Vol. 13, No. 24 SALESIANS OF DON BOSCO, PROVINCE OF ST

Vol. 13, No. 24
SALESIANS OF DON BOSCO, PROVINCE OF ST. PHILIP THE APOSTLE
December 10, 2015
Birthday Celebrations
10
17
18
18
25
25
25
December
Fr. James Berning
Fr. Steve Ryan
Fr. Mark Hyde
Bro. Donald Caldwell
Fr. Michael Mendl
Bro. Ronald Chauca
Bro. Gerald Warner
Pray for the Sick
by Fr. Mike Mendl, SDB
F
r. Paul Bedard died on December 7, 2015, at Carrollwood Care Center in Tampa.
The cause of death was complications from Parkinson’s disease. Fr. Paul, a
member of the Salesian community of Mary Help of Christians Center in Tampa, had turned 89 just three weeks earlier. He was a Salesian for 58 years and a priest for 50
years.
Paul was born to Camille & Emilia Bedard in Saco, Me., on November 16, 1926. After
his graduation from St. Louis High School in Biddeford, Me., he served in the U.S. Army in
Japan, tried college under the G.I. Bill but dropped out, and then went to work for Standard
Oil in Saudi Arabia for two years. Dissatisfied with that life, he returned to the States “and
drifted for the next two years” but began attending daily Mass and thinking about the priesthood again—having made a short-lived experiment with Maryknoll’s junior seminary in the
1940s. Several orders turned him down because of either age or lack of a college degree.
Thus after quite a few years of trying to discern God’s will for his life, he discovered the
Salesians through a vocation ad in Our Sunday Visitor, and he was accepted as a Son of
Mary at the old age of 29, enrolling at Don Bosco College in Newton, N.J., in July 1955.
Paul’s 1956-1957 novitiate classmates included the future Bros. John Andres, Charles
Bryson, Jerry Cincotta, George Marquis, Tony Matse, Bill Regner, Joe Reza, and Joe Tortorici and Frs. Leo Baysinger, Jerry Bonjean, Bernard Dabbene, Tony D’Angelo, Jim Naughton, and Charles Ruloph. They made their first vows on September 8, 1957, at St. Joseph’s
Novitiate in Newton.
Bro. Paul earned a B.A. in philosophy from DBC in 1960 and then went as a missionary
to Montero, Bolivia, where the Salesians were attempting to start an agricultural school.
When that didn’t work out, he taught in the diocesan minor seminary in Cochabamba. He did
theological studies in Argentina (1962-1965), but returned to the U.S. for ordination at Newton in 1965 and some brief experience on the staffs of Savio High School in East Boston, the
Marian Shrine in Haverstraw, and Salesian Missions in New Rochelle (1965-1966).
Following ordination, Fr. Paul returned to Bolivia to complete his theological studies and
then teach high school (1966-1967). Encountering difficulties related in part to anti-












Fr. Dominic DeBlase
Fr. Sid Figlia
Fr. Bernard Gilliece
Bro. Jerry Harasym
Fr. James Marra
Fr. John Masiello
Fr. Armand Quinto
Fr. Gennaro Sesto
Fr. Michael Morrow,
Salesian Cooperator
Juanita Canterino, Salesian
Cooperator
Louise Yankowski, Salesian
Cooperator
Aura Veliz, Bro. Jhoni
Chamorro’s mother
Remember Those Who Died
 Norvil Fernandes, Fr. Tarcisio
dos Santos’s brother-in-law
 Felicita Cattaneo, mother of
Fr. Francesco Cereda
December 10, 2015
E-Service
Americanism and in part to antipathy from a superior (whom he
struggled for years to be able to forgive), he returned to the
New Rochelle Province, where he served in a variety of ministries for the next 43 years.
He was briefly an assistant pastor at Holy Rosary Parish in
Port Chester, N.Y. in 1967 and then was sent to Archbishop
Shaw High School in Marrero to teach (1967-1968). He wasn’t
happy doing that and took a two-year leave of absence for vocational discernment, serving as a parish priest in Portland, Ore.
(1968-1970); he decided that he wanted to remain a Salesian.
He was assigned as a teacher at Don Bosco Tech in Boston
(1970-1975)—which was his favorite assignment—and Salesian Prep in Cedar Lake (1976-1978), with a year between as
assistant pastor at St. Anthony Parish in Paterson.
The parish ministry that he found more satisfying than the
classroom occupied most of the rest of his active life: Ste.
Claire in Montreal (1978-1984), Mary Help of Christians in
New York (1984-1985), Holy Rosary in Port Chester (1991),
St. Anthony in Paterson (1991-1994), St. Anthony in Elizabeth
(1994-1996), St. Benedict in Etobicoke (2004), and St. John
Bosco in Chicago (2004-2005).
