Message from Father Provincial

Vol. 13, No. 14
SALESIANS OF DON BOSCO, PROVINCE OF ST. PHILIP THE APOSTLE
October 1, 2015
Birthday Celebrations
October
3 Fr. Peter Granzotto
9 Fr. Matthew DeGance
14 Bro. Charles Mayer
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Above, Pope Francis presiding at Mass in New York’s Madison Square Garden. Below
right, the presider’s chair built by the Don Bosco Workers of Port Chester, awaiting the
Pope’s arrival.
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Message from Father Provincial
The Holy Father’s visit to the United States last week was electrifying. The theme of the visit was “Love is our mission,” and by every
account Pope Francis exemplified that love in action, every step of
the way. From the moment the Pope stepped onto U.S. soil, he
demonstrated in real ways what it means to be good shepherd, humble pastor, and for many prophet. As the Holy Father’s journey
among us moved from Washington, D.C., to New York and Philadelphia, it seemed like his witness and presence gathered more and more
followers. His life-long learning and living the message of Jesus
Christ captivated people from all walks of life. People wanted to hear
his message, to see him, even if for only a few seconds. It seemed as if by seeing Pope
Francis we really see, in some measure, the face of God.
There were many exceptional and meaningful moments throughout the visit: the Masses, especially the canonization Mass in Washington and the concluding Mass for families in
Philadelphia; the welcome at the White House; the historic speech to the joint session of
Congress; the speech to the U.N. Assembly; and of course, the touching moment at the 9/11
memorial. When I review the Holy Father’s itinerary again, I see that it also contained what
Pope Francis, perhaps, might consider the more important parts of his journey. The visits to
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Pray for the Sick
Fr. Dominic DeBlase
Fr. Sid Figlia
Fr. Bernard Gilliece
Fr. Peter Granzotto
Bro. Jerry Harasym
Fr. James Marra
Fr. John Masiello
Fr. Michael Mendl
Fr. Armand Quinto
Fr. Gennaro Sesto
Fr. Chester Szemborski
Earnie Chaisson, Salesian
Cooperator in Marrero
Salvatore D’Angelo, Fr.
Anthony D’Angelo’s brother
Alviera Nazzaro, Fr. John
Nazzaro’s mother
Josephine Reynolds, Fr.
Anthony D’Angelo’s sister
Elena Villaraza, Fr. Mario
Villaraza’s mother
Remember the Deceased
Deacon Michael Sullivan,
former Salesian
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feed the homeless in Washington, to the school
of immigrant children in New York, and to the
prisoners in Philadelphia, these best illustrate
the theme, “Love is our mission.” In addition,
the spontaneous encounters when the Holy Father stopped to bless the poor, the disabled, the
outcast, the young, and the elderly were especially poignant. In many ways it is here that
Pope Francis gave great power to the powerless. He always ended each of his talks with the
very simple “pray for me,” in effect giving all
of us great power.
Don Bosco’s love for the Pope was for him
an “element of life,” and at the same time an
inducement to make the Papacy loved by others. By his writings, the witness of his life, his
activity as an educator, through widely varying
interventions which went even beyond the immediate interests of the Congregation, he was a
true servant of the Church in the person of Peter’s successor. Love for the Pope is deeply
rooted in our Salesian tradition. Let us find
ways to meditate on the authentic witness of
our Holy Father and his words, and let us always pray for him as he asks.
Fr. Steve Shafran, SDB
Provincial
Photos courtesy of Fr. Steve Shafran
Published weekly by the Salesians of Don Bosco for Canada and the Eastern U.S.A.
SALESIANS
OF DON BOSCO
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.
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Washington, D.C. — What does Don Bosco Cristo Rey have in common with the Harlem Catholic
school visited by Pope Francis? Watch this feature on PBS’s News Hour about Catholic schools to find
out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AJIJK2nXbE
San Francisco — Joey Zarate posted a video review
of the Don Bosco Pilgrimage led by Fr. Joe Boenzi
this summer. The video also contains footage of
the Salesian Youth Movement gathering later in
the summer. Joey is in the center of the photo at
left with some neighborhood children at Castelnuovo Don Bosco in Italy, one of the stops. See it
at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=aFwsvly04Hk&feature=youtu.be
Men in Formation, Week of October 4-10
Candidate Daniel Glass
The Scripture passage that speaks to Dan’s vocation story and
journey into consecrated life is “Love one another. As I loved
you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34). Being Salesian to Dan means to bring light and love to the young. It means
that one is ready to sacrifice all for the sake of the salvation of
souls, particularly for those who are young.
