Messaggio della Consigliera per le Missioni_14 gennaio 2020 eng

1. Rome, 14 January 2020.
Dearest Sisters,
Once again I renew my wish for peace and
blessings for 2020! And many greetings to our dearest
Mother YVONNE REUNGOAT on this festive day,
feast of her precious life!
On this first 14th
of the New
Year, we resume our missionary
journey, this time taking the
opportunity to meet with St. Mary
Domenica Mazzarello, our Co-
foundress. As was already announced,
we will dedicate 2020 to the Letters of
Mother Mazzarello to the
Missionaries. We will go back in time,
to the years 1878-1881, to rediscover
the great TREASURE that will help us
to fill the jars with hope, positivity
towards life, of ‘consecration’ in the
Salesian style, lived with joy and
missio nary passio n, and also
thank God for the ho liness o f
Mother Mazzarello and of that lived by many FMA today on the various continents!
Of the 68 letters written by Mother Mazzarello and preserved as patrimony of the Institute,
25 are dedicated to the Missionaries ad gentes. Maìn too desired to go to America, the land dreamed
of by Don Bosco! She too had cultivated the missionary spirit in herself and in the first sisters.
Interpreting the sentiments and words of Mother Mazzarello, we can say that Mornese was the ‘nest’
and ‘hearth’ of missionary anxiety.
To introduce this journey, we will begin with the letters of Mother Mazzarello to Fr. John
Cagliero. Mother’s letters written to this missionary of the first hour are the living witness of an FMA
heart that is passionately missionary. Mother Mazzarello, although she always remained in Piedmont,
personally accompanied with her soul and thoughts, the first missionary steps and events, both of the
Salesians whom she tenderly called ‘our little brother missionaries’ (L 4), and of the FMA who left
in the first three Missionary Expeditions (1877-1879-1881).
Many times Mother Mazzarello tells Fr. Cagliero of her desire to go to the missions and even
that of the sisters and the girls. And she insists, “prepare a really big house for us since the boarders
all want to become missionaries” (L 4). “Prepare a little place for us soon, and then come to fetch us
because we do not know how to get there” (L 5). “If God wanted some of us to celebrate in that
faraway land called America, we would all go willingly” (L 4).
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2. With great simplicity, Mother is the first one ready not only to cross the ocean but also to be
useful in the mission: “Now listen to what I have to say. Save me a place in America, but seriously!
It is true that I am good for nothing but I know how to make polenta and then, I would see to it that
not too much soap would be wasted when washing the clothes. If you wish, I will also learn a bit of
cooking. In short, I am ready to do everything possible to please you all, if only you will let me come.”
(L 6)
In Letter 9, Mother Mazzarello expresses her awareness that the mission ad gentes is a grace
and we can respond to it only with God’s grace. “It is true that we are good for nothing, but with the
Lord’s help and our own good will, I hope we will manage to do something. Call us soon… Oh what
joy it would be if the Lord really did give us the grace of calling us to America! If we could do no
more than save one soul for Him it would be reward enough for all our sacrifices.” (L 9)
In Letters 5 and 7, Mother Mazzarello cites the names of the sisters who desire to become
missionaries, therefore this call is not something they joke about. Every missionary vocation has a
name, a call, and a response. “Now…I will write the names of those who want to go to America soon:
I would like to be there already, Mother Vicar, Mother Bursar, Sr. Mina, Sr. Maria Belletti, Sr.
Giuseppina, Sr. Giovanna, Sr. Emilia (really), Sr…. I would never finish if I were to name all those
who wish to go.” “Many sisters ask you to keep a place for them in one of the two nests prepared for
us. Among the many are: Sr. Maddalena Martini, Sr. Celestina, Sr. Turco, Sr. David, Sr. Cagliero,
etc.”
Very meaningful is the fact that Mother Mazzarello not only indicates the sisters who want to
be missionaries, but also thinks of the preparation of the personnel. “You should see how the number
of Daughters of MHC has increased! There are 30 postulants, and approximately 10 Novices, 36
Professed Sisters, and 30 boarders. You can come and choose a good number to take to America,
almost everyone wants to go. Come soon then, we are really looking forward with all our hearts to
seeing you.” (L 6) On the list of Mother Mazzarello there is even a postulant whose name is not
indicated… “a postulant who is a primary school teacher. She has only been here a few days but she
seems to be full of good will. She is young and healthy and we are preparing her for America.” (L 7).
How beautiful it is to see how Mother Mazzarello who had learned how to write as an adult,
intuits the need to study the language to go to the missions. It is a precious indication for all those
who leave today as well. “Be so good as to send us the Spanish books soon so that we can study and
be ready at the first call.” (L 4)
It was one thing for Mother Mazzarello to desire to leave but another is ‘how’ to leave. For
Mother, the departure can come about in the measure in which the FMA is prepared. “There are many
among us who really want to go, but especially seven who are already prepared and they are: Sr.
Maddalena Martini, Sr. Emilia Borgna, Sr. Adele David, Sr. Celestina Riva, Sr. Carmela of Ovada,
Sr. Turco Clotilde, Sr. Maria Mazzarello, that is, me.” (L 9)
It is interesting to see how time later confirms that among the sisters indicated by Mother
Mazzarello, some will truly leave for the mission ad gentes and live a heroic missionary life,
passionate and full of the ‘Da mihi animas cetera tolle’: “I forgot to tell you that Sr. Maddalena
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3. Martini is teaching in the school in the village. She too is very good and thanks God for having called
her to this life; she also wants to go to America.” (L 5)
Dearest Sisters, this meeting with Mother Mazzarello inspires me to wish that each of you will
cultivate a large and open heart, a heart that is very missionary! A heart that is able to hear the Lord’s
voice who still today calls to the missionary vocation ad gentes. A heart that never doubts and in
every circumstance of life is ready to say ‘I will go!’ Thus, a heart that knows how to repeat with
Mother Mazzarello, “be so good as to call us soon.” (L 9)
In preparation for GC XXIV, let us pray together, “Mary, woman of the unconditional yes, fill
our jars with the wine of availability and the desire to respond to the Lord’s call with our heart and
our life!
A strong, affectionate embrace! I assure you of my prayers for you and for you missionary
reality.
Councilor for the Missions
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