Page 9 - Salesian Bulletin 2014 [01] January-March

Ijoined the aspirantate when I was 16 and I had a wonderful time with some missionaries. As my desire to become a priest developed so did my interest to become a missionary especially through some missionary news we read.
Some ask me: “Sri Lanka needs missionaries, so why become a missionary abroad?” Surely Sri Lanka needs missionaries to strengthen the growth of our Salesian work. But we should never forget that our Salesian presence in Sri Lanka was started in 1956 because missionaries came to the country , particularly Fr Henry Remery, a French Salesian of the Chennai province. I still remember the day, when I expressed my desire to go
—Fr Srimal Priyanga Silva Gajasinhage from Sri Lanka, missionary in the Solomon Islands.
During my first year of practical training in Negombo, our Salesian ‘motherhouse’ in Sri Lanka, I had an amazing experience. At that time Sri Lanka was a Delegation of Chennai Province. That evening the Rector gave me the Circular letter of the Provincial to be read at spiritual reading. In that letter Father Provincial spoke about the Rector Major’s appeal for missionaries for Papua New Guinea. While I was reading, I turned to the economer, a missionary in Sri Lanka, and said “Father shall we go? What do you think?” “Why not, let’s go,” he replied with a smile on his face. That same day I called my superiors and
to the missions to the Provincial, Fr Benjamin Puthota. His answer was an immediate “yes, of course, even though we have very few confreres, if it is the will of God he will bless us with many vocations. It is by giving that we receive!” Indeed, Sri Lanka has been blessed byGod.NowitisaVice Province.
My missionary vocation was born when I read an appeal for missionaries!
asked whether I could apply . I consider this as the moment when my missionary seed began to take root. It was the moment I realised that God wanted me to become a missionary. I was sent to Solomon Islands, which is now part of the Delegation of Papua New Guinea.
Word of God in the daily Eucharist, teaching various subjects in the
seminary , participating in
life of community give me ample opportunity to share my vocation with others. I also have the opportunity to live and relate with people of another culture as well as experience their love and affection. I know that what is important is not to do spectacular and remarkable things, but to keep my heart open to do God’s will in my life.
the daily
I am truly happy to be a missionary . Sharing the
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