After the opening prayer led by Fr Nelson Gonçalves, SDB, the TLS Delegate for Salesian Family, Fr Joan and Brother Dominic welcomed the participants with a short video presentation. After that, there was an exchange of thoughts, feelings, and experiences between the participants and the delegates regarding the video.

The two World Delegates listened carefully to the participants who wanted to know more about the condition of the Salesian Family at the world level and how to bring together this real and enormous force of the Salesian Family at the local to serve the poor young people. Each group of the Salesian Family has its autonomy to do things and yet all of them must be going in the same direction, to the same mission as Don Bosco wanted. For this reason, there must be an accompaniment program for the leaders of each group of the Salesian Family. Participants in this meeting are the representatives from the Salesian Cooperators, ADMA of Malians and Dili chapters, past pupils of Don Bosco, FMA sisters, and Salesians of Don Bosco.

After some days in Dili, Fr. Joan and Brother Dominic continued their animation visit to the eastern side of Timor. After some hours  travelling from Dili to Lospalos with the challenging road to the country side of Timor, both delegates of Salesian Family and the Salesian Cooperators and Don Bosco Past Pupils stopped over in Don Bosco Fuiloro for lunch. During lunch, there were little time for sharing with the Salesian Confreres in Fuiloro.

After lunch, both delegates proceeded their visit to the Salesian Community of Lospalos where the Salesian Family meeting will be held. The meeting was started with a prayer led by Fr. Nelson Gonsalves, SDB. After the prayer, Fr. Nelson being the delegate of the Salesian Family in the TLS Vice Province gave his introduction remarks. In his remarks he said that there are 32 groups in the Salesian Family and among them, there are 7 groups already existed in Timor.

The meeting with the Salesian Family began with a short introduction on the document on the charismatic identity of the Salesian Family and a short video featuring the 32 groups of the Salesian Family that depicts the uniqueness of each in this vast movement of the Salesian Family. After short video, Fr Joan started his talk by giving a chance to the audience to share, converse and appreciate the video.

To mention some of the sharing and dialogue, the Salesian Family has many branches and is found in many countries around the world. Although it has different names but we belong to one single family and we are guided by one single Spirit towards a single destiny which is heaven.

Then Fr Joan also put a question to the audience “What is the strongest expression of the Salesian Spirituality in Timor-Leste?” Most said that Salesian Spirituality is strongly presented in the area of Evangelisation and Education. They are like two wings of the same bird – you cannot have one without the other.

The talk continued with the presentation by Brother Dominic speaking about the Strenna of the Rector Major for 2024. He said that all the groups of Salesian Family are the result of Don Bosco’s dream, and so invited everyone to dream like him. Then Brother Nguyen challenged each group of the Salesian Family to strive in whatever possible way to realise what Don Bosco dreamt of: “a heart that transforms wolves into lambs.” Brother Nam proposed 3 practical attitudes to help the young people in order to transform them:

1. Be joyful and share this joy to others

2. Do our duty happiness and love

3. Do good to others.

The meeting concluded with substantial snacks prepared by the Salesian Community of Don Bosco Lospalos. Among those who present were the SDBs of Lospalos and Fuiloro, FMA, ADMA of Lospalos and Fuiloro, Don Bosco Past Pupils of Lospalos and Fuiloro, Salesian Youth Movement, the Salesian Pre-Novices, and the Salesian Orphanage of Don Bosco Lospalos.

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