Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bangkok (Agenzia Fides) - A three-week meeting of missionary training being held for 12 seminarians of Thailand's Major Seminary in the Bangkok area has recently ended. Father Adrian Pelosin, a PIME missionary who has been working in the country for years, prior to his leaving for the north of Thailand to lead a dozen priests, nuns and lay people in a week-long missionary experience, sent a report to Fides to explain what missionary formation is and how it was presented in these three weeks.
He writes: "The first week was focused on spiritual exercises, which are essential to overcoming the fear generated by the failed hopes and the fear of another failure and the temptation to withdraw into one's own dissatisfaction, in addition to the fear of approaching the others because they are different from us. The aim is to overcome our prejudices towards people we have never known well and destroy the walls that we have raised to protect us from those who are different. We must let ourselves be be reconciled by Christ and in Christ, and call everyone to reconciliation with God. "
"The second week was focused on the biblical foundations of mission and the key documents of the Church on mission. During the third week they followed a series of meetings, beginning with one with 600 men and 600 women from a mental hospital, during which seminarians were able, with singing and dancing, to make them dance, to make them smile, lighting up their faces. Another meeting was held with boys and girls from three prisons for minors. The seminarians were able to come into personal contact with detainees (for crimes of murder, drug dealing, robbery, rape) and have them tell of their sufferings. From this experience, projects of peace have begun for the many children who are in the same situation, but who are not in prison. "
"Feelings of love and understanding have resulted from the encounter with mentally handicapped children who, thanks to the seminarians, felt like they were somebody finally. During the meeting with the orphans and children abandoned by their parents even seminarians have understood to be someone,” emphasizes Father Adrian. “Coming out of yourself to embrace the children is the miracle of those who have dire need of love and are not afraid to show it to those who are in need, but are afraid to ask for it. A very important part was the encounter with the inhabitants of slums, especially AIDS patients. Finally, the encounter with the seriously ill heart patients in the hospital was one of the toughest experiences. It is always difficult to meet someone severely suffering that we have never seen before. But even in this case, the response of the patients has soothed all hesitation and fear." (AP) (3/12/2009 Agenzia Fides)
