Hi, Hubert! Could you please introduce yourself…

I am Fr Hubert Thyrniang, SDB, from the Province of Shillong, India. I made my first Salesian profession on 22 May 2004 and was ordained a priest on 22 December 2013. After ordination I was sent to Tripura, India, where I stayed until July 2024.

What inspired you to choose to become a missionary?

The call to become a missionary has been there since the time of my perpetual profession, but I did not tell the superiors. After ordination, I turned to my Provincial who told me to pray and wait a little longer. In 2017 I was appointed parish priest of the parish of Mary Help of Christians in Mandwi, Tripura, India. It was in those years that I felt strongly the call to be a missionary outside of India, although I saw that there are many missionary activities to be done also in our Province.

At the same time, my home parish was evangelised and developed by the missionaries and when I saw the Rector Major appeal for the sending of missionaries many times I was moved. I thought to myself: "Maybe this is the voice of the Lord telling me that I am a missionary". From that moment on, I continued to pray and reflect. Slowly the call of the Lord within me did not allow me to continue without expressing my desire. After spending time in prayer, reading God's Word, meditating and reflecting, I took the courage to express my desire to the Provincial. So I was chosen to be a missionary in North-West Africa.

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

Having written to the Rector Major that I am available to be sent anywhere, I am happy to have been chosen as a missionary in North-West Africa. I'm not afraid of the new place and the new culture. I know the Lord will be with me. Psalm 143.10 says "... teach me to do your will". This is the motto of my ordination. Therefore, I trust that God will guide me, even if everything will be new.

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

My family, despite knowing that I will be away from them, have encouraged me and are happy with my decision. And at the same time my confreres, starting with my Provincial, also support and encourage me.

What are your plans and dreams for your missionary life?

I do not have a specific project, nor a particular dream for my missionary life, because the place, the culture, the people will be new. I entrust myself to the hand of the Lord to teach me and lead me on the right path.

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

I have none, except Don Bosco. He was very brave to send the Salesians to different parts of the world as missionaries, despite the fact that the Congregation had just been born.

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

I would like to encourage young people to listen to God's call. Do not hesitate, do not fear and do not make excuses. If you feel that God calls someone to be a missionary, focus more on the relationship with the Lord, through prayer and the Word of God. Ask for the help of Mary, our Mother, and pray to your favourite Saint. The Lord will open the way for you!

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