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Wantok Bosco 2023

“As the Yeast in today’s human family”, was the theme of this year’s WANTOK BOSCO Youth Camp. It was hosted at Don Bosco Technological campus from the 23rd to the 25th of June 2023. The camp, a climax of the youth and club activities in the institutions and parishes, had nearly 200 persons as participants and animators from Salesian institutions and parishes around Port Moresby and Araimiri, Gulf Province. The program began on Friday with the first talk given by Fr Gregorio Bicomong SDB, the Provincial Superior for PGS Vice Province. His talk, based on the year’s strenna, showed participants statistics…

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 27 Aprril 2023 — The first Salesians had arrived in Papua New Guinea on June 14, 1980. The presence of Fr. Valeriano Barbero, Fr. Rolando Fernandez and Br. Joseph Kramar in Araimiri, Gulf Province, was the start of the Salesian Mission in this part of the world 43 years ago. In 1994, this presence became the Provincial Delegation of PNG under the SDB Philippines North Province (FIN). For Solomon Islands, the Province of Japan was given the responsibility to make this happen. On October 27, 1995, Fr. Pedro Balcazar and Br. Francis…

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…