Philippines

(ANS – Parañaque) – The General Treasurer of the Salesian Congregation, Mr. Jean Paul Muller, was in recent weeks on an animation visit to the “St. John Bosco” Province of the Northern Philippines (FIN), stopping in particular in the Manila area. During this visit, Mr. Muller also gave a conference to the Salesian Brothers of the community of specific formation “Blessed Stephen Sandor” in Parañaque.

Speaking in a spirit of fraternity, as a Salesian brother to other Salesian brothers, the General Treasurer highlighted the identity of the lay Salesian, who works in close and direct contact with the laity as co-responsible in the mission, and who is also very close to the young in his apostolates and ministries. He underlined that Salesian Brothers usually serve in specific areas such as schools and Vocational Training Centres, or work as administrators or directors of Vocational Training courses, and at the same time, guide, accompany and teach the young people entrusted to them through the skills that they own. According to mr. Muller, lay collaborators in the mission can also carry out these or similar tasks, but what distinguishes and makes the witness of the Salesian brother different lies precisely in his spirituality and identity as a consecrated person.

In a short speech, the General Treasurer encouraged the Salesian brothers in specific formation in the “Sandor Community” to use their time adequately to prepare for ministry when they return to their respective Provinces after completing their two-year course in Parañaque. Therefore, he exhorted them to become more and better teachers and catechists for young people, and indeed to constitute a testimony of Christ for young people. He further added that young people will not look at them as “ordinary men”, but that they will have to see in them something that reminds them of the presence of Jesus in their daily life. Because, he reiterated, Salesian brothers must not limit themselves to providing young people with technical skills, but must know how to be educators in the faith.

Currently the “Sandor” community of Parañaque, directed by Fr Ronel Vilbar, is made up of 4 formators and 7 Salesians in specific formation from Indonesia, East Timor, Vietnam and India. It offers a two-year specific training course in English, also open to Salesian brothers from other Salesian Regions.

In the entire Congregation there are only 3 similar locations for this phase of formation of Salesian brothers: in Mexico, in Tlaquepaque, in the Mexico-Guadalajara Province (MEG); in Cameroon, in Yaoundé, in the Equatorial Tropical Africa Vice Province (ATE) and in Spain, in Barcelona, ​​in the Spain-Mary Help of Christians Province (SMX).