Don Bosco Today Year 114 Issue 1

T H E S A L E S I A N B U L L E T I N Y E A R 1 1 4 I S S U E 1 S P R I N G 2 0 0 6


T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R T H E S A L E S I A N F A M I L Y


DON BOSCO TODAY


DON BOSCO




Editorial


The last edition of Don


Bosco Today featured an


article on Don Bosco’s


mother, Mamma Margaret.


Many of our readers wrote


to say how deeply moved


they were by this short


introduction to her life.


Soon after the article


appeared we heard that


the Salesians in Italy had


just published a new book


on Mamma Margaret. Fr


Julian Fox, an Australian


Salesian, who works at our


Salesian centre in Rome,


was busy translating the


book into English, and


asked if we were interested


in publishing it. We were


delighted to have the


opportunity to publish the


life of such an exceptional


woman.


In the process of editing this book we discovered a new understanding of Don


Bosco’s early life, and the tremendous influence his mother had on his


educational thinking. We hope that Mamma Margaret will soon be beatified,


and that this book will prove an inspiration for all mothers, and an affirmation


for all those unsung heroes, whose contribution, in a myriad of different ways,


enables others to work for young people in the spirit of Don Bosco.


Mamma Margaret welcomed into her life the poor and unwanted children of


Turin, with great love and compassion. The articles in this issue of Don Bosco


Today reflect the way the Salesian Family continues to show the same


practical concern for those in need.


Anthony Bailey SDB


Editor


Email: a.bailey@salesians.org.uk


DON BOSCO TODAY


2




Contents


DON BOSCO TODAY


3


DON BOSCO PUBLICATIONS


Thornleigh House


Sharples Park Bolton BL1 6PQ


Tel 01204 308811


Fax 01204 306868


Email: joan@salesians.org.uk


SALESIAN MISSIONS


Fr Joe Brown SDB


2 Orbel Street Battersea SW11 2NZ


Tel 020 7924 7141


Email: donbosco@btconnect.com


Sister Kathleen Jones FMA


Provincial Office, 13 Streatham


Common North Streatham London


SW16 3HG


Tel 0208 677 4573


Fax 0208 677 4523


Email


provincialoffice.fma@ukonline.co.uk


GIFT AID


Completing a Gift Aid Form


would make your donation go further.


Please contact


Salesian Provincial House


266 Wellington Road North Stockport


Cheshire SK4 2QR


Tel 0161 431 6633


Fax 0161 443 2378


Email Economer@salesians.org.uk


DESIGN AND PRINTING


Printoff Graphic Arts Ltd.


Tel: 01282 877922


Salesian Websites – well worth visiting


Don Bosco Publications www.don-bosco-publications.co.uk


Salesians in Rome www.sdb.org


Salesian News Agency www.sdb.org/ANS


Salesian Sisters in Rome www.cgfmanet.org


Salesian Sisters in the UK www.salesiansistersuk.com


Salesian Youth Ministry www.salesianyouthministry.com


Don Bosco Youth Net www.donboscoyouth.net


Bosconet www.bosconet.aust.com


Youth Outreach www.youthoutreach.org.hk


Generosity of the young 4


I was a stranger and you made me welcome 6


Fr Denis Martin SDB 8


Mamma Margaret 9


Booklist 10


Order Form 11


Rosie and Katie go to Mass 12


Fr Terry Lavery 13


Fr Chris McMahon 13


The Bosco Centre 14


In prison and you visited me 16


Grandparents 18




4


DON BOSCO TODAY


Generosity of the Young
Lahore - Pakistan - October 2005


It was around 9am on the 8th October, Fr


Miguel Angel SDB was in his office, when he


suddenly felt very dizzy, everything around


him started moving. Since he had never


experienced something like this before he was


totally confused. His assistant shouted,


Father, Earthquake! They ran outside asking


the boys to do the same. The tremor lasted


well over two minutes and when they re-


entered the building the ceiling lights were still


shaking. The wall around the school was


badly damaged so they called in a builder


who started rebuilding it just two hours after


the event. Security is important in Lahore.


Several buildings in the city had collapsed and


some houses in the Christian Colony had


suffered a great deal of damage.


The earthquake, had not affected them physically but it


was to change their lives. They soon became aware


that in the North West Frontier region of Pakistan, tens


of thousands of people had died following the


weekend's massive earthquake, and hundreds of


thousands were struggling for survival. The earthquake


happened at about 9am, a time when schools were


packed with students, consequently, 70% of the


casualties were young people and children, a lost


generation in Northern Pakistan.


Fr Miguel asked for volunteers from the older boys in


the school, to help with the rescue work, and about a


hundred boys volunteered immediately. He contacted


the Military Commander who gave him permission to


get involved. The army's response to his request was,


100 boys trained in Don Bosco can do a lot of good over


here. In addition to food and clothing items, the army


requested that the group bring with them as many


shrouds as possible for burying the dead.


