(ANS - Rome) - Today, 28 April, the Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime leaves Rome for his first visit to the Salesian centres in the East Asia-Oceania Region.  Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Samoa, New Zealand and Australia are the six nations he will visit, accompanied by the Regional Councillor, Fr Václav Klement, and the Secretary of the RM, Fr Horacio López.

After a stop in Dubai and another in Singapore, Fr Á.F. Artime will arrive tomorrow evening, April 29, at Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.  Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands form a Provincial Delegation of the Northern Province of the Philippines North.

He will meet the Salesians, members of the Salesian Family, Sisters, staff and students.  His visits will also include the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Caritas Sisters of Jesus and the Parish of Sabama. A meeting with the PNG-SI Delegation Council is also part of the programme.

On 3rd May, he will reach the Solomon Islands – the first of the three countries that will be receiving the visit of a Rector Major for the first time.Since this is his first visit to the Solomon Islands he will meet the Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and other Government dignitaries.  As part of the programme he will visit the juvenile youngsters at the Rove Correctional Centre and celebrate a Youth Mass for the students at Don Bosco Rural Training Centre, Tetere.  He will also meet the Salesian Confreres, the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and other members of the Salesian Family.

On 5 May he will arrive in Fiji for the first visit of a Successor of Don Bosco. Here he will be entering the territory of the Province of Australia. In the Fijian archipelago he will get to know the various Salesian communities and will meet Archbishop Peter Loy Chong of Suva.

In Samoa, from 8 to 11 May, the Rector Major will visit the communities of Salelologa, Alafua and Apia, and will meet with members of the local Salesian Family.

In New Zealand, the third country receiving a visit of a Rector Major for the first time, Fr Á.F. Artime will spend 12 to 14 May visiting the Salesian houses of Massey and Avondale.

Finally, from 14 to 17 May he will visit the Salesians in Australia. In addition to visiting the Salesian houses in Sunbury, Acot Vale, Brunswick, Clifton Hill, Chadstone and Lysterfield, he will also have a meeting with Archbishop Denis Hart of Melbourne, and will meet members of the local Salesian Family.

Published 28/04/2015