EAO Regional Consulta Meets Online on June 29, 2025

Manila, Philippines (June 2025).  Members of the East Asia Ocenia (EAO) Regional Consulta met online on June 29, 2025 via Zoom.  The agenda covered the talk of World Coordinator Antonio Boccia on the conclusion of 3-year journey towards 150th foundation in connection with the 2026 theme of the World Congress, discussion facilitated by EAO World Councilor Meldy Benitez-Domeetita on the EAO Province participation (delegations, registration, fees, visa, program schedules) to the congress in Rome on May 7-10, 2025, the commitment to support the participation of the two youth participants, the updates from the Provinces on required submissions to the World Council , and the agreement to proceed with the webinar assigned to the EAO along with English group South Asia and South Africa on March 2026.  During the meeting, the Consulta also welcome the new Coordinators from Thailand Benz Alphonsus,  Timor Leste Tomas Coreia, and Teresa Lam from China represented by Vincent Wan.

Except with Papua New Guinea, all ASC Province in the region  with Provincial Coordinators or Representatives and their respective SDB and FMA Delegates  of Australia, China, FIN, FIS, Japan, Korea,  Thailand, Timor Leste, Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia were present in the online meeting.  Also present during the meeting were Regional Delegates Sr. Celia Tacujan, FMA and Fr. Francis Phan, SDB, and Regional Secretariat Booth Figuraccion.#

Salesian Cooperator of FIN shares reflection on the  11th Philippine Conference on New Evangelization

Individual members of the Salesian Cooperators of Philippine North Province (FIN) partricipated as facilitators and sign language interpreter in the recently conluded 11th Philippine Conference on New Evangelization (PCNE XI) hosted by the oldest university in the Philippines University of Santo Tomas from July 18-20, 2024 with the theme  Encounter, Communion, and Mission (PADAYON sa MISYON ni HESUS). One of them is Precy Guerrero, from Local Center of Sta Mesa, shared her heartfelt reflectíon on the event.

I thought I had seen most of what faith looked like- quiet morning, prayers, Sunday masses with my children, decades of service in our parish and community. But the three days spent at the PCNE stirred something in me I hadn’t felt ordinarily. A burning sense of newness, as if the Spirit itself whispered ” There is still more”.

The theme- Encounter, Communion, and Mission- was not new to me. I’ve lived it in different seasons in my life: encountering God in the cry of my newborns, in the silence of loss, in the laughter of my grown children coming home after a week away. My regular Sunday apostolates with the young and families. I’ve known communion through shared rosaries, potluck lunch after ministry works or in those moments when a fellow mother or those in the mission understood. And mission- It had been my life’s call. From raising six girls through Don Bosco’s loving guidance, to mentoring the youth and younger women in the faith journey _ mission has always been stitched into my every Yes.

Encounter, facilitating a group of young people- spirited, loud, questioning, hungry to be heard. They reminded me so much of my girls in secondary learnings , full of fire and restlessness, yet always searching for purpose. Listening to these youth was like a window to the soul of the church today. They don’t want platitudes, they yearn for presence. Not perfection , but authenticity. As we listened to them, we also learn much from them.

Communion- We came from different parishes, age groups and vocations but those three days blurred all the lines. We sang, teary eyed from testimonials and broke the bread together. There was a holy kind of chaos in the air. One that made us feel alive, awake, connected. It reminded me of my own family dinners growing up- messy, loud but deeply rooted in love.

Mission – The conference didn’t end with the final blessing, it ended a commissioning. A push to go forth, to continue the mission of Jesus in our homes, in our workplaces and in our daily conversations. As the conference ended , we ask ourselves , what does mission mean to us – The answer is simple – it looks like love. Still saying Yes. Still lighting the way for others even when the knees hurt and the heart carries a few scars.

And now with our Sulong Statement as Pilgrims of Hope, we move forward not just individually, but together. Synodal!

Padayon sa Misyon ni Hesus! These are not just battle cry, they are lullaby, a prayer, a promise. That no matter our age, our role, or our history- we are not done yet. The mission lives on. The fire still burns