From 1985 to 1990 Fr. Paul was chaplain at Mercy Hospital
in Miami, for which he prepared by taking a clinical pastoral
education course at Cabrini Medical Center in New York and
attaining chaplain’s certification. This program developed him
personally as well as professionally. To his supervisor,
staff, and peers he demonstrated “honesty, integrity,
and commitment to be himself, a strong faith and the
ability to share this faith with
others,” as well as his love for
Don Bosco and the Salesians;
they saw him as a prayerful
man
He served on the retreat
teams at Sacred Heart Retreat
Center in Ipswich (19961999) and Don Bosco Retreat
Center in Haverstraw (20052010). From 1999 to 2004 he
was responsible for care of
sick and elderly Salesians in Stony Point. He made a short foray
into the foreign missions again in 1990, in Sierra Leone.
Fr. Paul’s fluency in both French and Spanish benefited
many. Still, in 2007 he described his life as a Salesian as
“mostly in the background, unimpressive, bland.” Earlier this
year, he confessed that he couldn’t think of anything he’d done
worth remembering: he never held “positions of authority” and
“was a mediocre teacher.” He considered himself to have been a
“flunky” in parish work who gave homilies neither “stimulating
nor inspiring.” He also humbly confessed, “I know I could have
tried harder, been more spiritual,” and he regretted not always
having imitated “our Lord, our Blessed Mother, St. Joseph, St.
John Bosco, Michael Rua, and the thousands of great Salesians
who have been examples to follow.”
His confreres observed him in a different light. Fr. Romeo
Trottier wrote: “I lived with Paul a few years in Montreal at SteClaire Parish; he was assistant pastor at the beginning of the
1980s. He was really a man of service and he did it with great
generosity. Much empathy for the poor (beggars) who asked for
help—even to the point of cooking a steak for them at 9 in the
evening. [He was] faithful in visiting the sick—e.g., Communion on 1st Friday. He was a man of prayer and faithful to attendance in community.”
Fr. Paul summed up his spiritual life with quotations from
St. Augustine and St. Paul: “Our hearts are restless until they
rest in You” from Augustine, and “I live now, not I, but Christ
within me” from Paul.
Published weekly by the Salesians of Don Bosco for Canada and the Eastern U.S.A.
SALESIANS
OF DON BOSCO
2
Copyright ©2015 - Salesian Society, Province of St. Philip the Apostle, Inc.
PO Box 639, New Rochelle, NY 10802-0639 USA
Publisher: Very Rev. Steve Shafran, SDB, Provincial
Editor: Fr. Michael Mendl, SDB - [email protected]
Design & Distribution: Fr. Dennis Donovan, SDB
When reading on electronic media, click on photos or links for more info.
(Continued on page 10)
December 10, 2015
E-Service
MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
FR. ANGEL FERNANDEZ ARTIME, SDB
CHILDREN DON’T KNOW THE WORD RACE
translated by Fr. Mike Mendl, SDB
“What does the birth of Jesus
mean?”
“I’ll stay with you; I won’t forget
you!” (Annetta, age 7)
“Thank you, O Lord, for preserving the contacts between the
earth and Heaven.” (Ninnina,
age 12)
I saw a photograph of two infants, two or
ANS
three years old, one with black skin and
the other with white skin. The infant with
black skin was caressing the white infant,
instinctively and affectionately. The deep feeling conveyed by such a natural gesture suggested to me the message
I should address to you with my best wishes for a Holy Christmas 2015.
My beloved Salesian Family spread throughout the world, friends of don Bosco, of his educational system, and of
his works, we are going through a period of time tragically interwoven with violence, fear, and senseless persecution, a time of hatred and discrimination, a time of armaments. Perhaps mankind has never experienced anything
like it.
Certainly I’m not forgetting the First and Second World Wars, which we can’t erase from our cultural memories
lest anything so fearful ever be repeated. But neither can I avoid painful reference to this wave of violence that is
overrunning our world.
When we began to think that with the end of the “Cold War” between the two great blocs the world would be
on its way toward a long and stable peace, a whirlwind of great and small conflicts burst out, rooted in terrorism,
selective aggression, coldly calculated to turn into real civil wars. That’s happened in Syria, and the never-beforeseen exodus is the most evident expression of all this. We’re all surprised and confused by this.
We ask ourselves: what’s happening to us? Where has our profound humanism gone? What has become of our
search for the common good, the well-being of everyone? Where are the results so awaited and the successes
announced and hoped for from the agreements that all peoples reached in the United Nations? Where were all
these cruel and devastating ideologies born? What good have all the efforts of the Nobel Peace Prize done?
