【慈幼通訊社 ─ 2011 年 9 月 20 日羅馬慈幼總部訊】 ─ 總會長查偉思神父，於九月二十五日中午十二時在瑪利亞進教之佑大殿的彌撒中，舉行第 142批傳教士派遣禮，向七十四名新傳教士授與十字架及任命書，這些傳教士將把福音及慈幼教育法，帶去五大洲。

自一八七五年鮑聖派遣首批傳教士起，已有一段時間，傳教士中涵蓋了其他慈幼大家庭組別，包括平信徒。首批傳教士遣送後兩年，一些來自剛成立的母佑會的修女，亦加入慈幼傳教士行列。近年，平信徒的意識及參與性日趨蓬勃，慈幼協進會及來自慈幼會非政府組織的義工，也加入成為傳教士。本年，慈幼會傳教士派遣禮，首次加入了耶穌愛德修女會的成員。

這七十四名教育工作者及傳教士，將離開慈幼精神的培育基地，向不同的國家進發。自慈幼會於二零零九年開展歐洲計劃起，決意往歐洲大陸進行新福傳的人士，數目持續增加。

第142批傳教士包括：

31名慈幼會士，為最大單一團體。其中14名前往歐洲（比利時4名、愛爾蘭3名、英國3名、奧地利1名、法國1名、俄羅斯1名及保加利亞1名）；8名前往拉丁美洲（危地馬拉2名、委內瑞拉2名、巴拉圭2名、古巴1名及阿根廷1名）；5名前往非洲（尼日利亞、坦桑尼亞、摩洛哥、安哥拉及南非）；2名前往亞洲（印度及巴基斯坦），其餘2名前往中東。

21名來自聖鮑思高及聖瑪莎利羅創立母佑會的修女，其中12名來自亞洲（5名來自越南、3名來自南韓、3名來自印度、1名來自菲律賓）；5名來自歐洲（2名來自意大利，其餘3名分別來自波蘭、捷克及西班牙）；2名來自美洲（阿根廷及墨西哥）；2名來自非洲（剛果民主共和國及蘇丹），她們的目的地待定。

5名來自日本創立的耶穌愛德修女會的修女，她們其中3人來自南韓，其餘的來自日本及巴西，並將首次前往非洲傳教，目的地為新成立南蘇丹的首都朱巴。

3名來自鮑思高福傳團體的成員，這個平信徒團體於意大利博洛尼亞創立，為慈幼大家庭中最新加入的團體。其中1名意大利籍女傳教士將前往海地；一對來自馬達加斯加年輕夫婦以及其1歲的兒子將前往布隆迪。

14名來自慈幼會非政府組織的平信徒成員，其中9名意大利籍義工，來自國際義工發展運動 (VIS)、4名西班牙籍青年來自 Jóvenes y Desarrollo (JyD)、其餘1名奧地利籍青年來自 Jugend Ein Welt (JEW)。這批平信徒義工，佔他們所屬的非政府組織今年出發的成員數目，一個相當高的比例。

慈幼會於一八七五年首次派遣傳教士，當時鮑思高神父派遣首批十名傳教士前往阿根廷巴塔哥尼亞。直至一百三十六年後的今天，已有數以千計的修道人士及數以百計的平信徒，於超過一百三十個國家，以鮑思高神父的風格傳播基督的福音。

Once again this year the Salesian Congregation focuses on the Missions

(ANS - Rome –RMG, 20 September 2011) –On 25 September, the Rector Major of the Salesians, Fr Pascual Chávez Villanueva, – in the course of a Mass in the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Turin, stating at 12.00 – will present the crucifix and the missionary mandate to 74 new missionaries called to carry to the five continents the Gospel with Don Bosco’s style of education, in what will be the 142nd Salesian Missionary Expedition.

Recalling the first sent by Don Bosco on 11 November 1875, for some years now the Expedition has involved other groups of the Salesian Family including lay people. Two years after the first one, some Sisters from the newly established Institute of the Daughters of  Mary Help of Christians joined the departing Salesian missionaries. In recent years with the development of lay sensitivity and involvement, the Salesians- Cooperators and volunteers from Salesian NGO have also left for the missions. This year for the first time the Salesian Missionary Expedition will also include some Sisters of Charity of Jesus.

These 74 educators and evangelisers will be leaving the nursery of Salesianity for a variety of countries. The number continues to grow of those destined for the new evangelisation on the European continent for which  the Salesian Congregation in 2009 launched its Project for Europe.

The 142nd Missionary Expedition includes:

• 31 Salesians of Don Bosco, the largest single group. Of these 14 are destined for Europe (4 in Belgium, 3 in Ireland, 3 in the United Kingdom, 1 in Austria, 1 in France, 1 in Russia and 1 in Bulgaria); 8 for Latin America (2 in Guatemala, 2 in Venezuela, 2 in Paraguay, 1 in Cuba, 1 in Argentina); 5 for Africa (Nigeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Angola, and Southern Africa); 2 for Asia (India and Pakistan) and 2 for the Middle East.

• 21 Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. From the Institute founded by Don Bosco and  Saint Mary Domenica Mazzarello 12 missionaries from Asia  will be receiving their mandate (5 from Vietnam, 3 from South Korea, 3 from India and  1 from the Philippines); 5 from Europe (2 from Italy, 1 each from Poland, the Czech Republic and Spain) 2 from America (Argentina and Mexico) and 2 from Africa (Dem. Rep. of the Congo and Sudan). Their destinations will be decided later.

• 5 Sisters of Charity of Jesus. The Institute of the  “Caritas Sisters of Jesus” founded in Japan, is setting up its first mission in Africa, at Juba, the capital of the newly created state of Southern Sudan. The Sisters come from South Korea (3), Japan and Brazil.

• 3 members of the Community of the Mission of Don Bosco. This Lay Community founded in Bologna is the last group to have been welcomed into the Salesian Family. 1 female Italian missionary is going to Haiti; and a young couple from Madagascar  accompanied by their 1 year old son will be going to Burundi.

• 14 lay members of Salesian NGO. 9 Italian volunteers from the International Voluntary Service for Development movement (VIS), 4 young Spaniards from Jóvenes y Desarrollo (JyD) and a young Austrian from Jugend Ein Welt (JEW). This group represents a much larger number of lay volunteers who have left during the year from their respective NGO.

The Salesian missions began in 1875, when Don Bosco sent the first group of ten missionaries to Patagonia, Argentina. Up to today 136 years later, thousands of  religious and hundreds of lay people have brought the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the style of Don Bosco to over 130 countries.