E- NEWSLETTER OF THE SALESIAN MISSION ANIMATION ISSUE NO.

# 8 OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2007

St. John Bosco Parish P.O. Box 1336 MCPO 1253 Makati City - Don Bosco Philippine North Province (FIN)

FINDING OUR IMPETUS FOR MISSION

Don Bosco commissioned his first missionaries, destined for He regarded it as a sign of Providence and set about the
Argentina, in a solemn ceremony in the Basilica of Mary Help of realization of a project long dear to him. Adopting a special way of
Christians, in Turin, on 11 November 1875. That inaugural missionary evangelization that would not expose his missionaries suddenly to wild,
expedition was led by Fr John Cagliero (later to become a bishop and a uncivilized tribes, he proposed to set up bases in safe locations where their
Cardinal). Thus began a story that has spread throughout the world and missionary efforts were to be launched. The above request from Argentina
now sees the Salesians working in came about as follows: Towards the end of 1874, he received letters from
over 115 countries. that country requesting that he
accept an Italian parish in Buenos
The story of the Aires and a school for boys at San
departure of the first Salesians for Nicolas de los Arroyos. Gazzolo,
America in 1875 is based on the the Argentinean Consul at Savona,
missionary ideal of Don Bosco. had sent the request, for he had
After his ordination, he would taken a great interest in the
have become a missionary had not Salesian work in Liguria and
his director, Joseph Cafasso, hoped to obtain the Salesians' help
opposed the idea. He eagerly read for the benefit of his country.
the Italian edition of the Annals of Negotiations started after
the Propagation of the Faith and Archbishop Aneiros of Buenos
used this magazine to illustrate his Aires had indicated that he would
Cattolico provveduto (1853) and be glad to receive the Salesians.
his Month of May booklets They were successful mainly
(1858). because of the good offices of the
priest of San Nicolas, Pedro
Ceccarelli, a friend of Gazzolo,
When he founded the who was in touch with and had the
Salesian Society, the thought of confidence of Don Bosco. In a
the missions still obsessed him, ceremony held on 29 January
and he would gladly have sent his 1875.Don Bosco was able to
religious had he not then completely lacked the means. convey the great news to the Oratory in the presence of Gazzolo. On
February 5, he announced the fact in a circular letter to all Salesians asking
t is said that he searched for three years among documents, trying volunteers to apply in writing. He proposed that the first missionary
to get information about different countries. For a moment he thought it departure start in October.
might be Abyssinia, then Hong Kong, then Australia, then India. One day,
however, a request came from the republic of Argentina, which turned him This news aroused great enthusiasm everywhere, and practically
towards the Indians of Patagonia. To his surprise, a study of the people all the Salesians volunteered for the missions. Certainly a new era had now
there convinced him that the country and its inhabitants were the ones he
had seen in his dream. begun for the Oratory and the young Society.

LET US REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR THE MISSIONS

The month of November is very
significant for us Salesians because we
remember the first foray of the Salesians in
to a foreign land led by Fr. Cagliero on
November 11, 1875. Cagliero is best
remembered as an intrepid missioner. He
led the first group of Salesian missionaries
to Argentina , where they carried out their
ministry to the Italian immigrants of Buenos
Aires . Soon, Fr Cagliero penetrated the
interior of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego .
Then he opened a trade school at Almagro Salesian Missionaries to be faithful to the
and another at Villa Colon, Uruguay until his teachings of Don Bosco and that they may
recall to Turin to be made bishop be given the grace of holy perseverance.
consecrated in the Basilica of Mary, Help of
Christians in Turin on December 7, 1884, in
the presence of Don Bosco.
This month of November, we
remember all mission lands and the boys
under the pastoral care of priests and Fr. Ting Miciano, SDB
brothers. We remember to pray for the
SALESIAN MISSION NEWS

