When I received my "obedience"
from Don Odorico and blessings from Don Vecchi to lead the founders
of the mission in Mongolia, I began deliberately to filially seek out
a way to meet the remaining (living) Salesian pioneers of my country
of origin (Philippines). In the last winter months of the Jubilee
year (2000) of North American west coast, I sought out Fr. Anthony
DiFalco and met him in a nursing home in California. In the early
days of February 2001 a day before my entry into Mongolia I was was
privileged to be brought to "Braga House" in Hong-Kong...
and meet Fr. Mario Acquistapace. Bent with age, he listened to what
"good news" I was eager to tell him. "Father Mario,
tomorrow we enter Mongolia." Upon hearing this his eyes teared
up and said "this too was our dream. This too was Don Bosco's
dream." I then asked him to write a note on a stampita that i
could carry with me as an encouragement to what lies ahead. He wrote
in the stampita of Pope Paul VI, "(mama) Maria, will be with
you." And indeed she was, is and will be.
At 3:45 pm our Mongol Airlines (MIAT) Airbus wheels "touchdown"-ed in Buyant-Ukhaa airport (Mongolian: Буянт-Ухаа нисэх онгоцны буудал) in the coldest capital city of the world, Ulaanbaatar (The Red Hero), outer Mongolia. The temperatures then were nothing compared now a days.
My beloved "chaperons" (they would leave me behind two days later) then were Fr. Odorico and Fr. Ty, my new Provincial now that this mission was entrusted to the Salesian Jurisdiction of Vietnam. And after the brief introductions to the mission by some missionaries I was left to live in the mission center for a while whilst preparing our place, our school our educative-mission work. For us Salesians, we Educate by Evangelizing and we Evangelize by Educating. This implies that with a new Evangelization requires a New Education (a topic for next)
Fr. Odorico and Fr. Ty's prayers were and are really strong it seemed. Since the last words to their parting fraternal embrace to me were "I will pray for you; learn the Mongolian Language well; prepare the coming of the rest of the team; and ...the school,...a yes the school, it must open in September" (6 months from now). To my knowledge I think with Mama Mary's help I fulfilled MOST of that with the means available with the exception of the Language studies, that was not only impossible but foolish to say the least in hindsight.
To my knowledge... I have prepared the school to the best of my God given formation and experience (with 11 year as technical student of DB-Makati, 11 years as a Salesian-Educator-Priest in the making in DB Canlubang, DB Mandaluyong, DB Paranaque; and to my first mission territory as a very young priest – ie. 7 beautiful years in Papua New Guinea)
At 3:45 pm our Mongol Airlines (MIAT) Airbus wheels "touchdown"-ed in Buyant-Ukhaa airport (Mongolian: Буянт-Ухаа нисэх онгоцны буудал) in the coldest capital city of the world, Ulaanbaatar (The Red Hero), outer Mongolia. The temperatures then were nothing compared now a days.
My beloved "chaperons" (they would leave me behind two days later) then were Fr. Odorico and Fr. Ty, my new Provincial now that this mission was entrusted to the Salesian Jurisdiction of Vietnam. And after the brief introductions to the mission by some missionaries I was left to live in the mission center for a while whilst preparing our place, our school our educative-mission work. For us Salesians, we Educate by Evangelizing and we Evangelize by Educating. This implies that with a new Evangelization requires a New Education (a topic for next)
Fr. Odorico and Fr. Ty's prayers were and are really strong it seemed. Since the last words to their parting fraternal embrace to me were "I will pray for you; learn the Mongolian Language well; prepare the coming of the rest of the team; and ...the school,...a yes the school, it must open in September" (6 months from now). To my knowledge I think with Mama Mary's help I fulfilled MOST of that with the means available with the exception of the Language studies, that was not only impossible but foolish to say the least in hindsight.
To my knowledge... I have prepared the school to the best of my God given formation and experience (with 11 year as technical student of DB-Makati, 11 years as a Salesian-Educator-Priest in the making in DB Canlubang, DB Mandaluyong, DB Paranaque; and to my first mission territory as a very young priest – ie. 7 beautiful years in Papua New Guinea)
To my knowledge... my confrères then, now and in the future will always have a place warm enough to keep the presence of St. John Bosco thawed and unfrozen if they have enough means to pay the bills.
To
my knowledge... my Mongolian proficiency is our 'corporate' lacunae
which I hope and pray, may someday be realized and filled.
After twelve and a half winters, nearing 500 Mongolian Youths have passed through the doors of our home, eleven graduation ceremonies, from thirty (2001) to three hundred (2012) Mongolian students per year, from seven to sixty staff, from a Russian 'cold-war' military Forgon van to a Hyundai Hybrid, from a "domboo" (colloquial for stupid) to clearly a "Дон Боско, хатуу шуударгаа гэвч маш сайн сургуул. Манай Монголд энэ шиг хэрэгтэй" (Don Bosco, very strict and honest, but is a very good school. Our Mongolia needs more of this kind). Tengerburkhan (God of the heavens and of earth) is good.
A ministry of labor official once told me to my face after pinning a medal of honor on me, that he believes we ought to be a model school for the rest. A year later he was "mysteriously" killed... and words on the street say ... because he was an honest man. A dying man usually tells the truth. God rest his good soul.
I always told the students and staff and parents, "It is useless to gain knowledge and skills without moral values. Let us produce not only students with a high school diploma. Let us produce not only students with a technical skill. Let us produce also honest, truthful, respectful, hardworking and grateful citizens of Mongolia." ...and it all begins with a good foundation of educators in good homes (parents) and good schools (educative staff).
The secret?... I come to realize that people, young as well as older ones, do not reflect much. If we all did... reflect, the possibilities for transformation are limitless. Even the first pillar of the Preventive System is Reason. Rationality in the very human conscience is open to truth, to goodness, to transformation.
