Message from Father Provincial

Vol. 13, No. 17
SALESIANS OF DON BOSCO, PROVINCE OF ST. PHILIP THE APOSTLE
October 22, 2015
Birthday Celebrations
October
Fr. Drago Gacnik
Fr. Jan Staszel
Fr. Thomas McGahee
Fr. Steven Dumais
Bro. Jhoni Chamorro
Fr. John Cosgrove
November
2 Fr. Raul Acosta
3 Fr. Gerard Ravasco
6 Bro. Paul Chu
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26
28
29
30
30
Pray for the Sick
D DONOVAN
D DONOVAN
Port Chester, N.Y. — These young people are among dozens who welcomed and performed
for the provincials of the Interamerica Region, who are meeting this week. More on page 3.
Message from Father Provincial
This week our province is hosting the meeting of the provincials
of the Interamerica Region, led by our regional councilor, Fr. Tim
Ploch. It is a wonderful opportunity for the provincials to get together, share their experiences, and reflect on some common themes. We
are experiencing a real sense of community while we are together. No
matter what country we are from, our common Salesian heritage and
love for Don Bosco is the thread that binds us. We began the week
with a day of recollection and prayer. Fr. Pat Angelucci offered a conference that gave us much to reflect on as provincials in view of the
central themes of GC27: mystic, prophet, and servant.
During the week we are able to share a bit of our province reality with the other provincials. We made a pilgrimage to Port Chester for Mass and an evening gathering that highlighted the experience of immigrant families. We journeyed to New Rochelle to visit the
mission office, where Fr. Mark Hyde and his staff led a tour. I was reminded once again
how powerful the impact this ministry has been for the our region and also for the Congregation. We were also able to enjoy a tour of New York City that included praying together
at the 9/11 Memorial; visiting the United Nations with a tour by Fr. Tom Brennan; stopping
at St. Patrick’s Cathedral; and concluding the day with dinner and entertainment. I am
grateful to Fr. Tim Zak, who serves as overall coordinator for the gathering, Fr. Franco
Pinto and our community at the Marian Shrine, and all those who have assisted us in mak-
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Fr. Dominic DeBlase
Fr. Sid Figlia
Fr. Bernard Gilliece
Fr. Peter Granzotto
Bro. Jerry Harasym
Fr. James Marra
Fr. John Masiello
Fr. Armand Quinto
Fr. Gennaro Sesto
Aura Veliz, Bro. Jhoni
Chamorro’s mother
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
Yvonnie Perrello, wife of
Blaise Perrello, former SDB
Remember the Deceased
Fr. Chester Szemborski
E-Service
October 22, 2015
2
ing sure the meetings, visits,
and hospitality are coordinated
well.
As the meetings continue, I
have been reminded of how
much our province has in common with our Interamerica
Region. So many of our apostolates serve immigrants. We
are also blessed to have confreres from other countries
living and working in the province. What a blessing and richness there is in discovering
cultures and learning more
about the families who are
coming to us to seek a better
life! During this week the provincials from other countries
are seeing first-hand the reality
of the situations that people
from some of their own countries are experiencing here. We
are evangelizing by offering
welcome, education, and the
Faith. There is such a need for
the love of Jesus Christ to be
shared in the way that Don
Bosco offers through our Salesian spirituality.
M MENDL
The provincials of the Interamerica Region are meeting this week (October 18-24) at the Marian Shrine in Haverstraw-Stony Point, New York. On Tuesday afternoon, October 20, they visited the provincial house and Salesian Missions in New Rochelle.
In this photo are the provincials with Fr. Timothy Ploch (regional councilor). They are joined
by Bro. Bruno Busatto of Salesian Missions, Fr. Timothy Zak (vice provincial SUE), and Fr.
Mark Hyde (director of Salesian Missions).
I pray that we continue to learn more about our brothers and
sisters who come to us from so many parts of our region. May
we love them and find ways to serve them, especially the young
and the poor who come to us.
Fr. Steve Shafran, SDB
Provincial
DIRECTORY CHANGES
Page 29
Fr. James Zettel’s ext. is 234
Page 24
Under “Confreres in Other Places”
Add: Fr. John Basso
Casa Salesiana Mons. Cognata
Via Roma, 33
31030 Castello di Godigo TV
Italy
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.
