Friend of the Young

2010-03-31T14:26:00.001-04:00

The following is an article that was e-mailed to me by the alumni office of St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio. I think it shows a positive view of what students are doing during Holy Week to remember the dead and serve Christ in all they do.

As we celebrate holy week in preparation of Jesus' death and resurrection at Easter, the Saint Ignatius community will gather together with the pallbearers of the St. Joseph of Arimathea Society the morning of Holy Thursday at Potter's Field to pray for the souls of the indigent, alone, and unwanted who are buried in unmarked graves.

Keith Mokris '04, a Jesuit volunteer at Saint Ignatius, took the photographs below at a recent funeral where student pallbearers laid to rest a woman who was the last living member of her family. They prayed over her and took her to her final resting place.

Six members of the St. Joseph of Arimathea Pallbearer

Ministry attended the funeral Mass of Helen, who died

at the age of 88. She had outlived her family and friends.

Fifteen people attended one organ player and one friend,

two funeral directors, four nuns and six pallbearers from Saint Ignatius

Helen's funeral, including the priest,

The funeral procession included the hearse, a single car and a Saint Ignatius school van. Helen's casket was simple with no flowers to honor her.
At the time of her burial, ten gathered to pray, including the six student pallbearers.

God and Politics

2010-03-20T15:41:00.000-04:00

Question #51

"Why does the Church always disagree with politics?"
The Church doesn't "always disagree with politics," although its teachings contradict some people's political ideas or positions. To understand what this means, we should be clear about what politics is. Politics is the art of governing a society. People sometimes disagree about the best way to govern society. When they do, their disagreements are political.

For the most part, the Magisterium (the teaching office of the Church) doesn't address political issues. Sometimes, however, a moral issue will have political implications. Then the Church does talk about politics, but only because it is obliged to talk about morality.

Consider, for example, the issue of abortion. Because pre-born children are human beings, they have a right to life. Because government is obliged to protect and promote human rights, it is obliged to protect and promote the pre-born child's right to life. When government passes laws or makes legal rulings that deny such a basic human right, it is the duty of the Church to speak out. Not because the Church is concerned with the details of politics or favors one political party or another -- it doesn't -- but because human rights are at stake.

There is a sense, however, in which "the Church" ought to be fully involved with politics: when we mean by "the Church" not merely the Magesterium, but the individual members, especially the laity. Lay men and women are especially called to serve Christ in the world. This means they should apply their Christian moral values to examining and assessing the laws and practices of society. They should try their best to foster laws that uphold God's moral law and do away with those that contradict it. They do this by voting, running for office, communicating with elected officials, peacefully protesting and other means. If elected, they would have an obligation to oppose or inhibit, to the limits of their power, any governmental policy or action in violation of the moral or natural law.

Doing these things will not always be popular, but then again Jesus said his followers wouldn't be popular with the world (Matt. 10:22, Luke 21:17).

--Matthew Pinto, Did Adam and Eve have Belly Buttons?

Artemide Zatti

2010-03-15T16:04:00.000-04:00

Government and faith based charities

2010-03-11T10:55:00.000-05:00

This is a section from an article written by Lisa Miller from Newsweek.

"Council members were able to agree that the constitutional separation of church and state is foundational and that recipients of government money be more clearly informed about what that means in terms of their activities—at the federal and at the local level. Most interesting, the task force asked the president to revise language that bars religious groups receiving federal aid from "inherently religious activities, such as worship, religious instruction and proselytizing" saying the word "inherently" allowed too much room for misunderstanding. "Explicitly," they said, would be a better word choice.

The task force was also able to agree that protecting the religious identities of religious institutions is crucial. They disagreed over things like whether a religious organization receiving government aid could perform social services in a room containing religious symbols, and whether churches receiving government money should be required to set up a separate corporation for those funds. In a political environment of gridlock and frustration, the clarity of these agreements—and even of the disagreements—is welcome."

Another iPhone commercial

2010-03-07T09:28:00.000-05:00

Here's another iPhone parody commercial. enjoy.

Catholic iPod/iPhone Comerical

2010-03-04T09:25:00.000-05:00

Now this is so cool!!! I would love to get an iPod for this, and whomever made this applications, THANK YOU!!!!!

This is a great way to show how we can integrate our faith with technology. Maybe this information age isn't as bad as it seems, so long as we don't forget about Christ.

2010-03-03T14:54:00.000-05:00

These days can be hard for us Catholics. So many different views and ideas are out there, and many of them clash (or maybe crash is a better word -- like car crash) directly with the Catholic faith. We need something to help us find out what we believe, and how to line it up with what others believe and come out with the truth.

I was given this book for confirmation. It is all apologetics: the art of defending ones faith and providing reasons for it. I thought it would be helpful, plus the name of the book is tremendous: Did Adam and Eve have Belly Buttons? It consists of 2oo questions (yes, the title is one of the questions) which the author, Matthew Pinto, has been asked over his years as an apologist. I will post a few of these questions over the coming weeks. I'll bounce around the book, which covers a wide variety of topics.

Question #1

"Is there really a God?"

A. Yes. God is the ultimate reality. He is actually holding all things in existence. If God stopped doing so, we would cease to exist but He would continue to exist.

We know God exists through revelation (Scripture and Sacred Tradition) and our intellects (reflecting on the world God made). In the Bible, God reveals: "I Am, Who Am" (Ex. 3:14) and "I am the Alpha and Omega," (Rev. 1:8) which means He is the beginning and the end of all things. Lastly, God has some harsh words for those who deny He exists: "The fool says in his heart that there is no God" (Psalm 14:1).

Saint of the Day

2010-03-02T09:18:00.000-05:00

St. David

Feastday: March 1

According to tradition, St. David was the son of King Sant of South Wales and St. Non. He was ordained a priest and later studied under St. Paulinus. Later, he was involved in missionary work and founded a number of monasteries. The monastery he founded at Menevia in Southwestern Wales was noted for extreme asceticism. David and his monks drank neither wine nor beer - only water - while putting in a full day of heavy manual labor and intense study. Around the year 550, David attended a synod at Brevi in Cardiganshire. His contributions at the synod are said to have been the major cause for his election as primate of the Cambrian Church. He was reportedly consecrated archbishop by the patriarch of Jerusalem while on a visit to the Holy Land. He also is said to have invoked a council that ended the last vestiges of Pelagianism. David died at his monastery in Menevia around the year 589, and his cult was approved in 1120 by Pope Callistus II. He is revered as the patron of Wales. Undoubtedly, St. David was endowed with substantial qualities of spiritual leadership. What is more, many monasteries flourished as a result of his leadership and good example. His staunch adherence to monastic piety bespeaks a fine example for modern Christians seeking order and form in their prayer life. His feast day is March 1.

Salesian Enter New Zealand

2010-03-01T08:51:00.000-05:00

The Salesians are now in 131 countries, the latest one now being New Zealand. Read the following article taken from E-Service (a Salesian news letter). We pray for them as well as their work, that it may be fruitful and bring many to Christ.

(MASSEY, New Zealand, February 20) Confreres often just assume that there has been a Salesian presence in New Zealand for many years, and have been surprised to hear that there has not been -- until now! Perhaps they confuse Australians and New Zealanders, as others confuse Canadians and Americans. Salesians have now established their first official presence in the sovereign nation of New Zealand, or Aotearoa (“The Long White Cloud”) as many of its indigenous and Pacifican immigrant inhabitants prefer to call it -- for indeed this is one of the “good reasons” for the Salesian presence.

The founding presence of the Salesians in New Zealand opened its doors to the faithful of the parish at Massey, an outer suburb of Auckland, on the first Sunday of February. Three Salesians have been assigned to this new work: Fr. James Adayadiel, a missionary in the Australia-Pacific presence for many years, and a founding figure in our work in Samoa, is the pastor. He is assisted by Fr. Mika Leilua, a Samoan priest, and Fr. Mathew Vadakkevettuvazhiyil, a missionary on loan from the East Africa Province.

There are two churches in the parish: one is in Massey itself (St. Paul’s), and another at nearly Ranui (St. Malachy’s). The faithful come from all parts of the world, but especially Samoa (and other islands in the Pacific), India, and Asia. We have begun our work in the parish, immediately establishing close contact with all the already established groups. Fr. Mathew has already set up contact with the young, and is a regular presence in the parish school.

On February 13 the Salesians celebrat-ed the feast of Don Bosco. We were not “in charge” for Sunday, January 31, so we shifted the celebration to this day. Past pupils and friends of the Salesians from Australia, Hong Kong, India, the Philippines, and other places formed a community of about 50 people at a Mass celebrated by Fr. Raphel Lobo, a former Salesian from the Bombay Province.

The Australia-Pacific presence rejoices in this encouraging new start of Don Bosco’s mission among the people of New Zealand. The people are already asking for information about Don Bosco, his Salesians, and the Salesian work.

Salesian E-Service February 25, 2010

Fr. Mario's memorial

2010-02-23T13:13:00.001-05:00

On February 22, 2010 the pre-novices went to the Port of Newark to attend the Memorial Mass for Fr. Mario Balbi, S.D.B. Fr. Mario passed away 1 year ago on February 23, 2010. In attendance were men and women who work at the Port. The celebrant of the Mass was The Most Rev. Edgar Moreira da Cunha, D.D., Auxiliary Bishop of Newark.

The pre-novices were asked to become the music and choir for the celebration upon their arrival. So with just moments to prepare the pre-novices managed to put together an opening song, Mass Parts, and a closing song. The closing song was “Friend of the Young and the Poor” by Fr. Stephen Schenck, S.D.B. The pre-novices thought that it would be a fitting touch to play a song about Don Bosco to pay tribute to Fr. Mario.

After the Mass all were invited outside for a “special surprise.” This special surprise was the unveiling of a street sign. The street outside of the port chapel, Stella Maris, was named in honor of Fr. Mario. The name of the street is Fr. Mario Balbi Way. Bishop da Cunha said that we can look at this not only as the entrance to the chapel, but as a way to model ourselves in the way we live our lives. Citing that Fr. Mario is an excellent person for all to model their lives after.

Blessed Laura Vicuña

2010-01-22T10:06:00.000-05:00

Little Laura was born in Argentina. That was where she grew up, where she met the Salesians, where she befriended Christ, where she gave her life for him. She died when she was not even thirteen years old.

As a young girl, her mother sent her and her little sister to the Salesian Sisters’ school. Her mother then, to make money, began working for a man. He was not exactly a model Christian. He began to abuse her, and, when the girls were home, her daughters as well. This was the life that little Laura grew up in. She would go to the Sisters’ school where she would learn Jesus from the Sisters. She would pray, grow in virtue, learn to love others, then she would go home, where little, if any at all, of those life lessons were practiced. Laura did, however, adopt what she learned from the Sisters. She began to be known among her friends as a friend of God. She was known as a saint.

She loved Jesus, she loved Mary, she loved her fellow students, she loved her teachers, she loved her sister, and she loved her mother. She recognized that her mother was in a very bad situation. She was living with her boss, who would abuse her regularly. So, she decided to do what she could. She told her mom to leave that man. Her mother would not. She persisted, so did her mother. What was Laura to do?

She did the right thing. She turned to God. She prayed daily for her mother. It became her mission to convert her mom and to get her out of this bad relationship. She really took the fourth Commandment seriously: Honor thy father and mother. She had such love for her mother that every time she prayed, it was for her.

Laura didn’t stop there, however. One day she made a promise to Christ: I offer you my life for that of my mother. She then and there gave her life to Christ in order that her mother would come to know and love the Lord, and leave that bad relationship which had led her astray.

Soon, Laura’s promise came true. She contracted an illness. She became sick. She got weaker and weaker and her mother soon had Laura brought home. She wanted to take care of her daughter. Being in the presence of her mother did not make Laura’s sickness get any better. But, it did give Laura a chance to be with her beloved mother. She continued to pray and offer her sickness for her mother. On her deathbed Laura told her mother about her promise.

“Mamma, I'm dying, but I'm happy to offer my life for you. I asked Our Lord for this,” she said. Her mother was moved to tears. “Laura, my daughter, please forgive me… dear God, please forgive me.” Laura’s last memory on this earth was her mother’s conversion. Now she is in heaven, presumably with her mother, praising God and glorifying Christ.

Working at Salesian High School

2009-12-22T19:22:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about my work at Salesian High School, an all boys high school in New Rochelle, NY. They call it "Oratory" and it has really been a living example of the oratory that Don Bosco set up in Turin, Italy. It is a work that I've never experienced before and frankly didn't know how to respond for a while. I am not saying that I was horrifically shocked by the attitude of the kids there... well, yes and no.

When I was working for the youth in other places, some of them needed to be watched closely. The preventive system, a system of working with youth developed by Mama Margaret and learned by Don Bosco, was quickly learned and applied. But things are quite different, in a most positive way at Salesian High School. The preventive system is still used, but the youth there are so good, and i mean GOOD. there I am able to accompany the guys there more, Lead them closer to God. Really, I've been taught a lot about God there by those same kids that I am sent to teach and be with.

The other guys at the Formation house know that my week isn't complete until Friday when i head to the Oratory. The community at the school really bring out the best in all their students, and it shows, their behavior is amazing, they look out for themselves and others both bodily and spiritually. It gets me thinking, these students are holy, they make me want to be come a better man, closer to God so that i can accompany them along their path.

Many of the young men from the oratory are in another group called the Friends of Savio. I helped them on their trip to NYC and was blown away on the reverence they had when we entered St. Patrick's Cathedral. I didn't expect to not have to say, "quiet down, we're entering a church." rather, it was the young men who were speaking up and making sure that all were behaving properly in the presence of Christ.