Fr Miguel travelled with the first group of students to set


up a rehabilitation camp in the city of Abbotabad, he


started the 500 km journey with only 20,000 rupees


(about £200 pounds), which he had borrowed, from the


Parish Priest, a Maltese priest from the Missionary


Society of Saint Paul. It was ten days of hard work for


the 60 trainees; setting up a 150-tent camp for 600


people, more than 200 of them patients in need of


medical attention. The sixty boys selected, started


working on the very day of arrival, after eleven hours trip


by bus. A gas kitchen was set up, so many people


needed to be fed. Their work was not always easy,


about 100 sanitary latrines had to be dug. Storage and


management of the camp was discussed daily in their


logistics meeting. After five days the hospital near


where the camp was located started to send local


doctors since the number of patients increased by 25 -


30 people each day.


After training a group of local people they went back to


school, satisfied but already thinking about what they


could do next. The answer came when they were called


to help a community of about 600 people in the


mountains of the North, one of the worst affected areas.


The place, called Manu Jabra, was 7000 ft above sea


level, right in front of the Karakoram Mountains. It was


almost inaccessible, the roads had been opened by the


army only a couple of days earlier. Putting together the


human and material resources of Don Bosco in Quetta


and Lahore, an expedition was prepared, including a


bus of students, a nurse and a civil engineer. During


their month long stay, the generosity of benefactors


around the world made it possible for them to distribute




DON BOSCO TODAY


5


about 30 tons of materials


including food, clothes, kitchen


utensils, mattresses, blankets,


tents and quilts. They also set up


a small school and provided


medical care.


Of course, they are still


committed and are sending


supplies of food to the camp that


has grown to almost 500 people.


Recently there has been a


meeting of Caritas International


with other NGOs and they have


decided to work out a long-term action plan to set up a village of prefabricated


fibreglass shelters. The Salesians have already volunteered to bring manpower and


resources to that project as soon as it starts and the Bishops Conference is really


grateful since they were the very first to be involved in this project.


More recently, as a result of the violent emotional reaction to the cartoons, which


showed a lack of respect to Muslims, the Salesians felt it necessary to reflect on the


implications of their presence in Pakistan:


1. Our presence in Pakistan is not easy, since we belong to a minority often


marginalised. Yet we Salesians, rich in Don Bosco's spirit of family and love for the


young and the poor, and guided by the preventive system based on reason,


religion and kindness, find ourselves appreciated if not loved by the youth who


happen to meet us, be they Christians or Muslims. We are able to touch their


humanity in caring for their needs, but especially in loving them as they are.


2. During our relief programme for earthquake victims, which is still continuing, we


realise not only that we Christians are generally welcomed by the Muslims we help,


but are also respected by the military and civil authorities for the dedication and


spirit of sacrifice our young Christian students are showing in relief work on a


voluntary basis.


3. It is our conviction, proven by the seven years of experience of our presence in


Quetta and Lahore, that when we approach the Christian and Muslim youth with


love, respect and concern for their human needs as Christ teaches us - I was


hungry, I was thirsty, and accompany them in their human growth with Don Bosco's


system of loving-kindness, there is no doubt that we have a chance to build lasting


bridges of dialogue and peace.


4. Education of the heart makes the difference! It helps people shake off the burden


of ignorance and helps to eliminate misunderstanding between different religions


by promoting dialogue.




Our world is changing in so many ways. Some


of us may be happy with change; others may


feel threatened. One development, which


causes some people concern, is the


movement of people across borders. They


arrive on our island as asylum seekers. The


question is how do we respond to them? For


many, Christians included, it may be a case of


not in my backyard, please. The tabloid


newspapers, those architects of popular


opinion, often construct a very negative image


of asylum seekers. Politicians of all parties, it


seems, react to the prevailing mood; they


outdo each other with a tougher policy,


crudely aimed at reducing the number of


asylum seekers. Good politics used to be


about creating hope and idealism, intent on


changing society for the better. In recent years


the politics of hope have been replaced by the


politics of fear, exemplified in the war on terror.


But the scriptures tell us that love casts out


fear.


A year and a half ago, when I was trying to make some


sense of these thoughts, I asked the Provincial if I could


get involved with asylum seekers and refugees. I


moved from the Bolton to the Bootle community and


discovered Asylum Link, Merseyside, located at


Overbury Street, Liverpool, not far from the Anglican


Cathedral. Here in this former Catholic presbytery, a


remarkable priest, Fr Peter Morgan has opened up a


building, which now provides a whole range of practical


services for asylum seekers who come from many


distressed parts of our world. This charity provides


basic food, clothing and furniture; as well as English


classes, computer courses, cooking and sewing


classes. The centre also provides an advocacy in


accessing services such as education, health care and


the processing of asylum claims and appeals.