October 22, 2015
E-Service
3
Fr. Chester Szemborski, SDB
1923-2015
by Fr. Mike Mendl, SDB
Fr. Chester Szemborski passed from earthly life into
eternity on the evening of Tuesday, October 20, at
Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, N.Y. He was 92
years old and had been a professed Salesian for 75
years and a priest for 65 years.
A message from Fr. Steve Shafran stated that in his
final illness—the result of a broken hip suffered early
in September, complicated by the onset of pneumonia—Fr. Chester was supported by the Salesian community of the Marian Shrine, to which he belonged, his
loving sister Eleanor, and his family and friends.
Chet Szemborski entered this life on June 30, 1923,
in Paterson, N.J., the son of Jerome and Lottie Szemborski. They belonged to St. Stephen’s Parish in Paterson, where Chet entered Christ’s life 19 days later.
Chet came to Don Bosco Seminary at Newton as an
aspirant in September 1935. Not having been confirmed
yet, he received that sacrament in Newton’s parish
church of St. Joseph the following May. He was admitted to the novitiate in September 1939 and made his
first profession on September 8, 1940.
Bro. Chester was a fine student. Don Bosco College
in Newton awarded him a B.A. in philosophy, cum
laude, in June 1943. He did his practical training as
teacher and assistant with the aspirants in Newton for
two years and moved with the aspirants to Suffern in
1945.
From 1946 to 1950 Bro. Chester studied theology at
the Crocetta in Turin, earning an STL degree from the
PAS. He was ordained on July 2, 1950, in the basilica
of Mary Help of Christians—part of the famous class
nicknamed “the Benjamins,” who included Frs. Paul
Avallone, Ed Cappelletti, Joe Occhio, Jerry Sesto, and
Leo Winterscheidt from our province and Frs. Art Lenti, John Malloy, and Armand Oliveri from the West.
Fr. Chester returned to the province to take up various school and parish assignments. He was prefect of
studies at DBT in Paterson (1950-1951), prefect at Salesian High in New Rochelle (1951-1953), assistant
pastor at St. Anthony Church in Elizabeth (1953-1959,
Funeral rites will be celebrated on Friday, October 23, in the chapel of the Marian Shrine:
2:00 p.m.
Reception of the Body and Wake
7:30 p.m.
Mass of Christian Burial
Burial will take place in Calvary Cemetery, Paterson, N.J., on Saturday, October 24, 11:00 A.M.
October 22, 2015
E-Service
1960-1962), teacher at Don Bosco Juniorate in Haverstraw (1959-1960), assistant pastor at Immaculate
Heart of Mary Church in Mahwah (1962-1965), and
chaplain for the Salesian Sisters in North Haledon
(1965-1966).
In the late 1960s Fr. Chester did studies in psychology. He earned an M.A. from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Rutherford, N.J., in 1969 and subsequently
was licensed as a school psychologist by both New Jersey and New York. He later published his dissertation,
The Wisdom of Jung: A Theory of Personality, in paperback (rare copies were selling on the Internet from
$19.00 to $58.50 at the time of his death).
Notwithstanding his certification, he spent most of
1970-1982 at the provincial residence, dealing with
health problems. For one year (1971-1972) he was
posted to Salesian Junior Seminary in Goshen as treasurer. When his health improved somewhat, he transferred to the Marian Shrine, where he resided from
1982 to 2001.
Declining health led to Fr. Chet’s move to Northern
Riverview Rest Home in Haverstraw in 2001, where he
enjoyed visiting his fellow residents and bringing them
such limited priestly ministry as he could in that situation. Frequently he was brought to visit his community
at the Shrine, and he enjoyed taking part in province
events such as jubilees and professions, at which he was
a friendly presence. He remained at Northern Riverview
until he broke his hip in September.
Fr. Chester is survived by his sister Eleanor
Szemborski of Paterson, N.J. Two brothers, Stanley and
Henry, predeceased him.
Cafeteria of Salesian websites available at new Salesian portal
The Salesian Family in North
America has one site which
provides the links to all other
Salesian websites available.
http://
donboscosalesianportal.org/
4
October 22, 2015
E-Service
5
Interview with Bro. Rob Malusa
by Fr. Mike Mendl, SDB
As noted in last week’s E-Service, Bro. Rob Malusa is on a home visit from his new mission assignment in Zambia. Specifically, he’s at a small agricultural school in Lufubu, in the far north of the country, not far from the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. He sat down with E-Service on October 20 to describe his mission for our readers.
