Salesian Cooperators in Don Bosco Sihanoukville

Sihanoukville. The Feast of Saint Francis de Sales had a two important moments for the presence of Don Bosco in Cambodia and the work of Sihanoukville: three young men made their promise as the first Cambodian Salesian Cooperators, while the Chapel of the school was dedicated to Saint Francis de Sales. Actually they were two Cambodians and a Colombian: Gnan Peun, Sri Thea and Yulth Oyola, who asked to be integrated in the Salesian Family as cooperators.

Gnan Peun joined Don Bosco Phnom Penh in 1995 as an orphan boy from Koh Kong in the Mechanical Section. In 1997 was sent by father John Visser, then Rector in Phnom Penh, to "take care of the works of construction of Don Bosco Sihanoukville". Since then he stayed in the city port with Don Bosco where he married, has two children and became Catholic in 2006. "I want to stay with Don Bosco forever", he said. Peun is the coordinator of discipline in the technical school.

Sri Thea joined Don Bosco Phnom Penh as a boy from Takaew Province in 1995, also to the Mechanical Section. He stayed in Phnom Penh as an instructor in that section and became Catholic. In 2002 he let Don Bosco Phnom Penh and went to his Province where he founded an Oratory dedicated to the children and youth of the region supported by Don Bosco Past Pupils of Cambodia.

Yulth Oyola is not Cambodian but he feels like. He is a volunteer in Don Bosco Sihanoukville since 2007 in the Social Communication Department. This young business administrator from Colombia has become a careful student of the Salesian Preventive System. "I knew little about Don Bosco when I was in Colombia, only I knew that near my city, Villavicencio, there is a Salesian school for agriculture. When I came as a volunteer to Don Bosco Cambodia, I realized how great is Don Bosco and I applied to be a part of the Salesian Family. When I will be back in Colombia, I am sure I will help as I can Don Bosco in my country."

The Chapel where the three made their promise as Salesian Cooperators was also dedicated to Sain Francis de Sales being the first place in Cambodia dedicated directly to the Patron of the Salesian Congregation. The ceremony was attended by the boarders of the technical school and among them the "Don Bosco Brother Sun Youth Group" and the leaders of the Oratory in a moment that became for them very meaningful. Most of them understood the meaning of "Salesian" looking at the face of this Francis de Sales near to their Don Bosco.