English
SAFCAM Communique #69
18-09-2022
SAFCAM Communique #69 18/09/2021
Dear Subscribers
The Salesian Family commiserated with the Rector Major at the death of his father Mr Ángel Fernández Fernández on the 15th September. His father breathed his last after a long illness at the age of 89, and 61 years of marriage. His wife Isabel was at his bedside to the end.
The Rector Major had a deep attachment to his father and recalls with affection some of his significant traits: "Every day, when the weather was good, he would go to look at 'his sea'. He started working as a fisherman at the age of 13 and continued until he was 78, accompanying and helping another young fisherman... He was a serene and calm man, with qualities that he might have acquired from his many hours spent alone at sea. He was simple, good-hearted, and very much committed to the family, and did not seek for extras to be happy. He was a tireless worker, and I feel like a novice in front of the master when I compare myself to him.
Since his retirement, he went to church every day to pay a visit to the Lord and leave a daily offering for charity to the poor. He attended Mass almost every day, and on 30 August he was present with me at the Eucharist for the Novena to the Virgin of Covadonga". We join in prayer with his family…
May he rest in peace and the family by comforted by their faith in the resurrection. Amen.
Following Pope Francis' Apostolic Journey to Hungary and Slovakia
There are lots of reports on YouTube and Facebook, and here are some statistics of the Church in the two countries: In Hungary there are: 5,980,000 Catholics; 2,062 parishes; 2,089 priests; 34 Bishops.
In Slovakia: 3,986,000 Catholics = 62% of the population; 1,560 parishes; 3,064 priests; 22 Bishops.
As for Salesians present in Hungary and Slovakia, in the Province of Hungary (UNG) there are 31 professed; in Slovakia (SLK) there are 195 professed and 6 novices.
And following their spiritual exercises during the past week, the 24th General Chapter of the FMAs was officially opened yesterday with an impressive inaugural ceremony beginning with a parade of the flags from 97 countries represented by the 172-chapter members, who have a combined average age of 56 years.
Fr Angel Artime (being at the funeral of his father) was represented by Fr Pascual Chavez, and Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz in a style very similar to that of pope Francis addressed the assembly with some challenging thoughts. It was live-streamed on YouTube and Facebook live. By clicking on this link - https://youtu.be/cz9UbVDT0lI - you can access the whole event and skip through it rapidly.
World premiere of the film “The Oratory”, set in Nigeria, gives Don Bosco a further African face!
The world premiere of the film “The Oratory”, the story of Don Bosco set in Nigeria, was screened in Dublin on 10 September. The project is a dream come true for Fr Cyril Odia, a Salesian from Nigeria, currently Rector of the Salesian community in Maynooth. He began dreaming of this idea over 10 years ago and though many were sceptical about it ever being realised, he never gave up.
(See more about this on the website)
Also among items added to the website this week, you will find a very short but significant article under the title ‘Same-sex marriage, the Pill, assisted suicide’. These are some of the topics of a newly published text by Benedict XVI, and endorsed by Pope Francis.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI warns about the ‘anthropological leap’ of recent decades during which the contemporary world has ceased to accept the intrinsic connection between sexuality and fertility and ceased to believe in the sacred origin of man. There is another article about Bishop Burbridge’s stand against transgender ideology. A copy of his statement which covers many vital points about human nature can be download from the pdf link included in this posting.
Some may ask why we are giving so much attention to this topic!
The reason is that this ideology, based on the fallacy of a dualistic vision of human nature, could be the greatest heresy of the decade. It is the source of the breakdown of the family and the obliteration of the understanding of humanity as created male and female in God’ image. And although we are still not exposed to its effect here in Africa as much as in other parts of the world, it is a tsunami which is going to sweep across the whole earth unless we place some barrages to resist its advances, especially among the young people.
https://youtu.be/BlfzwGbBdkY - Calgiero video (1-minute): September’s topic is RESPONSIBILITY: THE WAY I LIVE MATTERS. If you wish to receive the monthly video via WhatsApp, send a message to mfulgaro@sdb.org indicating your name and mobile phone number.
DBGYFF (See the website, the last communiques or just google those letters for more info)
For your info, the deadline for submitting film clips for this great Salesian project through the foundation DON BOSCO NEL MONDO is extended from the 30th September till the 15th October.
In union of prayer, God bless.
Camiel and François
