(ANS - Manaus) – The Councillor General for the Missions, Fr Guillermo Basañes, paid a visit to the Missionary Province of Brazil-Manaus from 13 to 22 April.  He visited some of the works in Manaus, and the Salesian Houses in São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Taracuá, Iauareté and Maturacá.

Fr Basañes arrived in Manaus on the evening of 13 April. The first community he visited was the Salesian Formation Centre – CESAF. Together with the Provincial, Fr Francisco Alves De Lima, he celebrated the Eucharist with the Salesians in formation and then had a personal encounter with the post-novices.

The following day he went to São Gabriel da Cachoeira and from there he began his visit to the indigenous area along the Rio Waupés, known as the Tukano Triangle. Eventually he reached the Salesian Mission of Iauareté and met the missionaries who work there. On his journey to Iauareté Fr Basañes stopped at the Salesian missionary work in Taracuá, where the Salesians are no longer present, but he visited the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians who are still there.

From 17 to 19 April he visited the Salesian Mission at Maturacá, the area inhabited by the indigenous Yanomami, and participated in the traditional feast of the harvest of bananas. This time he was accompanied by the Provincial Delegate for Missionary Animation, Fr Reginaldo Lima Cordeiro.

On April 20, in São Gabriel da Cachoeira, together with the Provincial he met all the Salesians working in the Region of Rio Negro. In his fraternal meeting with the confreres he left some words of encouragement to help them to persevere in their donation and dedication to missionary life:

• care and zeal for their own faith on the part of the missionary;
• awareness of being sent in and for the mission;
• responsibility for the incarnation and inculturation of the Salesian charism;
• preference and priority for the poorest young people;
• importance of multiculturalism and inter-culturalism of the Salesian communities for the enrichment of missionary work.

Concluding the visit in Manaus on 21 April, Fr Basañes celebrated Mass and attended the meeting of the Provincial Council. Then he met the Salesians in Manaus, visited the Provincial House of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and finally took part in a meeting with all the Salesians in the area of ​​Manaus.

Published 28/04/2015