When Bro. Rob’s offer to go on mission was accepted, the Rector Major assigned him to the Zambia
Vice Province, which sent him to Lilongwe, Malawi,
in the fall of 2013. He stayed there for two years,
teaching full-time in the high school and doing youth
ministry after school and in the parish. In his first
year, he did a lot of observing at the oratory while
teaching and learning how the school ran. He also
served as vice principal.
The “observing” helped Bro. Rob when—to his
surprise—he became the youth minister the second
year after the confreres saw the need of a consistent
youth ministry program. Constant personnel changes
were caused by the regular reassignments of confreres in formation during their practical training; the
province’s custom has been that those in practical
training do two years but always in different locations.
He taught entrepreneurship and religion in the
school, and in the youth center he tried to add a spiritual dimension to the daily program, which consisted mostly of sports. He also brought in vocational
and health considerations for the young people. In
the parish, spirituality was already part of the youth
program; Brother provided additional resources to
enhance their retreats and prayer.
Recently Bro. Rob got a new assignment, to
Lufubu. One of the two SDBs there, a Polish priest,
had suddenly died, and the other was moved. He
joined a native SDB priest and a Vietnamese brother
in practical training who had arrived there a short
time before he did.
The agricultural school at Lufubu has been strug-
D DONOVAN
gling a bit; their goal is to keep it going and even to
grow it. There is also a little mission church, one of
ten outstations of the parish based at an SDB community about eight miles distant. Four priests, including the one posted at Lufubu, serve the parish and the
outstations with the result that Mass is offered only
on two Sundays a month for the people at Lufubu; a
Eucharistic service is provided on the other Sundays.
Mass is celebrated daily within the community residence. The SDBs recently began providing Mass in
the school on a regular basis and are trying to get it
into the program at the youth center. They’d also like
to set up Eucharistic adoration in the parish.
Bro. Rob defines his mission in Lufubu first of all
as one of presence, both in the school and especially
in the attached youth center. But he teaches English
at school in the mornings. He’s also trying to learn
the local language, Bemba.
The particular challenge of the agricultural
school is that the local people aren’t keen on farming. There’s a small lake nearby where they prefer to
fish for their livelihood. But the government has detected overfishing and closed the lake for part of the
October 22, 2015
E-Service
6
Photos by R. Malusa
year. So the bishop proposed the school as a way to
teach them an alternative way of feeding themselves.
It hasn’t caught on so well, even though it’s government-approved and the program itself is well regarded.
The school is for young adults who’ve already
graduated from high school and have scored well on
the customary leaving-school exam. Thirty-seven
men and women are enrolled, but only two are local.
Many of the others are sent by other SDB works
from elsewhere in Zambia. The students pay a modest tuition, but they have to grow their own food
(corn, vegetables, fruit trees); they may sell their surplus to earn some money to assist with their fees.
Most of the students are Christians, and most
of those are Catholic, Bro. Rob thinks, based on the
enthusiasm with which they participate in the prayers
and singing at Mass and on their eagerness to serve
at the altar.
Corn is the food staple of much of southern Afri-
ca, including Lufubu. The SDBs grow it, and the local population enjoys eating it. The SDBs hope they
can convince them to start a small cooperative for
growing and even selling their own corn. The farm
also includes livestock: cattle, pigs, and chickens.
Life in the SDB community is simple. They have
electric power about half the time. There’s no TV and
no Internet. They have cell phones, which allow
some Internet access. Life revolves around a regular
prayer life and the dinner table; at the latter there are
long conversations.
The vice province is huge, encompassing the
countries of Zambia (290,587 sq. mi.), Zimbabwe
(150,872 sq. mi.), and Malawi (45,747 sq. mi.)—
more than three times the size of California. Lufubu
is about 600 miles in a direct line from Lusaka, the
capital and province center, but you can’t drive there
directly without going through a section of the DRC;
(Continued on page 8)
October 22, 2015
E-Service
Orange, N.J. — The Salesian community of Orange, the center of
initial formation of Salesians, gathered for this photo, which they
posted on their Facebook page.