I applaud the community at Salesian High School, but more so the Students there. I pray that they continue to be the find young men that they are being molded into.

150th Anniversary

2009-12-20T19:13:00.000-05:00

This past Friday, The Salesians of Don Bosco celebrated our 150th birthday! We have spent the year praying for our congregation, for the young that we serve, and for our benefactors. May God bless us for another 150 years and more! The Rector Major, The man appointed to be Don Bosco here and now, Don Chavez made an address:

Today is the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Salesians! All of 2009 has been a year of special grace for us as we remember the 150 years of our congregation! Today Salesians all around the world renew their profession to live obedient, poor and chaste for the sake of the Kingdom of God and for the salvation of souls! The following are the words of our Rector Major, Fr. Pascual Chavez:

On the evening of 18 December 1859 at the Oratory of Saint Francis in Don Bosco’s room a group were gathered together, their intention “to promote and maintain the true charity that is needed in the work of the festive Oratories for youth abandoned and in danger”; as Fr Alasonatti writes in the minutes of this meeting. In the same minutes we then read: “The above mentioned participants decided therefore to band themselves into a Society or Congregation while, while aiming at the sanctification of each member by mutual assistance would strive to promote God’s glory and the salvation of souls, especially those in greater need of instruction and formation.”

1859 therefore is the year of the birth of our Congregation. So I want to propose to all the Confreres that we live 2009 as a year of grace, remembering where we come from, who we are, are where we are heading. With this celebration of our charismatic identity the pilgrimage of the casket of Don Bosco begins in all the Regions of our Congregation and in this way preparation starts for the bicentenary of his birth in 2015.

This event will be for all of us a spiritual and pastoral journey, that will begin with the Solemnity of Don Bosco on 31 January 2009, that will have as key moments the 24 June, his name-day, and the 16 August, his birthday, and will culminate on 18 December 2009 with the renewal of profession by all of us Salesians. We shall give special thanks to Mary on 25 May, the Solemnity of the Help of Christians. In this way we are given the opportunity to “start afresh from Don Bosco”, Founder of our Congregation, of the Salesian Family and of the vast Salesian Movement.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

2009-12-14T22:22:00.001-05:00

Our Lady of Guadalupe
Feastday: December 12
Patron of the Americas

Our Lady of Guadalupe December 12 (USA) When we reflect on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe we learn two important lessons, one of faith and one of understanding.

Missionaries who first came to Mexico with the conquistadors had little success in the beginning. After nearly a generation, only a few hundred Native Mexicans had converted to the Christian faith. Whether they simply did not understand what the missionaries had to offer or whether they resented these people who made them slaves, Christianity was not popular among the native people.

Then in 1531 miracles began to happen. Jesus' own mother appeared to humble Juan Diego. The signs -- of the roses, of the uncle miraculously cured of a deadly illness, and especially of her beautiful image on Juan's mantle -- convinced the people there was something to be considered in Christianity. Within a short time, six million Native Mexicans had themselves baptized as Christians.

The first lesson is that God has chosen Mary to lead us to Jesus. No matter what critics may say of the devotion of Mexicans (and Mexican descendants) to Our Lady of Guadalupe, they owe their Christianity to her influence. If it were not for her, they would not know her son, and so they are eternally grateful. The second lesson we take from Mary herself. Mary appeared to Juan Diego not as a European madonna but as a beautiful Aztec princess speaking to him in his own Aztec language. If we want to help someone appreciate the gospel we bring, we must appreciate the culture and the mentality in which they live their lives. By understanding them, we can help them to understand and know Christ. Our Lady of Guadalupe is patron of the Americas.

Bagpipers, what a life

2009-12-14T19:00:00.000-05:00

I got this from my dad earlier today. He found it on "The Anchoress" blogEnjoy.

"As a bagpiper, I’m often called upon to play at weddings, military events, and funerals. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a grave side service for a homeless man. The man had no family or friends, so
the service was set at the county pauper’s cemetery in the Kentucky back woods.

I was not familiar with the backwoods and soon found myself lost. Being a typical man I didn’t stop to ask for directions. I finally arrived an hour late – the staff from the funeral home was long gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight.

There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch. I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the side of the grave and looked down. The vault lid was already in place. I didn’t know
what else to do, so I started to play….

The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends. I played like I’ve never played before for this homeless man.

And as I played ‘Amazing Grace,’ the workers began to weep.

They wept. I wept. We all wept together.

When I finished I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car.

Though my head hung low my heart was full.

As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, 'I never seen nothin’ like that before and I’ve been putting in septic tanks for twenty years.'"

Immaculate Conception

2009-12-08T07:50:00.000-05:00

The young teenager was busy doing her daily chores, going about the house and taking care of the things that were in her charge, when suddenly a blinding light came. She covered her eyes. Then, she heard a voice.

“Hail, one who is full of grace!” Mary fell to her knees. The voice was not the normal voice of a man. It had a more musical quality to it. She began to tremble. “The Lord is with you!”

What did this mean, she thought to herself. Full of grace?

Indeed, what does it mean? We know from our Popes, particularly Pope Pius the IX, that Mary was sinless from birth. We call this the Immaculate Conception. But what does that really mean for us today? It means that a young woman two millennia ago, did not do anything wrong. Yes... but that cannot be all. No. It’s not all. Mary is for us, in the here and now. She is for us a mother who helps. But she is for us a very special mother. She is a sinless mother. And so the Church today celebrates that fact. Our mother was conceived without sin: the Immaculate Conception.

God loved Mary a lot. This is clear since she was “full of grace.” That is to say, she had ever gift from God. She could have whatever she wanted, because God was there for her, always. To be immaculate means to be without sin. But to be full of grace means to have the gift of God himself, as well as being sinless. God gave her a tremendous gift in her sinlessness, and now we have access to that gift. If we want something, and we feel that our sins are keeping us from just asking for it, we can turn to our mother, Mary. Because she is “full of grace” she can do anything just by praying. She is the Virgin Most Powerful. She gets what she wants, mainly because she only wants those things that God wants. Mary doesn’t ask for anything that isn’t the will of God. She only asks for things that God himself wants to give. But let’s finish our story.

Mary was upset by what the angel had said to her. It frightened her to hear that she was “full of grace,” from this creature she did not know. But the angel reassured her.

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” She was so confused, but she began to see that this strange messenger was an angel; she was still afraid, but a little bit calmer now. “Behold, you shall conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call him Jesus. He will be great, the Son of the Most High God, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.”

Now Mary was thoroughly confused. The Son of God? Rule forever? His Kingdom will have no end?

But what she said was, “How can this be? I have not had any relations with a man.”

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you," the angel answered her, "and the power from the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God” And he proceeded to explain to her that her cousin, an old woman, was also pregnant after her husband had a similar vision.

Then Mary, not understanding much at all of what was going on, made a decision. If it is the will of God, then I must do it. Whatever happens, it will be in his hands.

To the angel she said, “I am the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to your word.”

That last line is what the Immaculate Conception is all about. Mary was given the gift of complete freedom from sin. We are all, in some way, caught by sin. Some of us are slaves of it. But Mary was not. She was not even affected by it. And what did she do with that gift? “Be it done unto me…” she gave it all to God. As the humble handmaid, she let herself be given entirely to the Father, and as such became the mother of the Son.

Mary knew what to do with her gift. And from that, we received Jesus. Because of her tremendous wisdom in say “yes” with what gifts God gave her, she produced the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ, our love, our savior, our dearest friend, our Lamb of God. If we are to learn anything from Mary this feast, let us learn how to say yes to God, how to use our gifts for his glory, and not keep them for ourselves.

Chicago

2009-12-01T00:17:00.001-05:00

It has been a while since the last update on the formation of the pre-novices. The past two weeks were spent as we mentioned before at the NCYC and then Thanksgiving. Now it is time for us to introduce some of the events and places that we experienced.

Starting with Chicago, we drove from New Jersey to the St. John Bosco Parish. We were greeted

by the community there. We were able to visit the city during the day, doing some touristy things and general relaxation, but during the evening we were able to see some of the amazing work that the Salesians do there.

There are two daily masses, one in the morning done in English and the other in the evening said

in Spanish. We only went to the Spanish mass, and WOW there were easily 50 people for daily

mass!!! The parishioners know the value of receiving the Eucharist and how it can impact a

life.

On Tuesdays the teenage girls head over to the gym to play some volleyball and on other days

they provide other activities for the youth, CCD classes, youth center, etc.

Some activities were started by the adults in the parish, which is wonderful; it shows how much life the church has. The parents get involved with their faith and the formation of their children's faith. Participation in the sacraments and activities of the Church are well attended... that parish shows that the Catholic Church is not dead, but if full of life.

Youth Center -- Mark

2009-11-24T08:38:00.000-05:00

Youth Center

My weekend begins with the first of my two apostolates: Don Bosco Youth Center on Friday nights. I usually dash off to the Youth Center just after dinner in order to make the necessary preparations for the kids that night. Unlock some doors, turn on some lights, check the restrooms, ask if anyone needs me for some medial chore or two: stuff like that. Juggling, jump rope, jokes, or jovial chit-chat; I keep the kids entertained until we open. Most times, I get so involved with the little ones that I fail to realize that I’m the only staff member outside now; everyone else always snuck inside to pray together before we opened up for the night. I used to feel bad about missing the prayer. That is, until Br. Minh came to me and asked, “When did Don Bosco pray?” The question sounded familiar, but not entirely complete; so I answered mechanically and from distant memory: “When did Don Bosco not pray?” Br. Minh smirked, “That’s right.” And gesturing toward the little ones outside, “Let this be your prayer.” I’ve prayed like that ever since.

OLR Reflection

2009-11-21T11:37:00.000-05:00

In the beginning of October the pre-novices attended the October Leadership Retreat with students from different Salesian High Schools from all over the country. The retreat was held at the Marian Shrine Retreat Center in Stony Point, NY. The high schools involved in the retreat were Don Bosco Prep of Ramsey, NJ, Salesian High School of New Rochelle, NY, Mary Help of Christians Academy of North Haledon, NJ St. Petersburg Catholic High School of St. Petersburg, FL, Immaculata LaSalle of Miami, FL, Archbishop Shaw High School of Marrero, LA, and Academy of Our Lady also of Marrero, LA.

It was a great week, which started out with the loud shrieks of whistles and people yelling. Once the Young Team, the peer retreat leaders, saw that it was just the men in formation showing up they stopped and went back inside and waited for the real retreat participants to show up and shortly there after some people began to show up. After the young people began to arrive for the retreat and before the actual retreat started there was a small dance party in the upper lodge of the retreat center.

The actual retreat began with icebreakers. This broke down everyone’s inhibitions in being shy with one another, or at least that was the attempt. After the ice breakers the young people were separated into small groups. The small groups were groups that are formed to help those on retreat to share their experiences in a small group setting rather than in a large group setting.

It was a great week to experience in the faith journey of the young people and to be a part of it. There were members of the retreat young team who gave powerful witness talks. One distinctive talk I remember one young lady challenging her fellow retreat participants to live life with intention. This is was we must all do with all aspects of our lives. Live life with intention. I feel personally blessed to have had such a great opportunity to have spent an entire week with young people to experience with them their journey of faith.

Saint of the Day -- St. Rose Philippine Duchesne

2009-11-18T14:18:00.000-05:00

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, Virgin (Feast day - November 18) Born in Grenoble, France, in 1769, Rose joined the Society of the Sacred Heart. In 1818, when she was forty-nine years old, Rose was sent to the United States. She founded a boarding school for daughters of pioneers near St. Louis and opened the first free school west of the Missouri. At the age of seventy-one, she began a school for Indians, who soon came to call her "the woman who is always praying". Her biographers have also stressed her courage in frontier conditions, her singlemindedness in pursuing her dream of serving Native Americans, and her self-acceptance. This holy servant of God was beatified by Pope Pius XII in 1940 and canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1988.

Holy Water Dispensor

2009-11-17T11:45:00.000-05:00

I find this kind of funny, but at the same time, quite interesting. But it is an interesting way to integrate faith, technology, and sanitation.

Travis Gunther -- Vocation Story

2009-11-16T13:48:00.000-05:00

Hey, I am Travis Gunther and I’m from Conway, Arkansas. My discernment path meanders quite a bit to this point and in some ways lives up to the adage “God writes straight with crooked lines.” God keeps finding ways to direct me whether it is through friends and family, spiritual direction, aha moments, or in the silence of my heart.

Back in fourth grade my discernment story begins with one of those aha moments where it hit me that maybe I should be a priest. But then friends at school made fun of me for wanting to be a priest so I put it behind me. But around my junior year of high school several things pointed me back to the priesthood and I considered a vocation as a diocesan priest or a Benedictine. I found the Benedictine chrism attractive but my parents and the Benedictine vocation director encouraged me to go on to college and gain some maturity and life experience while I continued my discernment.

The summer before my college freshman year, Mike Massey, a family friend, invited me to work at a Salesian summer camp in Florida. I thought, “Hey I get to go to Florida, experience a new religious order, and play with kids for the summer.” Well I got to do those things but I also learned about Don Bosco’s philosophy of being a friend and father to the youth. Also the community I lived with ranged in age from early 30’s to mid 70’s and each of them was excited about the opportunity to work with kids. Each had their own way of interacting with the kids, some could do magic tricks, some drew cartoons, and others played soccer. I learned a great deal about youth ministry and life during those six weeks.

That fall I began my freshman year at the University of Arkansas as an architect student. At this point my discernment to the priesthood was put on the back burner but I still kept in contact with the Benedictines and the Salesians I had met. My two years of architecture were great but by the end of my sophomore year I realized the call to the priesthood had moved back to the front burner and that architecture wasn’t where God was calling me. While I was at the University of Arkansas I became very involved in campus ministry and started meeting regularly with a spiritual director.