3
December 10, 2015
E-Service
I look at the two infants, one white and the other black, and I think that’s the answer. Children don’t know the
word race, nor the ideologies that segregate and slay. Hence they can be friends.
The bottom line of our discourse we’ve read many times in the Gospel: only a pure heart, uncorrupted and uncontaminated, like that of children, will enter Kingdom of Heaven.
It’s Christmas and we’re celebrating precisely this Mystery of God’s Mad Love, as Paul Evdokimov wrote. This is
the mystery of the Incarnation, a Mad Love for the human creature and the world where we dwell. And this human creature, in too many movements and regions, in daily events and convulsions, travels on a street of violence,
sorrow, terror, and death.
“A child is born for us; a son is given to us,” Sacred Scripture says (Is 9:5)—a child who is like the children of every age, not knowing ideologies or differences; a child who is the true messenger of Peace, the human face of
God, destined to undergo violence and a bloody death.
My friends, beloved readers: let’s allow our hearts to be touched by this ardent invitation to peace, to the end of
every ideology and prejudice, to the search for a real brotherhood.
We can do it. This ideal for humanity isn’t an ideology; it’s a dream that can be realized, on a smaller scale, in the
measure in which each of you and I myself make any kind of gesture of true humanity, any kind of embrace that
overcomes the color of one’s skin, makes every encounter authentically human and respectful, overcomes every
inequality and personal difference.
I invite you, then, to live this Christmas with a little madness, responding to the mad love of God, dreaming on a
grand scale, but translating that into simple, specific actions.
Believe me: if violence is a virus that can be transmitted, that’s contagious, and that’s learned in daily life, so can
tenderness, respect, gratitude, warmth and friendliness be conveyed, even taking into account individual differences and roles; like other aspects of a life fully human, these are learned and transmitted person to person.
All of us together, a step at a time, let’s proclaim even in our most ordinary actions: no escalation of violence! – because
we want to be like children and not know ideologies that divide and kill, and because an child has been born for us,
a son has been given to us, the Son of God, on this Christmas and forever.
May God who is Love bless you and your families.
Merry Christmas in this year of grace, the bicentennial year of St. John Bosco’s birth.
4
December 10, 2015
E-Service
5
Washington, D.C. — The Washington Post ran a story on December 9 about a new phone app being used
anonymously by “millions of teens” that most adults can’t access. Click here for the story.
DONOVAN
The article states: “After School is a social media app that allows teens to post anonymously onDmessage
boards closed to adults and provides a space to ask difficult questions without revealing their identities.”
A video within the article describes safety features the app's creators added following criticism that it
allowed students to post bullying messages as well as threats.
Tampa, Fla. — It’s happening: renovations taking place for Cristo Rey Tampa
High School are well underway! The old
buildings at the Mary Help campus are
getting new roofing—one of the first
steps to make them ready for students
by July 2016. Additionally, two entrance
exams for potential students have been
held, and we are continuing to secure
more corporate work-study partners all
the time. (Jen Kennymore)
New Rochelle, N.Y. — The annual Mass at
the provincial house in memory of Fr. Diego Borgatello (1911-1994) was celebrated
by 15 of his “boys” and 2 of their family
members on December 4 under the leadership of Nick Trotta. Fr. John Serio presided, and Fr. Bill Keane concelebrated. Nick
spoke in tribute to Fr. Diego at the end of
Mass. Then they went out to dinner, according to their usual custom. (Fr. Mike
Mendl)
D DONOVAN
December 10, 2015
E-Service
Stony Point, N.Y. — The chapel of the Marian Shrine in HaverstrawStony Point is one of five sites designated in the archdiocese of New
York where the faithful may pass through the “holy door,” offer the
customary prayers, and receive the sacraments to gain the indulgences of the Jubilee Year of Mercy.
6
D DONOVAN
Tampa, Fla. — On December 7 the Boys & Girls Club unit from Mary Help of Christians Center played baseball against the BGC unit from Villa Madonna, and the MHC kids won, 15-14! The six-inning game was
played at MHC amid lots of excitement. The kids’ faces radiated the joy they felt as they played. A few parents came to watch and commented on how well the kids were playing.
Fr. Steve Ryan, MHC’s director, coach Robbie O’Malley, and BGC executive director Michael Trujillo have
been practicing with the kids one afternoon a week. The game on the 7th gave many of the children the opportunity to experience something that is too often out of their reach. The excitement in their voices as
their parents came to pick them up was remarkable, as they described the game, how they had played well,
and what fun it was. (Lili DeGrasse).
Photo by Michael Trujillo. In the photo at left rear is Robbie O’Malley, and at right rear, Fr. Steve Ryan.
