Salesian scholars and missionaries from across East Asia and Oceania gathered in the Philippines this week to revisit the spiritual and historical roots of their mission, marking 150 years since Don Bosco’s first missionary expedition.
The 5th Seminar of the Association of Salesian History Scholars (ACSSA) for East Asia-Oceania opened on November 3 at the Mornese Spirituality Centre in Laguna, Philippines.
The five-day meeting — the last of several continental seminars commemorating the 1875 expedition — brings together delegates and researchers from eight countries: Australia, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Thailand.
Participants represent seven branches of the Salesian Family, including the Salesians of Don Bosco, Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Salesian Cooperators, Past Pupils, Volunteers of Don Bosco, the Association of Mary Help of Christians, and the Sisters Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Remembering the past, renewing the mission
During the opening ceremony, messages were read from Rector Major Fr. Fabio Attard, the Superior General of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Mother Chiara Cazzuola, and ACSSA President Sr. Maria Maul.
The leaders “emphasized the value of history as a tool for charismatic and pastoral renewal,” setting the tone for a week of reflection and dialogue, according to Agenzia iNfo Salesiana.
The first presentation, delivered by Prof. Regalado José, explored “the cultural heritage of the Philippine Church,” followed by Sister Florita Dimayuga, FMA, who traced “the first decade of the presence of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in the Philippines.”
On the second day, Bishop Marcelino Antonio Maralit of San Pablo presided over the Eucharistic celebration.
In his homily, the prelate reminded participants that “the Church is a community that remembers” and that “the personal stories of missionaries colour the mission of salvation with humanity.”
Interweaving theology, history, and witness
The seminar’s sessions connect theology, history, and lived experience, from the early missions in Papua New Guinea to the ongoing work of inculturation and evangelisation in the Far East. Scholars also revisit the beginnings of education in Korea and the foundation of the first FMA community in Oceania.
Don Bosco’s historic words to Bishop John Cagliero — “I entrust Asia to you!” — resound throughout the week’s discussions, alongside studies on the Quaderni (Notebooks) of Salesian missionary Fr. Antonio Cavoli in Japan, the history of Salesian Cooperators in the Philippines, and the life of Bishop Gaetano Pasotti, a pioneer of the Salesian presence in Thailand.
Central themes include the shared mission between religious and laity, and the preservation of the cultural and artistic heritage of Salesian-founded communities.
History illuminating the present
The ACSSA Seminar for East Asia-Oceania concludes a global series of gatherings organized with the Salesian Historical Institute. Each aims to provide “a privileged space for discussion and in-depth study, in which the memory of the origins illuminates the present of the mission and guides its future.”
The commemoration will culminate in April 2027 with an international conference in Brazil, bringing together all regional insights to mark the close of ACSSA’s work for the 150th anniversary of Don Bosco’s First Salesian Missionary Expedition.