At this point my discernment was between the Benedictines and Salesians so I asked each community to give me the opportunity to spend time discerning in one of their “average” communities. I spent the summer of 2008 with the Benedictines at Subiaco and the next 9 months with the Salesians in Port Chester, New York working in the soup kitchen, boys and girls club, and teaching Sunday school. I feel the Salesians is where God is calling me and a year of ministry in Port Chester helped me to see how important formation and education is to being effective in our service to others. This year I am committed to continue my discernment as a candidate this time as a student at Seton Hall University in Orange, New Jersey.

I have had many doubts in my discernment, questioned whether I was worthy (I am not, but neither are we to receive the Eucharist and yet Christ still calls us to himself in this way too), and I thought about going home. Yet trusting in God, and giving difficulties time with Christ to work themselves out, I find myself still called to be here. In the words of a wise man I met before beginning my candidacy, “Can you see yourself growing in holiness in this life?” I can, in the joys and struggles of Salesian life, being sent to poor youth, and striving to be a good Salesian.

NCYC

2009-11-14T09:22:00.000-05:00

Come Monday, we, the pre-novices, will leave for our road trip out west. We have on our schedule to hit up Chicago, there is a Salesian Parish there, spend some time with the Priests and brothers and also see what they do at that church.

Andrew worked there over the summer for their camp and is very excited to return to that community. With all his energy, I too am getting anxious to experience Chicago. After a couple days there, we head down south west to Kansas City, Missouri for the NCYC.

The NCYC is the National Catholic Youth Conference, it is a great gathering of young people and i can only expect so much more. Personally, i have never been to nor experienced something with so many people. As we arrive and, God willing, have internet connections, we'll try to keep everything as up to date as possible.

While in Kansas City, St. Therese North will be hosting us. the pastor asked some parishioners to be a host family for the five of us. From their generosity, we will all stay together at the host family, what charity!!! This is truly an experience of Christian love for one's brothers.

Needless to say, we are all looking forward to our trip and to let you know about it as it happens.

Stay in touch!

Saint of the Day -- Mother Cabrini

2009-11-13T13:59:00.000-05:00

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin (Feast day November 13) St. Frances was born in Lombardi, Italy in 1850, one of thirteen children. At eighteen, she desired to become a Nun, but poor health stood in her way. She helped her parents until their death, and then worked on a farm with her brothers and sisters.

One day a priest asked her to teach in a girls' school and she stayed for six years. At the request of her Bishop, she founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart to care for poor children in schools and hospitals. Then at the urging of Pope Leo XIII she came to the United States with six nuns in 1889 to work among the Italian immigrants.

Filled with a deep trust in God and endowed with a wonderful administrative ability, this remarkable woman soon founded schools, hospitals, and orphanages in this strange land and saw them flourish in the aid of Italian immigrants and children. At the time of her death, at Chicago, Illinois on December 22, 1917, her institute numbered houses in England, France, Spain, the United States, and South America. In 1946, she became the first American citizen to be canonized when she was elevated to sainthood by Pope Pius XII. St. Frances is the patroness of immigrants.

Saint of the Day -- Josaphat

2009-11-12T14:18:00.000-05:00

Josaphat, an Eastern Rite bishop, is held up as a martyr to church unity because he died trying to bring part of the Orthodox Church into union with Rome.

In 1054, a formal split called a schism took place between the Eastern Church centered in Constantinople and the Western Church centered in Rome. Trouble between the two had been brewing for centuries because of cultural, political, and theological differences. In 1054 Cardinal Humbert was sent to Constantinople to try and reconcile the latest flare up and wound up excommunicating the patriarch. The immediate problems included an insistence on the Byzantine rite, married clergy, and the disagreement on whether the Holy Spirit proceeded from the Father and the Son. The split only grew worse from there, centering mostly on whether to except the authority of the Pope and Rome.

More than five centuries later, in what is now known as Byelorussia and the Ukraine but what was then part of Poland-Lithuania, an Orthodox metropolitan of Kiev and five Orthodox bishops decided to commit the millions of Christians under their pastoral care to reunion with Rome. Josaphat Kunsevich was born in 1580 or 1584.

Many of the millions of Christians did not agree with the bishops decision to return to communion with the Catholic Church and both sides tried to resolve this disagreement unfortunately not only with words but with violence. Martyrs died on both sides. Josaphat was a voice of Christian peace in this dissent.

After an apprenticeship to a merchant, Josaphat turned down a partnership in the business and a marriage to enter the monastery of the Holy Trinity at Vilna in 1604.

Josaphat faced many problems when he became first bishop of Vitebsk and then Polotsk in 1617. The church there was literally and figuratively in ruins with buildings falling apart, clergy marrying two or three times, and monks and clergy everywhere not really interested in pastoral care or model Christian living. Within three years, Josaphat had rebuilt the church by holding synods, publishing a catechism to be used all over, and enforcing rules of conduct for clergy. But his most compelling argument was his own life which he spent preaching, instructing others in the faith, visiting the needy of the towns.

In October 1623, Josaphat decided to return to Vitebsk to try to calm the troubles himself. He was completely aware of the danger but said, "If I am counted worthy of martyrdom, then I am not afraid to die."

The separatists saw their chance to get rid of Josaphat. Their threats were so public that Josaphat preached on the gospel verse John 16:2, "Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God." He told the people, "You people want to kill me. You wait in ambush for me in the streets, on the bridges, on the highways, in the marketplace, everywhere. Here I am; I came to you as a shepherd. You know I would be happy to give my life for you. I am ready to die for union of the Church under St. Peter and his successor the Pope."

A priest named Elias went to the house where Josaphat was staying and shouted insults and threats to everyone he saw, focusing on calumniating Josaphat and the Church of Rome.

Josaphat knew of the plot against him and spent his day in prayer. In the evening he had a long conversation with a beggar he had invited in off the streets.

When Elias was back the next morning of November 12, the servants were at their wits' ends and begged Josaphat's permission to do something. Before he went off to say his office he told them they could lock Elias away if he caused trouble again. When he returned to the house he found that the servants had done just that and Josaphat let Elias out of the room.

But it was too late. The mistake had been made. Elias had not been hurt in anyway but as soon as the mob saw that Elias had been locked up they rejoiced in the excuse they had been waiting for. Bells were rung and mobs descended on the house. By the time they reached the house, Elias had been released but the mob didn't care; they wanted the blood they had been denied for so long.

Josaphat came out in the courtyard to see the mob beating and trampling his friends and servants. He cried out, "My children what are you doing with my servants? If you have anything against me, here I am, but leave them alone!" With shouts of "Kill the papist" Josaphat was hit with a stick, then an axe, and finally shot through the head. His bloody body was dragged to the river and thrown in, along with the body of a dog who had tried to protect him.

The unsung heroes of this horrible terrorism were the Jewish people of Vitebsk. Some of the Jewish people risked their own lives to rush into the courtyard and rescue Josaphat's friends and servants from the bloodthirsty mobs. Through their courage, lives were saved. These same Jewish people were the only ones to publicly accuse the killers and mourn the death of Josaphat while the Catholics of the city hid in fear of their lives.

As usual violence had the opposite affect from that intended. Regret and horror at how far the violence had gone and the loss of their archbishop swung public opinion over toward the Catholics and unity. Eventually even Archbishop Meletius Smotritsky, Josaphat's rival, was reconciled with Rome. And in 1867 Josaphat became the first saint of the Eastern church to be formally canonized by Rome.

Matt Panozzo -- Son of Mary

2009-11-11T11:45:00.000-05:00

A Day in the Life of a Salesian

Let’s start off with a little quiz…. When I say “Religious Community” what do you think of? If I say “Prayer” what comes to mind? What do you associate “Work” and “Study” with? I am willing to wager that you said Religious Community is quiet. I bet that when you read “Prayer” you thought chapel. And when your eyes scrolled across the words “Work” and “Study” you immediately thought of it being stressful and burdensome. None of these presumptions are incorrect. For Salesians however, these stereotypes are altered. With this in mind I would like to welcome to a day in the life of a Salesian Candidate.

The Salesian Spirituality is different then most religious orders. We are not quiet, unless it is called for, Prayer is not reserved for just the Chapel but is evident in everything we do, and Work and Study is a major part of the Salesian life. In fact as a Candidate, I am asked to divide my energy as 90% towards studies, and 10% towards my apostolic work.

An average day starts at 6:10 am, rising before the sun, I know it sounds rough but it’s not so bad. Morning Prayers start at 7:00 am immediately to be followed by Mass. Though it is early morning, a great amount of energy is put towards our Praise and Worship of God as we say the Prayers of the Church, and attend the celebration of the Mass. The Readings are PROCLAIMED each and every morning from a tired-eyed lector, and the Homily is UPLIFTING and motivating. It is spiritual nourishment for all that is to come in the day. Every spiritual nourishment should be accented by physical nourishment, thus right after Mass the community proceeds to breakfast. The usual breakfast includes a wide variety of delectable cereals, and a wonderful array of different milks. However we only have orange juice to supplement our juice category.

Following the delectable cereal, many of us go to Seton Hall University for classes. With the obvious assumption of schooling, and receiving an education, Seton Hall also offers a time for community growth as we partake in various recreations such as Racquetball or Frisbee. Many of us even eat lunch together and discuss our day.

Magically seven hours pass and we are back at the Don Bosco Residence. Here we have Evening Prayer, Spiritual Reading, and recitation and meditation of the Rosary. It all brings about a balance to the day. Evening Prayer is a nice way to reflect on all that God has done for our day thus far, and also gives us a chance to talk with God. Spiritual Reading is some more nourishment that aids in our growth. It allows the opportunity to grow deeper in our discernment. The Rosary is recited several ways. Some remain in the Chapel and recite it silently, others recite it in the stillness of their rooms, and others walk as they meditate on the mysteries.

At the end we reconvene for dinner. Personally, dinner is where it’s at. It’s time to unwind, enjoy a good meal, as well as each others company. The conversations vary from philosophical debates about “The Game” to questions on religion to talk of our families. Really any topic is bound to rise up.

Most of us perform our daily chores after dinner. It is necessary for a smooth running of the house. After that we are free for the most part. Obviously there is work to be done both for school and for our various apostolates, but the evenings are mostly up to us to plan. Some days we have our evenings filled with Adoration, or conferences, but overall it’s our time to plan and use where we see fit.

Mark O'Dea -- Vocation

2009-11-09T13:31:00.000-05:00

Mark O’Dea

You might say that my path to the priesthood began my junior year in high school. If you really want the in-depth look at it though, you can even say it began ephemerally freshman year when several friends asked me: “Hey Mark, are you gonna become a priest?” The answer was no. But that’s only if you wanted to look that far back, anyway. Oh, and for the record, I went to Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, NJ.

You see, in my junior year, I was unexpectedly deemed team captain of the fencing team. Not a squad captain; not an assistant captain; just a full-blown leap into the position of overall team captain. And well, let’s just say that the promotion of a no-name athlete to team captain is beyond rare in DBP sports.

This, of course, is not to mention the fact that I had just switched weapons from foil to epee in order to fill in missing varsity slots on our team. “Well, that’s just grand,” right? Having a player not fence with his primary weapon and uphold captain standards? Beautiful. Oh, and for financial reasons, our coach had to leave maybe three weeks into the season. Perfect, yea?

It was a most pessimistic beginning to the DBP fencing season of 2007-2008. No coach, no experience, no hope. I don’t think I should have to try very hard to convince you that I was scared out of my mind! My hands shook so terribly that season, I was so scared. And the day of reckoning I remember very clearly: between two meets, I lost five of my six bouts in a row… In a row!

Naturally, I felt pretty lousy by the end of that second meet. I remember coming home that evening, dead tired. I let my equipment hit the floor with echoic THUD and virtually collapsed onto the couch, flicking on the TV. By chance (or fate, if you wish), I came across the movie “Saving Private Ryan” at the scene where American sniper Pvt. Jackson recites a psalm as he zeroes his rifle on an enemy soldier. Say… might that psalm apply in my case? I mean, he has a rifle, and I’ve a blade; close enough, right? … Psalm 144, in case you were interested.

So, come the next meet, I had my psalm memorized. The match begins, my turn is up, I recite the psalm, and behold a 5-0 victory over their best fencer. I rubbed my eyes at the end of that, I didn’t think it was true. The succeeding bouts that match ended similarly: all victories. “Whoa… this really works,” I thought.

That prayer served me so well that season, in fact, that I wanted to share it with the other fencers the following year. With that course in mind, I consulted Fr. Jay Horan, DBP’s Coordinator of Youth Ministry. He helped me to pick out Biblical passages appropriate for team prayers and individual blessings and officially commissioned me as Don Bosco Prep’s first student-chaplain.

And in that process, I rationally thought, “I’m saying all these prayers and such; perhaps I’ve a vocation in this.” You know, as a passing thought. Very cursory thinking. “Let’s check.”

That being said, I signed up for a vocations retreat with the Salesians. But in all honesty, that retreat really didn’t strike very well with me. I didn’t feel the Holy Spirit acting within me there at the retreat. So in logical thought, I dismissed the idea of a priestly vocation for myself.

Well, the season continued as per usual, and I invested myself more and more into my duties as chaplain. I continued saying my personal psalm, carried on with the team prayers, and blessed my teammates before they competed, and received wonderful feedback from my team regarding this personal ministry. But in this, I once more heard the whispering thought.

Boy, was it a struggle, this time. Restless sleep like you would not believe! But in the end, like most vocation stories, I had to admit, “Alright, You win.” . . . I don’t think Psalm 144 was going to help that battle, there.