December 10, 2015
E-Service
7
D DONOVAN
Toronto — As part of the Year of Consecrated Life, the archdiocese of Toronto produced a series of videos
of consecrated men and women. One such video features Toronto FMA Sister Corazon Beboso. Fr. John
Puntino and St. Benedict Parish’s SYM coordinator Mariel Cabrera are also featured. It was filmed at St.
Benedict on the day of Sr. Hae-Jin Lim’s first profession. (Fr. Mike Pace, SDB)
Johns Creek, Georgia — Fr. Tri John-Bosco Nguyen, associate pastor of St. Brigid Church,
was inducted into the Association of Salesian Cooperators on Sunday during a 5:00 p.m.
youth Mass at the parish. Fr. Dennis Donovan, province delegate to the Salesian Cooperators, presided at the Mass and Fr. Dominic Tran provided the homily. James Dolan, province coordinator of the Coopertors, led the induction ceremony.
Above left, from left to right, are James Dolan, Fr. Dominic Tran, Fr. Tri John-Bosco Nguyen, Chris Yarnold,
Fr. Dennis in back, and Paula Dolan. Photos by Marie Reichert.
December 10, 2015
E-Service
Salesian High combines “oratory” experience with care for the homeless
by Nick Federico
New Rochelle, N.Y. — The Salesian High School Midnight Run across Manhattan on Friday, November 20, was
incredibly successful. It was also a profound experience for
the students, incorporating the fundamental elements of every Salesian presence: home, school, parish, and playground.
The students experienced a “home” atmosphere as they
came together at Salesian and spent hours preparing hundreds of things to give to those in need. They experienced
the “school” element when they were instructed by Bro.
Craig and me on the importance of the Run and the proper
way to proceed through it to make it a success. They experienced the “parish” component when they gathered in the
school chapel and prayed and reflected on Don Bosco’s
teachings on helping the poor. And finally the “playground”
element was developed as their friendships with each other
were strengthened and together they helped homeless people
of their city by bringing them sandwiches and warm clothing.
The Run proceeds with a drive down the FDR Drive to
the Lower East Side, to turf that Bro. Craig is familiar with
from his years as youth minister at Mary Help of Christians
Parish, and moves across town toward Penn Station, with
stops at a couple of churches including St. Francis of Assisi,
and wherever the homeless are seen. It concludes back on the
East Side at the Catholic Worker, where whatever food and
clothing remain are dropped off.
It was amazing to see the community come together like
that and see the students get so involved. The students and I
look forward to expanding this program as the year continues. We think we are blessed to be a part of this program and
appreciate Bro. Craig’s his hard work in organizing it.
For more, see https://youtu.be/gm59qyuUvTI
Mr. Federico is a teacher at Salesian and graduate of the
Class of 2009.
Men in Formation
Bro. Eduardo Chincha, SDB
D DONOVAN
Week of December 13-19
Bro. Eddy writes that his favorite Scripture verse is “I am the vine, you are the branches. He
who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John
15:5). He says that being Salesian means bringing joy to and finding joy in your work every
day, no matter how big or small your work may be.
8
E-Service
December 10, 2015
Savio Room at Salesian Boys & Girls Club
preserves high school memories in East Boston
by Anita Belmonte
East Boston — St. Dominic Savio High School
and Savio Prep in East Boston may have closed, unfortunately. But there is still a place where the Savio spirit and tradition are kept alive. Fr. John Nazzaro, SDB
(class of ’72), executive director of the Salesian Boys
& Girls Club, has created the Savio Room in the Club,
whose home has been in Savio Hall for more than a
decade.
The Club welcomes alumni of both “editions” of
the Savio schools to visit, and come to the Savio
Room in particular, and reflect on their special memories as students at Savio. Class pictures, yearbooks,
trophies, portraits, and other memorabilia have a home
there. A plaque memorializes deceased classmates,
and there’s a Tree of Life in the Club’s lobby. Fr. John
is the Salesian presence and has kept the Savio tradition of praying for deceased alumni at a Mass each
November.
The Club also welcomes support from Savio alumni and anyone who wishes to provide wholesome academic
and recreational programs for the scores of kids who depend year round on the Club.
for these programs and so much more. If you would
like to make a donation, please make checks payable to the
Salesian Boys & Girls Club, attention Anita Belmonte, 150
Byron Street, East Boston, MA 02128. Please write Savio
Alumni in the memo section.
Alumni visits may be set up with a call to Fr. John or
Anita Belmonte at 617-567-6626 or 617-569-6551.
Ms. Belmonte is director of development for the Salesian Boys & Girls Club of East Boston.
9
December 10, 2015
E-Service
Salesian student connects with Thomas Merton and Robert Barron
by Charlie Varenne
I had the privilege of attending the annual Thomas Merton
Lecture, delivered this year by Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron
of Los Angeles on December 3 at Corpus Christi Church in
Manhattan, where Merton was baptized.