At right, in 2012-2013 Dan was a Salesian Lay Missioner serving
in Juba, South Sudan.
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East Boston continues celebration of Don Bosco’s bicentennial
The Salesian Family of East Boston celebrated Don Bosco’s 200th birthday on Saturday, September 26.
Fr. John Nazzaro, SDB, director of the SDB community, voices his gratitude to those who took part.
Dear Members of the Salesian Family,
On behalf of the Salesians and of the Bicentennial Committee, we thank you for
celebrating with us today. Don Bosco, the Founder of the Salesians and also the Apostle of Youth, would see in this day fun, prayer, and fellowship, which were the mainstays of a Salesian day in the Oratory during his lifetime.
The Salesian education based on Reason, Religion, Kindness and Active Presence
was manifested in our wonderful volunteers, who truly were a gift for welcoming all.
We thank all members of the Salesian Family who came to enjoy the day, especially
those from Don Bosco Technical School-Boston, Savio HS-East Boston, Savio PrepEast Boston, Julie Billiart Central HS-North End, Salesian Boys & Girls Club-East
Boston, and Sacred Heart-Ipswich.
We also thank our neighbors and friends who came to join us and enjoy the festivities. Check out the day in pictures on Facebook at “Salesian Family Celebrates,” and
always remember that the Salesian Family is each person who is an extension of Don
Bosco’s love for the young.
Join us for our Family Pasta Dinner on Friday November 13, 2015, at 6:00 p.m. at
the Salesian Boys & Girls Club.
May God bless you. May Don Bosco and Mary Help of Christians keep you in their
loving care.
Fr. John Nazzaro, Fr. Jay Horan, and Bro. Bernie Dube
with young people before the centennial liturgy.
At the end of the liturgy, Fr. John and some club members
led the final song together.
Salesian Boys & Girls Club members enjoy the Don Bosco
carnival, which was held from 1:00 p.m. till 4:00 p.m.
Multicultural entertainment was performed throughout the
afternoon.
Photos courtesy of Fr. John Nazzaro
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Building the Pope’s chair was a means of grace
by Bro. Sal Sammarco, SDB
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What has helped me in this experience of grace is that each day we would come together around the persons
of Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and Don Bosco, share a reflection, and in the open air, say a decade of the Rosary.
We would also work humbly with each other in sweat, mistakes, and loving mercy.
Now that our Holy Father has completed his mission to the
U.S., and the Pope’s chair built in Port Chester has served him
well, we have begun to realize the many graces poured out over
us in these days through God’s tender mercy.
As for Bro. Sal and the three day laborers who constructed
the chair for Pope Francis in a little garage of Port Chester,
N.Y., many graces have been received. Here are a few:
First of all, there is Hector Rojas, the youngest of the four
carpenters. He has been so filled with joy that for the last three
weeks he has returned to holy Mass and received the sacraments
of Reconciliation and Communion. He says that his life has
changed and he will continue to live his new life in Christ, going to the 7:00 p.m. Mass every Saturday at the church of Our
Lady of the Rosary in Port Chester.
Second, there is Fausto Hernandez, who has brought his tenyear-old daughter Chantel to receive the sacraments of initiation.
Third, there is Francisco Santamaria, who by the grace of
God has reinforced his love of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph with
great joy.
Fourth, the graces I have received in working with these
men have been a source of joy; clarified vision; and the realization more than ever that the gift of God within each person is a
gift for others, and therefore a source grace and thanksgiving.
What has helped me in this experience of grace is that each
day we would come together around the persons of Jesus, Mary,
Joseph, and Don Bosco, share a reflection, and in the open air,
say a decade of the Rosary. We would also work humbly with
each other in sweat, mistakes, and loving mercy. At the end of
the day, after many visits from TV stations, the newspapers, and
other people, we would end at 3:30 p.m. and gather with those
who would come by, and pray another decade of the Rosary.
And so, we began with prayer, sustained ourselves with
prayer throughout the day, and ended with prayer.
