Don Bosco Today, Summer 2009
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THE MAGAZINE FOR THE SALESIAN FAMILY DON BOSCO TODAY full story on page 4 DON BOSCO THE SALESIAN BULLETIN • YEAR 117 • ISSUE 2 • SUMMER 2009 Contents 6 13 4 8 4-5 Pioneers of Project 8 Teaching computing 13 A New Kind of Piggy Europe in the Solomon Bank Last year the Salesians Islands Recently, the Salesian Sisters launched Project Europe, Volunteer teachers of English have sought and obtained with the aim of leading and Computing from the financing for an original the continent back to its UK have been privileged to project Christian roots. assist young people. 14-15 Love Really Matters 6-7 Bitten with the 9-12 Bosco Bear The Salesians of South Africa Salesian Bug It’s a Mystery at the Don Bosco Centre The more I got involved with Plus . Ryan’s winning story in Walkerville, developed a the Salesians the more alive from the Spring competition. program called Love Matters. I felt. its publication is one of the ways we have marked the Editorial >> 150th anniversary of the founding of the Salesians of Don Bosco. We are offering this commemorative edition Dear Friends to our readers for a reduced launch price of £10. All our You will notice that we have books, including this book, will be offered postage free changed the format of Don until September 1st. We would really appreciate reader’s Bosco Today. It is an attempt reviews of any of our books. We could publish these to make this magazine easier to reviews on our website (anonymously if you so wish). read. We would welcome your comments on the new format or on any of our articles. As always, this issue of Don Bosco Today attempts If you know of anyone who would appreciate a copy to look at the work of Don Bosco for young people in being sent to them please advise them that a phone different parts of the world. For so many years our country call (01204308811) or email ([email protected]. always had a great tradition of missionary endeavour; uk) will guarantee them a copy. I would like to thank you so many men and women travelled to distant lands to for the support you give to the work of Don Bosco, your preach the gospel. However we have to face the reality generosity always impresses me. that our own country is now missionary territory and we must welcome missionaries from other countries. As you Earlier this year we were privileged to be asked by the will see on page four, the Salesians have started Project Australian Salesian Province to publish a fascinating Europe in response to this reality, work on Don Bosco by Fr Ian Murdoch. Ian, who died in January of this year, devoted much of his very active Tony Bailey SDB Salesian life to the study of Don Bosco. His book Starting [email protected] Again from Don Bosco has been very well received and 2 DONBOSCOTODAY DON BOSCO PUBLICATIONS Thornleigh House, Sharples Park, Bolton BL1 6PQ 16 Tel 01204 308811 Fax 01204 306868 Email: [email protected] SALESIAN MISSIONS Fr Joe Brown SDB 2 Orbel Street, Battersea SW11 3NZ Tel 020 7924 2733 Email: [email protected] Sister Helen Murphy FMA 14 Provincial Office 13 Streatham Common North, Streatham, London SW16 3HG Tel 020 8677 4573 Fax 020 8677 4523 Email: [email protected] DESIGN AND PRINTING Concept4Creative Tel 01282 611331 Printed on paper manufactured from a sustainable source using vegetable based inks ARTWORK Val O’Brien PHOTOGRAPHY ANS Rome 18 Fotalia CHILDREN’S PAGE Cliff Partington 16-17 Our Responsibility 18-19 A Vast Movement WEBSITES WORTH VISITING for the Rights of a for the young www.salesians.org.uk Child Speaking of the Salesian www.don-bosco-publications.co.uk The Salesian Family has Family today is to www.sdb.org describe a certain sense www.sdb.org/ANS no reason for being, other www.cgfmanet.org than for the salvation of citizenship. www.salesiansisters.org.uk of the young, in all the www.salesianyouthministry.com meanings of the word www.donboscoyouth.net salvation. www.bosconet.aust.com www.youthoutreach.org.hk MY DONATION TO THE WORK OF DON BOSCO Please find enclosed my donation of Name Cheques made payable to DON BOSCO PUBLICATIONS Address To donate by credit or debit card please phone 01204 308811 Post code Tel Taxpayer’s option Please send me a Gift Aid form Fax Email I am happy for my donation to be acknowledged by email Registered Charity No. 233779 Charity Registered in Scotland No. SC039294 DONBOSCOTODAY 3 Pioneers Of Project Europe This interchange of ideas and concerns is vital in the process of inculturation. Last year the Salesians launched Project Europe, with need of a process of inculturation. What do we mean the aim of leading the continent back to its Christian by inculturation? In February 