Visit to Goshen

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

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

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

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

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

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

«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

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.

Guys in Formation

I just wanted to share this family photo with all of you! This year we are blessed here at Don Bosco Residence to have 21 men in formation! The number has grown steadily over the past few years and we hope and pray that we might continue to move in this direction. We also have another 11 men in other centers in formation for our province. God is so good and generous with us! Let's pray that more and more young people will say yes to the call to follow Christ in the service of the young like Don Bosco! Here is the link to the vocation office for more information on the Salesians.

I thought I would invite all of you to pray for our men:

Candidates

Lenny Carlino (New York)
Chris Carlson (New York)
Kevin Corcoran (Virginia)
Travis Gunther (Arkansas)
Eric Loster (Michigan)
Mark O'Dea (New Jersey)
Matt Panozzo (Texas)
Dan Quebedeaux (Louisiana)
Kyle Zinno (Arkansas)

Pre-novices

Eduardo Chincha (New York)
Justin Czupinski (Michigan)
Adam Dupre (Rhode Island)
Andrew Smolin (New Jersey)
Marc Stockhausen (Ohio)

Post-novices
Br. Paul Chu (Massachusetts)
Br. Minh Danh (Virginia)
Br. Wilgintz Polynice (New York)
Br. Gustavo Ramirez (California)
Br. Dieunel Victor (New York)

and Theologian Br. Mike Leschinski (Ohio)

We have 2 Novices

Philip Ehling (Ohio)
Juan Pablo Rubio (Michigan)

Please pray also for the men in formation who are out teaching:

John Langan (Connecticut)
Andy Lucchese (California)
Br. Mike Equino (New York)
Br. Rob Malusa (New York)

And our theologians in Jerusalem

Br. Jim Zettel (Ontario)
Br. Matt DeGance (Florida)
Deacon Manny Gallo (Florida)

And in Mexico

Br. Miguel Suarez (New York)
Br. Fidelmar Perez (Illinois)

May they all continue to say yes to God's will in their lives!

Welcome to Friend of the Young. This website is run by the Salesians of Don Bosco in Orange, NJ. The men who will contribute to this website are seminarians in formation for the Salesians of Don Bosco.

For those of you who do not know who Don Bosco is; Don Bosco was born John Melchior Bosco on August 16, 1815 to Francis and Margaret (Occhiena) Bosco. Born the youngest out of three. The oldest was Anthony who was John’s half brother. Anthony was born out of Francis’ first marriage in which his mother passed away. Joseph is the middle child in the family. Anthony would later be one of the hardships that John faced in his childhood.

When John was only two years old his father Francis passed away from pneumonia. One of John’s earliest memories was of his mother telling him, “John, you have no father now.” This stuck with John the rest of his life and was something that he remembered when he worked with the youth of Italy, and later around the world.

At the age of nine John Bosco had a dream in which Jesus and Mary appeared to him. In this dream they explained to him the mission of his life. John used this dream at age 9 as a roadmap for the rest of his life.

On December 9, 1859 Don Bosco asked 22 young men into his chambers and talked to them about the beginning of a religious congregation. Don Bosco already had the unofficial approval of the pope to begin this congregation. Don Bosco always had one problem. He could get people to help him in his mission but there was nothing that bound them to him or to the mission. When the 22 met in Don Bosco’s chambers he told them of what he wanted to do and that he wanted them to be a part of it. He asked them not to speak of this to anyone and he wanted all of them to go and pray and discern if this is what God wanted them to do.

On the evening of December 18, 1859 Don Bosco reconvened the young people in his chambers. 17 were present, including Don Bosco. They all took vows on that night and thus began officially the Salesian Congregation. They had the first Superior Chapter that evening too. They began the works that we see today present in over 120 countries around the world, staffed by over 17,000 professed members of the Salesians of Don Bosco, (S.D.B.)