Posted April 13, 2009
India - National Seminar on Emerging Trends in Child Care
(Kolkata) – February 21-23, 2009, representatives from various Salesian Centers for Children at Risk from all over India took part in a Seminar entitled Emerging Trends in Child Care: Youth at Risk. As they arrived, the participants were greeted by some of the street children from the Center in Kolkata who gave each of them a flower as a sign of welcome.
The opening session was led by Fr. Thomas Ellicherail, Provincial of Kolkata, who stressed that “in order to mold the future citizens of the nation, the crying need of our times is learning to act for social change.” He reiterated the importance of “giving most to those who received the least.” He also thanked the pioneers of the apostolate for the marginalized youth of India who showed great courage in meeting this pressing need.
The meaning of child care has undergone a metamorphosis over the last decade due to an increased awareness of child protection and juvenile justice in India. The Salesians have been in the forefront in the fight for justice and rights among marginalized youth and children. But they must continue to be aware of the rapid changes and emerging issues in child care in the context of globalization. This seminar was an effort by the Young at Risk Forum of the Salesians to understand the gravity of the issue of child care in India.
Vietnam -- Salesians Serve the Young
The Salesians began their work in Vietnam in 1952 establishing schools, shelters for streets kids, and providing assistance to migrants and minorities from rural areas throughout the country. Fr. Andrej Majcen, from Slovenia, and Father Giacomo, from Brazil, were the pioneers of the Salesian work in Vietnam. They established the first ministry in Hanoi.
“I want to show that a street kid is not as bad as many think. I would like to rebuild my life for the future. I am happy that Father T. understands and sympathizes with my family situation. I hope they [my parents] will stop quarrelling so that I can soon go back home,” said Hung, a 14 year-old boy staying at Ho Chi Minh City’s Salesian Center, a place where abandoned children, or children forced to live in the streets of the city can find shelter.
An alumnus of a Salesian school, Hung went on to express his gratitude to the Salesians for all they do. “Many priests, Salesian brothers and sisters work with children, especially those in trouble. They help migrants and minorities from rural areas and take care of kids with drug problems or living with HIV/AIDS,” he said.
In places like Ba Thon, Tan Ha, Phuoc Loc, Xuan Hiep, Hoc Mon and K’long, the Salesians offer guidance and vocational training to “help young people develop and experience Christian life in society,” said an administrator.
Today the Salesians minister in nine dioceses: Hanoi, Saigon, Xuan Loc, Da lat, Vinh Long, Lang Son, Thai Binh and Hoa. In addition the bishop and auxiliary bishop of the diocese of Bui Chu are Salesians. There are than 100 priests and 200 brothers working in the country with nearly 450 applicants and thousands of former students from the schools of Da Lat province, Thu Duc district and Ho Chi Minh City.
Kosovo: Co-Cathedral of Mother Teresa - a Spiritual Center for all
| Once a part of Yugoslavia, then of Serbia, Kosovo is a young independent nation, not just as a government (since 2008), but due to its population. Over half of the population is under the age of 25. Young people throng the streets, hundreds of young people. This young nation has enormous potential, but simultaneously it faces enormous challenges. While the war ended 10 years ago, the infrastructure is woefully inadequate and unemployment is almost universal. The political administration and the educational system are still works in progress. But the greatest obstacle to development is that the conflict between the Albanian majority and the Serbian minority is still unresolved.
"But despite this, we are optimistic", declares Bishop Dode Gjergji of Prizren and all Kosovo. He points to a vast building site in the center of Pristina, adding, "This is where we are building the co-cathedral of Mother Teresa. For many people it is a symbol of a new beginning and of new hope, both for Christians and Muslims.” The bishop immediately understands the look of surprise in the eyes of those who listen to him. There is no contradiction, he assures them, in the fact that Kosovo is 95% Muslim and yet a Catholic church is being built in the heart of the capital. He explained: “ Ibrahim Rugova, the philosopher, writer and according to numerous unofficial elections the first president of Kosovo, had personally encouraged the Catholics to build a church to represent them in the capital.” Rugova, a Muslim who is revered by Kosovans as the father of the nation, had used his personal influence to ensure that the Christians were offered a building site in a central location. For him this was clearly more than a gesture, inviting everyone to contribute together to rebuilding the country. “For him a cathedral was quite simply something that belonged here in the capital,” said Bishop Gjergji.
The first phase of building is complete, and the foundations and undercroft are ready. A large social center and meeting place is being built beneath the cathedral. Walking across the building site, the bishop proudly points out this area, the extent of which one can already gain to appreciate. "In the future there will be room here for everyone, whether Christians or Muslims, whether Catholics or Orthodox," he said.
The Catholic Church is committed to helping the needy and shows this through the daily food kitchens for the poor in the only Catholic parish in Pristina, with the work of Caritas, and that of the vocational school, the Qendra Sociale Edukative Don Bosko (Don Bosco Social and Educational Center) run by the Salesians, which provides young Kosovans with a general and practical education.
