New Zealand - Salesian work in parishes

27 April 2016
New Zealand - Salesian work in parishes

(ANS - Massey) – It says in Canon Law: "The parish is a certain community of faithful stably established within a particular Church, whose pastoral care is entrusted (...) to a pastor as its own shepherd." The parish is the first field of pastoral action for the Sons of Don Bosco in many of the more than 130 countries where the Salesian Congregation has spread. For example, in New Zealand, the Salesians minister in two parishes, Massey and Avondale, two suburbs of the major city of Auckland.

Two Indian missionaries, Fr Mathew Vadakkevettuvazhiyil and Fr James Adayadiel serve the spiritual needs of the faithful of Avondale parish. The parish of St Paul in Massey is served by the Salesian priest, Fr.Mika Leilua, originally from Samoa, assisted by Fr Aleki Piula from Tonga, and the newly arrived Fr Joseph Pham, a missionary from Vietnam.

Both parishes have flourishing youth groups, currently busy organizing their participation in "OzBosco" - a traditional Salesian Youth Spirituality event - to be held in Sydney, Australia, in May.

The Salesian community in New Zealand is cosmopolitan like the parish communities they serve.  On Sunday 24 April, for example, in Massey the Samoan community celebrated their monthly Mass with Fr Tolu Taisali who came specially from the Fiji Islands. Fr Will Matthews, from Australia, presided at the Eucharist for the immigrant communities of Myanmar. He also baptized two children and gave First Communion and the sacrament of Confirmation to three adults.

Meanwhile Fr Leilua and Fr Piula were busy celebrating mass for the other parish groups.

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ANS - “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana” is a on-line almost daily publication, the communication agency of the Salesian Congregation enrolled in the Press Register of the Tibunal of Rome as n 153/2007.

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