Savio -- Don Bosco and Dominic Savio

2009-11-07T11:51:00.000-05:00

Don Bosco had gone near his home village when he heard about a young boy who was very holy. The pastor of the church had told him, “You’ll find in him another St. Aloysius!” Aloysius Gonzaga was a holy boy who became a Jesuit. He was known well for keeping pure.

Don Bosco met this holy boy with his father. They introduced each themselves and then began to speak for a while. Eventually, young Dominic threw out the question which was on his heart:

“Will you take me with you to study?”

Don Bosco considered a little while. “You look like good material to me,” said Don Bosco.

“Good material for what?”

“To make a beautiful garment for the Lord!”

“If I am the cloth then you must be the tailor!” Dominic shot back.

This playful banter opened up a relationship between these two future saints which would last forever.

When Dominic Savio entered the Oratory he went straight to Don Bosco’s office. On the desk he saw the words “Da mihi animas, caetera tolle.” He asked the saint what it meant.

“That’s my motto, think you can guess it?”

Dominic couldn’t quite get the meaning, so Don Bosco helped him out.

“Well, if Da means ‘give’ and mihi means ‘me,’ then it must ‘give me,’ right?”

“Oh, okay, so then, animas is…”

“’Souls!’”

“So the first part is ‘give me souls!’” Dominic was extatic, “and the second part?

“The second part is ‘take away the rest,’” Don Bosco supplied.

Dominic became serious for a moment, he was deep in contemplation. Suddenly his mouth twitched into a smile. “I see! You don’t do business in money here, you deal in souls! I hope you deal well with my soul!”

This playful way of talking about becoming a saint became a norm at the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales. It was through this method that Dominic became a saint and many others of the boys as well. In fact, Dominic later said, “Here at the Oratory, cheerfulness is holiness.”

Let us try to be cheerful in our attempts at holiness.

St. Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist

2009-11-05T14:23:00.001-05:00

St. Elizabeth
Feastday: November 5

Not much information is known about Elizabeth, but she has the distinction of being one of the first to know about Mary's great blessing as the Mother of God.

Zachary was a priest in Jerusalem whose wife, Elizabeth, Mary's cousin, was beyond child-bearing age. He was told by an angel in a vision that they would have a son and should name him John. When he doubted this, he was struck dumb. Elizabeth was visited by Mary, at which time Mary spoke the hymn of praise now known at the Magnificat, and after John's birth, Zachary's speech was restored. This is all that is known of Elizabeth and Zachary, and is found in the New Testament in Luke, Chapter 1. An unvarifiable tradition has Zachary murdered in the Temple when he refused to tell Herod where his son John was to be found. Their feast day is November 5th.

Mark O'Dea -- Son of Mary

2009-11-04T15:54:00.000-05:00

The way I see it, I have two different types of days in a week: school days and apostolate days. The latter of the two would be what most people call a “weekend.” I minister with the other 1st-year candidates at the Don Bosco Youth Center on Friday nights, and I co-teach a CCD class on Sunday mornings. But the core of the dichotomy are the four days (Mon.-Thurs.) that I’m at Seton Hall University (SHU).

A day usually begins with me getting out of my bed at 6:40 AM after turning of the alarm clock that I had set for 6:20 AM. The community here has morning prayer at 7:00 AM, followed immediately by Mass; both will together be around 50 minutes. Everyone eats breakfast together, typically consistent of cereal, milk, bread, bananas, etc. Nothing fancy; we’ve got to be out of the house by 8:10 AM in order to make it to class on time.

I’m typically on Seton Hall campus from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Some choose to walk or bike home earlier, but most of us will ride home in the vans at 4 o’clock. My classes are scattered throughout the week, but Mondays and Wednesdays are the busiest. My courses for the semester are History of Philosophy I, Philosophical Logic, Roman Catholic Doctrine, Intermediate Spanish I, Journey of Transformation (CORE), and University Life (CORE).

Most days on campus, I'll go to classes for the day, then use the interims to do some homework, study, say the Rosary in the chapel, enjoy some down time, and maybe play some frisbee or racquetball with the guys.

We’ll get home at maybe 4:10 PM, and evening prayer is generally around 4:45 PM, so we basically have half an hour's downtime. I typically use this time to practice guitar, juggling, diabolo, or chess; either I practice something or sit down and read. Y’know, do something useful with the time, right? Anyway, we’ll have evening prayer, 10-15 minutes of spiritual reading, and the Salesian "Good Night" from one of the Fathers here. Once that's over with, we have around 15 minutes left until dinner. Some guys take that time to walk around the neighborhood together and say the Rosary. I used to do that, but since I typically say my Rosary earlier, I just take a 15 minute nap.

We have dinner at 5:30 PM and end at 6:15 PM. From there, most guys usually shoot off to do their chores; it's tacitly understood that the 15-30 minutes after dinner is "chore period". My chores this month are keeping the pre-novice’s classroom, the pantry, the workout room, and the boiler room in good order.

From then on, it's "free time". I do more homework, write papers, read, and am more or less studious during this time. If I'm ahead in my schedule, I relax. TV, juggling, guitar practice, web browsing, community-building (I.E. talking with the guys, playing chess with them, interaction) are just some of the things that goes on in my rest time. I usually end my night with a prayer, a song dedicated to Mary, Help of Christians: “Mother, Friend, and Guide.”

Rinse, and repeat.

Religious Education

2009-11-03T13:17:00.000-05:00

The CCD class
-By Lenny Carlino-

Every Sunday I (and most of the other sons and brothers at the house here in Orange) are assigned to teach a CCD (religion) class at one of the local parishes. I teach 6th graders at Our Lady of the Valley, the church which is next door to the formation house. Every week we prepare a lesson plan for 1 hour of class Sunday morning. These classes may involve reading, arts & Crafts activities, group sharing, presentations, and/or prayer learning. After class we will then go to mass at OLV, which has youth music and a youth choir.

I can honestly say that I believe we learn so much as Salesians from these experiences of teaching CCD. First off, you learn how to work with kids in a classroom setting, and you learn so much about your strengths and weaknesses in teaching, usually surprising yourself with how much teaching ability and talents you really have.

Now not every class is perfect, so you also learn how to deal with kids, especially those who maybe are not as open to learning about their faith, and (for lack of a better term) “trouble-makers” or “energetic”. But that is an opportunity for you to really encourage the kids about the joys of our Catholic faith, and show them what good things God has done, is doing, and will do for them.

I look forward to teaching every week, because every week is a growing experience. Maybe the lesson plan will be interesting for the students, and I’ll know that I shared the faith in the way that Don Bosco would have wanted us all to do as Salesians. Or maybe it’s just one of those weeks where everyone seems to be out of control, and you need to step in. Those times are a chance to really put the preventive system into practice, and slowly learn how to deal with those situations.

In the end, education of the youth was and is one of Don Bosco’s strongest intentions in forming the Salesian congregation. Don Bosco said education is “a matter of the heart”, and the time in teaching CCD is our chance to connect with the kids, practice reason, religion, and kindness (the three basic principles of the preventive system), and bring the youth closer to our Lord Jesus Christ, and to understanding His love for them.

Matt Panozzo - Vocation Story

2009-11-02T15:57:00.000-05:00

How I came to know the Salesians – Matt Panozzo

I have been discerning the Priesthood since my 10th grade year, maybe even my 9th grade year. It started off as a simple idea. At the time I had recently started participating more fully in my faith. I went from a bystander to a participant. No longer was I simply going through the motions or watching from afar, now I was active, and present, feeling the motions as I experienced the Mass. Much like a TV chef and the viewer; the viewer can only see what is presented, but the chef, oh the chef experiences it all. The dough as it is kneeded, the smells of the various aromas circulating in the air. The chef is ever present in the moment and looking towards the end.

You can guess that by jumping into the “kitchen” my faith life began to grow. I began to experience God in all different ways, ways I had never known. I began to form this relationship with Him. I was like his sous chef, and He was the head.

Throughout Confirmation, I found that the feeling subsided. In cooking terms, it was placed at a simmer. The flavors of life were to be infused together; it just takes time and low heat.

10th grade year passed, junior year began and with that came the college search. My heart was set on attending a Catholic college or at least a college with a strong Catholic community. I had found this college, Belmont Abbey College, by mere chance. I was planning on attending for a year, and then assessing where God was calling me. I wanted the college experience, and with this I would have growth in my faith life as well as the experience of total independence. My heart was set and I was all ready to apply and attend.

That summer I attended World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia. It was a beautiful experience that brought me to where I am today. While in Sydney, Australia I attended the Vocation Expo which was on an ongoing event throughout the week long pilgrimage. It was there that I picked up a boat load of pamphlets on different religious orders. I was like a kid in a candy store. I loved it! I was rushing up and down the aisles picking up pamphlets left and right. A smile was beaming across my face!

A Month went by, I started Senior year, and I had yet to look at all the pamphlets. I just kind of placed them off to the side, or the back burner, and went on with life. I started the application process for Belmont Abbey and I was set on attending, I knew they wanted me for their constant barrage of emails and letters asking me to apply during my junior year.

Well it was September 23 around 9 or 10 o’clock at night when I had the idea to read through all the pamphlets. One by one I read them all, and I came across the Salesians of Don Bosco pamphlets. My heart just had this leap to it like John the Baptist’s leap in Elizabeth’s womb at the sight of Mary with Jesus. It seemed like a perfect fit. I just had to find the Salesians in America.

I’m sorry but I was not going to travel all the way to Australia, beautiful place yes, but that is too far away from what I am accustomed to. That would have been quite a leap to take right out of the gate. It would have been like trying to make lasagna when all you know how to do is boil water. It’s possible but quite an undertaking.

I walked to my computer, went to google, and found the Salesians of Don Bosco of the St. Philip Province. I saw that there was a “Contact for more information” box so I sent an email around midnight.

Expecting nothing to drastic to happen I went to school the next day, came home, and checked my email. Fr. Franco had emailed me back saying that Mary had brought me to the Salesians. He immediately, with few questions asked, wanted me to attend the November Discernment retreat. I did so and from thence forth I saw myself as a Salesian.

I still had doubts as the year went on as to where God was calling me, but I knew I was Salesian even if I never became a priest. The characteristics of St. John Bosco’s Preventive System were evident in my own teaching style that I had acquired from two years as a student teacher. Fr. Franco lead me through the application process and reaffirmed me as time went on. I trusted in God, and low and behold I am here today. I am at peace with my decision, and I trust God as he leads me where He may.

Official Induction

2009-11-02T10:41:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Sunday 1 November 2009, The five pre-novices were officially inducted into the pre-novitiate program. Justin Czupinski, Adam Dupre, Andrew Smolin, Eduardo Chincha, and Marc Stockhausen were received by Novice Master Fr. Bill Keane in place of the Provincial (as he was in Canada).

It was a quiet ceremony, taking place during Evening Prayer with the community. A Salesian confrere came from Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey and many others gave their best wishes and congratulations. As a gift, we received a medallion of Mary Help of Christians and a hug from the Master of Novices.

During dinner, there was a bake off between Fr. Armand and Matt, a first year candidate. The two made their own cake and we sent it around for votes. After many many bites and deliberation, Fr. Armand came out victorious with his cherry walnut cake.

As we celebrated this formal induction into the pre-novitiate on All Saints Day, hopefully God may bless us. And with all the saints, let us all give thanks to God and for more prosperous years for the Salesians and the young.

Saint of the day

2009-10-29T22:27:00.000-04:00

Bl. Martyrs of Douai
Feastday: October 29

A group of 160 priests trained at the English College of Douai, in France. They were martyred in England and Wales during the century following the foundation of the famed college by Cardinal William Allen in 1568. All perished at the hands of English authorities while laboring to reconvert the island. Eighty alumni of Douai were beatified in 1929.

Saint of the Day

2009-10-29T22:25:00.000-04:00

St. Abraham of Rostov

Feastday, October 29
twelfth century

Apostle to the Russian people and founder of religious institutions. He received many graces even before converting to Christianity and becoming a model of the faith. Born in Galicia, Russia, Abraham followed the pagan beliefs of the region. He was stricken with a severe disease and called upon Christ in his sufferings, whereupon he was healed miraculously. In gratitude, Abraham became a Christian and was baptized. He became a monk, and went to the city of Rostov where he began his apostolate among the pagans. He built two parish churches as well as a monastery. Many institutions for the poor and suffering were also started by this apostle of the faith.

Thirsty?

2009-10-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

I found that many times we thirst for something that we cannot find. Something that this world can't offer. As I thought about all this, I figured Youtube would have some insight (of all places).
check it out

Saint of the day

2009-10-27T19:04:00.000-04:00

St. Frumentius
Feastday: October 27
380

Called “Abuna” or “the father” of Ethiopia, sent to that land by St. Athanasius. Frumentius was born in Tyre, Lebanon. While on a voyage in the Red Sea with St. Aedesius, possibly his brother, only Frumentius and Aedesius survived the shipwreck. Taken to the Ethiopian royal court at Aksum, they soon attained high positions. Aedesius was royal cup bearer, and Fruementius was a secretary. They introduced Christianity to that land. When Abreha and Asbeha inherited the Ethiopian throne from their father, Frumentius went to Alexandria, Egypt, to ask St. Athanasius to send a missionary to Ethiopia. He was consecrated a bishop and converted many more upon his return to Aksum. Frumentius and Aedesius are considered the apostles of Ethiopia.

Kyle Zinno -- Vocation Story

2009-10-26T15:31:00.000-04:00

When I first started discerning the priestly vocation I felt Jesus present to me, it was a joyful time, with many spiritual consolations accompanying it. I believe the Lord gave me these moments to help me in the initial period of my discernment, to beckon me on to the next step, which was really taking action. After making this first step, by choosing to enter the seminary, God began to take away some of the “candy” and began to show me the importance of faithfulness, in regards to vocation. This was something I was defiantly not prepared for, I thought that taking this next step would just mean more consolation, but I can see in hindsight that I have a definite need to grow in the virtue of faithfulness, something I have never really nurtured before. This is all pretty general stuff though, so I guess I better get to the more personal aspect of my vocation.