1981, Pope John Paul II roots. This project is similar to Project Africa, which said, in an important message to the peoples of Asia, was launched by the Salesians in the late 1970s and broadcast from the Philippines: resulted in a surge of Salesian missionary activity on that continent. In 2008 Father Pascual Chávez, Rector Major Wherever she is, the Church must sink her roots of the Salesians, said: deeply into the spiritual and cultural soil of the country, assimilate all genuine values, enriching Today, more than ever, we become aware that our them also with the insights that she has received presence in Europe needs to be re-thought. We from Jesus Christ. need to renew our Salesian presence for greater impact and effectiveness in this continent. We This is the story of three young Salesian Brothers, from must seek a new form of evangelisation, in order Poland, who have become pioneers in this great project to respond to the spiritual and moral needs of the – Project Europe. As part of their Salesian preparation for many young people, who appear to be wanderers the priesthood and commitment to the Salesian way of without guides and without destination. life, they agreed to work, for a year or two, in a Salesian community in England. Jacek, Daniel and Dariusz One way of renewing the Salesian presence in Europe volunteered for this with a certain amount of trepidation, is the creation of the necessary conditions for warmly but after many months in England they have no regrets. welcoming Salesians from other parts of the world, What were their fears or concerns as they embarked who are prepared to work with young people in another on this adventure? First of all, the language. Was their country in Europe. However we must be aware of the English good enough? Would they be able to understand 4 DONBOSCOTODAY English as spoken by English children? They had heard While they may still miss the way feast days are celebrated that English is spoken differently in different parts of this in their native Poland, they have appreciated the strong small country. They had also heard rumours of Cockney faith of so many Catholics in this country. and Scouse. They were assured that, when they arrived, they would be enrolled in a reputable language course. When a young Salesian comes to this country he needs someone who will befriend him, someone who will: One of the first principles of Project Europe is that the • Answer his questions receiving Province must be prepared to take decisive • Listen to his worries steps to ensure that the visiting Salesians have every • Spend some free time with him opportunity of learning the language of the host Province, • Enquire about his family and his previous way of life and learning it well, preferably with a recognised qualification. We have a unique opportunity to offer them Although each of the Brothers is based in a different the chance to learn English. They are encouraged to community, working in a different parish and a different make it clear to the members of their new community school, each one of them has found, in their communities, that they want to be corrected when they make mistakes fellow Salesians who were only too happy to listen to in English. If the Salesians do not correct them, the them, offer them advice, spend time with them and children will. genuinely encourage them. This interchange of ideas and concerns is vital in the process of inculturation. When All three Brothers now speak English very well and can we work in a different culture from our own we need to be appreciate the nuances of regional accents. At first, open enough to appreciate the best things in that culture the youngsters in our schools took delight in correcting even if they are different from the culture of the country them, but now the Brothers have the confidence to spot where we once lived. We need to appreciate the ways the the grammatical mistakes young people make and, with Church has adapted to the culture of that country, even great satisfaction, can correct them. if it is different from the way the Church has developed in our own country. All three Brothers expressed genuine Another fear the Brothers had, before they arrived, was appreciation of the help they had received from teachers the uncertainty of being able to cope in a country where in the schools and parishioners in the parishes in which there were so few Catholics. Poland is a very Catholic they worked. They really appreciated the way so many country, with strong Catholic traditions – priests can walk lay people had understood Don Bosco and taught them the streets in their cassocks, even everyday greetings can how to deal with young people in a Salesian way.