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(ANS – Rome) – In the context of the return to Don Bosco and the further study of the missionary charism of the Congregation the book  “The Salesian Missionary Vision – 1923-1967”, has recently been produced by the Salesian Fr Roy Anthony Parackal. Published by the “Vendrame Insititute and DBCIC Publications” of Shillong, India, the book presents a careful and systematic study of the missionary concept which over the years was projected by the Salesian magazine “Gioventù Missionaria” .

Fr Parackal’s book “The Salesian Missionary Vision – 1923-1967” is a re-presentation to the public of the doctoral thesis in Spirituality which the Indian Salesian completed in 2006 working with Fr Aldo Giraudo Professor at the Salesian Pontifical University.

In over 448 pages accompanied with a vast bibliography  Fr Parackal examines primarily the Salesian periodical “Gioventù Missionaria” (1923-1967), specifically addressed to the young and spread around Salesian schools. Published in seven languages (including French, Spanish and Portuguese), “Gioventù Missionaria” was a very influential magazine in the Salesian world, since, as Fr Giraudo states in his preface to the book “be it for the innumerable missionary vocations it aroused among the young, be it for the interest and the sympathy for the Salesian missions that it diffused, creating a movement of solidarity, which even today, forty years from its closure continue to bear fruit.”.

In reconstructing the history of “Gioventù Missionaria” and in analysing its contents  the fundamental concern of Fr Parakal was to discover and present the concept of “mission” and of the “missionary” which emerge from the pages of the periodical. The magazine articles written by the Salesian missionaries themselves, often very young, are in fact a faithful insight into the spiritual motivations, the sensitivities and views regarding evangelisation and education which formed and informed the Salesian world for 40 years.

After having thanked  Fr Parackal and Fr Giraudo for the work undertaken, Fr Václav Klement, Councillor for the Missions, in his foreword to the text writes: “A deeper study of this animation dynamics grown around this simple magazine can inspire us also today in many aspects: rediscover the backbones of missionary spirituality and personal motivations of Salesian missionaries.”

For the present it is available only in English, but given its significance requests have already been made for it to be translated into Italian; at present the search is on for a translator who can dedicate him/herself to this enterprise, which given the extent of the work undertaken by Fr Parackal will be very demanding.

Published 27/07/2010