We are reading one of Bishop Barron’s books, Seeds of the
Word, in my freshman theology class, taught by Bro. Craig
Spence.
The theme of this lecture dealing with the thought of the
Trappist monk, best known as author of The Seven Storey
Mountain, was the metaphysics of peace. It was geared mostly
toward the students of Columbia University who attended. The
ideas presented were extremely complex, so I wasn’t able to
grasp the content fully. I was able to comprehend Merton’s
views on our ontological relationship with each other and with
God, however, meaning how our spirit is entwined with God
and each other.
I was able to talk with Bishop Barron after the talk. He was
very personable and approachable, and I was able to share how
we were studying his book at Salesian. He was happy to sign
my copy of Seeds of the Word. I was glad to have attended the
presentation, and feel that I now have a personal connection to
this very interesting person.
Charlie Varenne is a freshman at Salesian High School in
New Rochelle.
Fr. Paul Bedard, SDB
(Continued from page 2)
In 2010 Fr. Paul retired to the St. Philip the
Apostle residence at Mary Help of Christians
Center in Tampa, where he remained until infirmity necessitated his recent move into Carrollwood Care Center.
Fr. Paul will be waked at Mary Help of Christians Church in Tampa on December 9 and a funeral Mass celebrated there on December 10. A
second set of services will be celebrated at the
Marian Shrine in Haverstraw, N.Y., on Friday,
December 11: wake at 4:00-7:00 p.m. and Mass
of Christian Burial at 7:30 p.m.
Burial will take place on December 12 at the
Salesian Cemetery in Goshen.
Fr. Bedard offering Mass at the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians, Turin.
10
December 10, 2015
E-Service
11
Salesian Youth Movement member a pro-life activist
by Teresa Mervar
I am currently engaged in a lawsuit. Another student and I are suing the Ryerson University student
union for not allowing us to form a pro-life club at
Ryerson. They denied us in February 2015 and closed
the case without giving us any explanation except that
“the Ryerson student union does not allow groups
who promote misogyny and that justify sexual assault.” They made these big claims about us without
providing any evidence as to how we do these horrible things. We refused to be silenced and have our
right to free speech taken away. If we don’t speak up
for innocent, pre-born human beings, then who will?
I became so passionately involved with the pro-life
movement because I got the opportunity to attend a
March for Life in Ottawa when I was in high school,
which followed from my involvement with my
school’s chaplaincy. What got me involved with
chaplaincy was my experience at the Salesian Leadership Retreat. My experience at SLR so many years
ago was the first stepping stone that brought my heart
back to Jesus. This encounter with Christ taught me
that there is so much beauty and greatness that God
has to offer me.
My encounter with Christ led me to seek more opportunities to grow in my faith, with a lot of help
from the Salesians. What really convinced me to give
my heart to the Church and to service for others was
my experiences at Gospel Roads, the week-long service retreat offered by the Salesians in my places in
the U.S. and Canada. Through that experience I
learned that as Catholics we are called not only to
read the Gospel, but to live the Gospel. This includes
loving one another and standing up for the voiceless
and the oppressed. These experiences led me to be so
actively involved in the pro-life movement today, the
movement that aims to protect the vulnerable and the
voiceless.
I’m asking E-Service readers for the help of your
prayers! Throughout this whole process, God has pro-
vided everything: a lawyer who is working hard for
us pro bono, $20,000 raised for court fees, and support from countless people. Now it all comes down
to the decision the judge will render on December
18. Please pray that we get a judge who understands
the importance of free speech. Pray that we win this
case. And please pray that if we do win the case, we
can create a strong pro-life club that changes hearts
and minds on the issue of abortion on our university
campus. Thank you!
Miss Mervar, a fourth-year student at Ryerson
University in Toronto, is a member of the SYM at St.
Benedict’s Parish in Etobicoke.
December 10, 2015
E-Service
12
PARALLEL ZERO
Children for sale in Benin, West Africa
The police entrusted him to the Salesians in Benin, as was the normal practice. They
are virtually the only non-governmental organization that can handle such cases.
Cotonou, Benin (ANS) - Julio was abducted and sold as a
slave. Joel was the leader of a gang that seized and sold children. Their story is told by Sergio Ramazzotti, who has written
a report on the phenomenon of child trafficking between Benin
and Nigeria for the magazine Africa. Below are some excerpts.
Benin, once called Dahomey, was known for the quality of
its slaves. But slaves are still the main export from the country:
just change the age (today they are children), the means of
transport (by car), and the destination (Nigeria).
Joel: “In the ghettos of Cotonou everyone has his own
trade—ours was taking children. We took them at night, here in
the city among the street children or in villages off the beaten
track.”