Belle Glade, Fla. — At St. Philip Benizi Parish in Belle
Glade, Fla., over 100 parishioners participated in the
Mass for Marian consecration on Wednesday evening,
October 7. Fr. Manuel Alvarez (left) and Fr. Stephen
Leake led the services. From September 4 to October 7
they followed the readings of Fr. Michael Gaitley and his
book 33 Days to Morning Glory. Every morning of the 33
days there were many who joined together after morning
Mass for a holy hour and reading of the daily reflections
in preparation for the consecration. The book follows the
“Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary” of St. Louis
de Montfort. Other saints who are followed in Fr. Gaitley’s book include St. John Paul II, St. Maximilian Kolbe,
and Blessed Mother Teresa. After the consecration prayer was said (in Spanish, English, and French) at the end of
Mass, each person who participated offered a rose to the
image
of the Blessed Mother.
D DONOVAN
(Fr. Steve Leake, SDB)
7
October 22, 2015
Rome (ANS) — On October 10 the Rector
Major attended the meeting of the Don
Bosco Network at the Salesianum in the
Generalate. Fr. Fernandez reiterated his
wish that the Salesian Congregation, the Salesian NGOs, and the mission offices work in
communion for the good of young people
most in need in emergency situations.
E-Service
8
ANS
Toronto — The weekend of October 16-18 the
Salesian community of Etobicoke, Ont., hosted
a Come and See weekend. Five men, each 22
years old, came. They experienced our community apostolate, prayer, and leisure. Frs. Jim
Berning and Jim Zettel led the young men
through an examination of their lives to see
where the Lord might be calling them.
Interview with Bro. Rob Malusa
(Continued from page 6)
so you have to drive around, adding more than 100
miles to the trip. The SDBs would like to fly over the
vast province distances, but that’s far too expensive.
There are two annual retreats at a sisters’ retreat center near Lusaka, usually preached by “outsiders” (not
from the
province). The distances, driving times, and
D DONOVAN
dangerous roads make it really hard to gather the con-
freres for province events and meetings. The road
between Lufubu and Lusaka, for instance, although
well paved, is narrow, has deep drop-offs (no shoulders), and is heavily trafficked by trucks from northern Zambia’s copper mines.
October 22, 2015
E-Service
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Interamerica region provincials meet; share the vision of the Rector Major
Stony Point, N.Y. — The Salesian provincials of the Interamerica region are meeting this week at the Don Bosco Retreat
Center. The annual meeting, held in a different province each
year, is being led by Fr. Timothy Ploch, councilor for the region.
The countries represented in the region include Bolivia,
Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic,
Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico,
Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, United States and Venezuela.
On Monday, October, 19, the provincials took a trip to Our
Lady of the Rosary Church in Port Chester, where they celebrated Mass with about 175 people of the parish who come from the
nations represented by the provincials. Fr. Ploch presided at the
Mass and Fr. Patrick Angelucci, pastor, gave the homily. A
dinner followed in the church basement.
On Tuesday, October 20, the provincials visited Salesian
Missions and the provincial house in New Rochelle. They enjoyed a dinner of Chinese food, catered at the mission office.
On Wednesday, October 21, they enjoyed a tour of New
York City with stops at the United Nations, the World Trade
Center Memorial and St. Patrick Cathedral. They also enjoyed
dinner at Carmine’s and were treated to the Broadway show The
Lion King.
The meetings will continue through Sunday, October 25.
The provincials visited Port Chester on Monday, October 19.
Photos by Fr. Dennis Donovan.
October 22, 2015
E-Service
Photos by D Donovan
10
October 22, 2015
E-Service
11
Working to grow the Church’s deepest vocation
by Fr. James Berning, SDB—Province Vocation Director
Pope Paul VI said, “Evangelizing is in fact the grace and
vocation proper to the Church. She exists in order to evangelize
… to preach and teach….” Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, graciously lived those words during their recent
annual vocations fest.
The University opened its doors on October 9 for the event
to a sizeable crowd of religious, students, and welcomed guests,
all of whom gathered in fellowship and love of our Faith and
our Church. The school brought together 55 religious institutes
that provided participants with the opportunity to discover many
religious charisms in our Faith and to accompany discerners
who have heard God’s call in their lives.
Since many of the students at the University are double majors with either theology or catechetics one major, they are often
interested in religious life or in service as lay missioners. Hav-
ing events like this thus helps offer many of the students a discernment opportunity for their future.
Bro. Josh Sciullo from the formation house in Orange and
Fr. Jim Berning of the vocation office invited participants to
discover more about the charism of Don Bosco at the Salesian
booth through interactive games and engaging conversation.