Going back home to Belle Glade, I was reminded that this
was the experience of Don Bosco with a full day at the Oratory:
a home that welcomes; a school that educates; a family that
prays together; and a place to work and play together. Praise
God! That was our experience in the little garage in Port Chester.
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Salesians take part in papal Mass
Story and photos by Fr. Mike Mendl, SDB
Pope Francis capped his two-day visit to New York by celebrating Mass before 20,000 faithful at Madison Square Garden.
Among the participants were a good number of Salesians from
New Rochelle and Port Chester, Salesian sisters from several
communities, and parishioners from Port Chester. Bro. Sal Sammarco and the team of day laborers who made the Pope’s chair
for the Mass were privileged to see the Holy Father use what
they’d crafted. Some of the linens for the Mass were made by a
group of women from the Salesian parish of Corpus Christi in
Port Chester.
Participants had to dedicate many hours to the event due to
travel and security requirements, in addition to the liturgy itself.
For example, the SDBs from New Rochelle left home at 12:20
p.m. and returned after 9:00 p.m.
Among those worshiping were Cardinals Timothy Dolan,
Pietro Parolin, Edwin O’Brien, Theodore McCarrick, and Peter
Turkson, the apostolic nuncios to the U.S. and the U.N., almost
40 bishops from the New York area, New York state, and the
Vatican, and several hundred diocesan and religious priestconcelebrants (seated above and behind the altar). The Holy
Father was received most enthusiastically by everyone; toward
the end of Mass, when Cardinal Dolan thanked him for coming,
the congregation gave Francis a long standing ovation: http://
sdbnews.blogspot.com/2015/09/and-crowd-goes-wild.html.
Before Mass there was more than an hour of religious entertainment, introduced by actor Martin Sheen among others, featuring Jennifer Hudson, Gloria Estefan, Harry Connick Jr., and
others, and two choirs. The Rosary was recited. There were
some video presentations as well.
Left, Pope Francis entered Madison Square Garden riding upon a golf cart. Right, the entrance procession at the start of Mass.
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Francis arrived early, circled the arena in a golf cart, went in
to vest, and processed in with all the bishops and ministers of
the altar about 20 minutes ahead of schedule. The Mass, a votive Mass for the Preservation of Peace and Justice (more than
appropriate after the Holy Father’s visit to the U.N. and to
Ground Zero in the morning), was prayed in a mix of English,
Spanish, and Latin, with outstanding music provided by the
choir of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the New York Archdiocesan
Festival Chorale, and the St. Joseph’s Seminary Choir, as well
as by the congregation.
The Pope’s homily, delivered in Spanish (without anything
approaching adequate translation), was based on a prophecy of
Isaiah, stressed the Christ is the light of the world. He said
(according to the Vatican text found on the Web): “‘The people
who walked in darkness have seen a great light.’ One special
quality of God’s people is their ability to see, to contemplate,
even in ‘moments of darkness,’ the light which Christ brings.
Mama Margaret intercedes
by Fr. Steve Ryan, SDB
Tampa — A parent who is a Cooperator and friend of the
Salesians in Tampa began two months ago to pray for a miracle
for a man who was suffering terminal illness. She writes:
“Probably according to what the Church may need for sainthood
for Mama Margaret it might be impossible to call what happened to this man a miracle. But a miracle did happen through
her and all the other saints that friends prayed to—he was baptized [and] received the Eucharist and Anointing of Sick
last Saturday. This is beyond any words I can describe.
His cancer (a rare type called angiosarcoma) has spread to heart,
pleural space, lymph nodes and bone. Yet he is continuing to
fight and never complains. I gave him a crash course on what a
saint actually is and told him he is on his way.”
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God’s faithful people can see, discern and contemplate his living presence in the midst of life, in the midst of the city.” He
urged the people who have seen Christ’s light to make strangers
and the poor welcome in their city. He urged the faithful “to go
out and meet others where they really are, not where we think
they should be. Go out, again and again, go out without fear,
without hesitation. Go out and proclaim this joy which is for all
the people.” They should go out and make known the Father’s
mercy; they should be “like yeast in the dough.”