When I first visited the centre I wanted to make


connections between the lives of young people and


asylum seekers, to try to break down some of the


prejudices, which undoubtedly exist. My request to help


with school visits was readily accepted. I found


headteachers, chaplains, and teachers only too happy


to welcome me and arrange visits. My aim in all this was


to get asylum seekers into classrooms so they could


share their stories with the youngsters. So far I have


concentrated on senior pupils in years 11, 12 and 13.


On my initial visit I take the classes or assemblies


myself to try establish some of the facts rather than the


myths peddled by the national media.


What are the myths about asylum seekers? Well, I find


our young people tend to imagine that the numbers of


asylum seekers are far higher than the reality. They are


also under the impression that most asylum seekers


come to rich European nations, such as Britain. They


are not aware that poor countries such as Africa take far


6


DON BOSCO TODAY


I was a stranger and you
made me welcome




DON BOSCO TODAY


7


more asylum seekers than we do. They also seem to think that asylum seekers take


our jobs. In fact asylum seekers are not allowed to work at all until they are accepted


by the Home Office and given refugee status. Many of them may have substantial


loans to pay back to people traffickers, so they may be forced to take illegal low paid


work with no labour or union rights to protect them. Hence we witness tragedies such


as befell the cockle pickers in Morecambe Bay. Many think that asylum seekers live


comfortable lives on generous benefits. In reality they receive very little financial


support; what they do get comes in the form of vouchers. And when, for example, they


pay a bill for £4.30 by handing in a £5 voucher they don’t receive any change.


I could go on with other examples, but for me the purpose of these school visits is to


get the asylum seekers themselves to share their stories. This is not always easy. They


have to be able to speak reasonably good English and have the confidence to stand


in front of a class of youngsters. I know these visits are very powerful. I have witnessed


some very moving moments when people who have fled their own countries in fear are


able to talk to our young people, and find a sympathetic audience. Our youngsters


begin to learn that asylum seekers do not just decide to come here to enjoy the good


life. They carry with them personal stories of pain and suffering, of attacks on


themselves and their families, of threats of persecution or physical attacks including


rape. They speak of those who drown in makeshift boats, especially from North Africa,


trying to get to Europe.


I have listened to people of all different faiths and races who share a common


experience of suffering and persecution. They may come from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan


and from many parts of the former Soviet Union, and from many African countries


such as Somalia, the Sudan, Congo, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Zimbabwe and Sierra Leone.


They talk of threats to their lives, and of children and family left behind. They speak of


the frustration of trying to deal with a very unsympathetic Home Office system that


often treats them with little respect, of attacks in the street from people who simply


don’t want them to be here. At the same time they speak of the kindness, friendship


and practical help many British people have given them. Last year for example The


Asylum Link Centre in Liverpool, distributed more than 2,400 food bags, which


equates to around £20,000. Whenever I visit a school I always ask for help with clothes


and have received lots of assistance.


More than anything else, what I hope to do is to try to change the perception our


young people have of asylum seekers. I have been frequently heartened by the


interest shown and the questions asked by the youngsters. I know that a number have


admitted that their views have been changed. I’m sure there are still those who fail to


be impressed, but the good certainly outweighs the bad.


In a CAFOD lecture in London last November Fr Gustavo Gutiérrez, the founder of


liberation theology, said that the poor are increasingly knocking on the doors of the


rich. How we respond is one of the spiritual challenges of our time as we remember


the cry of Jesus, I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me


drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome. (Mt. 25:35)


Michael Cunningham SDB




DON BOSCO TODAY


Father Denis Martin SDB died in Hong Kong, China, on


January 4th 2006. When he was two years old, his


father left his mother with two children, Denis and his


older brother Laurence. As a young boy of eight, Denis


went to Salesian College, Battersea, as a boarder. He


was there for six years. When his brother Laurence


finished school, he said to his mother, I want to become


a Salesian. His mother said, If it is God’s will, go. He


made his profession, as a Salesian, at sixteen years of


age. Two or three years later, Denis said to his mother, I


want to become a Salesian, but I have a worry. His


mother said, What are you worrying about? To which he


replied, I am worried about who will take care of you


when you are old. She said, Go, and become a


Salesian, and don’t worry about me. God will take care


of me and will take better care of me than you can. God


took very good care of his mother. She died when she


was 105 years old, and for the last four years of her life


lived in Nazareth House, a nursing home in London,


where the chaplain was her own elder son Laurence,


who was with her till she died.


Denis went to the Salesian Missionary College at


Shrigley for two years. In 1938 he joined the Salesian


Novitiate at Beckford. After Novitiate he went to the


Salesian Mission in China, arriving in Shanghai as


World War II began. He did his initial studies in the


Salesian House of Studies in Shanghai. At that time the


Japanese were occupying Shanghai and when they


entered the war he was interned in the grounds of the


French Jesuits in Zikawei. It was a very mild internment.