Reflecting back on the past couple of years, I can defiantly see a little more clearly that God has been preparing me all my life, holding me, for the vocation He has prepared for me. I had a conversion experience over Christmas break during my junior year of high school. It changed my life forever, and it was a spark that opened my eyes to the reality of Christ in the world, and in my life. I didn’t receive any vocational calling through this experience, except to the holiness of the baptized, but looking back, I think that this was just one step that God was taking to lead me and prepare me for His call.

I had always grown up with the mindset that I was going to be married, and even after my conversion experience, this vocation was at the forefront of my mind. To be honest, I really just wanted to be a poor farmer who prayed. It wasn’t until the January of my senior year that I first experienced any sort of inclination towards a priestly vocation. My first inclination actually, Providential enough, came while flipping through the channels one night toward the end of January and landing on EWTN, which was showing a movie about a priest from Italy! I watched the movie for a little while, and was absolutely captivated by this priest, Don Bosco, I couldn’t turn it off. What he did for those poor boys filled me with awe and inspiration, and I remember before going to bed that night, praying to God saying that “if I am going to be a priest, I want to be like him.” This all took place before I felt called by Christ to discern the priesthood.

It was a couple days later on Ash Wednesday, that I first felt Jesus call me to the priesthood. Before Mass that morning I prayed that God would show me His mission for me during the Lenten season. I think it was at this point that I began to consider the priestly vocation, and I believe that the Spirit was working gently throughout that day, as I began to look into that vocation. It wasn’t until that night though, while in silent Adoration, I prayed again about my vocation and then listened. I remember a battle between marriage and the priesthood, because I longed to love intimately and be loved intimately by another person, but Jesus revealed to me that that is exactly what the priesthood is about, intimate union with Him and His Church. After seeing the priesthood like this, I accepted it, and felt strong consolation and peace.The main desires in my life right now, are to grow closer in relationship to Jesus and to be happy. I know this sounds vague, but that’s what it is. My desire for the work I wish to do in my life is to help souls, really to help them come to God and His goodness. Of course I desire to be happy also, and I believe that my desires are pointing towards happiness, both in this life and the next. I really don’t know how God wants to use me for the Salesian mission, I don’t really have a lot of experience in working with youth, I don’t have the zeal for the mission, and I did not exactly have the model adolescence. I believe that the most important gifts that God wants me to nurture and use for this mission, if He calls me to it, are my life’s experiences, especially the painful ones which will bring understanding, and also my relationship with Him, because that is the most pivotal part of my vocation and life.

Real Beauty

2009-10-23T14:34:00.000-04:00

This video is quite impressive on how warped and distorted we have become as a society.

"Beauty" is no longer something achievable by physical terms. But this cannot be so!

God made us in His likeness, therefore we must all be beautiful. This is like a "Duh" moment, but the entertainment business is missing the point.

Kevin Corcoran -- Apostolate

2009-10-22T16:15:00.000-04:00

Reflection of the Youth Center.

My names Kevin Corcoran and I work at the Don Bosco youth center in Orange New Jersey with six other men in formation. I usually begin the night in the position of the door man, welcoming the children into the youth center for the night and setting the mood. While the children are being checked in, the kids already are in the gym playing games with the other guys and some Seton Hall University students who come to hang out. After gathering, we disperse into our different activities. I go downstairs at this time and run arts and crafts. This is always a blessing for me, seeing and encouraging the creativity of children. Although there is a set craft we are making, I encourage the kids to color and decorate, expressing themselves in what they make. Furthermore, with a small group of kids, I get to know them on a more personal basis. This is also special for the kids because they usually get to make something that they can bring home, showing off to their families what they made. After this we go back to the gym for the goodnight. This is also a special time for the kids because this is the part of the night that we focus on religion and Jesus, being ministers to the youth. The group is then split up between the gameroom and the gym. I go downstairs and oversee the gameroom. This is a third time in which I really get to spend a lot of time interacting with the kids. I have wonderful opportunities to actually play with the kids, whether it be pool, fusball, ping pong, air hockey, board games, or some others. The first group of little children then leave and the older guys come in. After their goodnight theres an hour of intense basketball. It seems intimidating at first, however, once you play basketball even once, then your a brother. I get to be a brother to groups, encouraging creativity, religion, and fun through the night.

Kevin Corcoran -- Son of Mary

2009-10-21T16:13:00.000-04:00

A day in the life of a son of Mary

One of the blessings of living in a formation house in rolling out of the bed and into the chapel for mass. After getting up for mass at 7 in the morning, we eat a quick breakfast and jump into the minivans to go to Seton Hall for classes. Education and Roman Catholic Doctrine from 10-12:45 on Mondays and Wednesdays, and philosophy courses from 8:30-12:45 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. After that, I join most of the guys for lunch out on the University green or in one of the buildings if it’s cold. After which I usually go to the library to do homework. At four I meet with the rest of the guys at what we dubbed “The Holy Corner” to be picked up and driven back home. There’s usually about 45 minutes of free time then in which I do more homework. 4:45 sees us all in the chapel again for evening prayers and either the rosary (sometime on a walk through the neighborhood) or spiritual reading followed by an examination of conscious and a goodnight. We relax while eating dinner, do chores, then free time. I usually use this time to do homework or for myself. I always spend at least fifteen minutes a day sitting in quiet meditation before the Blessed Sacrament and go to bed about 10. A simple day yet busy, filled with work, study, and of course, prayer.

God's Signs

2009-10-20T23:49:00.000-04:00

I found some interesting images and i would like to share them with you.

How true is the first? How often do we know where God wants us? It seems like a mystery, and yet right in front of our nose. But that is where our journey begins.

It takes time and of course prayer, with out prayer, we wouldn't know get to that destination, where ever it is.

When does anything really make sense?

Having a break would be nice at times. We place the great big STOP sign and begin to relax and yet God is right beside (or beneath) us urging us to continue.

Just like that song tells us, "don't stop believing." God is getting all of us on our journey and together especially with Him, we'll make it.

Lenny Carlino -- Vocation Story

2009-10-19T16:04:00.000-04:00

Vocation Story-Lenny Carlino

My vocation story begins when I was around six years old. Around that time I still believed in “cooties”, and when my uncle would ask if I had a girlfriend yet, I would always tell him, “I’m not gonna have a girlfriend. I’m gonna be a priest”

I would first start to be serious about my vocation around 8th grade, when I began my year of religion class leading up to Confirmation. One of the requirements was to go to weekly mass. Before this though, my family did not go to mass too often, mostly just on the “big days” (Christmas, Easter, holy week, etc.), so it was strange to have to do that for me.

It was during this time that I started to learn about what Our Lord did for us, and about the true Joy that Jesus the Lord brings us, and how much he loves us. Hearing the Gospels, and just looking at that crucifix every week made me start to want to learn more about my faith, and I didn’t want to stop learning.
Enter St. Thomas More Youth Group!! After confirmation there were no more religion classes, but I did not want to stop learning at such a strong time in my faith. The youth group came and visited at one of our “community nights”, and I was automatically hooked. These people showed so much enthusiasm and were so happy, and I wanted to see what that was all about. This is where I would first learn about the Salesian spirituality and mission. I would end up staying in youth group for all four years of high school, and still plan to be involved as much as possible.

It is because of youth group that I was able to go to JLR (The January Leadership Retreat run by the Salesians). I first went in 2008, my junior year, and the experience was absolutely eye-opening. It was here I saw the love of our Lord and the Lord’s intercession in the lives of those on the young team who were such strong witnesses to Him. Everyone was family because we were united in the mission of Don Bosco and under Jesus Christ. It was also on this retreat I would meet the Salesian seminarians for the first time, those who are now pre-novices, and receive an invitation to think about if I had a vocation.

After this I began to look at my life, and where God was calling me. At this point after some careful deliberation, I did not feel any sort of call to religious life, and I shook off the possibility.
The following year though, would slowly start to bring back the discernment. I got to minister to the participants in STM youth group, and I felt so honored and blessed being able to do that. I got to give a talk at our lock-in, and started growing even more in my spirituality. I would also become a bigger part of the various ministries at the church itself, from lecturing to altar serving.

Then JLR 2009 came around, and I was blessed enough to be a part of the young team. Here I met some of the greatest people I have met in my life, without question, on the young team and the participants of the retreat. As before, we were all family because of our common mission and roots, and here I could feel the family even more. The time in small groups and being able to give a talk too; I felt so in union with God. Again the Salesian formation guys were present, those who are now 2nd year candidates. We also had a small lecture on vocations at one point, and I just felt like I had to at least find out more. Afterwards, Fr. Steve Ryan would come up to me, pull me over to the side, and say straight to me, “you would be a greats Salesian.”

On this retreat I would also have my strongest religious experience of my life, so far. During adoration, for the first time in my life, the Lord gave me the gift of tears, and for about 45 minutes straight I felt a tingle come across my body, and I was left paralyzed in a position with my arms open in prayer, and staring at the most holy sacrament, with tears running down my face non-stop. Afterwards I felt that no matter what my vocation, I had to spread the good Word however I could and that would be my mission in life: to be a witness to God.

My life was changed, and suddenly the idea of being a consecrated Salesian didn’t seem too far off of an idea. I would get in dialogue with Fr. Franco, and I would end up going on a discernment weekend in February. At one point I knew that I had to be here in formation, and, as funny as it sounds, that was when I was helping out in the game room. I ended up playing ping pong with a little boy and girl, and I saw the smiles on their faces, and I couldn’t not be filled with joy at that moment. I would end up filling out the paperwork, and was told of my admittance into the house around June or so.

I have absolutely no regrets. As I write this story it the 8 week anniversary of my moving into the house, and I have already learnt so much in such a short time, about our faith and about myself. The community at the house is absolutely priceless, and we are all brothers. This is a great place for personal formation (spiritual, intellectual, pastoral, and human), and to anyone that is even thinking about a possible vocation you might have, I say go for it!!! Talk with Fr. Franco and Fr. Steve, and they will help and guide you through the process. You have absolutely nothing to lose!!!

Letters from Don Bosco

2009-10-18T10:19:00.000-04:00

These are letters Don Bosco wrote to his boys in the oratory. I think they are helpful for us, and very encouraging.

Dear friend,
I love you with all my heart. It is enough for me to know that you are young for me to love you so much. You bear the treasures of the Lord’s friendship in your heart. Keeping it, you are exceedingly wealthy. Losing it, you are among the poor and unhappy of the world. May the Lord be always with you, and help you to live as his friend. If you behave like that, I assure you that God will always be happy with you, and you will save your soul, the most important thing in life. May God grant you a long and happy life. May the Lord’s friendship always be your wealth in this life and in eternity.
Your friend,
John Bosco, priest

Dear sons,
All of us have been created for heaven. We ought to direct whatever we do towards that great end. Both the prize God has promised and the punishment he has threatened should urge us towards it, but we should love and serve him much more out of the great love he has for us. It is true that he loves all humans as his handiwork, but he has a special affection towards the young ones. You are your Creator’s delight and love. He loves you because you have still much time to do a lot of good; he loves you because your age is one of simplicity, humility, and innocence. You have not, as a rule, become the unhappy prey of the infernal enemy.
The Savior showed special signs of affection to children. He says that all the good done to them he considers it done to himself.
He utters terrible threats to those who scandalize you in word or in deed: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believes in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned into the depths of the sea.” He loved to have children surrounding him; he called them to himself, kissed them, and gave them his blessing.
If he loves you so much, you ought to resolve firmly to correspond, striving to do all that pleases him, and avoiding all that could displease him.
Live happy, and may your wealth consist in the holy fear of God for life.
Most affectionately in Jesus Christ,
John Bosco, Priest

2009-10-16T10:04:00.001-04:00

St. Gerard Majella
Feastday: October 16
Patron of expectant mothers
1755

St. Gerard Majella, religious, is the patron of expectant mothers. He was born at Muro, Italy, in 1726 and joined the Redemptorists at the age of 23, becoming a professed lay brother in 1752. He served as sacristan, gardener, porter, infirmarian, and tailor. However, because of his great piety, extraordinary wisdom, and his gift of reading consciences, he was permitted to counsel communities of religious women.
This humble servant of God also had the faculties of levitation and bi-location associated with certain mystics. His charity, obedience, and selfless service as well as his ceaseless mortification for Christ, made him the perfect model of lay brothers. He was afflicted with tuberculosis and died in 1755 at the age of twenty-nine.
This great saint is invoked as a patron of expectant mothers as a result of a miracle effected through his prayers for a woman in labor.

Prayer: O Great Saint Gerard, beloved servant of Jesus Christ, perfect imitator of your meek and humble Savior, and devoted Child of the Mother of God: enkindle within my heart one spark of that heavenly fire of charity which glowed in your heart and made you an angel of love. O glorious Saint Gerard, because when falsely accused of crime, you did bear, like your Divine master, without murmur or complaint, the calumnies of wicked men, you have been raised up by God as the Patron and Protector of expectant mothers. Preserve me from danger and from the excessive pains accompanying childbirth, and shield the child which I now carry, that it may see the light of day and receive the lustral waters of baptism through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Kevin Corcoran -- Vocation Story

2009-10-12T16:01:00.000-04:00

Throughout the first three years of high school, I was an atheist, simply not believing in the existence of God. Science proved everything to me. In my sophomore year of high school, I took a Lenten walk with my pre-confirmation teacher. The “walk” was more of me asking about the faith and trying to disprove the existence of God. After becoming closer to the teacher, they asked me simply, “What do you want most in life?” I answered immediately from my heart, “love.” What I meant by this was a woman to love, someone to marry, have children with, and spend the rest of my life with. This would become important later.