In addition to the Mass, Pope Francis’s visit to New York
included a Solemn Vespers service at St. Patrick’s Cathedral
with clergy and religious (including four Salesians from three
communities); an address to the U.N. general assembly; a prayer service at Ground Zero (site the 9/11 attacks); a visit to a
Catholic school in a low-income neighborhood; and a motorcade through Central Park that gave some 80,000 New Yorkers
a chance to see the Holy Father.
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We are a family fully alive
Story and photos by Fr. Jim Berning, SDB
At the conclusion of all of the events from the World Meeting of Families and the papal visitation, I am left with enlightened reflections and a recharged spirit. It was a very packed
week of events for the Salesian Family members attending the
WMF. Our men and women in formation joined me and Sr. Theresa Lee for much of the week’s festivities, and while there were
intense schedules to keep, it was an enriching experience for us
as religious and as Catholics.
As I began to feel physically the demands of the schedule, I
could not help but think of the Holy Father. Given the papal
events in Philadelphia, I was amazed that although Pope Francis
faced a heavy schedule, his presence was inspiring in the informal encounters with groups and individuals. He certainly had a
plethora of formal meetings, gatherings, and liturgies to attend
to during his visit; and while those moments filled us with awe
as we watched Pope Francis, it was in the informal encounters
with those who were sidelined during the festivities that made
the entirety of the events resonate with the glory of God’s love.
As he entered the basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul prior to celebrating the Eucharist, he embraced a person in a wheelchair. As
he continued walking, there was another person in a wheelchair
who was somewhat excluded, but when Pope Francis became
aware of it, he quickly went back and embraced him as well.
Although he had a schedule to maintain, His Holiness made
even the smallest of time for those who sometimes are too forgotten by society. It was from watching his presence and the
overwhelming response to his visit that I drew my energy to
keep going.
Much of Pope Francis’s visit included messages about caring
for one another, caring for those who are sidelined in life, and
most of all bringing change about through sincere love. During
the Festival of Families celebration along Benjamin Franklin
Parkway, as he was speaking about the need to challenge and be
with young people in their journey of life, he strayed from the
script for as long as a minute. In this time he was most alive and
passionate, giving the impression of a prophetic voice in our
midst.
For sure, Pope Francis has continued to illustrate, from the
time he was elected to the Papacy to the days he set foot in Philadelphia, that God is God of mercy and love. In a short video
that recorded Francis’s greeting prior to his arrival, he said, “I
want to be there because you are there.” Pope Francis’s presence
in Philadelphia has made it clear that he lives as the agent of
God’s mercy and invites everyone to partake in it. He has
demonstrated so well who God is, a God of mercy, and that mercy is available to all. More than anything, his papal visit has
reiterated for our Church the need to be fully alive and fully
present as one family to one another and to those less fortunate
and marginalized.
So as the Pope has departed from us in the U.S., it is my
hope that we will all continue to come together as one in love,
hope, and mercy.
Top, Bro. Juan Pablo Rubio speaks to some visitors at the Salesian booth..
Bottom, candidate Emmanuel Diaz poses with the Pope .
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The Jubilarians of 2015
by Fr. Mike Mendl, SDB
Last week we published an article about the province celebration of the jubilarians of 2015. Here are some details about
each of them.
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Frs. Jerry Sesto and Chester Szemborski are 75 years professed (Newton, Sept. 8, 1940) and 60 years ordained (Turin,
July 2, 1950).
Frs. Mike Chubirko, Bernie Gilliece, and Harry Peterson (Newton, Sept. 8, 1950) and Fr. Jan Bernas (Poland, Aug.
16, 1950) are 65 years professed.
Frs. John Blanco, Bob Falk, George Hanna, and Romeo Trottier and Bro. Gerard Richard are 60 years professed
(Newton, Sept. 8, 1955).
Frs. Bill Ferruzzi and Tim Ploch (Newton, Aug. 16, 1965) and Fr. Joe Vien Hoang (Vietnam, Aug. 16, 1965) are 50
years professed.
Fr. Paul Bedard (Newton, Feb. 1, 1965) and Fr. Dominique Britschu (France, May 1, 1965) are 50 years ordained.
Frs. Jim Heuser and Vince Paczkowski and Bro. Charles Mayer are 40 years professed (Newton, Sept. 1, 1975).
Frs. Tom Gwozdz and Armand Quinto are 40 years ordained (by Paul VI, Rome, June 29, 1975).