When the war ended Denis resumed his studies and he


was ordained priest in Shanghai in 1949. The first two


or three years of his priesthood were very painful and


harrowing. The Communists had invaded China from


the North and they were gradually taking over the


schools. After they had taken the Salesian School in


Shanghai where Denis was teaching, he spent a brief


spell in a Chinese prison and then was expelled from


China. In 1951 he was sent to Hong Kong. For the next


forty years he spent a very active life working in many


different schools in Hong Kong and also in Macau,


which was then Portuguese.


When he retired from teaching he still managed to do a


great deal of parish work, catering especially for the


people in Hong Kong or Macau who needed Mass,


Confession or Sacraments in English. During his later


years he was troubled with Parkinson’s disease.


Denis always had a great love for the Chinese people.


He loved them and they loved him. It was always his


wish to end his days in China.


Fr Laurence Martin SDB


We Remember


8


Fr Denis Martin SDB 1921 - 2006




DON BOSCO TODAY


9


There is one important aspect of the life of


Don Bosco, which is only now being fully


appreciated – the part his mother played in


laying the foundations of his work and his


educational system. She, who was


illiterate, educated him in so many ways.


She stood by him in his early days in Turin


and shared the many hardships he


endured.


Mamma Margaret’s heroism lay in


feeding poor boys with soup and


affection, of mending worn-out clothes,


of washing pots and pans. In those


humble events lay the strength of a life


lived as a Christian, all based on the


cheerfulness of the poor, on innate


common sense, on a real trust in


Providence.


Mamma Margaret
Mother of Don Bosco


Paperback price £5.70


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Don Bosco Publications
www.don-bosco-publications.co.uk


Special books for Easter for Adults and Children


For Children


VIA LUCIS
by David O’Malley SDB
An ideal way to pray the Stations of the Resurrection at Easter and
through the year. The Via Lucis reflects upon the final chapters of each
of the four Gospels, which narrate the appearances of the Risen Lord
from Easter to Pentecost. In looking at our own experience we may
discover the spirit that gives us new reasons for living and hoping.


This beautiful hardback book with fourteen coloured illustrations is
the perfect Easter gift.


Suitable for personal reflection and group prayer.


SAINT JOHN
BOSCO
Kathleen Pearce
The story of the
inspirational life of
Don Bosco, the
friend of children


and young people.
Hardback – fully
illustrated in colour.


ROSIE GOES TO
CHURCH
Kathleen Pearce.
A child’s detailed
guide to the inside
of the church.
Suitable for all


primary school children.
Hardback – fully
illustrated in colour.


101 SAINTS
AND
SPECIAL
PEOPLE
Kathleen
Pearce
A fresh and


interesting look at the
lives of special people.
A large, hardback book
with 95 beautiful
illustrations.


REMEMBER
YOUR SAINTS &
SPECIAL
PEOPLE


MEMORY GAME
An exciting 72 card memory game
which helps children and adults
remember Saints and Special
People in its own presentation box.


SERVING THE YOUNG
Jim Gallagher SDB
The focus of this book is
the religious dimension of
education in a Catholic
School and helps the
reader find hidden


treasures in some of the Church’s
texts on education. Invaluable for
new teachers.
Paperback.


SEAN DEVEREUX
Michael Delmer
SDB
A young man of
generosity and
compassion works in
adverse and


dangerous conditions to
help less fortunate children
in Africa. This paperback
with 8 coloured
illustrations recounts how
his convictions cost him his
life.


OUR COLOURFUL
CHURCH YEAR
Kathleen Pearce
Written especially for
young children, and
beautifully illustrated,


this delightful book, looks at
events in the church and in
the family and how they are
celebrated.
Hardback, coloured
illustrations throughout.


GOOD NEWS
IN THE FAMILY
Kathleen Pearce.
This book tells
the story of Jesus
from the
Annunciation to


the coming of the Holy
Spirit in an interesting and
informative way. An
excellent resource for both
the school and the home.
Hardback – fully
illustrated in colour.


TEACHER,
TEACH US
TO PRAY
Winifred Acred
FMA
Primary school
teachers will


find this book an
invaluable aid to make
classroom worship a
special moment for
everyone.
Paperback.


ROSIE GOES
TO CHURCH
DVD
A DVD based
on the book
Rosie goes to
Church, in nine


languages (English, German, Irish,
Italian, Dutch, Polish, Slovenian,
Spanish, Czech.)


ROSIE AND KATIE GO TO
MASS
Kathleen Pearce
After the outstanding success of
Rosie goes to Church and the DVD
we are pleased to introduce another
book for young children in the Rosie


series. Parents who have difficulty explaining
the Mass to their children will welcome this
informative book.
Hardback – fully illustrated in colour.


THE WITNESSES
by Winifred Acred FMA
A teacher’s pack to be
used in church or school
to make the story of the
Passion come alive for
children. Includes a leaders
instruction card and cards
for seven different readers.


