Fr Xolile Galata SDB: My Salesian Vocation Story
Fr Xolile Galata was ordained as a Salesian priest by Bishop Victor Phalana in Viljoenskroon in Klerksdorp diocese in May 2023 – this is his vocation story.
My grandparents were good Catholics, but they lived in a farm area, far from an outstation, which in turn was about 35km from the main parish. They could attend Holy Mass only one Sunday in a month.
Yet, even with those limited opportunities for participating in the sacramental life of the Church, they were faithful, inspiring and encouraging. They groomed us well, making sure that we attended catechism classes. Their dedication under difficult situations touched me and pushed me far, by the grace of God. Through a cousin, I became an altar server.
At high school I lived closer to church, but our school hours were not conducive for proper learning, with classes starting only at 13:00. Extramural activities were therefore limited. Still, I joined the chess team, and since I was also into music, I joined the school choir. I still believe that we need music to communicate with young people. Music is their language.
As an altar server, it felt good to be with companions, not only serving at the altar but also having other activities, such as praying together, visiting the sick, saying prayers for the dead, and learning more about St Stephen, the patron of altar servers in our diocese.
I heard about religious life for the first time in the altar servers’ group. That prompted me to inquire further. I approached my parish priest who was somehow convinced that I might have a vocation and introduced me to a discernment group.
Encountering Don Bosco
At one point I took part in a vocation camp in Thabong in Welkom, at the Thabiso Skills Centre. Cardinal Stephen Brislin, who is from Welkom and then was still a priest, was the vocation director in our diocese of Kroonstad. During one of our discernment group gatherings, he screened an old movie from 1933 about St John Bosco, the founder of the Salesians.
I fell in love with what I saw: the friendly Don Bosco, the unique priest with so many talents. What struck me was seeing a priest as young boy. In my heart I told myself that if I should become a priest, I’d wish to be like him, a simple priest who was loved by young people, and who loved them more.
That was my first encounter with the Salesians. The second was meeting the late Fr Michael Power SDB, when he passed by our parish. We did not have much time together, but he was the first Salesian I had met, and I was impressed by his simplicity and approachability.
The third encounter was the one that made me finally decide to join the Salesians. I went to work as a volunteer with the community of Salesians at the Bosco Centre in Walkerville, south of Johannesburg. Though I was not well-informed about community life, the moments which were created between the Salesians and the volunteers of recreation, prayers, meals together and other programmes touched me deeply. I felt at home from that moment. As volunteers we were accompanied in many ways: we were listened to, trusted, empowered and, most of all, loved.
Personal growth
By living my Salesian vocation holistically through the different parts of formation I could enjoy and appreciate life. I developed a healthy self-image, acknowledged personal gifts and accomplishments. Since we came from different backgrounds, I also acquired communication and relational skills, which I believe are necessary to be effective in our apostolic life.
However, during initial formation in Tanzania, I struggled with the language. It is almost impossible to be effective in the apostolate if you do not have the language and culture of people. But I worked hard to get the basics so that I might be able to communicate.
A bigger community has its moments of joy. You will always have someone to talk to, you will always be motivated to participate actively in all the community moments. This always energises me to take the same joy that I feel in the community to the young people who really need our presence.
Young people are capable of so many things in life; they are well advanced and a lot of information is available to them, more than it was to many of us. They are rich in God-given gifts. They have dreams; big dreams. There is a lot of untapped goodness in young people.
It is a challenge to accompany young people in their world of self-discovery. In their world of many possibilities, they do not necessarily need us to teach them, but they need us to accompany them — to be fathers and friends to them, and teachers when all seems to be confusing to them. Being to them a home that welcomes, a school that teaches, a church that connects them to God, and a playground that will allow them to be free and express themselves to you. Young people need us.
The multicultural community of Utume in Kenya taught me to be missionary at heart, all the time. No matter how challenging life may be, never be judgmental of your fellow person. God’s image should always be shining in all the people we encounter. If I’m not able to see God in the face of my confrere or any other person, I may not be able to see God at all. The mystery of incarnation should teach us on how to relate with each other. “So that they may be one.”
Published in the October 2023 issue of The Southern Cross magazine
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