From plus 40 hot temperatures in summer to minus 40 deep freeze temperatures in winter... a non issue even for people like me born in the tropics. Our subsistence in the great steppes of the central plains of Asia, should serve as a myth-buster for naysayers since freezing climates are not Waterloos for mission. You should try listening to our confrères in Siberia. Yet my baptism into subzero 45s degree Celsius was very real when I had to go by foot and public transportation to and from my 5 month stint at Mongolian language school. But the warm reception of the Mongolian youth and elders to the truth and goodness within themselves makes it worth all the while for a Salesian to prepare the seed bed for their own generations to come to embrace the fullness of Truth and Goodness in the very Person whom Khublai and Temujin aka. Chinggis Khaan called prophetically as Tenger (Burkhan).
Its humbling to be chronicled in history specially from the Rector Major... yet at great risk and responsibility when one's main task is simply to live up to what the baptist said... That He must increase, and I must decrease. I believe we ought to have more courage to implement the “correct” and “unified” charism at all cost... learning from the past twelve years, not ever again to be compromisingly soft to the clamor of a few who demanded their individualism.... and in the end, are sadly lost. May the Lord and St. John Bosco grant us mercy.
When all things failed to convince my superiors, I asked Fr. Odorico why on earth did he choose me to be the founder among founders, he said... "because you're crazy." ...nuff said. :)
After twelve and a half winters, nearing 500 Mongolian Youths have passed through the doors of our home, eleven graduation ceremonies, from thirty (2001) to three hundred (2012) Mongolian students per year, from seven to sixty staff, from a Russian 'cold-war' military Forgon van to a Hyundai Hybrid, from a "domboo" (colloquial for stupid) to clearly a "Дон Боско, хатуу шуударгаа гэвч маш сайн сургуул. Манай Монголд энэ шиг хэрэгтэй" (Don Bosco, very strict and honest, but is a very good school. Our Mongolia needs more of this kind). Tengerburkhan (God of the heavens and of earth) is good.
A ministry of labor official once told me to my face after pinning a medal of honor on me, that he believes we ought to be a model school for the rest. A year later he was "mysteriously" killed... and words on the street say ... because he was an honest man. A dying man usually tells the truth. God rest his good soul.
I always told the students and staff and parents, "It is useless to gain knowledge and skills without moral values. Let us produce not only students with a high school diploma. Let us produce not only students with a technical skill. Let us produce also honest, truthful, respectful, hardworking and grateful citizens of Mongolia." ...and it all begins with a good foundation of educators in good homes (parents) and good schools (educative staff).
The secret?... I come to realize that people, young as well as older ones, do not reflect much. If we all did... reflect, the possibilities for transformation are limitless. Even the first pillar of the Preventive System is Reason. Rationality in the very human conscience is open to truth, to goodness, to transformation.
From plus 40 hot temperatures in summer to minus 40 deep freeze temperatures in winter... a non issue even for people like me born in the tropics. Our subsistence in the great steppes of the central plains of Asia, should serve as a myth-buster for naysayers since freezing climates are not Waterloos for mission. You should try listening to our confrères in Siberia. Yet my baptism into subzero 45s degree Celsius was very real when I had to go by foot and public transportation to and from my 5 month stint at Mongolian language school. But the warm reception of the Mongolian youth and elders to the truth and goodness within themselves makes it worth all the while for a Salesian to prepare the seed bed for their own generations to come to embrace the fullness of Truth and Goodness in the very Person whom Khublai and Temujin aka. Chinggis Khaan called prophetically as Tenger (Burkhan).
Its humbling to be chronicled in history specially from the Rector Major... yet at great risk and responsibility when one's main task is simply to live up to what the baptist said... That He must increase, and I must decrease. I believe we ought to have more courage to implement the “correct” and “unified” charism at all cost... learning from the past twelve years, not ever again to be compromisingly soft to the clamor of a few who demanded their individualism.... and in the end, are sadly lost. May the Lord and St. John Bosco grant us mercy.
When all things failed to convince my superiors, I asked Fr. Odorico why on earth did he choose me to be the founder among founders, he said... "because you're crazy." ...nuff said. :)
Viva JMJ! Christo Rey!
c:ako
--- (excerpt)----
--- (excerpt)----
ACTS 397: Letter of the Rector Major
Una Región misionera
La Región ha sido bendecida con la presencia de grandes misioneros, pioneros en algunos países: Mons. Luigi Versiglia (1881-1930), Mons. Ignacio Canazei (+1946), don Carlo Braga (+1972), don Mario Acquistapace (1906-2002) en China; Mons. Vincenzo Cimatti (1883-1965) en Japón; don Andrej Majcen (1905-1999) en Vietnam; don Archimede Martelli (1916-1984) en Corea del Sur: Mons. Ernesto Coppo, Señor Celestino Acerni (entrado en 1923, primer salesiano en el suelo australiano, en Kimberley) y don Joseph Ciantar (1893-1967) en Australia; y muchos otros personajes de gran relieve.
Quiero recordar también los nombres de Salesianos, pioneros en el período más reciente, 'fundadores' en los respectivos países de la Región: don José Carbonell en Indonesia; don Valeriano Barbero en Papúa Nueva Guinea; Señor José Ribeiro en Timor Este (1946); Señor Roberto Panetto y don Walter Brigolin en Camboya (Phnom Penh, 1991); don Pedro Balazar y Señor Francesco Tanaka en las Islas Salomón (Tetere, 1995); don Pietro Zago y don Hans Dopheide en Pakistán (Lahore y Quetta, 1998); don Julian Fox en Fiji (1999); don Carlo Villegas en Mongolia (Ulaanbataar, 2001).
No comments:
Post a Comment