FUTURE DIRECTIONS Knowledge, Study and assimilation of GC 27: Dedicate at least first three years to this. Depth of Interior Life: Become witnesses to the God of Love: Each community to consider how it can give God the first place. Care for individuals in the community: Each Province to carry out a study to consolidate communities, with the willingness to close down existing works if need be. Priority in ministry to young who are poorest, the least, the most excluded: give the best confreres of the province for this ministry; each province to take another look at where we are, where we must remain, where we should go and where we can leave. Lay participation in a shared mission: each Province in the first three years after GC27 makes the programme for shared mission between SDBs and lay people. Fr. Ángel concluded by expressing thanks on behalf of the entire Salesian Family to Fr. Pascual Chavez and Fr. Bregolin and the General Councillors who have completed their given terms. Fr. Pascual, he said, has led our Congregation these past 12 years “surely and certainly, like a good captain who knows how to navigate despite fog and nightfall each evening.” He thanked him “for being a Father for all the Salesian Family, an enthusiastic Successor of Don Bosco for young people all over the world... for your rich, solid magisterium, ... for bringing home the ship of the Congregation over this long twelve year journey.” Source: ANS
Fr. Mario Celebrates 97 Years of God’s Love The oldest Salesian in India celebrated his 97th birthday at Don Bosco Provincial House Guwahati amongst his beloved confreres. Born in Sardinia Italy, Fr. Mario Porcu has been in India for 75 years and was five times acting provincial of the undivided Guwahati province. An Indian citizen and pioneer missionary Fr. Mario established several mission centres in northeast India (Guwahati, Maligaon, Sonaiguli, Mawlai, Shillong, Dibrugarh and Bhutan-Phuntsholing). Fr. Mario says he has only one regret – Salesians had to leave DB Tech Phuntsholing in 1982, the mission he started in Bhutan in 1969. Fr. Mario keeps exceptionally good health and goes out for chaplaincy to the Salesian Sisters, and is the preferred Confessor at several convents in Guwahati. With his trusted workhorse, an old Olivetti type-writer, Fr. Mario puts in a whole day's work at his ground floor office in the provincial house. The celebrations were held at the provincial house chapel with a Eucharistic adoration service followed by felicitation and dinner at Mario Hall in the second floor of the provincial house. Some 60 confreres including Salesian practical trainees joined Fr. Mario in thanking God for this wonderful day. The secret of Fr. Mario's longevity could be explained as “disciplined religious life, missionary zeal in reaching out to people, punctuality, prompt execution of duties, pastoral availability for the exercise of his priestly duties and incessant work.” Young priest and youth minister of the province, Fr Paul Rabha, speaking at the occasion confessed his admiration. Fr. Mario reached the remotest corners of Assam where he thought no missionary ever could reach. He founded churches and the Christian communities still remember Fr Mario, who reached those villages on foot.
NEWSLINE, GUWAHATI PROVINCE
Fr. C M Paul, SDB
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Congratulations! Fr. Zacharias Varickasseril SDB has been awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) by North Eastern Hill University for his thesis entitled “A Study of the Attitude of Teacher Educators towards Innovative Practices in Teacher Education Institutions in Meghalaya” under the guidance & supervision of Dr. Nikme S.C. Momin of NEHU, Tura, Campus, Meghalaya.