Diplomatic relations between Mongolia and the Vatican were officially established on 4 April 1992 and the first group of missionaries, three members of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CICM), arrived on 10 July 1992.
The first Salesians arrived in Mongolia in 2001. Today there are 11 Salesians working in the country. They have three presences. The first, in the capital of the country, Ulaanbataar, where they run a Technical Training Centre, a kindergarten for children, which is much appreciated by working parents, and an Assistance Centre for children in difficulty. In 2005 they began their second presence in the city of Darkhan, where there were no Catholics. Today it has the parish of Mary Help of Christians with 300 baptised members, a ’Study Centre’ that offers short courses in Korean, Chinese and English to about 30 young people and a daily oratory attended by many young people. And then Shuwuu, an area outside the capital, where poor families from the countryside usually stop for a while waiting to find work in the city. Here, in 2016, the Salesians were invited by the then Apostolic Prefect Wenceslao Padilla CICM to open their third presence. On 15 August 2023, the current Apostolic Prefect, Giorgio Cardinal Marengo IMC, consecrated the parish Church. It has a small community of 75 Catholics. However, many children and young people who follow other religions or no religion attend the Day Care Centre and the Oratory on a daily basis.
“Everything we do in Mongolia is actually first announcement. Through the technical training centre, the Day Care Centre, the Study Centre, the Assistance Centre, the parish, etc. they all have the primary intention of arousing interest in the person of Jesus Christ "stressed the Councillor for the Missions.
After 22 years, the Salesian Family is also gradually developing. The FMA arrived in 2006. 5 Sisters work in their two educational presences. There are currently 26 Salesian Cooperators and numerous past pupils. During his visit, he met Cardinal Marengo in the curia to assure him of the Salesians' commitment to contributing to the building up of the local Church. For his part, the Cardinal expressed his appreciation for the apostolate of the Salesians in the Apostolic Prefecture.
Fr Maravilla concluded his visit on 28 August with a meeting of the Salesian Family in Ulaanbataar. In his address he made reference to Tsuivan, a very common Mongolian pasta dish with meat and vegetables that is cooked in almost every family. “Let's cook our Tsuivan together with what little wood we have” he exhorted them. "The Salesian charism must become truly Mongolian like the Tsuivan. But we can't expect to have a lot of (personal) wood. Let's cook now with enthusiasm and optimism" he urged his listeners.