The day concluded with a joyful celebration of the Eucharist
and a large group lunch. The sentiment that was most discussed
by everyone in attendance was a sense of purpose. Whether you
were an exhibitor, a participant, or an organizer, it was very
clear to see that we had all gathered there that day for the extreme importance of working together to grow our Church. Jesus said, “Where two or more are gathered in my name, I am
there,” but gather we must!
Men in Formation
Week of October 25-31
Candidate Emmanuel Diaz
Asked to “Picture Your Scripture,” Candidate Manny Diaz
from Tampa offers as an expression of his vocation story,
“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in
Christ Jesus concerning you” (1Thess 5:8).
Manny writes: “To me, being Salesian means getting to
have the ability to make faith fun and real to all the children we work with, and to pray that they can get closer to
Christ.”
Belle Glade, Fla. — The work of Bro. Sal Sammarco was
featured in a lengthy article found in Florida Catholic.
http://thefloridacatholic.org/iv/
papal_chair_a_labor_of_faith_love?parent_cat_id=3418
October 22, 2015
E-Service
12
Fire in Kurla restaurant kills 7 students of Don Bosco Institute of Technology
by Fr. Joaquim Fernandes, SDB
Kurla, India (ANS) – On Friday, October 16, eight people,
including seven students of the Don Bosco Institute of Technology, were killed in a blaze that engulfed a popular eatery in
Kurla (West).
A statement from the Salesians says: “The Salesian province
of Mumbai condoles with the families and relatives for this
great loss. We are deeply saddened by the news of your loss of
your loved ones. We pray that God will grant you the strength
needed most to get through this moment in your life. Our sincere condolences to all the family members.”
The incident took place around 1:00 p.m. at a Chinese-fast
food restaurant named City Kinara on Premier Road, when the
eight patrons were dining on the second floor. The area has several educational institutions and offices. The seven DBIT students were identified as Bernadette D’Souza, Erwin D’Souza,
Sajid Chaudhary, Brian Fernando, Taha Shaikh, Sharjeeel
Shaikh, Akash Thapar. Also killed was Arvind Kanojia.
“There was nothing we could do,” said D. Vidya Thakur,
medical superintendent, Rajawadi Hospital, Ghatkkopar.
Police said the restaurant staff managed to escape unhurt
from the kitchen on the first floor. The patrons, however, were
trapped on the second floor. The fire was allegedly caused by a
gas leak. Police, however, ruled out an explosion while the fire
department is investigating whether faulty wiring led to a short
circuit.
Two fire engines rushed to the spot and doused the blaze in
15-20 minutes.
With Don Bosco, hope returns to victims of child trafficking
by Gian Francesco Romano
Ashaiman (ANS) - The Salesians of
the English-speaking province of West
Africa, headquartered at Ashaiman, Ghana, were asked in 2013, “What is the
most painful reality you have to face in
West Africa?” The question followed
Pope Francis’s appeal for a Church that
would reach out to the margins.
The Salesians answered: child trafficking. So last year they started a new
initiative, the Don Bosco Child Protection Centre.
Right from the beginning the Salesians have been collaborating with the police and the Ministry for Social Welfare. “We
take care of rehabilitation, for a period of six to nine months.
Sometimes children come with nothing, with only the clothes
they are wearing. We give them a decent place to sleep, a knapsack with a little money, and some food. From the first day they
are given a general check-up, to assess any disease or injuries
they may have,” says Fr. Jorge Crisafulli, SDB, provincial.
Child victims of trafficking are among the last and most
forgotten of society. They are children who have been abandoned, or taken by fraud to relatives with the promise that they
are going to study in the city. In other cases their own families
“rent them out” for a few years, for a monthly fee. Instead of
studying and playing, the children end up working full-time as
shepherds or on plantations, or risking their lives every day in
illegal mines, or diving in Lake Volta.
Then there are those who suffer sexual
abuse and prostitution.
The Salesian program is not meant just
to offer a brief respite from the suffering
of these children, nor to be a permanent
refuge from the evils of the world. It is
meant to create a turning point in their
lives and to give these young people the
chance to dream. “They come to us with
dull eyes and long, sad faces, but then after two or three weeks
you can see the change in their faces! . . . There are children
who have come here with no self-esteem, without even the
strength to walk, and then at the end of their stay they have new
motivation, new goals, and fresh hopes—a girl who wants to be
a lawyer, a boy who wants to become president of the Republic,
and so on,” said the provincial.
This is because in the Don Bosco Child Protection Centre
they get a new start in life. “They have school in the morning
and then theater, music, dance, sports, and games.”
