By Fr. Van Chinh, SDB

Darkhan, Mongolia, 15 May 2018 — In the week of making the strategic plan and other plans for the salesian works of Darkhan community, the Salesians resolved to put the youth from the age of 13 to 30 at the center of all their works, especially the salesian oratory, in the coming 3 years.

So far, there are only four Salesians in the community: Fr. Simon Lee, the rector, Fr. Jaroslaw, the economer, Fr. Anthony và Fr. Joseph Manh Dat. Darkhan community is now in charge of the Mary Help of Christians parish, the first church in Darkhan with about 280 parishioners, an Oratory and Study house for children, with the full time cooperation of about 20 lay people, most of them are the local youth, Christians and non-Christians.

The week of making plans has the presence of all conferes of the community, with the support of an expert in Planning, Mr. Le Dai Tri, and with the accompaniment of 2 Salesians from VietNam: Fr. John Chrysostom Ngoc Truong and Fr. Van Chinh and Fr. Andrew Trung Tin of Ulaanbaatar community.

In the first day of the week, The confreres of the community resolved to put the local youth of Darkhan at the center of their works. This is usually because in the past, besides the common pastoral services for the adults and the children in the parish, children from the age of 5 to 12 have been the main target group of the oratory and of the study house of the community. Activities and other development programs for the youth were the occasional ones.

Now, it’s time for the salesians of the community to sit together and find the ways to come closer to the local youth with more creative and attractive forms. Of course, what the salesians wish to do is to appeal the youth to come and meet Jesus, source of love and happiness in their lives.