Serving the Young
Our CatholicSchools Today


Jim Gallagher SDB


DON BOSCO PUBLICATIONS


Michael Delmer SDB


SEAN DEVEREUX
A L i f e G i v e n f o r A f r i c a


1 9 6 4 – 1 9 9 3




11


PRAYERS TO START THE
DAY
David O’Malley SDB
This popular book offers a
simple form of prayer for
individual or communal use at
the start of each day. A useful


partner volume to Prayers to Close the
Day.
Paperback.


PRAYERS TO CLOSE
THE DAY
David O’Malley SDB
A new form of evening
prayer, which helps us
reflect on the day. For use
in groups or as a personal


bedside prayer book.
Paperback.


TRUST THE ROAD
David O’Malley SDB
A very popular leaving gift to
teenagers from their school
as they meet the challenge of
starting life’s journey.
Invaluable for anyone ready to
negotiate the twists and turns


along life’s rich road.
Paperback with coloured
illustrations.


DON BOSCO’S
GOSPEL WAY
M T Winstanley SDB
A fascinating
exploration of the
scriptural
background which


underpins Don Bosco’s Way.
Paperback.


DON’T
ORGANISE MY
TEARS
Tony Bailey SDB
A beautifully
produced book of
reflections written to


help people cope with
bereavement.
Paperback fully illustrated.


GOD OF
MANY FACES
M Renshaw FMA
Reflective verses.
Paperback.


ORDINARY WAYS
David O’Malley SDB
A book about the life-
giving relationships
between young people
and caring adults. A
helpful insight into


ordinary experiences which
become pathways to
personal growth.
Paperback illustrated.


WITHIN &
WITHOUT
Michael
Cunningham SDB
God is present in all
aspects of our human
experience, good and


bad. This book will help all
of us make sense of the
challenges facing us today.
Paperback.


A TIME FOR
COMPASSION
Michael
Cunningham SDB
This is a book any
thinking Catholic will
enjoy. God calls


people from a fear-based
religion of rules and
regulations to a love-
based religion, in which a
profoundly relational God
invites all humanity into
union and communion.
Paperback.


ORDER FORM - SPRING 2006


I would like to order:- Author Price P&P


MAMMA MARGARET The Life of Don Bosco’s Mother Teresio Bosco SDB 5.70 1.50


ROSIE AND KATIE GO TO MASS K Pearce 3.99 1.25


DVD ROSIE GOES TO CHURCH A child’s guide to the church K Pearce 8.00 1.00


BOOK ROSIE GOES TO CHURCH A child’s guide to the church K Pearce 3.99 1.25


A TIME FOR COMPASSION M Cunningham SDB 6.00 1.25


DON BOSCO The friend of children and young people K Pearce 3.99 1.25


DON BOSCO’S GOSPEL WAY Reflections of the life of Don Bosco M Winstanley SDB 6.00 1.25


DON’T ORGANISE MY TEARS Reflections on bereavement A Bailey SDB 9.25 1.25


GOD OF MANY FACES Reflective verses M Renshaw FMA 2.50 0.75


GOOD NEWS IN THE FAMILY The life of Jesus in story form K Pearce 4.99 1.50


MEMORY GAME based ‘101 Saints and Special People’ K Pearce 5.00 2.00


MOVING ON Book of reflective poetry Margaret J Cooke 5.00 1.50


OUR COLOURFUL CHURCH YEAR K Pearce 4.50 1.50


ORDINARY WAYS Spiritual reflections for teachers & youth club leaders D O’Malley SDB 4.50 1.00


PRAYERS TO CLOSE THE DAY D O’Malley SDB 3.50 1.25


PRAYERS TO START THE DAY D O’Malley SDB 3.00 1.00


SEAN DEVEREUX A life given for Africa 1964-1993 M Delmer SDB 6.00 1.25


SERVING THE YOUNG Our Catholic Schools Today J Gallagher SDB 5.00 1.25


TEACHER, TEACH US TO PRAY for use in primary schools W Acred FMA 4.50 1.00


THE WITNESSES Seven witnesses narrate their part in the Passion Story W Acred FMA 2.99 1.00


TRUST THE ROAD 2nd edition with coloured illustrations D O’Malley SDB 4.50 1.25


VIA LUCIS SPECIAL OFFER THIS EASTER £5.99 D O’Malley SDB 9.99 1.50


101 SAINTS AND SPECIAL PEOPLE Lives of Saints for children K Pearce 10.00 4.00


WITHIN & WITHOUT Renewing Religious Life M Cunningham SDB 6.00 1.25


TOTALS £ £


"


MOVING ON
Margaret Joan
Cooke
These poems are
as varied in the
topics they address
as they vary in style


from the sombrely thoughtful
to the playful.
Hardback.


Moving On


Margaret Joan Cooke


MAMMA
MARGARET
Teresio Bosco SDB
A wonderful account
of the part Don
Bosco’s mother
played in laying the


foundations of his work and his
education system.
Paperback.