Fr. John DiFiore is 25 years professed (Rosemead, Aug. 15, 1990).
Fr. John Louis Mariapragasam (India, Dec. 22, 1990) and Fr. Lou Molinelli (Mahwah, May 27, 1990) are 25 years
ordained.
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Fr. Paul Bedard, 88, is from Saco, Me.
After quite a few years of trying to discern
God’s will for his life, he discovered the Salesians through a vocation ad, and he was accepted
as a candidate at the old age of 29. He served as
a missionary in Bolivia and Sierra Leone in addition to working in some schools and several parishes in our
province. He also administered Blue Gate in Stony Point for
about five years and helped with retreats at Haverstraw for five
years. He resides at St. Philip the Apostle Residence in Tampa
now.
Fr. Jan Bernas, 85, was born at Oswiecim,
Poland, and entered the Salesians there, inspired
by their care for him after he was orphaned. He
belongs to province of Wroclaw, Poland. After
ministry in his homeland, he went to Zambia as
a missionary in 1982. He came to Woodbridge,
N.J., in 1997 to serve as a nursing home chaplain. He has found
most satisfaction in his Salesian life in his work for young people in both Poland and Zambia and his work for vocations.
Fr. John Blanco, 85, is a native of New Rochelle. He came to the Salesians after graduation
from Manhattan College, where he was a star
baseball player. He has taught in and been treasurer of Salesian schools all over the province and
at Boys & Girls Clubs, and served in parishes in
New York City and Port Chester. He is presently treasurer of the
provincial house. He enjoys celebrating Mass and the sacraments for people wherever God has called him.
Fr. Dominique Britschu, 83, comes from
Strasbourg, France. and served in the province
of North France and at the Generalate until
1984, when he was elected to the general council as regional councilor for North Europe. After
stepping down in 1996, he came to Montreal to
do parish ministry. He has been retired in Montreal since 2010.
Fr. Mike Chubirko, 91, a priest of the Byzantine Rite, is from Bradenville, Pa. He spent
some years in the schools of the province, but
since 1969 has served almost exclusively in
parishes of the Passaic Byzantine Eparchy.
Since 2009 he’s been retired at the St. Philip
Residence in Tampa.
Fr. John DiFiore, 63, hails from Yonkers,
N.Y., and is an alumnus of Salesian HS in New
Rochelle. He’s served in four province schools
and two parishes. He recently took a leave of
absence to care for his elderly mother.
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Fr. Bob Falk, 83, claims Green Bay, Wisc.,
as his hometown (and the Packers claim his allegiance). He has spent almost his entire Salesian
life as a missionary in Korea, serving in various
responsibilities including director and vice provincial. He’s now retired and in poor health.
Fr. Bill Ferruzzi, 68, comes from Revere,
Mass., and attended Savio HS before entering
the Ipswich aspirantate. Except for a couple
Boys & Girls Club stints, he’s been a school
man for his whole Salesian life, with terms as
director in New Rochelle, Columbus, and Tampa.
Fr. Bernie Gilliece, 83, was born in Montreal and entered the Salesians as an aspirant at
Newton. He served in Salesian schools primarily in Canada, but also Ipswich and New Rochelle. From 1995 to 2010 he was pastor of St.
Dominic Savio Church in Edmonton. Poor health led to his retirement in Edmonton.
Fr. Tom Gwozdz, 75, began life in Springfield, Mass., and joined the Salesians as a Son of
Mary in Newton. He worked briefly at Ramsey
twice but mainly has been involved in formation
work at Newton, Columbus, and currently in
Covington, La., where he teaches philosophy.
He writes: “My most satisfying ministry as a Salesian were my
days as DRA and teaching at Newton. Secondly, my 17 years at
St. Joseph Seminary in Covington, La., as a spiritual director
and teaching philosophy.”
Fr. George Hanna, 81, comes from Pawtucket, R.I., with origins in the Syrian Catholic
Rite. After a brief period as a high school teacher, he took on vocations ministry, also briefly.
Since 1972 he has served in parishes as either
pastor or assistant pastor and has also been director in Port Chester, Harlem, the provincial house, and Washington. He is assigned now to St. Rosalie Church in Harvey, La.