Julio: “I will never forget what happened to me. My parents were having problems with each other. One day my father
told me to come with him. He said that we were going the next
day to my grandmother in Nigeria.”
Julio worked hard to support himself and his grandmother,
but then one day she sold him to a couple for 30,000 naira (135
euros). He had to work for them as a slave. The last thing his
grandmother said to him was, “You have to suffer today, and
hope to have something tomorrow.”
Julio: “I used to wake up every morning at five o’clock,
and I had to do the housework and bring their children to
school. Then I sold water in the market for 10 or 12 hours,
sometimes well into the night.”
Joel: “Selling children did not shock anyone since they
were mostly street children. It was as if they were already
dead. Some of them were killed. They were brought to Nigeria,
where they were killed. Their heads and their hearts were used
in voodoo rituals.”
Joel: “The number was huge. Some stayed in Nigeria to
maintain contacts with the people who bought them. There were
also two policemen from Benin. They even lent us police uniforms, so we didn’t have to worry.”
Julio was treated badly in his new home and was even tortured when the money was gone. He was given as a slave to one
of the couple’s children, and again he was beaten with many
lashes. He ran away several times, managed to escape, and started to live on the streets. Finally, he was intercepted by Nigerian
police, who handed him back to their colleagues in Benin.
The police entrusted him to the Salesians in Benin, as was
the normal practice. They are virtually the only nongovernmental organization that can handle such cases. They
have been doing it for 20 years, with a network of shelters and
houses scattered throughout the country. They also have a group
of men who patrol the markets instead of the police, at great risk
to themselves, and expose the traffickers.
Today Julio has almost completed his apprenticeship as a
tailor. He is fluent in French, which he had never had the chance
to study earlier because he was taken as a slave before he could
go to school.
Joel turned his life around when he became a father. “I used
to look at my children and think, how would I feel if someone
took them away?”
They are among the young people rescued from trafficking
by the Salesians, like 3,300 others in 2014 alone.
Foto by Sergio Ramazzotti Parallelo Zero: http://
www.parallelozero.com/reportage/benin-nigeria-kids-trafficking-476-0
E-Service
December 10, 2015
13
“I tell you, John Bosco is alive!”
Rome (ANS) - A year of grace, celebration, and renewed
commitment to live with young people and for young people—
this has been the bicentennial year of Don Bosco’s birth. On
December 8, anniversary of the start of Don Bosco’s Oratory,
his tenth successor, Fr. Angel Fernandez Artime, presented the
bicentennial video, “I Tell You, John Bosco Is Alive!,” to the
Salesian Family.
Don Bosco is still alive today wherever young people need
someone to educate them and do so with kindness. A Salesian
is anyone whose heart beats in rhythm with the lives of poor
young people and who sees the young in Christ, and Christ in
them.
This is the legacy of the bicentennial. This is also the mes-
sage that, on the day when the Church began the Year of Mercy,
the Rector Major called to mind for the vast movement of people committed to the salvation of the young.
The bicentennial video is available with subtitles in several
languages at ANSChannel.
Fr. Filiberto Gonzalez, general councillor for communications (above), uses a short film to introduce the bicentennial
video. That film may be seen at ANSChannel.
Fr. Gonzalez begins: “It is a great honor for me to present
the video of the Rector Major closing this bicentennial year. I
want to give some guidelines that will help us to understand
better the video he has made.”
Mark’s Gospel in comics
Hong Kong (ANS) – In conjunction with the Year of Faith,
the Salesians of the Chinese Province published an Englishlanguage edition of the Gospel According to St. Mark in comic
form.
The two volumes were completed under the guidance of the
late Fr. Dennis Martin, SDB. The Salesians of China intended it
primarily to offer young readers the opportunity to get to know
Jesus through the simple and compelling form of comics. It
chronicles the life of Jesus with bold graphics and great fidelity
to the Gospel account, following the text of the New American
Bible.
Comics are one of the most popular media among young
people around the world, and this helps to make this work a
useful tool to tell the story of Jesus. Salesian Cardinal Joseph
Zen of Hong Kong, hopes that “this book might arouse the interest of people to explore the Gospel and the Kingdom of heaven.” Fr. Steve Ryan of our province, recommends this book to
parents and teachers.
The two volumes are available in the U.S. through the good
offices of the Chinese Salesian alumni. Contact Joe Lai at
[email protected] or (917) 533-0523. Mr. Lai has about 20 copies on hand, all paid for, and will gladly send them to whoever
wants a set free on a first-come, first-served basis. He will also
cover the postage within the continental U.S. If recipients wish
to make a donation, they can send it to Salesian Missions at
New Rochelle.
