blog Archives - Don Bosco in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands

blog

Disconnected yet Connected

Br. Francis Mallol SDB In Don Bosco Araimiri access to the Internet or social media for news updates is a luxury that we do not have. Hence, we seem to live in a world of our own. . Here, we are genuinely disconnected from the outside world. I realize that when we disconnect ourselves from the virtual world, it is then that we understand the real-life situation of the people whom we are working for. Disconnecting from the outside world gives me the opportunity to connect with the reality of the young people’s lives. At Araimiri I am connected to…

John Toreng Thang Kom Levion and Valentina Reinemyang Leivon are volunteers from Imphal, northeast India. They are first cousins. They came to the Solomon Islands as volunteers practically at the start of this extraordinary missionary month. They opted to come for 6 months to train the teachers of the learning centre for the children of Ranadi Landfill near Henderson. John initially planned to do volunteer work with his wife. However, the centre in Imphal needed a trainer for the new staff, so his wife stayed with their two children. In her stead John invited his first cousin come with him…

Br. Anthony Wale SDB Last 7th-9th July 2019 I experienced what I consider as one of the best and the most fundamental moments in my Salesian life. It was the “Second Melanesian Salesians’ Encounter” for us belonging to PGS Vice-Province. This was my first time to participate in the programme and I am really glad for this opportunity. Gathered in our Provincial House, for 2 full days we discussed what it means to be Melanesian and consecrated Salesian religous, what elements of our culture are to be valued and what needs to be corrected or even rejected because these militate…

by Fr. Gilbert Pano SDB After a long flight from Rome, we are finally unpacking our bags in Port Moresby. We are grateful to our PGS Vice-Province for this programme which enabled us Melanesian Salesians to visit the places of connected with Don Bosco from June 18-28, 2019: Becchi, Colle, Capriglio, Castelnuovo, Mondonio, Mornese, Valdocco, Turin and Annecy. Actually it was a pilgrimage-retreat-seminar rolled into one. We read a text in the context, then its context was explained to us. We were given much time for reflection. In the evening, after the rosary and ‘good night’ we gathered together to…

Last May 25-26, 2019 the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians, Boroko East, conducted the Marian Camp for the youth group ‘300 youth for Mary’ under the leadership of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (Salesian sisters). Through group dynamics, fun games and inputs the 538 participants from parishes, Catholic schools and tertiary institutions were challenged to be servant-leaders among their fellow youth. The high point was the Taize prayer experience with the possibility to receive the sacrament of reconciliation. The concuding Eucharist was celebrated by the Apostolic Nuntio, Archbishop Kurian Matthew Vayalunkal, who challenged the participants to imitate…

‘I am the servant of the Lord. May it be done unto me according to your word’ (Lk 1:38) The experience of being welcomed by simple, warm and friendly people with a readiness to be of help at all times has been the hallmark of my stay thus far. Panama has been dressed up for the occasion with banners and flags and above all a radiating spirit of joy and happiness. San Antonio parish hosts over 700 pilgrims. Coordinating transport and pickup and catering to different needs in several languages has been done by a team of dedicated volunteers young…

by pre novice Thomas Warwara After my aspirantate at the Savio Haus and a year of apostolic experience in DBTS Gabutu, I applied to be a pre-novice. I was sent to the inter-provincial Pre-Noviciate Formation Program in Cebu, Philippines. As part of this program we were sent two by two for eight weeks in six different Salesian settings of the Philippine South Province. I was sent with a Filipino pre-novice to Don Bosco Youth Centre (DBYC) in Pasil which is a parish, youth centre and a training centre. Through this immersion experience I had three main realisations which strengthened my…

On 23rd November 2018, Don Bosco Technical School (DBTS) in Gabutu had its 21st Speech Day with the theme: “Wokabaut Wantaim Ol Yangpela.” It was the Graduation Day for 83 Grade 12 students and 172 Industrial Training Course and National Certificate 2 students. The day began with the Baccalaureate Mass presided by Fr. Alfred Maravilla SDB, the Superior of the Salesian Vice-Province of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Fr. Alfred started his homily by saying that the Eucharist is the most fitting way of giving thanks to God. He also exhorted the graduands to be grateful to their…