Fr. Jim Heuser, 60, was raised in Glendale, N.Y., and attended the Goshen aspirantate. He says, “The friendliness and cheerfulness of the Salesians I met, the attractive figure
of St. John Bosco, and the ideal of serving the
young” influenced his vocation. As a Salesian
he has done vocations ministry, a little bit of school ministry,
and formation ministry as director in South Orange and master
of novices in New York City. He was vice provincial (19972003) and then provincial (2003-2009). Since 2010 he has been
director-president of Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey. With admirable tact, he professes: “Each of my assignments has had its own
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blessings, in the form of joys and challenges. I have been happy
in all of them. So for today, my service at Don Bosco Prep HS
in Ramsey gives me the most satisfaction ... until God has other
plans for me!”
Fr. Joe Vien Hoang, 69, came to the U.S.
as a refugee from Vietnam; he was already a
Salesian. He started with just the aim of becoming a priest, he writes, but that developed
into “the idea that my vocation is for the young
and the poor … the less fortunate and the
abandoned … and I began to dedicate my life to that objective.”
As a member of our province since 1980, he has taught in high
schools and served in the parishes in Harvey and Port Chester.
He is currently assistant pastor at Corpus Christi-Holy Rosary.
He states: “The assignment I enjoyed the most was the years I
was assigned to work at St. John Bosco Parish in Louisiana. In
these years I was able to serve and work with ordinary parishioners and at the same time was also able to connect and organize a teens’ club for the parish…. These teens were looking for
some kind of organization where they may find joy, attention,
care, and safe environment after school days.”
Fr. John Louis Mariapragasam, 57, answered a call from the Rector Major to work
in Edmonton, Alta., on loan from the province
of Madras (Chennai). He is pastor of Annunciation Parish. In his home province he was
entrusted with pioneering works of the mission of Don Bosco. He was rector and the secretary of the two schools, founded a special school for the dropouts and other social works, and was rector and pastor of different parishes. He was influenced toward Salesian life by serving
at the altar as a boy, the encouragement of the parish priests,
and the hospitality that his family experienced among Salesians
when they visited his older brother, a Salesian. He particularly
enjoyed working with school dropouts and the poorest young
people in small villages, providing for them some “transit
schooling” such as training as carpenters in non-formal training
centers. He thanks God for His faithfulness and love.
Bro. Charles Mayer, 72, is a native of
Evansville, Ind., and came to the Salesians
with a doctorate in chemistry from Indiana
University. He tried his hand at school teaching, then turned to financial administration in
several works, particularly assisting the province treasurer for 16 years. Since 2007 he has managed the gift
shop and bookstore at the Marian Shrine in Haverstraw.
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Fr. Lou Molinelli, 54, comes from Suffern, N.Y., the formerly Salesian parish of
Immaculate Heart of Mary in Mahwah, and
Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey. DBP Salesians
Bro. Mike Frazette, Bro. George Sheehan, Fr.
Al Sokol, and Fr. Bob Cio guided him toward
Salesian life. He has spent his Salesian life in
four province schools and been director-president of Don Bosco
Prep in Ramsey and Archbishop Shaw in Marrero. His “most
meaningful” ministry was his six years “at St. Petersburg Catholic as the first Salesian principal, since I was able to bring the
charism of Don Bosco to the school and watch the charism
transform that community.”
Fr. Vince Paczkowski, 60, is a Jersey
City man and a graduate of the aspirantate in
Goshen. He says, “The way the Salesian
priests and brothers interacted with us especially during recreation time, their joy and
friendliness had an impact on me.” He’s done
a little bit of teaching, a lot of youth ministry
especially in five different parishes, and also was on the retreat
team at Haverstraw for a couple of years. At Mary Help on 12th
Street, St. Anthony in Elizabeth, and Corpus Christi in Port
Chester, he used theater to reach young people, and looks back
on 18 years of that form of ministry with greatest satisfaction.
