Don Bosco is the Same Everywhere

By Fr. Pierre Célestin Ona Zue, SDB

I have been a Salesian for 24 years, and I became a priest on July 14, 2007. I come from Cameroon, a country in Central Africa that belongs to the Equatorial Tropical Africa (ATE) Province. I arrived in the Sherbrooke community in October 2018, where I have had a very beautiful experience of life and mission.

Before I came here, I worked in Congo, Gabon, and Cameroon as the head of youth ministry, a parish priest, school principal, prison chaplain, radio manager, bursar, and community director. During my first two years here, I studied international cooperation at the University of Sherbrooke.

What am I actually doing here in Sherbrooke? First, I share life with my confreres in community, and I participate in our mission at Le Salésien, where I teach “The Human and Christian Journey” to ninth graders. I also animate the pastoral activities with Fr. Alain. A great experience of being present to young people is teaching them human and Christian values ​​in a society that offers many different options. Outside the school, the diocese entrusted me with the responsibility of two parish units of six churches in the small municipalities on the outskirts of Sherbrooke. I also host a program on a local community radio station that has proven to be a great means of evangelization.

I have made few observations from my time here in Sherbrooke. First, I found big differences between the reality of my home province and here. Take the case of celebrations: in the Congo, I was a priest in a parish of about 10,000 of the faithful (those who come to Mass at least on Sundays) with seven Masses that were celebrated on Sunday. On weekdays, the daily Mass from Monday to Saturday had about 1,300 people. Here, all Christians within the six communities of my two parishes are about 300 people. Within the educational field of the ATE Province, students barely have books; it is the teacher who knows and explains everything to the student. Here, the students have their computers, and the teacher is there to guide the students’ training.

These are two very different worlds. I could cite many other differences among the climate, culture, relationship with animals, nature, family, etc. However, alongside these differences, I have experienced something marvelous: Don Bosco is the same everywhere. Whether you are in Africa or Canada, you find yourself at home as soon as you arrive to a Salesian work. You discover the same love for young people, the same style. I truly realize we have a great treasure in Don Bosco.

I never thought of being a missionary. Yet since I arrived in Sherbrooke, I discovered the universality of the Congregation, especially how the charism of Don Bosco can be incarnated in all societies. Wherever there are young people, Don Bosco and the Salesians are home.