The official family news organ for the Salesians of Don Bosco, Anglophone West Africa Province
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DID YOU KNOW ...? MARCH, 2014 Did you know Don Bosco had sunglasses? Even as a youngster Don Bosco suffered from smarting of the eyes caused by his studying long into the night, reading and writing by candlelight or lamplight [cf. MOEnglish, 1989, p. 108]. Years afterwards, early in the morning of July 25, 1856, on the last day of the spiritual retreat at St. Ignatius above Lanzo, there was a sudden, violent storm. ... continue from page 12 >>>
Transcript
DID YOU KNOW ...?
MARCH, 2014
Did you know Don Bosco had sunglasses?
Even as a youngster Don Bosco suffered from smarting of the eyes caused by his studying long into the night, reading and writing by candlelight or lamplight [cf. MOEnglish, 1989, p. 108]. Years afterwards, early in the morning of July 25, 1856, on the last day of the spiritual retreat at St. Ignatius above Lanzo, there was a sudden, violent storm. ...
continue from page 12 >>>
Spagnolo Nana ItaloSDB IJEBU-ODE, NIGERIA
THE KICK OFF! IJEBU-ODE COMMUNITY AT ITS THIRD MONTH!
On Feb. 3rd 2015 the Salesian Community of Ijebu-Ode marked its third month of presence in Ikoto Federal Housing Estate. It was recalled two days before on Sunday Feb. 1st by celebrating the Feast of Don Bosco with the Bishop, priests and religious, youth and parishioners at the station. The youth performed songs and sketches, well set up by Fr Nathaniel, our Youth Coordinator and everybody enjoyed a standard supper under the supervision of our chief CHEF Bro. Killian! It was an appropriate step in our gradual insertion in the diocese. We kept the tradition of the Salesian Communities to be in touch with the Local Church, the youth and the people on the occasion of the feast of our Founder.During these three months, under the leadership of the Delegate Fr Karikunnel and Fr Ogunniyi, our PROJECT moved rapidly the first steps: purchasing of the land, clearing and demarcating of it, planning for a technical school with the architect after getting advises from the Principals of the Technical Schools in Nigeria: JB TECH at work! This week the digging of a bore-hole. With water planting of crops and trees… Let us thank God for everything!
THE KICK OFF! IJEBU-ODE COMMUNITY AT ITS THIRD MONTH!
OKAFOR CharlesSDB IBADAN, NIGERIA
FEAST OF DON BOSCO: A DREAM COME TRUE
The feast of Don Bosco for the bicentenary was the realization of one of the dreams of St. John Bosco. That is, having his Salesians coming from among his boys. Rev. Fr. Matthew Akinyemi,sdb is a realization of that dream.
The community of Ibadan was privileged to have him exactly a week after his ordination to preside over the Eucharistic celebration for the Feast of Don Bosco in Ibadan. The Celebration which had begun with a Marathon on the 10th of January, 2015, had another two-day celebration (7-8 February) with Priests, Religious, Security Agencies, Parents and over five hundred young people from different parts of Ibadan where we go for our apostolate.This celebration was jointly celebrated with the Servants of Charity, who marked the centenary of the death of their Founder Don Luigi Guannella, who had lived with Don Bosco before founding his Congregation.
The two-day celebration was agog with activities, presentations and games. The highlight of these was the drama titled; ‘An Afternoon at the Shoemaker’s Workshop’ presented by the third year Post Novices, a drama from the Servants of Charity on the inception of their congregation and the Volleyball game between the Salesians and the non-Salesian students of the Institute.
In the end, joy filled the air and Fr Akinyemi in his homily stressed on ‘joy’, saying that joy ought to be a Salesian DNA as it is enshrined in our Constitution. Having elucidated the different kinds of ‘joy’ he concluded by praying that, the ‘real joy’ may continually radiate in our hearts. Amen
ANS
POST-EBOLA: WE SHARE RESPONSIBILITY(ANS - Freetown) - “Ebola Orphans in Africa: the work and sacrifice of the Salesians”. This is the title of an article by Blanca Ruiz published by the agency Aciprensa. In it Fr Jorge Crisafulli, Provincial of the Salesians in English-speaking West Africa, reports on the work of the Salesians and the young people who are taking care of the centre for orphans.“We were already known to the Government of Sierra Leone for the work we do for child soldiers. They asked for our help also in this situation. We thought there would be about thirty or forty children, but after the first month we realized that the numbers were much larger. Now we have a shelter for 120 Ebola orphans,” says Fr Crisafulli.