Fr. Harry Peterson, 84, came to the
Salesians from Loretto, Ky. As a high
school student at St. Meinrad Seminary, he
learned about Don Bosco and “felt a strong
desire to be a priest like he was.” He transferred to Newton and loved the family spirit
he found. After service in several schools in
the U.S. and Canada, he answered a call for volunteers to go to
Latin America. After a brief assignment in Argentina, since
1970 he has belonged to the Chilean Province. He worked almost entirely in parishes from the bottom of the world (Punta
Arenas) to the country’s north; he also did radio ministry for 30
years, with 500 stations carrying his evangelization messages;
60 TV stations also carried his daily reflections. He’s now semiretired in Santiago.
Fr. Tim Ploch, 69, comes from Paterson, N.J., and was an aspirant at Haverstraw
and Goshen. He was “taken in immediately”
by the Salesian spirit on a weekend retreat
and then by the experience at Camp Quest
in Ellenville; his mom had been raised in
the Salesian Sisters’ orphanage in North
Haledon, and that too influenced his vocational choice. After 12 years in our schools, he became director
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of the theologians in Columbus and then provincial (19911997). He enjoyed 10 years as pastor in Port Chester before Fr.
Chavez tabbed him to serve as provincial in California (20092014). In 2014 he was elected to the general council as regional
councilor for Interamerica. He writes, “I was always happy and
fulfilled in my assignments … but hands down the ministry assignment that gave me the most satisfaction of all was my 10
years at Holy Rosary Parish, Port Chester, N.Y. Immigrants,
young people, parishioners—I never felt more like a Salesian.”
Fr. Armand Quinto, 71, is a native of
Bristol, Conn., and entered the Salesians at
Newton as a Son of Mary. He taught in
schools for nine years, theology especially,
and then (from 1981) took up parochial work
in four parishes; he was director in Harlem
and Paterson. Since 2013 he has been coordinator of the Marian Shrine.
Bro. Gerard Richard, 92, comes
from St. Louis de Kent, N.B., and entered
the Salesians at Don Bosco Tech in Paterson as a Son of Mary. He served for some
years in U.S. works, especially in West
Haverstraw, but his assignments were primarily in Canada as a “factotum.” His
abilities in woodworking—he has a well-equipped shop at Le
Salésien in Sherbrooke—permitted him to do many projects,
especially at Camp Savio. We can say of him, “God created
Bro. Gerard and Bro. Gerard makes the rest”. If he does not
have the tool to do the work, he will make it. At his age, he still
puts in a full day of work. One of his favorite saints is St. Joseph and it’s easy to understand why. He’s now the senior confrere of the Canadian sector of the province.
Fr. Jerry Sesto, 94, comes from Biddeford, Me., and is the senior member of the
province. “Fascination with Don Bosco, fostered by my pastor in preparation for Don
Bosco's canonization,” induced him to enter
the aspirantate at Newton. After his ordina-
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tion he studied canon law in Turin and Washington and then
taught it at the UPS in Turin and Rome (8 years) and the Josephinum in Columbus (14 years). He also was director of Don
Bosco College in Newton and Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey,
province secretary, and for six years director of the Salesian Lay
Missioners. He tended the Italian apostolate at St. Anthony
Church in Elizabeth until poor health required his retirement a
couple of years ago; he resides at Don Bosco Prep and still gives
as much attention as he can to the students there. He says that
the highlights of his long Salesian life have been “teaching canon law, working with the SLMs, and his years at Don Bosco
Prep.”
Fr. Chester Szemborski, 92, came to
aspirantate at Newton from Paterson, N.J.
He taught and held administrative posts in
several schools around the province and
did some parish work as well. He spent
many years as part of the communities at
the provincial house and the Marian
Shrine. Since 2001 he has been at Northern Riverview Nursing
Home in Haverstraw.
Fr. Romeo Trottier, 78, comes from
Proulxville, Que., and was an aspirant at
Newton and Haverstraw. He writes: “What
I experienced there—the Salesian way—
gave me the will to go on…. The family
spirit and the desire to work in education
with youth were the deciding factors—and
of course the decision to live as a religious
(that is basic).” He taught in the Canadian Salesian schools for
18 years and did parish work for 15 years. He says that he enjoyed both these diverse ministries immensely. He was director
in Sherbrooke twice and Montreal once, superior of the Canadian delegation (1976-1988), provincial delegate for the Cooperators for 13 years, and vice provincial for 3 years. For many
years he has edited the Canadian Salesian newsletter, and after
Fr. Paul Cossette’s untimely death, he also has taken up the editing of the Canadian Bulletin, Carrefour Salesien.