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DON BOSCO TODAY


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DON BOSCO PUBLICATIONS
THORNLEIGH HOUSE, SHARPLES PARK, BOLTON BL1 6PQ


Tel. 01204 308811 Fax 01204 306868 Email joan@salesians.org.uk
www.don-bosco-publications.co.uk


Further details of all our books are given on this site


REDUCTIONS AVAILABLE FOR BOOKSHOPS, CHURCH REPOSITORIES & MULTIPLE COPIES.


ORDER FORM - SPRING 2006


"


Children will want to know what


the various parts of the Mass


mean.


Rosie’s cousin Katie was staying for a few days,


tomorrow she would be going home. It is Sunday


and Rosie is determined to enjoy their last day


together. First they were going to Mass and


afterwards, they planned to have a family picnic.


Katie has not been to Mass before and Rosie was


looking forward to quietly telling Katie all that


happens during the service.


What better introduction to the Mass!


Hardback in full colour 48 pages


Price £3.99


See order form on page 11


Rosie and Katie Go to Mass


Pay by cheque - payable to DON BOSCO PUBLICATIONS or
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Issue No


Issued:- card no:-


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13


DON BOSCO TODAY


We Remember


Terry Lavery was born in Glasgow in 1923,


and was baptised at St Anthony’s, Govan.


He was first professed as a Salesian at Beckford near


Gloucester in 1942. In the late 1940s Terry taught in


Shrigley, Chertsey and Bolton. After theological studies in


Lyons, Terry returned to Beckford to be ordained in 1952.


As a young priest, Terry was to teach for a further twelve


years at Salesian College in Chertsey. There were boarders


at Chertsey in those days, and Terry became what we call


the Catechist. He had a special care for the spiritual life and


physical health of the boarders and community. Hard


working and conscientious, he took his responsibilities very


seriously. A Salesian told me, his whole life was devoted to


the care of the students; he had no time for anything else.


In 1964 Terry became part of the founding community at the


new Salesian College in Bootle, Merseyside, where he was


to teach for twenty years. His main subject was French. He


gave himself to his new mission with tireless energy. A


dedicated teacher, Terry was appointed head of the Lower


School. As a priest, Terry had the joy of celebrating family


marriages and jubilees, and being present for other family


celebrations. Summer holidays were spent with family too.


I’m sure his family have good memories of those times and


appreciate the part they played in sustaining Terry in his


ministry. After 37 years of teaching, Terry had a well-earned


sabbatical in California, from where he returned in 1985 to


join the parish team in St Paul’s Muirhouse, Edinburgh. He


was to work there for nearly 15 years.


There was also an urgency about Terry: something of the


zeal with which Jesus proclaimed the arrival of the


Kingdom. If Terry heard someone was in hospital he would


visit them that day. If he heard someone had died, he would


immediately go out to console the family with a lovely letter


of condolence. I am sure many of those letters are


treasured possessions now.


It was a shock when Terry was diagnosed with Cancer in


1997. So, it was with declining health that Terry moved to


Nazareth House, Bonnyrigg, at the end of 1999, where he


was to stay until his death. My memory of Terry is that he


was a truly fine, very gifted, very modest gentleman, who, I


am sure, touched the lives of many.


Fr Jim McGarry SDB


Chris was born in Horwich in Lancashire.


He was professed as a Salesian at


Burwash in September 1959, but I have known Chris only


since he arrived in South Africa in 1983.


In the messages I have received from those who knew Chris


during his very active life, the recollections all echo that he


was one who felt strongly for others, a compassion that


reached out to others in need. To them he brought the


solace and comfort of the sacraments, a friendly word, a


blessing. His life as a priest was a conduit for the graces of


a Good God to make sense of the spiritual and all too


human turmoil in peoples lives, especially those who were


young. In the education of young people in England, Malta


and South Africa, as headmaster, teacher, mentor, guide,


friend in the spirit of Don Bosco, with the Salesians as his


brothers, he built the foundations of Faith in a loving God.


His intense concern for the spiritual and physical well being


of others in his pastoral care, exceeded the limits of his own


capacity to accomplish as much as he wanted to. This took


a toll on his own managing and coping skills, as he


struggled with personal issues while still all the time


deepening his understanding of God's work in his life. His


personal medical battle had begun when his body once


again became the rival of his spirit. The life and death of


each of us has its influence on others. But his spirit did not


succumb. He continued to work for as long as he could. He


planned meticulously for his operations, holidays with


family, ensuring that he crowded in as much as he could


before he was confined to a room. When the time came for


continual care he radiated a peace and acceptance of his


condition.


We give thanks for the wonderful way Chris touched our


lives, in his life, in his dying and death, and pray for our


consolation in the knowledge of his eternal reward.


Robert Gore SDB


Provincial South Africa.


Fr Terry Lavery SDB


1923 - 2005


Fr Chris McMahon SDB


1942 - 2005




DON BOSCO TODAY


The Bosco Centre


14


It is not easy to get time with Sister Cecily; she is a very


busy lady! When I arrived she was interviewing a young


lad, a prospective candidate for the apprentice scheme,


the latest development at the Bosco Centre in South


London. He naturally, took precedence. For Sister Cecily


Dunn, a Salesian Sister, young people always take


precedence.