These young people are the greatest satisfaction Fr. Crisafulli finds in his missionary work. “The greatest joy for me is
to see them smile again, to see boys and girls who arrive here
without hope, and after meeting Don Bosco they say: ‘Here I
feel loved.’”
October 22, 2015
E-Service
13
Salesian missionary Fr. Alejandro Leon: “I have a passport and a choice,
but I will not leave Syria, because it is my family.”
Madrid (ANS) - Fr. Alejandro Leon, a Salesian
missionary in Syria, addressed reporters from about
20 Spanish media on October 15 at Salesian Missions
in Madrid. He said: “Numbers do not tell the full story. Today we talk about 250,000 deaths in the conflict
in Syria, and it’s regarded with horror as an enormity.
But if we were speaking of 25,000 dead, the figure
would be equally shocking.”
To illustrate what every death in the conflict
means, and how one physical death means many other
deaths, he told the story of a leader from one Salesian
youth center.
“One of our young people, about 24 years old, had
just completed five years for a law degree. He had
been accepted for training to become a judge and was
to be married in a week. One of the hundreds of missiles that
fall every day in Damascus killed him. Yes, he is dead, but can
you imagine what the death of their only son meant for his parents? Can you imagine what it meant for his future wife and his
friends, of whom I am one, and for the teenagers that he used to
work with in the Salesian youth center? I know. He was their
model. He had realized his dream, and the doors to a better future were wide open before him. Now these young people ask
me what use is studying if that was the end that awaited their
pawns who kill one another. Today, four years later, all Syrians
have a death to mourn and to avenge. Perhaps today we might
talk about a conflict between Syrians, but it was caused by four
years of war.”
European media coverage of the war in Syria has gone
through distinct stages. With the arrival of refugees in Europe, it
seems that the focus has switched back to the conflict that
plagues the Middle East. Fr. Leon helps to put the situation in
context, however: “The adults don’t want to leave the country,
For one thing, the people who are fighting are from more
than 80 different countries. There’s no dictionary that
would consider that a civil war.
leader, and especially if this was surely going to be their end
also. If you want to get the real figures of this conflict, take this
case and multiply it by 250,000.”
The 36-year-old missionary from Venezuela has been in
Damascus since the end of 2010. His mission was to be director
of the youth center, close to the children and young people who
are suffering the consequences of war. Now he is treasurer of
the Middle East Province. He also says, “Parents have to choose
between sending their children to school at the risk of their
lives, or keeping them at home and jeopardizing their future.”
The war in Syria has lasted more than four years, and it is a
war that has been reported in different ways. Fr. Leon shows his
disappointment when he hears people talking about civil war.
“For one thing, the people who are fighting are from more than
80 different countries. There’s no dictionary that would consider that a civil war. Syria is a chessboard, and the Syrians are the
and if they do it’s for the sake of their children. Or maybe you
think that someone with a decent university career would leave
his country to reach another land where he will become [in effect] an illiterate?”
Fr. Leon is convinced of his mission. He says, “I will not
leave Syria, because it’s my family, and nobody leaves his family in a time of war.”
Further information and statistics of the situation in Syria are
available on the website of Misiones Salesianas.
October 22, 2015
E-Service
14
Fire in Kurla restaurant kills 7 students of Don Bosco Institute of Technology
Kurla, India (ANS) – On Friday, October 16, eight people,
including seven students of the Don Bosco Institute of Technology, were killed in a blaze that engulfed a popular eatery in
Kurla (West).
A statement from the Salesians says: “The Salesian province of Mumbai condoles with the families and relatives for this
great loss. We are deeply saddened by the news of your loss of
your loved ones. We pray that God will grant you the strength
needed most to get through this moment in your life. Our sincere condolences to all the family members.”
The incident took place around 1:00 p.m. at a Chinese-fast
food restaurant named City Kinara on Premier Road, when the
eight patrons were dining on the second floor. The area has several educational institutions and offices. The seven DBIT students were identified as Bernadette D’Souza, Erwin D’Souza,
Sajid Chaudhary, Brian Fernando, Taha Shaikh, Sharjeeel
Shaikh, Akash Thapar. Also killed was Arvind Kanojia.
“There was nothing we could do,” said D. Vidya Thakur,
medical superintendent, Rajawadi Hospital, Ghatkkopar.
