Hi Joseph! Could you please introduce yourself…

I'm Fr Joseph Vanga. I come from Hyderabad Province, which covers Telangana State, Hyderabad and the southern part of Odisha State, India. I am currently in my sixth year of priesthood and will be going to work in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. It is a wonderful opportunity for me to share my missionary vocation!

What inspired you to choose to become a missionary?

To talk about my missionary vocational background, I have to say that I come from a remote village in the State of Andhra Pradesh. My parents are farmers who depended on God's Providence in times of hardship and crop failure. People depended on agriculture for their livelihoods. Even today people are proud of the village because it was set up by a missionary. Father Arulananda Swamy (according to the language of the place), belonging to the Missionary Society of St Joseph of Mill Hill and coming from the Netherlands, came as a missionary and, over the years, he brought some families and built our village. In the end, people's faith grew and now we have more than 1,500 Catholic families. It is the second largest Catholic village in the State of Andhra Pradesh. A small seed that had been planted by him became a huge tree in terms of numbers and faith, and this was a great inspiration for me.

During my period of theology at the Sacred Heart Theological Studentate in Shillong, a young missionary priest visited us from Africa. He gave us the Salesian Goodnight and shared with us his experiences on the mission. That speech made me reflect on being a missionary and from that moment I began to think about the missionary vocation. Then I talked about my missionary call with my Spiritual Director, and he encouraged me to carry on with my decision.

Are you happy with where you are going? Do you have any fears or concerns about the new place, culture and people?

A word about my new place of mission, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Fr Alfred Maravilla, General Councillor for the Missions, had asked for my opinion on this missionary destination. I gave my consent, saying that I am ready to serve anywhere in the world. I'm not scared of the place, nor the people. The "Corso Germoglio" gave us enough time to reflect on our mission. Through prayer, I am able to form my beliefs. After reaching the place of my mission, I will slowly insert myself into the new culture. What I believe is: “The Lord who called me will lead me forward. In every culture, God is vividly present in people's lives" I'm sure there will be challenges. But it does not matter, because, with God's grace, I will be able to accept them and eventually overcome them.

How did your family members, friends and confreres react when you told them about your missionary vocation?

When I talked about my missionary vocation to my parents, they had fears and anxieties, they initially disagreed with my decision. I explained to them the work and challenges of missionaries in various parts of the world. But they accepted my decision after learning about the lives of the missionaries. I am fortunate to have wonderful confreres, many of them told me to continue working for the young people without leaving for the missions, but I felt inside me that God called me to become a missionary. The members of my Province have always supported my initiatives. I am grateful to the Provincial, his Councillors and my formators who helped me to become a good Salesian.

What are your plans and dreams for your missionary life?

First, I will need to learn the local language, fit into the local culture, and be an instrument of blessing for God's people. Secondly, I would like to grow deeply in the spiritual life and bring people closer to God. As a missionary I will try to transmit the values of the gospel to people through an exemplary life. May his will be done in my life and through it.

Do you have some great missionary role models in mind whose lifestyle you want to follow?

I have some examples to which I am inspired: for example, Abraham, in the Old Testament, then St Paul the Apostle, St Francis Xavier, the Apostle of India, and St John Bosco, the father and founder of our Congregation. All of them were humble in following God's will. They had great zeal and enthusiasm in proclaiming God's love to all men. They overcame all the difficulties of life, they overcame the challenges and they were never discouraged, especially when life proved threatening.

What is your message to young people about missionary choice and vocation?

May your prayers help me to keep my gaze on Christ in good times and in bad. May God grant me strength and grace to do his will in my life.

• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
•  

Tweet