News
Salesian Missionary Expedition 2016
The neo-missionaries, during their missionary formation course, went to Mornese, Nizza and Turin Valdocco from September 18-25, to have a living experience of these Salesian places.
The objective of this experience of the places of our origins was to get close to the missionary heart of Mother Mazzarello and of the first Sisters in order to reflect in depth on the call to be missionaries ad gentesand to transform their own response to this call into a living prayer.
They reflected on their life in the light of the first three missionary expeditions, the missionary vision of Mornese and Nizza, and the wide vision of M. Mazzarello who also wanted to go to America. They wanted to encounter Don Bosco, who not only dreamt of the missions, but consumed his life that his sons and daughters might reach the ends of the earth to bring the Gospel of joy and hope to many children and young people.
Accompanied by Sr. Blanca Sanchez, who works with the Missionary Sector, and by Sr. Luigina Silvestrin, of the Mazzarelli community who guided them during their visit to the places of Mother Mazzarello, the group of missionaries (15 neo-missionaries and 4 returned missionaries), spent from September 18 to 22, 2016 in Mornese, and then Nizza Monferrato. From September 24 to 25 they were in Turin to take part in the Harambée, together with the SDB neo-missionaries and with the volunteers who were returning from their overseas experience.
.
In Mornese, it was significant that they did not just to get to know the places linked to the life of Mother Mazzarello (that would only be tourism!), but lived in the spirit of the Jubilee of Mercy, by entering the Holy Door of the Shrine of Mother Mazzarello and getting to know our charismatic roots in greater depth in order to bring the Spirit of Mornese everywhere and to build the 'house of the Love of God' wherever they are sent.
The neo-missionaries attended an intensive course in Italian from July to September. When they return, they will continue to study Italian and on October 10 they will begin the Year-long Course in Missionary Formation at the Urbaniana Pontifical University. In the month of October they will also begin their apostolic experience with the Community of St. Egidio, the Parish of Santa Maria della Speranza and the Oratory of Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Rome.
The missionaries, instead, will begin the Course of Permanent Formation in Missionary Pastoral, at the Salesian Pontifical University (UPS), for three months.
In the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians, on Sunday, September 25, they will crown their experience by receiving the Missionary Crucifix, together with SDB and committed lay people, taking on the commitment to be Salesian missionaries and bearers of the charism of Don Bosco and M. Mazzarello throughout the world.