With the help of foreign organizations likeManos Unidas, the Salesians of Sierra Leone have transformed a school into a unique kind of orphanage. Because they are dealing with children who have been in contact with people infected by Ebola, precautions and hygiene measures are extremely stringent. Mistakes or carelessness can be fatal.“Every child has a handle to turn on or off the water in the shower, so no one touches anything that has already been touched by someone else. We work with children who come here with a certificate saying that they are free of Ebola, but we have to follow a strict protocol, because a single mistake can be enough to catch the virus,” says Fr Crisafulli.He says some of these certificates are false, so all the children who come to the Salesian centre undergo a period of quarantine in Zone A. This is a tent where children are isolated from the rest. This area can accommodate sixty young people, out of a total of 120 in the centre.
Fr Crisafulli says, “Since the virus has an incubation period of 21 days, sometimes it is thought that they are not infected, but it may be just that the symptoms have not yet appeared. All the boys who come to us, no matter where they come from, pass this period in quarantine, cared for by nurses who have survived the virus (...). Their temperature is taken every three hours for the entire twenty-one days they spend in Zone A, and any change is recorded immediately.”The boys who come to the Salesian centre are alone because Ebola has taken away everything. Parents, brothers and sisters have died from the virus. The aim of the Salesians is to reintegrate them into their extended families where uncles, aunts or grandparents can take care of them. “When a child comes to us and is proven to be healthy, social workers and volunteers from Sierra Leone go to his village of origin to find someone of his extended family, so that he can return to them.”But this is not always possible, either because no one is left alive or because their families do not want to take care of the child. “One of the serious problems that we have noticed recently is that sometimes the extended family does not want them, because they want to keep the land of the dead parents that rightfully belongs to the child survivor. So they refuse. They say the child is a witch or a wizard and that it is their fault that the family died, and then they keep the land that rightfully belongs to the young person. For that reason we have hired some lawyers who take care of these problems, so that these children will have a future. “
Fr Crisafulli concludes by talking about the substitute families that accept the children. He speaks also about the training they receive at the centre, and the music, dance and games that help to distract them from their situation. He mentions the introduction of agricultural work which serves to make the young people responsible. Finally, he warns of the need to “work together against the roots of poverty, which are ignorance, lack of education, and corruption. We need to open our eyes and ears and we should all feel jointly responsible.”
ANS
(ANS - N'Djamena)- During his visit to Tropical Equatorial Africa the Rector Major, Fr Á.F. Artime, wrote on his Facebook page two chronicles from two different communities. In these he speaks of the beauty of the experience and invites everyone to accompany him on his visit not only through the social networks, but also in prayer.
On 10 February, the Rector Major wrote (in Spanish): “My friends. (...) We are in SHORT, in southern Chad. We have had a long day. We got up at 3.00 a.m. and by 4.00 we were already on the road, in the middle of the night. Dawn came at 5.30. Ahead of us lay 860 km of road, with potholes that constituted a danger for tyres. A young goat ran into our pick-up and damaged the bumper... a typical missionary day!We witnessed the reality of thousands of people who survive every day by selling something from the fields: branches of wood, vegetables and so on.
When we arrived at the Salesian House, hundreds of people from the local Christian community were waiting for us. There was music, song and dance, and the typical joy of Africans when they welcome their guests. Once again there is a lesson we can learn from the poor, that there is joy in life and in meeting people, even where there is poverty.
Today, 13 February, he wrote: “Neither the heat nor the 1700 km we have travelled in three days (about 24 hours’ journey on roads that were more or less passable) managed to take away from the beauty of all these meetings.Yesterday, in Doba, it was impossible to communicate due to lack of technology. Tonight
CHRONICLE OF THE TIME WHEN WE COULD NOT COMMUNICATE: MESSAGE FROM THE RECTOR MAJOR IN AFRICA
we are in the capital of Chad. Tomorrow we will continue the journey to YAOUNDÉ, in Cameroon.
I cannot find words to express what these experiences mean to me. We prayed with the communities, we heard what they had to say, we shared with our brother Salesians who, day after day, give their LIFE in this mission land. There are twelve Salesians in Chad, They are HAPPY - we have seen it and can confirm it. Friends: I invite you, simply, as far as I can in the time at my disposal, to continue to accompany our journey of pilgrimage. Let us pray for each other and for this good people who love life even though they lack many things,
A cordial and affectionate greeting from us.Ángel. RM.
