June 21, Good night talk. To talk about missions, to talk about refugees (yesterday was the world day of refugess). Yesterday i was ask to give a good night talk at the General House. After a long time being out, after so many events, encounters and wonderful missionaries... Not easy to choose something for the community.

Follow up:

Year of the faith (2012-2013) is approaching and so i shared just two points of the Propaganda Fide Prefect, Cardinal Filonis interview with one Italian magazine few days ago. He was asked what is the specific contribution of his EVANGELIZATION OF THE PEOPLES congregation to the YEAR OF FAITH?

Cardinal's answer was quit simple, deep and unusually practical.
First - help all Catholic believers to focus on the First (initial) proclamation of the Gospel.
Second - to spread worldwide prayer campaign for the missarinio ad gentes with the Missionary Rosary.

INITIAL PROCLAMATION OF JESUS CHRIST

I have distributed the 2012 Salesian Mission Day prayer form, sharing the richness of input
after watching all nine videos of Thailand, India and the Philippines. Telling the story of Jesus not just by lips, but especially by the witness of life and with a heart full of Jesus, to all non Christians around.

In every Salesian house i used to browse the missionary DVDs coming from Torino - Missioni Don Bosco. There are two extremes - in some house they make many pirat copies for their catechists and in other houses they never open even the cover. Huge richness of missionary testimonies is at the reach of everybody. In the general house the new DVDs coming from Torino are piling in front of the Post Office.

The Salesian Mission Sunday materials are used in many different ways - in Mexico (October) they use them for the relaunching of the missionary group, in Czech Republic they use it for the Novena to Mary Help of Christians (May 24), in Spain for the animation of the Missionary Week in our schools (Good nights or good mornings), in India they use it for the formation house Sunday
missionary sessions...

MISSIONARY ROSARY (five colours for 5 continents: Africa, America, Europe, Oceania and Asia)

Late holy US bishop Fulton Sheen developed this simple tool of missionary prayer after the world war II. But probably in our globalized age this missionary rosary is more actual then ever. I pray, that the Don Bosco nel Mondo foundation will fulfill their pledge to produce some 10.000 of them for our world wide animation. So far i bring it the extraordinary visitation and giving in each visited house to all confreres at the end of the visitation as a token of communion within the worldwide Salesian Congregation.

First mystery intention was suggested for Guatemala - El Peten Vicariate. After 17 years of the entrustment to the Salesian Congregation finally the SDB Bishop was able to open last Sunday the first Salesian presence, a parish-youth center at San Benito: poor and violent place near the Mexico boarder, just a place Don Bosco should be present.

Second mystery intention suggested was for the Pakistani Salesian vocations. Few days later for the Feastday of the Rector major will join us the first Pakistani SDB, cleric who is now starting his theology studies. First of the 5 Pakistani professed Salesians, less then the 2500 SDB of India, but a small sign of hope in this suffering country. Just two days ago exploded the bomb in front of our Quetta school and the 2 SDB present there now are just looking for the safety of our two boarding house youth. The schools are closed due to security.

The third mystery of the missionary rosary may be offered for Congo, the largest Christian African presence in the continent, especially in the future. One of the Ecoonomy department just arrived after two weeks of visiting various communities and shared his night meeting on the way with the patrolling military near Goma... Praying for the second and third SDB province in Congo.

Fourth mystery intention is for Germany Mission Office lay mission partners in Bonn. Last week during the Bonn Mission Office we got an insight of the creative and highly committed contribution of the 31 lay people who carry on the wonderful work for the missions. It is not just about the 26.5M of Euros the Mission Office is able to get for the Missions. Is more about the sense of belonging to the German province, to the World wide Salesian community, family.

Fifth mystery of the colorful missionary rosary is offered for the 143rd missionary expedition members, for the so far 42 Salesians who will receive next September the missionary crucifix from the Rector Major at Valdocco. Coming from many different countries, 17 of them from one single Province of Vietnam, most of them are Salesian in initial formation. Without missionaries there is no mission.

Year of the Faith is a nice opportunity to grow in faith. And we know, that the best way how to grow in faith is to share this magnificant gift with the others, especially those who never met or even heard about Jesus.