The  Cagliero  Project  gives  young  Australians  like  you  an  opportunity  to  trade/professional background. Your geographical area of interest will also 
devote a year of your life in service of the youth overseas and in Australia.   be taken into consideration. A primary focus of the Cagliero Project will be 
This takes place in Salesian communities around the world. As missionaries  working  with  the  young  people  in  the  community:  in  a  school,  youth 
you  will  work  in  solidarity  with  the  community  in  order  to  promote  the  centre, oratory or mission centre.  You will take on a role such as teacher, 
Gospel  and  the  message  of  Don  Bosco  and  to  deepen  your  own  spiritual  youth  minister,  counsellor,  social  worker,  labourer  or  nurse.  You  will  be 
awareness.   In  this  community,  based  on  your  skills  and  talents,  you  will  given  a  specific  job  before  going  abroad,  however,  there  are  a  lot  of 
work with youth. This usually takes place in projects such as schools, youth  different  ministries  that  go  on  in  a  Salesian  community  and  you  may  be 
centres,  oratories  and  mission  centres.  Cagliero  Missionaries  commit  called to undertake other tasks. For example, your primary task may be to 
themselves  to  a  Salesian  spirituality  and  lifestyle.   This  is  done  by  teach in a technical school, but the community in which you live may also 
participating in your specified Salesian community through living, praying  run a food program for the poor and you may also be called upon to assist 
and working in a Salesian way. In determining the type of work you want  the  Saesian  community  with  the  given  program  intended  for  the  less 
to  do,  we  will  take  into  account  your  training,  academic  standard  and  fortunate. 
(http://www.cagliero.org.au/index.htm)

SALESIAN MISSIONARY IN FOCUS

A Life of wonder is something one cannot exchange for all the

price tags a sight-seeing tourist-package can offer. Lest the readers
be misled, Wonder should not be equated with only the scent and the
velvety touch of roses or be equated with only the thorns. Wonder
comes with the fact that the roses come 'packaged' with the thorns.
Just as snow is not only a matter of immaculate whites and fluffy
flakes but also bringing freezing chills and bone racking.
Our Local Church is led by Bishop Padilla, CICM. With him are
60 of us missionaries from 9 religious congregations and 4 diocesan
priests from korea and france to lend support as. We Salesians are
the 5 th Religious congregation that arrived 7 years ago. And to make
things more prophetic 20 nationalities are shared among missionaries.
The Top two nationalities are Indians and Koreans, mostly comprising
are sisters.
In the early years after 1992, when the Mongolian Communist State established diplomatic ties with the Vatican, Socio-
Humanitarian works for the poorest of the poor have been the main face of the Catholic Church. Only in recent years, have the
people and government have matured in their understanding that being a Catholic Church and Religion in Mongolia meant the
integral development of the person body AND soul, and I dare even say, the development of the community as a body and
likewise a soul. Our Buddhist brothers readily come in support of us Catholics as saying that we are not Christians, nor Orthodox
but Catholics. We believe that Catholic relationship with the Buddhists (94% of the population's 2.7 million people) has gained
high ground recognition among brothers who have more things in common than differences. This last phrase too brings tinges of
pain but also of challenges of hope when in the eyes and lips of the Mongolians, we hear their questions as they wonder why
there are so many divisions even among Christians.
We Salesians cater to the poorer youth from those on the streets to the underprivileged youth without a job because
they were not given a chance to study well and finish a high-school and college education. From the very beginning a school was
asked of the Salesians by the Apostolic Nuncio (to Mongolia and Korea) and the Apostolic Prefect (then Missio Sui Iuris Superior
Fr. Padilla). Otherwise, the Salesians would have opened an oratory instead and worked itself up the ladder of human services.
Don Bosco Industrial Training Skills Center that follows a Competency Based Training has been established for the youth 8
months upon the arrival of one (first to remain) Salesian in 2001, a Jubilee Gift for the Millennium. What started with 30 co-ed
students 7 years ago now enrolls annually about 225 students these past years. In comparison with the other institutions, the
three Salesians Centers now established in Mongolia employ one of the largest number of local professionals to thus bring more
support (by way of employment opportunities) to the Mongolian families. (Thanks to Fr. Carlo Villegas SDB for allowing us to take snippets of
his blog. The whole article can be seen at http://www.carlomariasavio.blogspot.com)