Don Bosco Feast, Abuja
PORTHUKAI RomanSDB ABUJA, NIGERIA
AKINYELE Sunday CyrilPT AKURE, NIGERIA
DB Tech Aku re P lay
Matthew, Now a Priest
ADETILOYE MatthewSDB AKURE, NIGERIA
... The glass door of the corridor where Don Bosco was standing was shattered and lightning struck [EBM V, 513-514; EBM V, 337].Miraculously Don Bosco escaped serious injury. However, his eyes (the right one especially) were seriously affected and began to worsen rapidly.It was in consequence of this scary experience that Don Bosco drew up his last will and testament in which he claimed authorship of 26 works (cf.EBM X, p. 132-133; omitted in EBM).
This was not the only time that Don Bosco was injured by lightning.As related in detail (and somewhat melodramatically) in the Biographical Memoirs [IBM VI, 937-944; EBM VI, 559-562], on the night of May 15, 1861, lightning struck again. His right eye was damaged to the point of nearly total blindness; his left eye so weakened that for it too the worst was feared. To relieve the pain, the doctor prescribed “no reading or writing after sunset.” Don Bosco of course did not obey, but he did begin to wear dark glasses (the Biographical Memoirs calls them “blue glasses”). He never wore corrective lenses because peasants did not wear glasses! and he was persuaded to ask for dispensationfrom the recitation of the breviary whenever he could not read without pain or fatigue [IBM V, p. 885; EBM V, p. 579].
A number of Don Bosco’s letters refer to his eyesight problems. In a letter to Countess Callori dated November 14, 1873, he wrote, “I consulted eye doctors, and their verdict is that there is little hope for my right eye; as for my left eye, it might be kept from getting worse if I refrain from reading and writing. Oh, but I can eat, drink, sleep, walk, etc.—and all is well, right?” [Motto, Epistolario IV, p. 177; IBM X, p. 1217 (omitted in EBM)] To the same countess, on November 25, 1878 he wrote, “Everyone is well here. However, my eyes are rapidly deteriorating. I have neverenjoyed good eyesight. It must be God’s will that it should be so, for I have often put my eyes to bad uses” [Ceria, Epistolario II, p. 417; EBM X, p. 652]. From 1880 onwards the deterioration became gradually so severe that on October 14, 1884 Don Bosco was forced to ask the Sacred Penitentiary for special permission to celebrate (from memory) on feast days the votive Mass of Our Lady, and the Mass for the Dead on ferial days [IBM XVII, p. 207; EBM XVII, p. 183-184]. When he posed for the famous Luzzati photographs (mentioned above) Don Bosco was practically blind. It appears that by that time he wassuffering from irreversible macular degeneration—but managed withal to write.
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AGBARA Fidelis SDB ASHAIIMAN, GHANA
A S H A I M A N , G H A N A
IKEJE KingsleySDB IBADAN, NIGERIA
It all began in the early morning of 25th Feb, 2015 with a Solemn Morning Prayer and Mass as the community entered a festive mood to celebrate herself and the father of the house, Fr Riccardo. At last it was the community’s patron saints feast day after much preparation with the community’s novena and reflections by student confreres on the fruits of GC27. Fr Riccardo presided over the Eucharistic celebration and was joined by the other priest confreres in the community. In line with the day’s celebration, Olympic Games were organized and the different groups in the community were ably represented by their various members. With an opening prayer and speech by the rector, the games kick-started and went on for about two hours. It was brought to a close by a race among the formators in the community. During the evening hours of the day, the community had a moment of sharing and merriment to crown the day’s celebration, also with a representative of the Salesian family present as well to grace the occasion. It was indeed a beautiful celebration and a day worth marking. We ended the day’s activities and re-entered once again the spirit of the Lenten season.
COMMUNITY AND RECTOR’S DAY IN STS. VERSIGLIA AND CARAVARIO POST-NOVITIATE COMMUNITY, IBADAN
(ANS - Rome)- With the “good morning” thought for today, 4 February, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, has reached 200 posts on the popular social network. The number is significant. It is evidence of the Rector Major’s consistency, and it also corresponds to the most famous 200 being celebrated this year, the 200th birthday of Don Bosco. Fr Á.F. Artime’s page is becomes increasingly “a digital meeting place for friends of the Rector Major.”By Gian Francesco Romano
The Rector Major has had nearly 8,000 fans in about six and a half months, with an average growth of 300 new fans every week. According to data compiled by Facebook, about 80,000 people were reached by the Rector Major’s messages in the last week alone, with a peak of over 85,000 people on the day of the feast of Don Bosco.On that day, 31 January, his “good morning” message in Spanish and Italian got about 900 “Likes”, was shared more than 550 times and reached a total of more than 46,000 people.The numbers are very high, far higher than those reached in any physical location. It goes to show how correct Fr Artime’s intuition was when, on 20 July last year, he decided to open a fan page on Facebook. The decision was motivated by the need to improve communication on the social network, and to reach as many people as possible, given that his personal profile was full with the maximum of 5,000 friends.
