Salesian Bulletin

Br Yongsik Kim Benedict SDB

Each year, on 31st January, members of the Salesian Family gather at St Margaret Mary's Church, Brunswick North to celebrate the feast of St John Bosco. This year, the usual gathering was greatly enhanced by the perpetual profession of Br Yongsik Kim Benedict. Br Ben hails from the Salesian province of Korea and is at present studying for the priesthood in Australia as a member of the Clifton Hill community. The recently appointed provincial of the Australia/Pacific province, Fr Greg Chambers, was the main celebrant for the feast day Mass, concelebrated by many Salesian and diocesan priests, while the Provincial of the Korean Province, Fr Stephen Nam, presided over the solemn rite of final religious profession.

Sr Bernadette Wauki, the first Salesian Sister from the Solomon Islands

On 3rd December 2011, the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, the Salesian Sisters, welcomed Sr Bernadette Wauki among them as the first Salesian Sister from the Solomon Islands. When the Sisters arrived in Honiara, Guadalcanal in January of 2007, Bernadette was teaching on the Staff of Don Bosco Technical College. With the other teachers and the Salesians of Don Bosco, she welcomed the Sisters and supported them in the early days of their Mission. She was already attracted by the spirit of the Salesians, their presence amongst the young and their joyfulness and spirit of prayer. It wasn't long before Bernadette sought a deep contact with the Sisters and began to show an interest in their way of life.

"Dear Hans, thanks for your witness!"

Born in Utrecht, Netherlands

26 November 1936

Religious Profession at Sunbury, Victoria

31 January 1958

Ordained a Priest at Salerno, Italy

20 March 1967

Entered Eternal Life at Ferntree Gully, Victoria

25 December 2011

Pastoral Ministry

Teacher, Principal, Farm Manager,

Builder and Missionary in Australia, Samoa and Pakistan

Fr. Brian Diamond SDB

After responding to the call of the Lord and taking the first religious vows as a Salesian of Don Bosco I was sent as a 21 year old to study philosophy in India. It was a cold night in February 1954 when I reached the Salesian seminary perched on the Himalayan mountain side amidst the clouds at 6,500 ft. The frigid climate was compensated by the warm welcome from the seminary staff and the students who included a group of Australians eager to receive news of their homeland.

My study assignment to India did not initially evoke much enthusiasm on my part. It was with a certain reluctance that as a young somewhat adventurous enthusiastic religious I accepted the decision of my superiors to send me to study in India. However, as time went on I began to imbibe the joy and enthusiasm of the youthful religious community comprising some forty seminarians and sixty high school candidates aspiring to religious life. It was indeed a family where not only solemn pre-Vatican church liturgies were the order of the day but where music, dramatics, sports, and Himalayan picnics were a common feature of the seminary life.