On November 17, 2006, Fr. Adrian Bregolin, Vicar General of the Salesians, joined in the closing ceremonies at Ocean Park, Hong Kong, marking 100 years of Salesian presence in China. As the centenary celebrations drew to a close, the Salesians pledged themselves to continue the dream of assisting the poor and abandoned youth of China with increased vigor in spite of our relatively small presence there. At the closing mass, presided over by Salesian Cardinal Zen, a concrete testimony to this commitment to China w as evident in the formal sending of Fr. Paul Leung Chiu to the mission in Mongolia. Fr. Paul takes up a challenging post in Darkhan, near the border of Russia. His presence there brings the total number of Salesians working in China to ten. The Salesians are now the largest male Congregation working in the Catholic communities in the country. Hopes for 2007 include: the completion of the Savio Children’s Center, the building of a gymnasium at the Ulaanbataar Don Bosco Technical Center and building a Church in Darkhan.

We would like to provide our readers with a brief look at some of the work that is being done in China today.

Savio Children’s Home
promoted as model institution
Mongolia’s weekly newspaper, The Millennium Messenger, has promoted Savio Children’s Home, run by the Salesian community at Amgalang, near Ulaanbaatar, as a model for all such institutions in Mongolia. The newspaper article included interviews with some of the 45 children housed there, and focused both on the background of the children and the quality and effectiveness of the service offered by the Salesians and their many helpers.

The Savio Children’s Home has been called a model for all such institutions in Mongolia.

Begun in 2001, the center has three full-time Salesians and many volunteers who help either full or part-time. Over 100 foreign volunteers (mainly from Korea) have given a helping hand this year. And while staffing has been appropriate for the size of the work, there is a need to complete the building housing the students. Additionally, the Salesians hope to establish stronger links with the Don Bosco Technical and Skills Center in Ulaanbaatar. The student population in Ulaanbaatar numbers 230, and this is enhanced by 23 students from Amgalang who commute by truck daily to the city.

An institution similar to Savio Home is in Darkhan further to the north of the country. The Darkhan Educational Center has 87 students who attend classes for English and computers. The youth center attached to the educational center also attracts a large number of youngsters.

The Salesians have established a name for themselves in both formal and informal education, and they are filling an important niche in the educational life of the community. While Mongolia has universities, there are very few institutions which provide skilled technical training. The building industry is now booming in the urban centers in Mongolia, requiring skilled workers, and the Salesians are helping in the preparation of these workers.

Darkhan now has an official Catholic Church
The Salesians have worked hard to collaborate with local governments in order to establish educational and skills training centers. This collaboration has made the officials more open to the presence of the Salesians in their cities and towns and actually allowed for the establishment of a church in the area. Darkhan city authorities had made a decision not to accept new churches in the city – they believed there were too many already. Several Christian groups have thus been turned down.

This group of enthusiastic Salesian students will provide much-needed technical skills in their community.

The Salesians were there, though not officially as Church in Government terms, but the authorities had been closely following what they described as the “humanitarian work especially in education” of the Salesians and were deeply appreciative of it. The Salesian Superior in Mongolia, Fr. Carlo Villegas, speaking with Darkhan city authorities, pointed out that Salesians work “in the world” even before they seek official presence as Church. The Salesians, as part of the Catholic Church, work for the total development of the person everywhere in the world. In a meeting with Fr. Carlo, the authorities were impressed with the educational and holistic development of youngsters resulting from the Salesian presence.

Fr. Carlo pointed out that he was not seeking permission for Church identity, but to offer educational services for the young. The Mongolian Government's education department policy  expressly forbids religious activities as part of education. The authorities also found that impressive! At the end of the meeting the authorities asked Fr. Ca rlo and the Salesians if they could help out with the Nadaam festivities in the city. Fr. Carlo asked for a little financial help for some gers (the tent-like dwelling Mongolians use) and agreed to help. The only stipulation in the agreements was that the activity and donation had to be on behalf of poor people and that this be acknowledged by written receipt. It was.

The end result is that later in the week the City Council approved the official presence of the Catholic Church in Darkhan – and that means the Salesian presence. The chairperson of the city council has twice visited since, offering two sites for possible purchase for the Catholic church to be built: one a dome-shaped building in the center of the city, another a three story hospital building that is somewhat dilapidated. No final decision has been made, but the fact that the communist government has taken direct moves to see that the Church’s presence is properly and visibly established not only as an educational  but an ecclesial presence, says something. Now, we hope to have not only permission, but the actual construction of the church.