The Rector Major’s page is administered by him personally, without the help of any assistant or secretary. It is becoming more and more “a digital meeting place for friends of the Rector Major” as he himself likes to call it.
The Rector Major’s presence on Facebook is not only a “megaphone” through which his voice can be heard ever further away. By choosing to be “where the young people are,” Fr Á.F. Artime has accepted the commitment to be totally present. Anyone who writes or contacts him - not only those who know him personally, but also those who know him only virtually – receives an answer, consistent with the time and the commitments that the post of Rector Major necessarily entails.From 31 January, to enhance the voice of the Rector Major and the Congregation on Facebook, there is also the page of ANS.
200th POST
facebook
The Rector Major reaches 200
Rector Major's
ILODIGWE EmmanuelSTUDENT IBADAN, NIGERIA
The second edition of Don Bosco Marathon in Sts Versiglia and Caravario Post-Novitiate Community Ibadan took place on 10th January. This year’s edition took on the Salesian Strenna for the year—“…with the young, for the young”—as its theme. As it was customary to propose an intention for the marathon, this year’s was unveiled by Bro Paolo, the Youth Coordinator, as a run for peace in different parts of the world and our country Nigeria especially as we approach the presidential elections, come February 14. Twenty-six participants took part amongst who were two student confreres in the community. The marathon took off around 7:45 am after the opening speech by the youth coordinator and a group photograph of all the athletes with the father of the house, Fr Riccardo, and the Youth Coordinator. There was also a standby Medical team and officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to bring order to the course of the event just in case any casualty or emergency arose.
Having covered about 15 kilometres in about 1hr 50mins, the first and second athletes were seen racing into the compound as they gasped for breath, with the others following them. After a short rest for the participants, a short get-together was organized where the various participants were rewarded for their efforts and vigour. It was indeed beautiful as they had all burdened on their shoulders the message of peace as they raced through the streets of Ibadan.
DON BOSCO MARATHON2015, IBADAN
ROGGIA SilvioONITSHA, NIGERIA
GREETINGS FROM THE 'MIGHTY' ASPIRANTS IN ONITSHA
EKUGBAH ChikezieSDB NAIROBI, KENYA
Just like Don Bosco handing over the constitution to Fr Cagliero, Fr Jorge hands over the mission for the care of the AFW UTUME Students to Chiemeka
LAGOS, NIGERIA
UPDATE OF DELEGATION HOUSE BUILDING, IJU, LAGOS
AJAH EmmanuelSDB
ILODIGWE EmmanuelSDB IBADAN, NIGERIA
I BADAN COMMUNITY DAY
DUBLIN, IRELAND
DEVELOPMENTS ON DON BOSCO FILM
ODIA Cyril SDB
Fr. Cyril meets some notable personalities from the Nigerian Film Industry in London
UGWU Caius SDB SUNYANI, GHANA
DON BOSCO FEAST 2015 IN SUNYANI
In Antioch the Disciples of Christ were called Christians because of how they work and did things in common most importantly for doing things in Christ like manner. They behaved in
such a way that people could perceive in them a Christ like attitude which led them to call the disciples Christians. A Similar atmosphere was present among the members of the Salesian family who gathered to celebrate the feast of St. John Bosco, their founder. The planning and celebration started with a meeting called by the rectors of the two neighbouring Salesian communities’ in Sunyani. During this meeting in which every group of the Salesian family present in Sunyani were duly represented by not less than two members each, it was agreed that as a family we should start a nine days novena in our various groups. Also during this meeting various suggestions and plans were raise on how to celebrate this feast and the bicentenary of Don Bosco birth as one Salesian family.
Following this meeting the family had a three days triduum at the Mary Help of Christian Parish Odumasi. Following the style of Don Bosco each group of the family was assigned some roles and responsibilities to carry out during the tridium to make it worthy of its spiritual significance. For instance, on the first day of the Tridium, the Salesians animated the prayer while Sr. Jacky of the Daughters of Mary help of Christians gave a talk with a power point presentation on the strenna of this bicentenary year, “Like Don Bosco working for the young with the young.”