Waiting for Cecily was not time lost. I was able to absorb


the atmosphere of this unique set-up. A teenager


welcomed me from a tiny reception area and


accompanied me upstairs to the general office, past


classrooms emitting a buzz of activity and energy. A


twenty year old, whom I later learned was the mother of


two children, offered me a mid-morning cuppa. She was


very anxious to make sure that Sister Cecily had one too,


plus a sausage roll which she had brought in for her. It is


well-known that Sister Cecily does not spend much time


thinking of herself. Mary, the long-serving secretary made


sure I felt at home. She told me that she had brought her


child to Sister Cecily’s Nursery seventeen years before


and had stayed on! Such is the persuasive charm of Sister


Cecily!


Young people passed in and out of the office while I


waited. There were tall, gangly youths, some of whom


sported amazing headgear, and attractive girls also in the


latest fashions. I noticed the huge ethnic mix. All greeted


me in a pleasant, friendly way; they were obviously very


much at home in the place and wanted to make me feel


welcome too. Outside, the toddlers happily played in the


sunshine, enjoying the climbing frame, swings, and chute


under the watchful care of the nursery nurses. Eventually


Sister Cecily sent the young lad off, assuring him of a


place, and she was free for a spell to talk to me about the


Bosco Centre.


In October 1984 Sister Cecily was asked to co-ordinate the


youth work in the Parish of Rotherhithe, South London.


She was given a hall and a free hand to organise things as


she saw fit. She brought with her years of experience of


working with under-privileged youngsters in Scotland and


in Liverpool where she set up a successful drugs


rehabilitation programme. The youth club was her starting


point and still continues to be an integral part of the Bosco


Centre but the project has grown far beyond that. A large


banner which dominates the main hall proclaims the motto


of the Centre and its focus: You are young, you are


precious, you are loved.


Cecily found herself surrounded by youngsters who had


dropped out of the system not because they were failures


but because the system had failed them. They were


experiencing pressures for which they were not equipped.


Their schools knew nothing of the trauma they lived in,


their teachers were unaware of the impossible situations


they came from in the morning and returned to at night.


Many of them stopped attending school altogether or


failed to even start secondary education. Cecily had a


mathematics and science background when she entered


the Salesian Sisters and later did an Arts degree plus a


Master’s Degree in Education, so she was in a good


position to teach these so called failures herself. Like her


hero, St. John Bosco, she began to help the youngsters


she knew and the work developed from there.


The Bosco Centre now caters for youngsters from tots to


twenties. The young Mums can have their babies cared for


in the building in which they are studying. One of the


courses on offer at Bosco Centre is Child Care. Those who


attain level three in the National Vocational Qualification


can become qualified Nursery Officers, run their own


nursery after a little experience, work as classroom


assistants or go on to university and perhaps teaching.


All the pupils study English, Mathematics, Information


Technology and Personal Development. The aim is to get


as many as possible up to NVQ level three which is


comparable to two A-levels.


Sister Cecily now has a full-time staff of twenty-five


including her sister who came to help out some years ago


and stayed. Another teacher brought her children to the


nursery and has been on the staff ever since; her


daughters, now grown up, have joined her. One is a


qualified youth leader, thanks to her training at Bosco


Centre, and is in charge of the daily after school club and


the evening youth club. Another daughter works at Sister


Cecily’s latest development: Bosco Construction. There


are also several husband and wife teams working at the


Sister Cecily FMA




DON BOSCO TODAY


15


Centre. No wonder there is a wonderful family atmosphere.


Bosco Construction provides Vocational Tasters. This fits into the Government’s Entry to


Employment and Apprenticeship scheme. At the moment, the young people are offered


training in plastering, painting and decorating and carpentry. Sister Cecily was concerned


that some young people could not get apprenticeships because they lacked the necessary


qualifications nor could they get into colleges because they were not employed by


tradesmen so, typical of Cecily and reminiscent of Don Bosco, she found a way round the


problem and opened her own establishment to get the youngsters started. Sister Cecily is


no stranger to the building trade herself; she has extended the original hall at least six times!


Once she was dissatisfied with the way the slates had been put on a roof so she personally


dismantled them, numbered each slate and had them replaced to her satisfaction and the


builder’s astonishment!


The Diamond Project, for 16 - 20 year olds, which includes NVQ training, probably best


epitomises Sister Cecily’s philosophy. A diamond, when found, is not very promising; it takes


time, patience, hard work to rid it of the encrustation surrounding it and to polish it into


brilliance. Cecily has faith in young people; she knows that there is a precious diamond


embedded in each of them. All her projects aim at releasing that diamond and making it


sparkle. She loves her young people and they know it; they can approach her at any time of


the day or night and they do. She is totally committed to their welfare and has proved it on


countless occasions over many years. She is very firm, she has to be, she is working with


South London kids, street-wise and wary but they respond to the caring atmosphere at


Bosco as they call it. They appreciate the way they are treated and respond positively to the


way the staff work. They say: It’s not like school, it’s different. They treat you like a grown-up


here.


