, Fr. Vaclav Klement, Councillor for the Missions of the Salesian Congregation, participated in a meeting organized by the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the Holy See, Dr. Pavel Voalik. He presented the experience and ministry of the Salesians in the world. This type of meeting is held monthly for 22 Ambassadors of countries who are accredited to the Holy See and are members of the European Community. Five Ambassadors from candidate countries were also present.
Speaking to the Ambassadors, Fr. Klement first spoke about the life and work of St. John Bosco and then about the Salesian Congregation, emphasizing its missionary commitment. He told the Ambassadors about the work of thousands of Salesians on behalf of the poor in over 130 countries. He indicated that the Salesian style of ministry is the Preventive System, the gift that Don Bosco gave to the Church and to Society. This educational system is committed to integrated development and evangelization.
Fr. Klement also told the Ambassadors about the International Congress on The Preventive System and Human Rights, that was held in Rome during the first days of January, 2009.
Fr. Klement briefly described some of the complex missionary frontiers where the Salesians are working such as Sudan and Mozambique, and certain countries in Asia. Next, he spoke of the new Project for Europe, one that the Holy Father asked the Salesians to begin, that is intended to re-launch the mission of education on the continent. He also mentioned Don Bosco Network that is composed of European Salesian Inspired NGOs located in Belgium, Germany, Austria, Spain and Italy. Each year they have placed over 200 volunteers in developing countries in 1,000 support and educational projects Among the groups the Salesians are committed to assisting in Europe are the gypsy children and young immigrants.
“Naturally, we face many challenges in our mission,” Fr. Klement said. “I invited some Salesians who are working in Europe to tell me what they would like me to say to the Ambassadors during our meeting. Their concerns are as follows:”
- Please give more attention to promoting the human rights of children and young people and encourage their training and education.
- Please put the resources of Catholic missions into development and education;
- Please provide more information about social integration projects throughout Europe and include us in seminars for study and reflection;
- Please provide support, financial and moral, for international volunteer service.
Malta -- “Where is Home?” Conference
The Salesians at St. Patrick’s School in Malta is organizing a three-day conference on “out of home” care on March 12-14, 2009. They are collaborating with the Office of the Commissioner for Children in sponsoring the conference: Where is Home? Exploring Therapeutic Interventions. The term out of home care includes foster care, residential care and therapeutic residential care.
St. Patrick’s School cares for children and youths who face adversity and may be at risk of social exclusion.
The conference will explore strategies and interventions for educators and caregivers, helping them to work more effectively with the young people in their care, especially in the area of education.
The conference is open to social workers, caregivers, foster parents, educators, therapists, psychologists, academics, students and international participants. For more information please go to www.whereishomeconference.org.
Back to Salesian World News »
|