On the second day of the tridium, members of the past pupils animated the prayer while Fr. Chuks gave a talk and a short video clip centred on the role and identity of each group constituting the Salesian family. On the last day of the Triduum members of the Salesian co-operators led the prayers while Fr. Silvio gave a talk and a power point presentation on the life and biography of some glorified members of our Salesian family. He noted that after 150 years of Salesian society we have about 166 members of the family recognised by the mother church as a model of holiness either as a saint, Blessed, venerable servants of God. According to him this very fact reminds us that our spirituality is a sure way to holiness and every member irrespective of the group has an ample opportunity to achieve holiness following Don Bosco’s method and spirituality.
DON BOSCO FEAST 2015 IN SUNYANI
On the last day of the Triduum Fr. Mark Anthony thanked each member for their contribution towards the success of the initiative and urged us to always work together as one family. Since unity is strength he urged us that working together we might not go fast but we can go far in our mission as members of the Salesian family. Aside from the Triduum there were other activities held together as a family to mark this feast; like a marathon that started from Adentia to the Don Bosco Technical school compound, around one hundred participants were present, parishioners, our technical students, people from the nearby schools and several Salesians and novices. Congratulations to two students from Odumassi senior high school, who emerged the overall winners both for the female and male categories. The feast day itself, in the morning there was Mass in the school Hall, followed by other party games which members of the Salesian family organised for the student and the boys home and the Oratorians. In the evening we had a get together in the school Hall. This last celebration brought together all the members of the family, friends, well wishers and members of the Religious men and women congregations working in the Diocese. They all joined for the evening prayer and the dinner to mark this year’s feast of St. John Bosco. Like it is been said that the beauty of every song depends on the unionism of its chorus, one could say that the beauty of this celebration lay mostly in the unity demonstrated by the entire members of the Salesian family to make this feast worthy of its spiritual and physical significance.
Bravo to the members of the Salesian family in Sunyani. Long live Don Bosco. Long live father of the youth. Your spirit is ever alive among us.
ROME, ITALY
INTERNATIONAL PEDAGOGY CONGRESS
“WITH DON BOSCO EDUCATOR OF THE YOUTH OF OUR TIME”
International congress of Salesian pedagogy – 19-21 March 2015, RomeWhat an enriching experience of Salesian pedagogy! It was an enriching because of the opportunity to we had to meet with other Salesians, FMA, Salesian cooperators, young people and all other Salesian families. It was an enriching congress because of the contents on Salesian system of education delivered to those present. Above all, the most enriching things were the challenges that the postmodernity pose to educators and the youths. The official opening of the International Convention was done by the Rector Major.
Some important topics were treated in the first section of the congress which was based on: “CONVERSING WITH THE PRESENT REALITY: CHALLENGES AND EDUCATIONAL NEEDS”, delivered by Fr Fabio Attard who was the moderator of the first day. Various talks were given on different topics: “A society in transition! A Culture gone awry! A Religion turned virtual! A Human being in the making! All processes! – Not a doom but a creative challenge for the future!” delivered by Fr Stanislaus Swamiknannu from India. Then “Social changes and Educational Challenges” was given by Prof. Paola Bignardi Professor of UPS; “The present condition of youth people and their educational needs” – by Juan Carlos Quirarte Méndez, Doctor in social Anthropology; “Youth, Digital Media and Educational Challenges” – by Chiara Giaccardi
DemianSDB
The second section of the congress was based on “THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE PREVENTIVE SYSTEM TO TODAY’S EDUCATION”, the introduction was made by Fr Carlo Nanni, Rector of the Salesian Pontifical University, Rome. The topics that were treated were: “Preventive System Rethought in Today’s Horizion” – by Jean-Marie Petitclerc – Director of the Institute of Professional Training, Valdocco (France); “The role of education for an integral formation: the Salesian Youth Ministry” – by Miguel Ángel García, Youth Ministry Department of SDB – Rome; “The Preventive System, an “open system”, to give young people abundant life” – by Mara Borsi – Sector of Youth Ministry, FMA; “The Methodological Component for the Contemporary Salesian Education” – by Fr Michal Vojtáš sdb – a professor in Salesian Pontifical University, Rome.
The third section was on “THE PREVENTIVE SYSTEM APPLIED FOR THE EDUCATION OF THE YOUNG WHO LIVE WITHIN A MARGINALISED SITUATION IN VAROIUS SOCIAL CONTEXT” the introduction was done by Sr Runita Borja, Councillor of the FMA’s Department of Youth Ministry. The only talk that was delivered was on “Education of life, educator of the way and preventive system – by Andrea Zampetti – Pontifical Salesian University. The rest of the afternoon section was workshop. The whole program ended on Saturday with the section on: FORMATION AND PEDAGOGICAL COMPETENCE.
