During his stay, the General Councilor for Missions was able to visit all the communities and meet the Salesians, Salesian educators, young people attending the Sons of Don Bosco presences, as well as the aspirants of the two aspirantates, pre-novices, novices, and young Salesians. He also had the chance to meet all the missionaries to hear about their missionary experiences.
At the end of his visit, Fr. Maravilla met with the Provincial and his Council to share his impressions. "The greatest resources of the Vice-Province are the confreres, all of whom have done part of their formation outside the country," he emphasized, "which has allowed them to have a broader perspective of Salesian life and ministry. The other important resource is the great commitment of the whole Vice-Province in serving poor youth, through its Technical Formation Centers, boarding schools and centers for poor and marginalized youth."
Likewise, he called on the entire Vice-Province to continue with great transparency in its option for poor youth, and to take the necessary steps that could lead to the self-sustainability of each presence.
In his meetings with the Salesians, Fr. Maravilla pointed out that while Sri Lanka has received many missionaries over the past 67 years, there is currently only one Sri Lankan missionary working in Papua New Guinea. "The time has come to promote greater missionary generosity among the confreres, because each Salesian province, whether rich or poor in human and material resources, is co-responsible for the missionary projects of the entire Congregation. Thus, there are no longer only 'recipient' or 'sender' Provinces. The LKC Vice-Province can and should also be actively involved in the missionary projects of the Congregation," insisted Fr. Maravilla.