I continued my classes because I was made to by my parents. The rule was I had to attend classes, but the choice to confirm was my own. At the end of my junior year, I made confirmation. However, I did so for the wrong reasons. I confirmed myself first to, as I put it, “Shut up my parents and teachers”, second in case someone wanted me to be a God-Father in the future I would need to be confirmed. It was truly the work of the Holy Spirit that I came to be confirmed. At the time I considered myself Goth and indeed showed up for the confirmation wearing a tuxedo tailed jacket and goth pants with chains hanging on them.

I continued in my life until at the end of the summer when I began to date a young woman. I had found that love that I had longed for. My stubbornness against the faith began to change. I began to waiver in my beliefs, acknowledging that God could exist but my pride would not let me believe it. I continued to talk to my old teacher and they continued to prove to me that God really was there. He was in my heart, even if I didn’t know it.

On October, 23, 2007 I had the blessing to see a miracle. A few families and I were over at a parishioners house and present were two Benedictine priests. One of them had with him a miracle from Mexico. There exist in Mexico a church built on a spot where rose petals where seen falling from the sky. Each petal had within it, a depiction of a holy image. For example, there was the nativity, Jesus and the crown of thorns, the crucifixion, and Our Holy Mother. These pictures were part of the flower, not the vain and not painted on, but actually in the petal. To see these petals however, they need to be held under the light, for under normal light you cannot see them. Now you are still able to leave a rose at this church, and the petals will fall to the ground with holy images in the petal.

There, on that night, was God in front of me. He was present and very real. An existing and current miracle. How could I deny that. By Christmas, I was a believer again.

A year later, when talking to my cousin who was studying to be a Sister of Life in New York, I mentioned this story and knowing my girlfriend helped. She said a phrase that has struck me since: “You found love, and that is what God is, God is love.”

The following February, 2009, I went on a College Catholic retreat entitled Encounter with Christ. This weekend really taught me to listen to God, and how to do so. At the end of the weekend, I began to start having thoughts of the priesthood. However, I was still dating the girl from the year before, and put off all of these thoughts.

Eventually though, I found need to separate from her, which occurred in March. The entire month I continued to have thoughts of the priesthood. Then, after separating from my girlfriend, I was sitting on a bus, returning to college after a weekend home, I heard the call. I felt in my heart “Kevin, come become a priest for me.” It felt like I was falling in love, all over again. But more deeply and passionately, and this time, it was with Christ. My heart initially embraced it, I responded with everything I had.

After a few weeks though, I began to doubt. I kept thinking and discerning, but I knew what I wanted in my heart, for my life, was to be married. So I began to fight the call. But when you fight with God, you lose. I talked to a seminarian visiting my college about priesthood. I asked questions like, what about marriage and children? He responded by telling me that you marry the Catholic Church and you will have more children, the people of the church, than you ever dreamed of. With this in mind, I began to contemplate diocesan or religious life. With the help of my campus minister, I realized that coming from a big family and loving to be with people, community life would be better for me.

A friend, John, found out I was discerning and started to talk to me. He introduced me to a religious community called the Salesians. He introduced me to an online quiz sponsored by Vision Magazine that matches you up to the religious community that would be best for you. Of course, it turned out to be that the Salesians were at the top of the list. John then led me to their vocation website. After looking at the website for some time he offered that I should go to their discernment weekend with him in April, 2009. At first I was hesitant to go, however, later I consented and bought the plane tickets.

The discernment really emphasized two things: to put aside your fear and to do God’s will, not your own. I continued to fight this though as the weekend went on. But on Saturday night, during adoration, my eyes laid upon the Eucharist, and I knew that there, with the Salesians, is where I belonged. I revealed this to Fr. Franco, the vocation director, and started the application process that night. I finally put aside my fears and started to listen to the word of God and say yes.

Though I continued to have fears throughout the next three months before I joined, a great peace had come over me. I entered the house in August of 2009. I have to continue to listen to God’s will, put aside my fears, and follow his will everyday.

Sisters Video

2009-10-08T09:39:00.000-04:00

I would like to introduce another member of the Salesian Family, the Sisters. They are known as the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA), and do what we Salesians (SDB's) do for girls. They were co-founded by St. Mary Mazzarello and St. John Bosco -- the founder of the Salesians of Don Bosco. They are wonderful people and some of them are my heroes.

Like all Salesian, they know how to have a good time, joking, laughing, and playing, while at the same time praying and show how a simple experience is the grace of God. When we, SDB and FMA come together to celebrate some event, there is a family atmosphere, joyful aura, that is uncanny.

I know that what I say won't do them justice, but maybe Sr. Colleen and Sr. Eileen can enlighten me a bit more. but this video is tribute to all the Salesian Sisters.

Peace

Youth miniSTARZ

2009-10-07T00:17:00.000-04:00

This video has Salesian written all over it. Enjoy.

Saint of the Day

2009-10-05T23:03:00.000-04:00

St. Mary Faustina

St. Mary Faustina's name is forever linked to the annual feast of the Divine Mercy (celebrated on the Second Sunday of Easter), the divine mercy chaplet and the divine mercy prayer recited each day by many people at 3 p.m.

Born in what is now west-central Poland (part of Germany before World War I), Helena was the third of 10 children. She worked as a housekeeper in three cities before joining the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in 1925. She worked as a cook, gardener and porter in three of their houses.

In addition to carrying out her work faithfully, generously serving the needs of the sisters and the local people, she also had a deep interior life. This included receiving revelations from the Lord Jesus, messages that she recorded in her diary at the request of Christ and of her confessors.

At a time when some Catholics had an image of God as such a strict judge that they might be tempted to despair about the possibility of being forgiven, Jesus chose to emphasize his mercy and forgiveness for sins acknowledged and confessed. “I do not want to punish aching mankind,” he once told St. Maria Faustina, “but I desire to heal it, pressing it to my merciful heart” (Diary 1588). The two rays emanating from Christ's heart, she said, represent the blood and water poured out after Jesus' death (Gospel of John 19:34)

Because Sister Maria Faustina knew that the revelations she had already received did not constitute holiness itself, she wrote in her diary: “Neither graces, nor revelations, nor raptures, nor gifts granted to a soul make it perfect, but rather the intimate union of the soul with God. These gifts are merely ornaments of the soul, but constitute neither its essence nor its perfection. My sanctity and perfection consist in the close union of my will with the will of God” (Diary 1107).

Sister Maria Faustina died of tuberculosis in Krakow, Poland, on October 5, 1938. Pope John Paul II beatified her in 1993 and canonized her seven years later.

Justin - Vocation Story

2009-10-04T13:31:00.000-04:00

Justin Czupinski

To make a long story short: I wanted to be a priest and I had found the Diocese far from where my heart was drawn. So I looked into religious life and there found a home with the Salesians of Don Bosco.

I was born and raised in the area of Ann Arbor, Michigan. My parents were both very strong in their faith and from them I learned how to pray and how to think. They created a supportive environment for my siblings and I to grow. We learned to think freely within the bounds of the Church. I myself, a product of their care and attention, felt called to the priesthood. At the time of my calling, of course, I had no idea what this actually meant.

I went through school (at home, in the comfort of my living room! Go homeschooling) with this notion of a vocation in the back of my head. All of siblings knew about it, and because of this, soon all of my friends knew also. Whenever I went somewhere, it was pretty much accepted that I was the priest-to-be. I suppose that made it more convenient because it meant they acted a little more virtuous around me.

I was in eighth grade when I was confirmed. I took the name of John Bosco, which would prove providential. I can now see how, even from before this, he has been guiding my life by his intercession. It was through this time that, by his intercession, God prepared me for my vocation. During my middle school and high school experience I began to develop certain talents. I joined a clowning group. I put on the make-up, the goofy outfit, the big red nose. I gave myself a name and ran around entertaining children with silly juggling, balloon animals, and tripping over my several-sizes-too-large shoes. I also played soccer, moving all around the field, and learning the various positions, but primarily goalie, where I could watch from the back and see how the game was actually played. During this time I also learned my most beloved talent, I learned to play the Highland Bagpipes. These have been my good companions now for six years, though I have long periods of time where I do not play them at all. These and other gifts, such as drawing, modeling, and others, all were and are to fit into my vocation in ways I cannot even imagine.

It was junior year when I started to actually start to look into my vocation. I went on one or two discernment retreats with my Diocese. No go. They were far too removed from everything and everyone I was dear too. I remember on one of them, an overnight, my mother drove me out. As I was loading my stuff into the room, she went to the restroom. I waited for her to come out before saying goodbye and joining the other guys discerning. Later, I learned from her that the vocation director had asked her, “Is Justin going to be okay?” because I had waited for her. Hello? She’s my Mom! I love her and want to show her so!

That was just an example of their, shall we say, aloofness. I looked into the Diocese a little more and realized, I would be living, most likely, in a parish by myself and not in any contact with other people besides my congregation. My family is large, there are nine of us total. And we are very much together. We are a family that both prays together, and stays together. So, the Diocese, which scarcely prays together, much less stays together, was not for me.

I began, with the assistance of my beautiful, wonderful mother, to look for a religious order. The fit was pretty easy. We went to a vocation assistance website and took a test. One order that quickly popped up was the Salesians. I called Fr. Franco Pinto and we scheduled a time for my parents and myself to come down for a discernment weekend in South Orange, NJ. My parents were some of the few to be on this retreat. That was a wonderful experience. Both my parents and myself felt very much at home and welcome. So, it was a fit. There a few other orders that still wanted me, and I gave them some attention, probably more out of politeness than any real discernment. John Bosco had called my name, and I wanted to follow him.

Now all of those little talents that the Good God stirred me to undertake are being used to reach out to people. Often, when someone learns that I am a bagpiper, they say “Oh, you’re the seminarian who pipes!” That’s kind of what I want to be known as. Hopefully people will be caught by the pipes, see me, and see that the Church has a lot to offer through myself and my fellow Salesians, and will follow us to Jesus.

Oh! The Temptations

2009-10-03T00:08:00.000-04:00

Here's an interesting video and can serve a lesson.
It reminds me of sin and the consequences.
And yet if we succeed in overcoming this temptation, a great award is waiting for us.
God is ever so gracious as to give us more marshmallows if we so choose to follow him and obey.

Click here for the full article.

Br. Paul - Vocation Story

2009-10-01T14:23:00.000-04:00

Vocation Story of Br. Paul Phuoc Trong Chu, SDB

God works in mysterious ways! Born and raised in southern Vietnam, I was very much a wild and mischievous boy. Many times, I played hooky and roamed around the city looking for adventures or maybe starting trouble. Despite my maverick attitude, my parents often encouraged me to attend daily Mass. During Mass, I was always fascinated with what happens on the altar, even though I had not a clue what it was about. I wanted to be an altar server. Often, I went to Mass early to hang-out at the sacristy, hoping someone would invite me to serve Mass. Unfortunately, there was never a shortage of servers at our church, so I was never called in to serve. However, my yearning to be closer to the altar stayed ever since.

My family and I emigrated to Springfield, Massachusetts during the winter of 1992. Immediately, we became involved with the Vietnamese Catholic congregation here. After attending a few Masses, my yearning to be an altar server was burning again. Then one day, before Mass, an altar server approached me and asked if I would like to serve. I was very delighted! My dream came true! After some training, I put on the cassock and the cross, ready to serve the Lord. I was very proud to be an altar server!

In the late 1990s, a newly ordained young Vietnamese priest, Fr. Quynh, came to be the shepherd of our congregation. After seeing me as altar server and being involved in many church activities, he suggested to my parents that I may have a vocation to the priesthood. I was only in middle school and the idea of becoming a priest was something I could not understand. My parents, especially my mother, began to encourage me to pray for and think of the priesthood. Often, people in the congregation told me I would make a good priest. This message was often echoed by friends, youth ministers, and many others through out high school and college. Slowly, I began to accept this calling.

After college graduation, I accepted a well-paying job offer near Boston. I lived away from home for a year. Driving to Springfield to visit my family every weekend, I meditated on the Rosary and Our Father prayers. During Mass, I listened carefully to the Scripture proclamation, homily, and the Eucharistic prayers. It seemed like for the first time, I coud hear God talking to me through these beautiful words. When receiving communion, I was moved to tears by the love of Jesus. God has given me so much in life. How can I repay Him? I attended a silent Ignatius Spiritual Exercise retreat. During this retreat , I seriously began to contemplate the meaning of my own life. Then the thought occurred to me: I want to offer myself totally to God.

On my very first trip back to Vietnam after 14 years, my family and I toured our beautiful yet poor home country. It felt more like a pilgrimage as I learned the history of my people, traced my family roots, and asked God what my future is. I prayed for my vocation. At the end of this tour, we stayed in a small town, Pleiku, in the central high-lands of Vietnam. Here, I attended Mass and was immediately captivated by the spiritual aura of the priest. He preached a beautiful sermon to a group of children. There was much love and compassion in the words and sound of his voice as he talked to them. I thought to myself, I want to be this kind of priest. The next day, I was invited to have breakfast with him and his group of young seminarians. He introduced himself as a Salesian of Don Bosco.

A few months after returning to the U.S., I began research about the Salesians of Don Bosco. In September 2006, I attended a 4-day come-and-see at the Salesian formation house in Orange, New Jersey. Immediately, I fell in love with the Salesian's way of life.

