For the Salesian Family in Mongolia, too, this papal journey meant a lot and was a particularly intense and heartfelt moment, during which Salesian Cooperators, Salesians of Don Bosco and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA) were involved in the preparations.
It was a great commitment, without a doubt, for Sister Hanako Teresia Kojima, Daughter of Mary Help of Christians from the Mary Help of Christians Community in Ulaanbatar, belonging to the Stella Matutina Province (KOR), who was asked to cook for the Holy Father.
“In the months before the Pope's visit, Cardinal Giorgio Marengo asked me to cook twice for the guests who came from the Vatican. The day before the departure for Rome of the second guest, the Cardinal asked me “Are you ready to cook for the Pope?” – Sister Hanako said, “At that moment, it seemed to me that time had stopped. And I thanked him, 'Really? Thank you!’” My heart was pounding and I couldn't believe what I was asked,” she added. The menu requested was for a very simple meal, just as the life of Pope Francis is simple.
For Sister Cecilia Choi, Director of the FMA Community in Ulaanbaatar, the Holy Father's Visit was also an important moment. In fact, Sister Choi participated in the Ecumenical and inter-religious meeting between Pope Francis and several religious leaders in Mongolia, in the Hun Theatre. Two other Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Sister Aleth Evangelista and Sister Domenica Chang, took part in the cultural program held before the start of the Mass at the Steppe Arena.
Not only the FMA participated in the fervent preparations and crucial moments of the Holy Father's Visit. Br. Andrew Le Phuong Tran, Salesian Brother, also played an important role in the weeks leading up to Pope Francis' Journey. Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, Apostolic Prefect of Ulanbaatar, appointed him General Coordinator of the Pope's visit and, therefore, he was part of the official Delegation that received the Pope at the airport and farewelled him at the time of his departure.
In addition, on 4 September, Pope Francis blessed a statue of Our Lady that was miraculously discovered in a landfill in the northern region of the country by a Buddhist woman. Salesian Fr Andrew Tin Nguyen, parish priest of the Church of Mary Help of Christians in the city of Darkhan, spoke about this statue. In an interview with the "Catholic News Agency", Fr Nguyen explained that the woman does not remember the year in which she found the statue, but that she insists that it had been there since before the arrival of the Salesian missionaries. “Perhaps it is a sign that the Blessed Virgin Mary was present here before us, preparing our arrival. She appeared in the most humble and poorest places, which could mean that she always wanted us to take care of the poorest," he reflected.
Those who were not directly involved in the preparations, however, eagerly awaited the arrival of Pope Francis. This was the case for Fr Jaroslav Vracovsky, Salesian missionary and parish priest in the small community of Shuwuu. As he explained in an interview with the "Parole di Vita" website, for the Christian faithful the Holy Father's visit was an opportunity to learn more about the Pope and to experience him directly. “The Pope's attention is directed to the last, the weakest and the voiceless,” he said. This is probably one of the reasons why he came to Mongolia. Moreover, he also said that the good shepherd must have the smell of the sheep. And in this nomadic country it is as easy to smell like sheep...”
https://www.infoans.org/en/sections/news/item/18826-mongolia-the-salesian-family-at-the-service-of-the-holy-father-during-his-apostolic-journey#sigProId784d8950ce
