Today was the perpetual profession of Cl. Gregory and Cl. Joseph Tran at Sacred Heart Parish, Battersea. It was for the first time that I drove up to London with the aid of google maps.
Fr Basanes, the Councillor for Missions, was the main celebrant at the Mass. He began his sermon referring to the "confusion" some could have of the occasion and the people involved: Cl. Greg from Nigeria, Cl. Joe from Vietnam, himself from Argentine, but working in Africa but now coming from Rome! Moreover from the photos of the event/Mass no one would be able to identify that the place is London... all because of the wide mixture of people in the Church from across the globe. There were quite a few from Africa, Vietnam, some of use Indians, Britishers and all sorts! Fr Basanes concluded saying this exactly is how the Kingdom of God would be like. All in one place, as a family celebrating God and His creation. There'd be no strangers or foreigners. Everyone would be part of the family.
Significantly just before the final blessing he invited the two clerics to come with him to the statue of Mary Help of Christians to seek her intercession to grow in their vocation. He also requested a hymn to Our Lady be sung for the concluding hymn was something else. It was later during the day that it struck me that today back in India we would commence the Marian month in most of our Salesian houses.
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| Fr Basanes, Joe and Fr Gerry |
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| A 'photo bomber', Fr Basanes, Greg and Fr Gerry |
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