Alumnus Joe Lai (Hong Kong) invites readers of
E-Service to consider giving Mark’s Gospel as a Christmas
present.
December 10, 2015
E-Service
14
Pope Francis to Catholic parents: build bridges
by Vatican Radio
Vatican City — Pope Francis met Saturday with the Association of Catholic School Parents on the occasion of the 40th
anniversary of its foundation.
He encouraged participants to promote education focused on
the fullness of humanity, on what it means to be human, and on
authentic humanism.
In his prepared remarks Pope Francis reiterated a call he
made recently to the World Congress of Educators. Catholic
education must make room for everyone, he said, and must not
select recipients in an elitist manner.
“There is no challenge more noble!” said the Holy Father,
than when bridges are built between school and country, school
and family, and school and civil institutions. He encouraged
parents to build union where division advances and to generate
harmony in preference to exclusion.
Pope Francis also emphasized the role of parents as primary
educators. “As parents,” he said, “you are custodians with the
duty and primary and indispensable right to educate children.”
Parents thus help in a positive and constant manner the work of
the school. It is the duty of parents to ensure that schools live up
to this task, especially when education is intended to be Catholic. “I pray to the Lord,” he said, “that a Catholic school does
not take for granted the meaning of this adjective!”
Pope Francis also asked that parents and educators never
sell off the human and Christian values which testify as to the
value of the family, the school, and society.
He concluded with a reference to the gospel of Luke 2:52:
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor
with God and man.”
Pope Francis’s key-words, by Antonio Carriero, SDB
(ANS - Rome) - Since last week, Pope Francis’s Key-words
(“Il Vocabulario di Papa Francesco”) has been on sale in Italian
bookstores. It was compiled by a Salesian seminarian, Bro. Antonio Carriero, and published by Elledici. It is a dictionary that
defines the most important words used by Pope Francis, an extraordinary communicator who addresses the major issues of
our time.
The 50 words that make up the dictionary were chosen by
journalists and Vatican experts who are continually dealing with
the message of this Pope who has come “from the ends of the
earth.” Pope Francis’s words “open our minds and help to lift
our gaze beyond ourselves,” writes Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, in the book’s preface.
“The only real communication strategy of Pope Francis,” he
says, “is serene and confident adherence to the Gospel.” According to the cardinal, “the Pope’s way of talking is a humble
sermon that all can understand. When he speaks he is capable of
communicating great wisdom, “making use of words and images that draw their strength from their closeness to daily life.” In
this way, “the other person, whoever he is, does not feel distant.”
The book also has two introductions, one by Cardinal
Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, and the other by Fr. Antonio Spadaro, S.J., editor of La
Civiltà Cattolica, and an epilogue by Msgr. Nunzio Galantino,
secretary general of the Italian Episcopal Conference.
December 10, 2015
E-Service
15
Salesian Youth Movement preparing for World Youth Day in Krakow
By Renato Cursi
Rome (ANS) – The Salesian Youth Movement is getting
ready for the 31st World Youth Day, which will take place July
26-31, 2016, in Krakow. In recent weeks, three important steps
have been taken in this direction.
First, at the Salesian house of Marti Codolar in Barcelona,
the European SYM met, November 20-22, for its annual general assembly. Fr. Wojtech Krawczyk, Salesian delegate for
youth ministry in Krakow, spoke to the participants about the
ongoing preparations for WYD. The European SYM has elected a new “small team” with representatives from Slovenia,
Austria, and France to start preparing for July. They hope that
many SYM members from all the continents will come to Krakow.
Second, the cities of Wadowice (birthplace of St. John Paul
II) and Krakow hosted the preparatory meeting for WYD, November 25-29. It was organized by the WYD central committee
and the youth section of the Pontifical Council for the Laity.
Among the dozens of international delegates present were representatives of the SDB and FMA Youth Ministry departments.
This was a valuable opportunity to review the status of the preparatory work, appreciate the impressive mobilization of volunteers, and visit the places that will host the common celebrations next July. “Blessed are the merciful” is the beatitude that
providentially will guide the path of the young pilgrims to this
WYD, taking place during the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of
Mercy. It is also the title of the official hymn of WYD 2016,
which can be heard already on the official YouTube channels.
Third, the SYM site for WYD 2016 was launched on December 1 and is available in Polish, English, Italian, and Spanish: krakow2016sym.pl/. The site contains contacts for enrolling
through the Salesian channels, which are accredited by the
WYD central committee.
A special registration form will be available soon for all
groups that want to take part in the World SYM Day, to be held
at the EXPO fair in Krakow on Wednesday, July 27, 2016. The
same site will soon contain additional information to enhance
Salesian participation in this important event of the universal
Church.