Police said the restaurant staff managed to escape unhurt
from the kitchen on the first floor. The patrons, however, were
trapped on the second floor. The fire was allegedly caused by a
gas leak. Police, however, ruled out an explosion while the fire
department is investigating whether faulty wiring led to a short
circuit.
Two fire engines rushed to the spot and doused the blaze in
15-20 minutes.
With Don Bosco, hope returns to victims of child trafficking
by Gian Francesco Romano
Ashaiman, Ghana (ANS) - The Salesians of the Englishspeaking province of West Africa, headquartered at Ashaiman,
Ghana, were asked in 2013, “What is the most painful reality
you have to face in West Africa?” The question followed Pope
Francis’s appeal for a Church that would reach out to the margins.
The Salesians answered: child trafficking. So last year they
started a new initiative, the Don Bosco Child Protection Centre.
Right from the beginning the Salesians have been collaborating with the police and the Ministry for Social Welfare. “We
take care of rehabilitation, for a period of six to nine months.
Sometimes children come with nothing, with only the clothes
they are wearing. We give them a decent place to sleep, a knapsack with a little money, and some food. From the first day they
are given a general check-up, to assess any disease or injuries
they may have,” says Fr. Jorge Crisafulli, SDB, provincial.
Child victims of trafficking are among the last and most
forgotten of society. They are children who have been abandoned, or taken by fraud to relatives with the promise that they
are going to study in the city. In other cases their own families
“rent them out” for a few years, for a monthly fee. Instead of
studying and playing, the children end up working full-time as
shepherds or on plantations, or risking their lives every day in
ANS
illegal mines, or diving in Lake Volta. Then there are those
who suffer sexual abuse and prostitution.
The Salesian program is not meant just to offer a brief respite from the suffering of these children, nor to be a permanent
refuge from the evils of the world. It is meant to create a turning point in their lives and to give these young people the
chance to dream. “They come to us with dull eyes and long,
sad faces, but then after two or three weeks you can see the
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change in their faces! . . . There are children who have come
here with no self-esteem, without even the strength to walk, and
then at the end of their stay they have new motivation, new
goals, and fresh hopes—a girl who wants to be a lawyer, a boy
who wants to become president of the Republic, and so on,”
said the provincial.
This is because in the Don Bosco Child Protection Centre
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they get a new start in life. “They have school in the morning
and then theater, music, dance, sports, and games.”
These young people are the greatest satisfaction Fr. Crisafulli finds in his missionary work. “The greatest joy for me is
to see them smile again, to see boys and girls who arrive here
without hope, and after meeting Don Bosco they say: ‘Here I
feel loved.’”
Laboratories of the future to be opened at Don Bosco Tech
by Karen Krynen
Rosemead (ANS) - New opportunities lie ahead for the
students of the Don Bosco Technical Institute in Rosemead,
Calif., thanks to a generous donation by the Fletcher Jones
Foundation. The Foundation has awarded Bosco Tech a
$250,000 grant toward curriculum development and the construction of laboratories for emerging technologies.
The extensive campus project will focus on three STEMrelated fields: green technologies, 3D design prototyping, and
robotic systems.
“Bosco Tech is extremely grateful for the Fletcher Jones
Foundation’s support and confidence in our students and our
programs,” said Bosco Tech’s president Xavier Jimenez. “The
new laboratories will function as central learning hubs for stu-
dents to broaden their understanding of engineering in a sophisticated, real-world environment where disciplines are integrated
in up-and-coming professional fields. Students will collaborate
on engaging projects that require an understanding of several
different areas of science, engineering, and design.”
Celebrating its 60th year, Bosco Tech is an all-male Catholic
high school that uniquely combines a rigorous collegepreparatory program with a technology-focused education. The
innovative science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)
curriculum allows students to exceed university admission requirements while completing extensive integrated coursework in
one of several applied science and engineering fields.
Each year for the past several years, 100% of the graduating
class has earned college acceptances.
The Fletcher Jones Foundation was established in 1969 by
computer scientist Fletcher R. Jones, who in the 1950s was a
noted mathematician, businessman, and pioneer in the rapidly
evolving field of computer science. Along with Roy Nutt, he
launched the Computer Sciences Corporation in 1959. While the
Foundation’s primary mission is to support private colleges and
universities in California, Bosco Tech’s emphasis on preparing
bright, talented young men—many from under-served communities—to further their STEM education and careers is in keeping with the Foundation’s goals in education.
During 2014, the Pasadena-based philanthropic foundation’s
grant awards totaled $7 million.
