It was in July 1992, after the fall of the communist regime, that the Church was able to return to the country: the first missionaries sent belonged to the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and were Fathers Wenceslao Padilla, Gilbert Sales, and Robert Goessens.
That is why, on July 9, Archbishop Alfred Xuereb, Apostolic Nuncio to both South Korea and Mongolia, with his secretary and with the Apostolic Prefect of Ulan Bator and Cardinal-elect Giorgio Marengo, and together with all the missionaries of Mongolia - including the Salesians - and Fr. Gilbert Sales, who came especially from the Philippines, and some Mongolian friends, gathered at the tomb of Msgr. Wenceslao Padilla, who had been the head of the Mission "Sui Iuris," since 1992, and then the first Apostolic Prefect of Ulan Bator, until his death in 2018.
For the occasion, the Apostolic Nuncio blessed the new altar next to Msgr. Padilla's tomb and celebrated Mass. Then Msgr. Marengo shared some information about the Church's mission in the country and what is being accomplished and said that all together they were building the dream of the late Msgr. Padilla, "who today will be happy to see us from Heaven gathered around him, humbly loving and serving our beloved Mongolia."
The main celebration took place the following day, Sunday, July 10: early in the morning many parishioners arrived at the cathedral from many places, the most distant from more than 400 km away, some bringing food and drinks for the feast day, while others started cooking in the area. By 10:00 a.m., many priests were invited to hear confessions for the many attendees as the cathedral filled with people: guests, visitors, many leaders of different religions.
During the solemn Eucharist, the Nuncio expressed a message of gratitude: to God, the pioneers, and missionaries who still live and work for the mission of the Mongolian Church! But his words of gratitude were also extended to the local government, the people, the faithful, and all the friends inside and outside the country who accompany in various ways, factually or with prayers, this mission.
"The mission started 30 years ago: it seems a long time, but for God, it will seem to be yesterday... and the mission still goes on with many challenges and changes, but all in hope, faith, with sacrifice and witness!" commented Fr. Andrew Tin Nguyen, a Salesian of Don Bosco originally from Vietnam and active in Darkhan.
The Salesian presence in Mongolia is under the care of the "St. John Bosco" Province of Vietnam (VIE) and was started in 2001, with a technical school and oratory opened in the capital, Ulan Bator. In 2004, a parish with oratory was started in Darkhan, in the north-central region of the country; finally, since 2016, they have also taken over the pastoral care of the mission in Shuwuu, not far from the capital.