On August 27, 2007, I was welcomed into the Salesian family. Studying, living, working, and praying in the Salesian way has grown my conviction that God is calling me to be a priest to work with the young and the poor. The Salesian way of life encourages me to pray and live in union with Jesus Christ; to ever strive for holiness.

Looking back in the past two years, I can see that I have learned and matured much with the Salesians of Don Bosco. More importantly, I can feel the presence of God in my life. He has guided me through this spiritual and human journey with the invitation to go deeper into union with Him.

In the Summer of 2007, while I was still working at a life insurance company as a System Specialist, I took a 3-week vacation to work at the Mary Help of Christian camp in Tampa, Florida. It was a wonderful experience to be at this camp. I was first impressed by the beauty and breadth of this place. It seemed and felt like heaven on earth for kids. There were so many activities like water-skiing, archery, horse-back riding, canoeing, kayaking, swimming and more. Even more impressive was the spiritual aura and joy of this camp. At the chapel, I saw a Salesian sister teaching kids how to worship and praise the Lord through singing and movements. When Mass began, the music would blast with joy as kids and adults alike got into the rhythm and gave their all to God in their movements and gestures.

Each day after camp, I had dinner with the community of St. Philip Residence. In this residence lived a group of Salesian lay brothers and priests. It is a retirement home for these brothers who have worked zealously most of their lives in the service of the young and the poor. Life there was calm and joyful. The brothers and priests were always cracking jokes and telling amusing stories at dinner. There was much laughter and friendship in this house.

As the youngest guy coming from a different cultural background, I felt welcome and accepted by everyone. Though in their late 70s and 80s with much signs of old age, they were at peace and showed much humility in this simple life. They were always kind and generous to me. Often reflecting on this experience, I could sense the holiness of these brothers. They impressed me much with their simple lifestyle and genuine affections toward everyone.

A few weeks later, I quit my job to join the Salesian formation community of Orange, New Jersey as a Pre-Novice. When I first visited this house, a year before entering, I felt the same joy and love among young Salesian priests, brothers, and candidates. But at last I was here after many years of wrestling with my vocation. There were many guys who were also new like me. This first year began the much needed growth in my life.

At first, I really felt the separation anxiety from my family, friends, and home town Springfield, MA. I grew up in a traditional Vietnamese home, worked with Vietnamese youths at nearby Vietnamese parish, and hung out with mostly Vietnamese friends. As you can see, even though I've been living in America most of my life, it felt like I just came into a new country. I felt a cultural shock. Many things were foreign to me here: to speak only in English, to work with and teach African-American, Latino, and white kids, to serve food to the homeless guys, to go in front of hundreds of kids to share my personal vocation story, to do tedious chores in the house, to get along with fellow companions of different ethnicity and temperaments, and to be bombarded with many different classes while visiting the many works of this Province. I was definitely out of my comfort zone. But I kept going because I knew the Lord had a mission for me. He wanted me to be in this Salesian family. So one day during Mass after receiving communion, I broke down in tears. It seemed I heard Jesus was telling me: "Don't be afraid, I love you...my love will wash away all your anxieties". So I prayed: "Lord, I offer up to you my family, friends, and all that is familiar to me. I want to follow you, please help me."

As the time to apply for the Novitiate was approaching, I was quite nervous because I had just gotten used to living in Orange and now, I had to start anew again in a different community. "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." (Matthew 8:20) To follow Jesus, I must continue on. So, I wrote my letter of application and was soon accepted into Novitiate at Port Chester, NY.

During the summer before entering Novitiate, I worked at Camp Echo Bay in New Rochelle, NY. It was a fun and humbling experience. Being group leader of a dozen counselors and responsible for 140 campers from 4th to 6th grade was a great challenge! We started each morning with a prayer, a good morning talk and a cheer: "Pump, pump, pump it up, pump the Jesus spirit up..." or "God is good, all the time...all the time, God is Good...show Him some love!" Some campers were always joyful, others swing from mood to mood, and a few were always getting into troubles. Some counselors were on top of their game, while others needed some encouragement. From these campers and counselors, I've learned much lessons of life. It's so humbling to be an "adult" watching over the campers and to animate the counselors.

Novitiate began with a week long retreat. During this retreat, I heard God speaking to me through Scripture: "I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts." (Ezekiel 36:26). Throughout Novitiate I prayed for this grace, that Jesus would transform my stubborn heart into a kind and loving heart like his Sacred Heart. It's ironic that we have to be careful what we pray for, because God will answer our prayers. He answered my prayer by putting me in difficult situations with difficult people so to teach me how to love others; to love for the sake of others and to look beyond my own selfishness.

It was a year in learning to live the vows of obedience, poverty, and chastity so to imitate Christ. To live these vows is not easy, but I have made up my mind to follow Him in this way and He has made up his mind to help me. Christ gives me strength to overcome all temptations and weaknesses. While developing a deeper prayer life, I was immersed in classes and working with young people. It was there in Port Chester that I developed a greater appreciation for Salesian community life. Living in community, I could see how the Salesian's pedagogy of reason, religion, loving-kindness, and presence are so essential to living together. I am grateful to have lived with Salesians who truly exemplify this spirituality everyday.

Novitiate has helped me to examine closely how I relate to my brother Salesians, young people, as well as family and friends. I came to the realization that just by living my vocation to the best of my ability, I become a sign of hope and faith for others. Often among family, friends, and young people, I did not need to speak or do much, but by being present, listening, and smiling was enough to bring calmness and joy to them.

As in a blink of an eye, the year of Novitiate was ending and First Profession was only moments away. The few weeks leading up to First Profession, I was occupied with sending invitations, making the mass booklet, working at camp, closing personal bank accounts, seeing the doctor to ensure I was in good health, and tying up loose ends. The week before Profession, I was on retreat with fellow Salesians at the Marian Shrine in Stony Point, NY. Here, I experienced the family atmosphere and friendships with fellow professed Salesians; I felt very at home. Then, it was the day of Profession and to look down from the pulpit as I was proclaiming the Scripture and see all family members, Salesian confreres, Salesian Sisters, Cooperators, friends, and young people it was a touching experience. They all have come to pray for and encourage me to take this pivotal step in life. It was only 4 years ago, that I've expressed my desire to offer my life to God. Now, I was kneeling in His Church in front of Fr. Provincial professing: "...with complete freedom I offer myself totally to you..." I now belong totally to God. It is no longer I who live for myself, but God who lives in me and work through me.

I made my First Profession on August 16, 2009. Now as Post-Novice, for the next two years I will be studying philosophy and pre-theology at Seton Hall University in preparation for the priesthood some years from now. May you be encouraged by the love of Jesus to follow him now and always. Amen.

Visit to Goshen

2009-09-30T09:04:00.000-04:00

The headstones were a dull gray, covered in weeds, moss, and algae blackened the names of the former Salesians of the Province of the Eastern United States. The deceased were honored with a marble crucifix covered in mildew from open exposure to the weather and a shrine to the Patron of the Salesian Brothers, St Joseph, in need of repainting. A statue of the founder, Don Bosco, surrounded by weeds, and a statue of Mary Help of Christians also graced the grounds. This was the state of the small cemetery for Salesian religious when we first arrived.

It was about ten o’clock in the morning when we got there. We Pre-novices had been given the task, with two other brothers and a priest, of cleaning up the small plot of land, hallowed by the bodies of our confreres. In the morning we worked at cleaning up the small plot of land. We worked through to the afternoon, stopping for a brief lunch. By two o’clock, the cemetery was looking like a vibrant testimony to the lives of the Salesians which they had spent working for the young people of our country.

It was very edifying to work in honor of some of our predecessors. As I pulled weeds from around a headstone I looked down at the writing on it. The man died a year after I was born. He was Italian, and was born in the 1870s. A chill went up my spine as I realized, “Any number of these men could have actually known Don Bosco. I could be working for some of the past pupils of the Oratory of St. Francis De Sales!”

Saint of the Day

2009-09-29T22:24:00.000-04:00

ST. MICHAEL, ST. GABRIEL, ST. RAPHAEL

Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are called "saints" because they are holy. But they are different from the rest of the saints because they were not human. They are angels. They are protectors of human beings and we know something about each of them from the Bible.

Michael's name means "who is like God?" Three books of the Bible speak of St. Michael: Daniel, Revelation and the Letter of Jude. In the book of Revelation or the Apocalypse, chapter 12:7-9, we read of a great war that went on in heaven. Michael and his angels battled with Satan. Michael became the champion of loyalty to God. We can ask St. Michael to make us strong in our love for Jesus and in our practice of the Catholic religion.

Gabriel's name means "the power of God." He, too, is mentioned in the book of Daniel. He has become familiar to us because Gabriel is an important person in Luke's Gospel. This archangel announced to Mary that she was to be the mother of our Savior. Gabriel announced to Zechariah that he and St. Elizabeth would have a son and call him John. Gabriel is the announcer, the communicator of the Good News. We can ask him to help us be good communicators as he was.

Raphael's name means "God has healed." We read the touching story of Raphael's role in the Bible's book of Tobit. He brought protection and healing to the blind Tobit. At the very end of the journey, when all was completed, Raphael revealed his true identity. He called himself one of the seven who stands before God's throne. We can ask St. Raphael to protect us in our travels, even for short journeys, like going to school. We can also ask him to help when illness strikes us or someone we love.

In honor of these three archangels, we can say a short prayer of thanksgiving and praise to God.

Saint of the Day

2009-09-27T13:26:00.000-04:00

St. Vincent de Paul

Vincent, the son of poor French peasants, was born in 1581. When he grew up and became famous, he loved to tell people how he had taken care of his father's pigs. Because he was intelligent, his father sent him to school. And after finishing his studies, Vincent became a priest. At first, he was given an important position as the teacher of rich children, and he lived rather comfortably. Then one day, he was called to the side of a dying peasant. In front of many people, this man declared that all his past confessions had been bad ones. Suddenly Father Vincent realized how badly the poor people of France needed spiritual help. When he began to preach to them, crowds went to confession.

He finally decided to start a congregation of priests to work especially among the poor. The charities of St. Vincent de Paul were so many that it seems impossible for one person to have begun so much. He took care of criminals who worked on the sailing ships. He started the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity with St. Louise de Marillac. He opened hospitals and homes for orphans and old people. He collected large sums of money for poor areas, sent missionaries to many countries, and bought back prisoners from the Mohammedans. Even though he was such a charitable man, however, he humbly admitted that he was not so by nature. "I would have been hard, rough and ill-tempered," he said "were it not for God's grace."

Vincent de Paul died in Paris on September 27, 1660. He was proclaimed a saint in 1737 by Pope Clement XII. "It is not sufficient for me to love God if I do not love my neighbor.I belong to God and to the poor."-St. Vincent de Paul

Saint of the Day

2009-09-24T11:29:00.000-04:00

ST. PACIFICUS

A little Italian boy born in 1653 was named Charles Anthony. He was just five years old when his loving parents died. He was sent to live with his uncle. This uncle was a cross, mean man. He treated Charles worse than a servant. Yet the boy took this hard treatment quietly and patiently. When he was seventeen, Charles joined the Franciscans and took the habit. He chose the name Pacificus, which means "peaceful."

After he became a priest, he was made a teacher, but his great desire was to become a preacher. How happy he was when his superior sent him on a preaching mission to many little towns and villages. St. Pacificus was very popular with people in the country because his talks were simple and gentle. Besides that, he had the marvelous gift of reading consciences. Once, he reminded a man in confession that he had been unkind to his mother and he had also kept impure thoughts in his mind. What Father Pacificus said was true. The man was very sorry for his sins.

Everywhere the priest went to preach and hear confessions, he did much good. But when he had been preaching only about six years, Pacificus had to give it up because of ill health. He became blind, deaf and crippled. He spent his time praying and doing penance in his monastery. He helped others in any way he could.

God was always very close to him. He gave him the gift of prophecy. St. Pacificus foretold the great victory of the Christian armies over the Turks at Belgrade. He also said to a bishop, "Your Excellency-heaven! Heaven! And I will follow you soon!" About two weeks later, the bishop died. Not long after, just as he had said, St. Pacificus died, too. It was the year 1721. Many miracles took place at his grave. Fr Pacificus was proclaimed a saint by Pope Gregory XVI in 1839.

St. Pacificus had a sad childhood. He could have let himself become an angry, frustrated adult. Instead, he prayed to Jesus for a forgiving, patient heart. His hard times were turned into moments of growing in his love for God and people. Because he had suffered, he could sympathize with the hurts of others and help them to find God in their lives. Pacificus devoted his life to preaching, and to sharing the gifts he had received from God. Each of us has been blessed by God in different ways. How am I called to share my gifts with others?

Marc - Vocation Story

2009-09-23T03:31:00.000-04:00

My name is Marc, a native of Cleveland, Ohio. I’ve grown up Catholic, went to Catholic schools all the way through high school. I am a typical ‘cradle catholic’ if you will; and not at the same time. I started my discernment when I was in my junior year of high school. The first half of my high school career was… well… going down the tubes. It got to the point where I despised all that was Christian and Catholic.

I attended a Jesuit high school in Cleveland, as a policy, every student had to attend a retreat before he could get his diploma. So I signed up for the first one of the year, get it over with. At the beginning of my junior year, I wanted to have a religion; I remembered that when I was Catholic, I was at least a little happier. So I began some soul searching. I started to read about other religions and then I would practice their life for a week. After that week, if I liked it, I would continue to live that life style, if not I would move on to the next one.

I studied Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, and a few more. I found the most truth in Judaism, but I didn’t feel that it was enough; there was more I craved that truth. I then tried Catholicism again; Protestant sects were out of the question. I didn’t see the logic in joining a protestant church which was just an off shoot of another.