Visit www.boscotech.edu for more information.
A girl and her song about Don Bosco hits the Top 10 in Great Britain
Chertsey, Englasn (ANS) - Inspired by the life of Don
Bosco and celebrating the bicentennial of his birth, Cathra Plant,
an 11-year-old pupil of the Salesian school in Chertsey, wrote a
song about the Saint of Youth, entitled “It’s Not Enough.” Recorded by students of the school, the song is now in the Top Ten
singles downloaded from Amazon, beating the likes of Ed
Sheeran.
When Cathra wrote the song, Fr. Andrew Ebrahim, SDB,
rector, contacted a musician Callum Mazella-Hart, who arranged
October 22, 2015
E-Service
16
See the interview with Cathra Plant on
Christian Radio at https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfCidlWt2U or by clicking on this photo.
Hear the song at https://
www.youtube.com/watch?
v=OWGEWuwqat0
it. Cathra then formed a band called “The Boscos” with other
students: Jarret Millen (guitar), Darragh Chaplin (drums), and
Miranda Lopez (guitar).
The students recorded the song in June, and when they started to play it for different local radio stations they realized that
people liked it and decided to offer it on the Internet.
The single was officially released on September 18 and can
be downloaded from iTunes Amazon. At the same time a video
was released on YouTube, to give the song maximum publicity.
Interest in the song spread globally, and the single has been
downloaded by fans around the world: in one week it climbed
to eighth place on Amazon’s “most sold” list for the UK; it
reached third on the “Movers and Shakers” chart, which follows daily the entries climbing fastest on the bestseller list.
Miss Plant says: “I was asked to do a project about Don
Bosco, and I wanted to do something different than just a Pow-
erPoint. I’ve written songs before, so I thought I should write a
song about him instead.
Cathra said: “He was born in Italy, and when he was young
he had a dream about helping young people. When he grew up,
he saw young boys on the street and thought he could help
them, and that really inspired me. I sang the song for my class,
and my teacher told Fr. Andrew about it.
“When it was first released I thought, ‘This is amazing,’ and
then I was really proud.”
The band members believe that the best thing of all is that
the song has made Don Bosco better known in their country.
They have decided to donate a portion of the profits from the
sale of the single to Don Bosco Ashalayam, a Salesian work
which helps vulnerable children and young people in Calcutta,
India.
Mission Sunday: statistics of the Catholic Church in 2015
Rome (ANS) - On World Mission Sunday, celebrated on
October 18, Fides, news agency of the Pontifical Mission Societies, presented some statistics that offer an overall picture of
the Church in the world. Here are some data—as of December
31, 2013 [the latest available statistics]—concerning the
Church’s global presence.
At year’s end, out of a total world population of more than 7
billion, the number of Catholics was 1,253,926,000 (an increase
of 25,305,000 over the previous year).
The number of priests worldwide increased by 1,035 from
2012, reaching 415,348. Diocesan priests increased globally by
971 to a total of 280,532 while the number of religious priests
increased by 64 to a total of 134,816.
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As a result, the number of people per priest (including nonCatholics) increased by 180 to 13,752, and the number of Catholics per priest increased by 54 to 3,019.
In contrast to recent years, the number of male religious
who are not priests decreased by 61 to 55,253. There was also a
decrease in the number of female religious worldwide. Their
number fell in 2013 by 8,954 to a total of 693,575.
Dioceses and other ecclesiastical districts numbered 2,989,
which is eight more than in the previous year. There were three
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more in Europe, two more in Africa, and more each in the
Americas, Asia, and Oceania.
Members of male secular institutes totaled 712, a decrease
of 59 members. The members of female secular institutes decreased by 747 to a total of 23,955.
The number of lay missionaries in the world in 2013 was
367,679, with an overall increase of 5,191 while the number of
catechists decreased by 13,075 to a new total of 3,157,568.
The full report is available here.
Where have the Interamerica Region provincials been?
On Wednesday, October 21, the provincials and some fellow SDBs spent the day in New York City. Clockwise, from
top left: Praying for peace at the World Trade Center Memorial, viewing the names of those who died on 9/11, taking in the view of the Statue of Liberty, visiting the ice rink at Rockefeller Center, touring and praying at St. Patrick
Cathedral, and learning about the work of the Salesians at the United Nations. During the evening they had dinner
and enjoyed The Lion King on Broadway. Photos by Fr. Dennis Donovan