Sihanoukville. We had this month the visit of the Salesian Brother Gerard Schoorl, who is the Missionary Procurator of the Netherlands. Brother Gerard was born in Holland in 1937 and joined the Salesian Community of Don Bosco in 1956. He has been also as a Missionary in Africa. He came to see the Salesian works of Thailand and Cambodia. Brother Gerard spent the morning of this Saturday in the social communication section of Don Bosco Sihanoukville and answered some questions for us.
How it looks like to be a missionary procurator in the Netherlands?
It is a very bride activity with many points of attention. The most important is that you are working in relation with people.
For how long have you been procurator?
Three years and half, since 1rst September 2004. I am in the board of trust of the Missionary Procurator with a team of persons. I have gotten contact with a lot of people from around the world.
Why they made you Salesian procurator?
Because my experience. Also the knowledge about the Salesian Congregation, our missionaries and the modern thought about missions.
Where have you been as a missionary before?
In Rwanda for three years and a half, since January 1rst 1984 to May 1988. I got that nomination from my provincial in Holland. We got an invitation from the confers of the Central African Province, specially for the Salesian delegation in Rwanda. They needed somebody, a confer, who was expert in financial administration. They pointed me out for their administrations and to introduce the science of financial administration to young African Confrers. I was also invited by the provincial of Central Africa; he invited our provincial in Holland to visit their works in his countries (Zaire, Rwanda and Burundi). That was two years before my nomination. My provincial asked me then to go to Africa as the contribution of Holland to the work in Africa.
How was life in Africa?
Young Gerard catching fishes in Holland. About 10 years old ready to fish men as the Lord asked him for His Mission.
People is very poor, but not they do not lose the smile for poorness. The most important thing I saw in Africa was that. In Europe we use to think that poor people is sad people. The second is that people (in Rwanda) is very motivated to make progress. This is to say that parents do their utmost to give better possibilities to their children. And that children are motivated to learn in school. We had a school for boys, workshops, not only for boys, also for adults. Two large workshops, two times 50 employees, 50 for metallics, 50 for the carpenters, 50 for the school and community and 10 for the dispensary. It was a big work, in Kigali, Rwanda. But I had to take care also for other works, like the official technical schools in town, school for vocational training and at least three or four parishes, so every month I visited different Salesian centers. It was a temporary nomination because the provincial in Holland gave his permission for two or three years and he said that it was our contribution to the African project. I regretted that I was there only for an administrative work, I spended all my free time in oratories and pastoral centers, catechism and so on, I did not speak the language, but I was there giving motivation to the youth. I think that our Salesian director, Fr Jacques Ntamitalizo, understood my desire and therefore, he gave me the responsibility for the work with the nurses of the dispensary. This activity became the most to my heart, because I was dealing with the poor people, with the nurses who have to deal with them. I was not a doctor, but I was the administrator and I have to control the financial activities. After weeks I succeeded to get a Belgium nurse, but she had to leave. For me it was the best activity I did.
One day, when I was pressed to go home for lunch, I passed by a little property of poor people. There were two ladies and the daughter of one of them. I heard the girl cried out to her mother in Rwandan language 'the damned white man, what is he looking for?.' The mother answered 'Take care, he is the Good Shepherd of the dispensary!,' that was the only Rwandan words I understood and I was very proud of it. In the refectory I told it to my director and he answered 'Gerard, my compatriots estimate you very well.'
I want to say something about my director, now 20 years after my mission in Rwanda: I am very glad to have had the experience to work during three years daily together with Fr. Jacques Ntamitalizo. In 1977 he was the first African Salesian participating to the General Chapter, it was he who invited the new Rector Major, Don Vigano, to come to an African project for the Salesian Congregation. During the war and the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, Fr Jacques was the only Salesian who stayed in the country; in his house, he hided friends and enemies together. After the return of the European missionaries he passed sometimes in a Salesian community in Zaire to recover. In July 1995 he had the intention to return to Rwanda. On the way in Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi, he was murdered by the enemies of his ethnic. It was July 10, 1995.
Which other countries have you known as a procurator?
Venezuela, Thailand, Cambodia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Italy, Rome for meetings, Belgium because we are united with the Belgium province, we have two procures. I take care with good relations to Confrers in Belgium. I am the one who knows many Confrers by name in Belgium from Holland.
From which country do you have the best remembrances?
From every country, but memories are different. In Bulgaria it was the Orthodox Church and the people gave me a good impression, promoting ecumenism. That was the most beautiful impressing. Of course, two Salesian Confrers are too specialized in the religion of East Europe, they did studies in a specialized institution for it in Rome. That it is why I am happy about, in our congregation we have initiatives to meet the people.
I went to Venezuela to make knowledge of the South American culture, especially the religious life in the Salesian centers, not only Confrers but also of people and schools. I was there, in Venezuela, for the jubilee of a Confrers. He did not want to have a jubilee, but the director said that it was the feast of Mary Help of Christians, and it was great to participate in a so great procession, it was like a carnival, very beautiful and impressing. I was stunished also by the situation of the poor people there, like the slums of Caracas. I participated in the Holy Mass in the Feast of Pentecosts. And directly after Holy Mass I was able to speak in Spanish language with the people of that barrio, and it was so very nice. Not only the children, but also old women came to me. There was one in special, she came to meet me and my interpreter said: 'this grandmother says that she has ancestors in your country, in Holland.' I asked her name, and she had a real Dutch name. Her surname was one of the most famous markets in Amsterdam.
What do you think about Cambodia?
A beautiful country. In certain situations, it seems to be Holland, because it is flat. What impressed me are two extremes: the cruelty of the Pol Pot regime and the freedom in the actual situation. I do not know about the other general situation, but the customs in the traffic are completely liberal. I do not see accidents in Phnom Penh: I spent hours in the car in Phnom Penh, but I did not see accidents. I think that it is very nice costum of Cambodian people, to have patience, wait to the other. In Italy the traffic is in order, but they are protesting everywhere. If you make a little mistake in Holland, they make a very bad sign to you, I don't say which sign, because you would write it, but here it is not known.
The day before yesterday I saw a lonely policeman trying to do his utmost to bring disciplen in the traffic. My driver stopped, I saw that he was surrounded by motorbikes as a cloud of mosquitoes. Then a motorbike passed the policeman on the back site and the driver touched friendly the policeman to make place for him. All the other waited. In that moment the policeman saw me laughing in the car and became laughing also. One of the most beautiful experiences in Phnom Penh.
Also I want to tell that for two years we prepared a film of Don Bosco Cambodia in Holland. The procure participated in the costs of that film. Now I am happy that we did it. One of the most beautiful moments in that film is the encounter of the film producer Bob Entrop in the slams with the grandmother of four children of the Don Bosco Children Fund. The grandmother speaks in the film with great estimation for Don Bosco and the Salesians. At home, I saw the film at least 20 times, and now walking in the slums I recognized her. And she saw me and she knew directly that I came for her. She embraced me as a mother. I spoke a long time with her and her granddaughter who was a very kind girl and a good interpreter.
Dear Father Dheparat, Provincial of the Thai-Cambodian Province. Dear Father John Visser, Rector of Don Bosco Technical School, Sihanoukville. Dear Father Leonardo Ochoa and Community of Don Bosco Phnom Penh and Poipet. Dear Brother Roberto Panetto, in charge of Don Bosco Hotel School. Dear teachers, instructors, volunteers and students. Dear Salesian Confrers in Cambodia and Thailand. Dear friends and benefactors.