Salesian councilors receive sad news
Rome — On December 7 the Generalate was informed
of the passing away of Felicita Cattaneo, top left, the mother
of Fr. Francesco Cereda, vicar of the Rector Major. She was
93 years old. Her funeral was celebrated on December 9 in
her hometown of Veduggio con Colzano (Milan). Condolences may be sent to [email protected].
On December 9, Fr. Timothy Ploch, councilor for the
Interamerica region and a member of the New Rochelle
province, learned of the passing of his mother, Dolores Jane
Ploch, bottom left, at the age of 91. Her funeral was celebrated in Montclair, N.J. Condolences may be sent to
[email protected].
D DONOVAN
December 10, 2015
E-Service
16
Rector Major helps launch book on Don Bosco,
notes necessity of education for transformation of society
Fr. Fernandez: “Education creates a network of human relationships
which ensures that bombs, shootings, and violence are not possible”
by Bro. Andres Felipe Loaiza, SDB
Rome (ANS) – On December 1 the book Don Bosco Hoy
was formally presented by the Cervantes Institute in Rome at
the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See. The book contains an
interview given by Fr. Angel Fernandez to journalist Angel
Exposito. It has 12 chapters on fundamental questions of the
life and mission of Don Bosco, which, in the words of Dr. Exposito, are very topical, because, “unfortunately everything he
fought against 200 years ago in the Kingdom of Piedmont continues to occur again today.”
“There are six key issues Don Bosco fought against or for
which he worked: violence, immigration and refugees, Africa
and the missions, education and vocational training, social networks and communication, racism and xenophobia. He confronted all these with one approach: education,” said the journalist. He expressed his satisfaction at being able to participate
in the book launch, which also brought together several members of the Salesian Family who are experts in the topics of the
12 chapters that accompany the interview.
In his speech Fr. Fernandez highlighted various aspects of
the book and provided a telling example of the role of education: “As a religious family deeply committed to education, we
believe that education transforms society. . . . Let me give an
example that isn’t meant to be in any way disrespectful to other
faiths, but, I believe, throws some light on the topic: as a Salesian Family, about 30% of the 2,387 foundations we have in the
world are in Muslim countries. In some countries it’s not possible to make any reference to religion, yet in these circumstances
we continue to give a service through schools that are mainly
for Muslims. What’s the point I’m making? Education creates a
network of human relationships which ensures that bombs,
shootings, and violence are impossible….
“When the parents of other faiths send their children to our
schools, knowing how we educate, knowing that we won’t teach
any explicitly religious message—although of course we teach
the values we believe in—it’s because they believe that this
humanist way of educating (which includes deep evangelical
values) will ensure that their children will have an outlook on
life that they like. . . . Those boys and girls, the parents of tomorrow, will have a different understanding of peace, of the
relationship between men and women, of violence and diversity.... Tell me if this is not transforming society.”
The event was attended by several ambassadors to the Holy
See, including those of Spain, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia; two major Roman publishers, Carmen Magallon of Editrice
Romana and Fr. Giuseppe Costa, SDB, of Libreria Editrice Vaticana; and the director of the Cervantes Institute in Rome, Dr.
Sergio Rodriguez Lopez, who organized the presentation.
E-Service
December 10, 2015
17
FALLING IN LOVE WITH GOD
by Michel Tournade, OSFS
An Adaptation of the Introduction to the Devout Life
FIRST TIME IN ENGLISH!
French Oblate of St. Francis de Sales Michel Tournade, writing originally in his native French (Un Monde à Aimer) has ADOPTED the
personal approach of his mentor and spiritual director, St. Francis de
Sales, in writing to today’s young generation. He follows the
thoughts of DeSales’s classic writing Introduction to the Devout Life,
which has never been out of print since its first publication in 1609.
Tournade’s work has received great accolades in France, selling
more than 40,000 copies. In very short chapters and with contemporary language and examples, it is personal, inviting, and challenging
for those who desire a closer relationship with God. the young reader
(or any reader for that matter) is likely to hear and feel the warmth of
a dear old friend in the clear, short bites of its presentation.
The English translation has been long in coming, and will be available for shipping on
December 8, 2015. We know you’ll want to review a copy yourself before you decide how many copies
you’ll want for students, youth groups, collegians, and others.
RETAIL: $20 (324 pp) Published by DeSales Resource Center
Available on our web page: www.EmbracedbyGod.org
SPECIAL OFFER
Until
January 1, 2016 we are offering our friends a special price of $18!
Use coupon code: TOUR2015 at check-out or call 1-800-782-2270
or E-mail [email protected]
For multiple copies call 1-800-782-2270.
5-10 copies 10% discount = $18 each
11-99 copies 25% discount = $15 each
100+ copies
40% discount = $ 12 each
Remember, the 10% discount on a single copy is good only until January 1!