Back to the retreat, it was a weeklong retreat, at the beginning of my search for truth. A Jesuit priest from Ireland came with us; he was on vacation at the time. Now I will say that it was not on the retreat that I heard the ‘call.’ It was this priest that listened to me, something that I never had. I was amazed! I never knew that priests would do that. My view of them was that they said the mass on Sundays and vanishes or taught class and vanished. And here was a priest, spending time with me, helping me, being a friend. I didn’t understand, I kept asking myself, ‘why?’

So I decided to start reading up on what priests are and why they do what they do. Once I started reading I couldn’t stop. This reading got me more into the Catholic faith, and from then on out, I craved spiritual books, asking questions, and trying to understand the faith as best as I could.

My senior year of high school, I contacted the vocation director of the Jesuits. He advised that I continue with my education and go to College. So I went to Eastern Michigan University, keeping in contact with him. While I was there, I became involved with the student parish. There was a service for resident students called, ‘adopt a student,’ where a resident parishioner “adopts” a student. The idea is to give the student support and the student would meet up with that family every now and then.

I was paired with a family whose son was discerning with the Salesians, Justin Czupinski. We traded vocation stories and the visit was wonderful. The one thing that I took away from that was how Justin taught me how to discern; mainly it takes prayer. That was one thing that I failed to do. So I started and found myself at the vision webpage searching for religious orders.

I was contacted by Fr. Franco Pinto, vocation director for the Salesians, and decided to fly to New Jersey for a discernment retreat. By the time I had to leave, I didn’t want to go. The Salesian had a joy that I didn’t think was possible, a genuine joy, I found myself desiring that same joy. It is hard to express how wonderful they were then and are now.

So I finished that first year of college, went back to Cleveland, and spent that year paying off my student loans. This is my second year with the Order and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Marc Stockhausen

Eduardo's Story

2009-09-22T22:15:00.000-04:00

Hello, my name is Eduardo Chincha and I come from Port Chester, NY. I was born in Lima, Peru in 1989 and I moved to the USA in 2002 when I was twelve years old. I was educated by the Salesians in Peru since I was six years old, the school was called Colegio Salesian San Francis de Sales. I only have good memories that school and of the Salesians there.

When I moved to Port Chester I had no idea that of all places, I would find Salesians right there too. They ran the parish I that i became a part of, Holy Rosary.

From time to time the priests who ran Holy Rosary Church and youth center would tell me that I would make a good priest some day. At the beginning I just ignored it. Later on I would get annoyed because I didn’t want to think that was my call.

When I was in high school I needed I job, and I was asked to work as a counselor at the Don Bosco Boys and Girls Club, and it was fun. Later, I discovered that working with the youth was not always easy; there can be many challenges.

Despite the difficulties I continued to work there, and as time went on and I learned of the preventive system and more about Don Bosco. As time went I realized how much need many children had and how much I could help them. I began to dedicate more to my job, I was tutoring and organizing games for the kids at our Youth Center.

Almost two years ago, I began to discern more about my vocation to the priesthood. I went to NCYC and later to come and see weekend in South Orange and Life Camp; but I was hesitant and tried to fight my vocation. Along that year I met the Salesian novices and other guys in formation as well as others discerning like me.

One day I went to the movies with my friends (mostly girls) and tried to get this crazy idea about a vocation out of my head. And by some odd chance that day was the Salesian novices day out, which the spent at the same movie theater I was in, and were behind me in the ticket line. I saw them and the saw me and knew what I was up to, so I ignored them. A few minutes later i went to talk to them for a while, it was really funny and a little awkward.

As months passed and I meditated more on my vocation I felt that God was really calling me to follow him more closely and that God was present in all the events I have shared with you. So I applied to be accepted as a candidate. Right now, I am a pre-novice with the Salesians in Orange, NJ.

For me, everyday is a choice to continue to discern God’s call, and I pray to Him to help me continue in this path. I had never taken a bigger risk in my life and it is a steep climb, but I have never been happier with any other decision I made.

150th Anniversary

2009-09-19T15:04:00.000-04:00

«He summoned those He wanted and they came to Him» (Mk 3,13)

ON THE 150th ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING
OF THE SALESIAN CONGREGATION

Our young ‘founding fathers’

So the Salesian Congregation came into existence. So we came into existence. Those eighteen are our ‘founding fathers’, most of theme extremely young; with the exception of Fr Alasonatti, 47 years of age, and Don Bosco, 44 years of age; Fr Rua, spiritual director was 22 years of age; Fr Savio, the economer, 24; the councilors, still clerics, were all in their twenties.

It seems to me useful to give at least a sketch of them to preserve them in our minds and hearts as our co-founders with Don Bosco. They are part of Don Bosco’s life and of the history of the Congregation, and therefore of ours.

Victor Alasonatti, 47 years of age
The only one older than Don Bosco. An amiable yet stern priest, for 19 years he had been a teacher of the children in the elementary school in Avigliana, where he had been born on 15 November 1812. Joking and pulling his leg (they had been companions at the Ecclesiastical College), Don Bosco persuaded him to come to the Oratory to ‘help him to say the Breviary’ among the two hundred boys in the house and the thousand in the Oratory (‘Not a bit like your little school!’ joked Don Bosco).

He arrived the evening before the feast of the Assumption in 1854, keeping up the joke with Don Bosco: “Where do I go to say the Breviary?” Don Bosco put onto his shoulders all the administration of his house, until then managed by Joseph Buzzetti and Mamma Margaret (worn out by now: she was to die two years later). In 1855, after Michael Rua, he was the first to take private religious vows into the hands of Don Bosco.

He was professed as a Salesian on 14 May 1862. He worked ceaselessly and quietly for Don Bosco and the Salesian Society, as the first Prefect, until his death at Lanzo on 7 October 1865 when he was 53 years of age.

Michael Rua, 22 years of age
Born in Turin on 9 June 1837 into a working class family, he lost his father at eight years of age. He became fascinated by Don Bosco while attending the first schools of the De La Salle Brothers. He declared under oath: “I remember that when Don Bosco came to say Mass for us […], something like an electric shock seemed to run through all the children. They would jump to their feet and leave their places to mill about him […] It took quite some time before he could get through to the sacristy. There was nothing the good Brothers could do to prevent this apparent disorder, and so we had our way. Nothing of this sort happened when other priests came, even pious and renowned ones …

The secret of this attachment could only be explained by their awareness of the spiritual and untiring love he felt for their souls.” Sometimes Don Bosco gave everyone a little medal. When it was Michael’s turn, Don Bosco made a strange gesture: holding out his right hand he pretended to cut it with his left while saying to him: “Take it Michael take it.” Michael didn’t understand but Don Bosco explained it for him: “We two we’ll go halves in everything.”

He entered the Oratory on 25 September 1852 and put on the clerical habit at the Becchi, on 3 October 1852; he really became Don Bosco’s right hand man: on 26 January 1854 he took part in the meeting where the close-knit group of collaborators received the same of ‘Salesians’. On 25 March 1855 (at 18 years of age) he became the first Salesian taking private vows in the hands of Don Bosco.

As a student of theology he helped Don Bosco in the St Aloysius Oratory; in 1858 he accompanied him to Rome to meet the Pope, to whom Don Bosco presents his Congregation. Still only a subdeacon he is elected Spiritual Director of the Society just begun. Ordained a priest on 29 July 1860, he makes his perpetual profession on 15 November 1865. At 26 years of age (1863), he obtains his diploma as a secondary school teacher and is sent by Don Bosco to direct the first Salesian house outside Turin, at Mirabello Monferrato.

Having returned to Turin in 1865 he is “the second Don Bosco’ in the Salesian Work which is continuing to expand. Don Bosco will say one day: “If God had said to me: ‘Choose a boy endowed with all the virtues and talents you would like him to have, and I will give him to you’, I would never have a imagined anyone as gifted as Fr Rua”. Appointed by Leo XIII Vicar of Don Bosco in 1884, he becomes, on the death of the Founder, his first Successor and spends his life traveling in order to keep the great family of Don Bosco united and faithful, as it was really exploding in every part of the world.

On Don Bosco’s death he received 64 Salesian houses, 22 years later when he died the foundations had risen to 341. In 1910, the year of his death, the first biography, written by Eliseo Battaglia appears; the title, hitting the mark, describes him well: “A Prince of Kindness.”

Angelo Savio, 24 years of age.
A fellow country man of Don Bosco, he was 15 when he arrived at the Oratory on 4 November 1850. He had already known the little saint Dominic Savio (a few years younger than him) since they lived in neighboring villages. He used to recall: “In the holidays I was at home feeling not very well; he came to cheer me up with his pleasant manner and kind words. Sometimes he came hand in hand with his two little brothers.

Before he left the Oratory for the last time (1857) he came to give me a final hug.” Elected Economer General for the first time in 1859 while still a deacon he was re-elected in 1869, the year of his perpetual profession, and again in 1873. At that time Don Bosco entrusted him with responsibility for the houses being built on the Ligurian coast and on the Cote d’Azur: Alassio, Vallecrosia, Marseille. Then he sent him to Rome to oversee the work of the construction of the Church and the House of the Sacred Heart. At 50 years of age (1885) he asked Don Bosco to let him finish with walls and money and left as a missionary for Patagonia, which he traversed on long apostolic/missionary journeys.

Tireless and zealous he founded Salesian houses in Chile, in Perú, in Paraguay and in Brazil. He died on 17 May 1893 while on a journey of exploration in Ecuador, where a new mission had been entrusted to the Salesians. In the dream of the wheel (4 May 1861) Don Bosco saw him in distant parts. His co-workers remembered him as a deeply prayerful consecrated religious.

This will be a running series of the people who started the Salesian Congregation with Don Bosco. I hope you enjoy their stories! I know that they have been an ispiration to the prenovices.
God Bless you all!

Adam Dupre's Story

2009-09-15T21:44:00.000-04:00

I am Adam Dupre. I did not start discerning a call to the priesthood until I was a senior in high school. In 2004 my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer. It was at this point that I started to pray, and began to know the great treasures that prayer have. Until this point I was a typical lapsed Catholic. I went to Mass every once in a while and I had attended CCD classes and had received all of my Sacraments. At this point in my life I did not really believe in the Sacraments, but I just went along with the crowd. It was not until my grandmother's illness that I figured out how to pray, and how my faith would be found and have a profound affect on my life.

In April of 2005, around the time that the Servant of God John Paul II was dying, I had witnessed my grandmother receiving forgiveness of her sins in the Last Rites. This was a very moving moment for me in my faith, and in my relationship with Christ. When I saw my grandmother receive this I felt something inside of me change. I began to feel woozy. I ran outside to get some air, and then I vomited. It was a very moving experience for me both physically and emotionally.

When my grandmother had been moved to hospice I had decided to skip school on a particular Monday. When I arrived at the hospice care center, I was immediately met by my mother and a priest and I was afraid. The first thought that had popped into my head was that I got caught skipping school. The second was that my grandmother had passed away. Well, I was in trouble, kind of. My mother had caught me skipping school. The priest were there laughing with my mother, and the priest turned to me and said, "If you do not become a priest, your mother is going to Hell!" I was petrified when I heard this. But the priest and my mother began laughing and it turned out that they had known each other for a long time. Little did I know that although what the priest had said was very blunt, it was the planting of a seed that grew pretty fast.

My grandmother passed into Eternal Life on April 11, 2005. My grandfather stood at her bedside, the only one who was there. I remeber being up late on evening of the 10th of April. My mother had returned home from the hospice care center. She went to her room and she said that they were not sure if my grandmother would make it through the night. Early in the morning I heard the phone ring. I heard my mother scurrying around upstairs and when she had come downstairs she gave me a hug and said that my grandmother went home. I knew what she was talking about and my emotions were flooded. My mother pulled out of the driveway and made her way to the hospice center to be with my grandfather.

I stayed home and I prayed in a way that I had never prayed before. The moment I heard my grandmother had passed on, I was changed. I somehow felt that my life had a meaning to it that I was to come to understand someday and that it would be something that not just anyone could do. Little did I know that this was going to be the beginning of something extraordinary.

At my grandmother's month mind Mass, it happened also to be the Mass in which Fr. Michael Najim, the Diocese of Providence Vocation Director, was there preaching on vocations. I didn't have the courage to yet say that I was discerning, but I was. So I shook his hand after Mass and took an inquiry card. I sent it in at a later date.

When I decided to visit the diocesan seminary I was happy to be in such a holy place. I discerned with the Diocese of Providence for two years. After beginning the application process I went as far as the psychological testing. I finally discerned that life in the diocese was not for me. There was something missing in it. Community

I was looking for something that had a community center. So I went on line looking for it. I went to a vocations match website. They asked me a bunch of questions and I answered them. They set me up with a bunch of different religious communities, everything from the Maryknoll Fathers, to the Franciscans, to the Salesians. Well I guess you can tell who I picked. I picked the Salesians! The Salesians have a family spirit to them. No matter where you go you feel like you are at HOME! It is a wonderful feeling.

I am happy to say that after applying to and being accepted by the Salesians in the Eastern Province of St. Phillip the Apostle in the United States, (SUE). My director is Fr. Steve Leake, S.D.B. He is a great man of great character. He is a person who has been the one helping me to become a better person. I love being a Salesian. This year I am a pre-novice. That means that I am taking this year to work on my human development. To really discern on the human level if I can indeed live this life. I believe that I am called to live life with the Salesians. But I will wait to write about my experiences with the Salesians for another post.

Until next time I will keep you all in my prayer and pray that God leads you to your vocation in life, what ever it may be.

God Bless you!

Adam N. Dupre.

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ON THE 150th ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE SALESIAN CONGREGATION

Adam Dupre's Story

ON THE 150th ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING
OF THE SALESIAN CONGREGATION