For the Catholics in Kosovo this project is a real challenge. This small country has just 65,000 Catholics, with several thousand Catholic Albanian Kosovans living abroad, e.g. nearly 10,000 in Germany. Bishop Dode is counting on their donations, which are expected to amount to over $2.6 million, a quarter of the total cost. On top of this, generous support has already been given by the international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). This charity, founded in 1947 by Father Werenfried van Straaten, a Dutch Norbertine priest has already helped for the construction of the Carmelite convent and the cathedral in Albania and also made an earlier contribution to this co-cathedral of Mother Teresa.
A great deal of work still rests on Bishop Gjergji's shoulders, both as a builder and as a pastor. “The people here have endured hard times,” he said. “Now they are searching for God.” This is true of Muslims and of Christians. The religious communities are growing. As Bishop Gjergji said, “Many people are coming to us, above all young Kosovans, both Muslims and Christians. We want to be able to help them and respond to them. This is our practical contribution to reconciliation."
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India – A Program for Education to Human Rights
(Shillong) – A program for education of human rights was officially inaugurated at St. Anthony’s Secondary School, in Shillong in Northeast India, on February 20, 2009. Mr. Manas Choudhuri, Minister of Education in the State of Meghalaya was present for the ceremonies. He thanked the Salesians for taking this iniative and praised the work they had done in other states in India to educate the young about Human Rights. The textbooks that will be used in Northeast India are an adaptation of an existing module prepared by the Institute of Human Rights Education, Madurai. The special situations and needs of the region have been added to the original examples used in the texts.
Dr. V. Vasanthi Devi, the Chairperson of to Institute of Human Rights Education, Madurai, delivered the keynote address. She highlighted the difficulties encountered while raising the consciousness of people to human rights. It is her belief that one of the key solutions to these difficulties is to begin human rights education in the nation’s classrooms.
Fr. Joseph Almeida, Provincial of the Salesians in Guwahati, spoke about the various initiatives in the Province for promoting human rights education. He thanked everyone present for their help in making this project a reality. Mr. Henry Tiphagne, the Executive Director of Peoples Watch, Madurai, the sponsoring agency of the Institute of Human Rights Education, gave a brief history of how human rights education evolved in the schools.
The students of St. Anthony’s Secondary School performed the song U-N-I-T-E-D, from an international music video from Youth for Human Rights.
Rome – The 140th Missionary Expedition
(Rome) – Fr. Vaclav Klement, Councillor for the Missions, has invited the Salesian NGOs in Europe to become more involved in the celebration of the presentation of the missionary crosses each year in Valdocco, Turin.
Fr. Klement’s invitation is for them to not only take part in the commissioning ceremony, but especially to be involved with the volunteers leaving on the missionary expedition. In recent years the missionary groups have included Salesians and Salesian Sisters, and an increasingly large number of young people and lay missioners from groups in the Salesian Family.
In his commentary on the Strenna for 2009, the Rector Major noted missionary activity as one of the areas for collaboration between the different groups of the Salesian Family. He also called the entire Salesian Family to promote new initiatives to serve in the evangelization of the young. In the same commentary, Fr. Chávez said, “The Salesian Family needs to animate and promote social and missionary voluntary service among young people and adults, as a concrete application of the Salesian charism in response to the great challenges of the world of youth today, especially poor youth and those at risk.”
The date for the commisioning of the 140th Salesian Missionary Expedition is set for September 27, 2009 at Valdocco, in the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians.
Rome – New videos on ANSchannel is a big “Hit”
(Rome) – Since it began in early February 2009, ANSchannel, the channel that the Salesian iNfo Agency has opened on YouTube, has had a large number of hits, links embedded on other websites,and positive comments from around the world.
Launched with the clip Siamo Salesiani (We Are Salesians), ANSchannel has collected and shared amateur videos with news about Salesians and young people throughout the world. The site has adopted Siamo Salesiani as their signature song, a result of the 27th Salesian Family Spirituality Days held in Rome in early 2009.
“ANSchannel is open to all those who want to send in a video or a news item about youth and Salesian events,” said Fr. Donato Lacedonio, the Director of ANS. “ We know that there is a lot going on and that creative activity is a great feature of the Salesian world. In particular, we would like to have information about events happening in the Salesian World that are connected to the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Salesian Congregation.”
Uganda – First Ugandan Salesian priest
(Bombo) – On February 28, 2009, Thomas Cyprian Oloya was ordained as a Salesian priest. He is the first Ugandan native to be ordained since the Salesians arrived in Uganda in 1989.
Archbishop John Baptist Odama of Gulu presided at the ordination ceremony. He was assisted by the Auxiliary Bishop of Gulu, Sabino Odoki, and Bishop Paul Ssemwogerere, of Kasana-Luweero. Fr. Oloya’s family was present for the ceremony as were many Salesians, including the Leader of the Africa Great Lakes Vice Province (AGL), Fr. Gabriel Ngendakuriyo.
Fr. Oloya comes from the north of the country. The Provincial, Fr. Ngendakuriyo, during his address after the ordination, said that he hoped that more men would be ordained from every part of the country. He said that Fr. Oloya’s ordination “represents the birth of the first born, to be followed by many others.”
There are only 41 Salesians working in Uganda, ministering in three centers: Kampala, Kamuli and Bombo. One can see the progress being made by the presence of the Salesians after just 20 years. In fact,there are 10 Ugandan youngsters entering novice programs.
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