(ANS – Péliföldszentkereszt) – Last March 1-3, 2013 the inter-provincial meeting of the missionaries from Project Europe in Austria, Bulgaria (CEP) and Hungary took place at Péliföldszentkereszt, the mother house of the Salesians in Hungary who are celebrating the centenary of Salesian presence this year. 16 missionaries were present along with the confreres assigned by the Provincial to guide their insertion into their new Provinces.

This meeting was called by Fr Vaclav Klement, Councillor for the missions, as a follow up to the first meeting of missionaries in Europe held in November 2011 in Rome. In his letter of convocation, Fr Klement set out the goals of the meeting: to examine the insertion and formation of missionaries, the sharing of their experiences as well as to the experiences of receiving Provinces in view of formulating suggestions for Project Europe.

The sessions were facilitated by Fr Alfred Maravilla, in charge of missionary formation in the Missions department. The recurring theme that came out in all the discussions was the importance of accompaniment of missionaries on the part of these three receiving Provinces in view of their insertion and inculturation. In this context the welcoming atmosphere on the part of the confreres of the receiving Provinces and their openness to the contributions and the dynamism the missionaries bring for the revitalisation of the Salesian charism, are similarly crucial.

The visit to some religious and cultural landmarks in Budapest and the exhibit in the national Museum of the development of Salesian work and the sufferings endured by Salesians under the Communist regime were not only enriching and inspiring, but also helped foster fraternal bonds among the missionaries who belong to neighbouring Provinces. The meeting concluded with lunch at the Provincial House in Budapest. “The meeting helped them to renew their missionary zeal and gain new creative perspectives” one of the participants pointed out.

Last November the missionaries from France (FRB) and North Belgium (BEN) and their guides had a similar meeting in Lyon, France. These meetings are also a preparation for the Second Meeting of missionaries in Project Europe which will be held at Valdocco, Turin on Oct 31 - Nov 3, 2013.

Published 05/03/2013