(ANS – Melbourne) - The Extraordinary Visitation carried out by Fr Václav Klement, Councillor for the East Asia-Oceania region, on behalf of the Rector Major, of the Province of Mary Help of Christians (Australia – Pacific), with the Provincial House in Melbourne ended on 25 September.

During the two months of the visitation, the visitor was able to visit all the fifteen Salesian communities in Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Samoa. He heard the views of all 95 confreres, 5 novices and 9 candidates to Salesian life both in Samoa and Australia, members of the Salesian Family and the many lay mission partners.

The extraordinary visit was marked by the celebrations for the Bicentenary of the birth of Don Bosco (August 16) in each territory of the Province. There were meaningful events held in all four countries – the first historical Salesian Youth Day in Fiji (BulaBosco), inauguration of a new statue of Don Bosco in some Australian schools (Nagle College, Bairnsdale), launching of a few Australian Salesian spirituality books, composing new Don Bosco songs (Sydney, Engadine).

At a distance of just two months after the historical visit of the Rector Major to Oceania, the visitor was able to continue some processes launched by Fr. Ángel F. Artime last May 2015. In Samoa the first two Centres of Salesian Cooperators were formed (in Saleleloga and Alafua), in Fiji the preparations for the first Salesian parish and youth centre were discussed with Archbishop Peter Loy Chong of Suva and in New Zealand they are awaiting the arrival of a Vietnamese confrere who replied to the appeal of the Rector Major. As a concrete reply to the appeal of Pope Francis and the Rector Major the Australian communities are starting a provincial refugee fund to welcome the refugees and asylum seekers with hospitality in some of our communities, and provide education and personal attention in all our works.   

As the most striking sign of dynamic fidelity to the charism of Don Bosco, the visitor noted a wonderful growth of new forms of cross-provincial youth ministry emerging during the past decade. The Cagliero Project (missionary volunteers) is connected with Youth Camp leadership formation (Dromana) and ASYM (Australian Salesian Youth Mentors) and the annual Salesian Youth Day events (OzBosco in Australia, SamBosco in Samoa, BulaBosco in Fiji and KiwiBosco in New Zealand). This movement does produce a substantial number of enthusiastic young animators and even Salesian consecrated vocations.

As the most visible sign of charismatic growth in the Pacific part of the province, the Rector Major and his Council approved in recent days the initiation of the process for establishment of the Pacific Delegation (Fiji, Samoa and New Zealand).

Regarding the Provincial community way forward, during the visitation what clearly emerged was a need to strengthen the culture of relationship at every level: to get in deeper touch with God (meditation, lectio divina), to get in deeper touch with fellow Salesians (intercultural dynamics among the fourteen different cultures of the confreres, good night talk) and to get in deeper touch with the young people (building the vocation culture in all of our presences).

A constant theme of the visit was the question asked in the personal interview with the Salesians and the laity and young people in the various encounters and meetings: “What makes you deeply joyful and happy?" This open question will echo among the Australia-Pacific provincial community during the preparation for the 100 years of Salesian presence in 2023.

Published 30/09/2015