We congratulate our dear Sr. Philomena D’Souza on the realease of her book …‘DON BOSCO IN MANGALORE
Before the arrival of the Salesians’
Father Maria Arokiam Kanaga SDB, Regional Councillor for South Asia launched the book “Don Bosco in Mangalore – Before the arrival of the Salesians” by Philomena D’Souza, FMA published by Tej-Prasarini, Don Bosco Communications, Mumbai in the presence of all the Major Salesian Superiors of South Asia on August 30th, 2016 at Don Bosco Provincial House, Bangalore at 12:00 pm. Sister Piera Cavaglià FMA, FMA Secretary General was invited as the special Guest of Honour.
Father Mathew Kapplikunnel SDB, the Secretary of ACSSA South Asia moderated the panel discussion. The panel consisted of Sister Alice Chacko FMA, Former English Professor of Auxilium College, Vellore giving the
highlights and the significance of the book. She enumerated on Chapter 1: Brief socio-ecclesial history of the Mangalore Catholic Community, Chapter 2: The Don Bosco presences in the undivided diocese of Mangalore – Institutions and Organisations started before the arrival of the Salesian Family and on Chapter 3: The First Vocations to the Salesian way of life from the Mangalore Catholic Community. Father Mahimai Das SDB, The Church History Professor of Kristu Jyoti College, Bengaluru presenting the critical review of the book, gave his observations and remarks. Both the panelist congratulated Philomena D’Souza FMA for her hard work and appreciated her research to preserve the hidden treasure of the past especially for the Mangalorean Catholic history.
“Don Bosco in Mangalore before the arrival of the Salesians: this was a story that needed to be told long before. There is so much of interesting data and so many significant connections between Don Bosco and Mangalore, already from the time of the Saint Don Bosco himself, that I wonder how it all remained unheard of for such a long time… and now that the book is published, I feel like the Mission is accomplished and the journey continues” said Philomena D’Souza FMA
The book Don Bosco in Mangalore is the fruit of a research undertaken during the bicentenary of the birth of Don Bosco to assess the impact of Don Bosco’s charism on the Church and the world. The main part of this research was presented in Turin in October 2015 and was published for an international audience. The book documents the Don Bosco Institutions and organisations, up and running, in the diocese of Mangalore even before the arrival of the Salesians, placing them in the socio-ecclesial framework of the Mangalorean Catholic Community.