Spiritual Gifts and Practical Gifts - Training Young Salesians in West Africa

In the third week of Advent, as we focus on joy, we hear from our GBR Missions Office, which supports the work of Salesian Missions across the world, and in particular, funds the training of young Salesians in the Anglophone West Africa (AFW) Province: Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Nigeria.

The British Province has had a long connection with Liberia in particular, and this continues in its financial contribution towards the training of young Salesians in the AFW Province. For several decades, through the GBR Missions Office, we have made a commitment to send £7,500 a month (£90,000 a year), to support the formation of young men from this very youthful Province, where over half of the approximately 200 Salesians are in formation. This formation takes place in the countries of the AFW Province and beyond, as they continue their studies in East Africa, Italy, Germany and Great Britain.

Fr Francis Preston SDB, who is currently in the Utume community in Nairobi, where young Salesians from AFW go to study theology, tells us about the AFW men studying there:

"This academic year, we have 11 students from AFW studying at Utume. The six students in the 4th Year diaconate class were ordained deacons on 19th May 2018 and, all being well, they will be ordained priests back in West Africa in June and July 2019. Four of the 4th Year deacons are from Nigeria: Deacons Charles, George, Emmanuel and Stephen. Deacon Roman is a missionary from the Ukraine and Deacon Peter is a missionary from Vietnam.

"We have three AFW students in the 2nd Year class, who received the ministry of reader/lector last May and will make their final profession and receive the ministry of acolyte in summer 2019. Two of the 2nd Year students are from Ghana - Victor and Isaac. The third, Justin, is from Nigeria. Both of the AFW students in the 1st Year class - Solomon and Cornelius - are from Nigeria.

"Since January 2018, we have had one Salesian priest from Nigeria, Fr James Ekanem, on the SDB Staff here at Utume, teaching Liturgy and Homiletics."

Training of these young Salesians as priests, brothers and professional people enables them to go out and meet young people in their own provinces, to further the mission of Don Bosco.

We ask you to pray for them during their formation, especially now, when it is exam time for many of them.

If you feel able to make a donation to contribute to their training, Fr Kieran Anderson, Director of the GBR Missions Office, would be very grateful to receive it. Please email Fr Kieran for more information if you would like to help more young Salesians do the work of Don Bosco in the AFW Province: SDB.Missions@salesians.org.uk

Thank you.

Scripture

Luke 3:10-18

'Someone is coming who will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire'

When all the people asked John, 'What must we do?' he answered, 'If anyone has two tunics he must share with the man who has none, and the one with something to eat must do the same.' There were tax collectors too who came for baptism, and these said to him, 'Master, what must we do?' He said to them, 'Exact no more than your rate.' Some soldiers asked him in their turn, 'What about us? What must we do?' He said to them, 'No intimidation! No extortion! Be content with your pay!'

A feeling of expectancy had grown among the people, who were beginning to think that John might be the Christ, so John declared before them all, 'I baptise you with water, but someone is coming, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to undo the strap of his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fan is in his hand to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his barn; but the chaff he will burn in a fire that will never go out.' As well as this, there were many other things he said to exhort the people and to announce the Good News to them.

Prayer

Maranatha!
Maranatha!
Open our eyes to the dignity of all people
And our ears to the cries of the earth.
Maranatha!
Let us walk in solidarity with the poor
And cleanse our world from oppression.
Maranatha!
Let us shout out for justice for all
And renew our hope for change.
Maranatha!
The Lord is coming
Let us share the Good News!
Amen.

Sue Cooper
CAFOD