Like Don Bosco, Sister Cecily has developed her work directed by the Spirit and responding


to needs as they emerged: Youth Clubs and After School Clubs, Nursery provision, Bosco


College and Bosco Construction. She has also opened a well-equipped Hostel to provide


accommodation for homeless girls. For Cecily, pastoral guidance is pivotal; her aim has


always been to provide a safe, caring environment where the young people would feel that


they belonged. From this basis, training in citizenship develops naturally, the young person


grows in self-esteem, confidence and maturity.


Currently the youngsters of sixteen years and over who attend the Bosco Centre receive from


the Government the Education and Maintenance Allowance of £50 a week. In a year, Sister


Cecily and her staff can work with an average of 135 youngsters and achieve at least 60%


success rate in pupil achievement. The fear is that the Grant is going to be reduced to £30


and awarded for only five months. Trying to live on £30 a week without any parental support


will discourage young people from attempting to improve their qualifications and will


drastically reduce the span of time they can afford to spend at Bosco. To turn around a life


in a year is remarkable, to do it in five months would be nothing short of miraculous but


Cecily has enough faith for miracles.


So what is Sister Cecily’s secret? What is the root of this charismatic dynamism? Sister Cecily


is a woman of great faith and trust in God. She is inspired by the spirit of Don Bosco, the


friend of youth. Each day ends with a time of quiet reflection, the traditional Salesian


Goodnight. She believes in his system of reason, religion and loving kindness and she is not


afraid to practise it. The place is very appropriately named the Bosco Centre since the work


which radiates from it is truly Bosconian.


Sister Ella Flynn FMA




In prison and you visited me


DON BOSCO TODAY


Anyone who believes the claim, Prison works


clearly doesn’t know what they are talking


about. This slogan is especially wrong for


young males in prison. Home Office statistics


show that 76% of prisoners under 21 re-offend


within two years of release. For 14 -16 year


olds, the figure is 86%. Is that what you’d


understand by prison working?


I’ve been going to prison one day a week since January


1997. I’m a volunteer tutor, usually in basic maths, at a


Young Offenders Establishment. There, I frequently say,


This place is a mad-house, and no one contradicts me.


I like things to be orderly and predictable, as they


usually seemed to be in the schools I used to work in,


a long time ago. Here, no matter how carefully I make


arrangements; things seem more likely than not, to fail


to happen as planned.


Nevertheless, I still keep going back, and want to go on


doing so for as long as I possibly can. There are so


many lads there who need a helping hand, not just in


maths but much more importantly the help to make


them feel valued and appreciated. Their experience of


life, so far, has convinced them they are the refuse of


society. They write themselves off as worthless, and


have little or no hope of ever leading an ordinary life.


They find it almost incredible that the volunteer tutors


are giving them time and personal attention, and are


not being paid for it. We try to show them that we don’t


accept that they are worthless. We appreciate all that


they might be, if only they had been given the right


opportunities, and had taken them.


The Volunteer Supported Education office (VSE) works


like this. First a name appears on a list. He is referred to


us as wanting one-to-one help with literacy or


numeracy. When a tutor is free, the inmate is


interviewed and an assessment form filled in. As soon


as an appropriate tutor can be matched to his needs,


he gets his own tutor, who will see him once a week for


one and a half to two hours. Most volunteers do either


a morning or an afternoon stint. I do both on the same


day. Even if my only contact with an inmate is for an


assessment interview, I always feel my time has been


well spent. The helping hand I stretched out has been


grasped by a lad in need, and what I had to offer in that


short session has been warmly appreciated.


Here is what happened on a recent, not untypical, day


for me. I left home at 8.10 am and arrived about 9.30,


after my 15 minute walk to the station, a rail journey, an


uncertain wait, and then a bus journey. I was expecting


to continue with the two lads I’d seen last week, but one


of them was back in court. I took the long walk out to


the wing only to find my morning student had been


taken, ten minutes earlier, to IBIS, the former


Segregation Unit for boys in trouble of some sort.


I phoned back to the office. They advised me to stay


put for five minutes while they checked the availability of


two other possible candidates. Neither was available so


I returned to the office. Eventually they did find


someone needing maths, whom I could assess. We


had about 90 minutes at our first meeting. Steve, aged


18, came from a Sussex village and in some ways


seemed less self-confident and street-wise than most


inmates. His favourite pastime, he told me, was to


spend four or five hours sitting quietly with his mates in


a pub. It had been a big deal for him when, a month


before his 18th birthday, he told the publican, at his


local, he was now 18 and was served a pint of beer.


Mum had re-married when he was fourteen and soon


afterwards he was taken into care. Since then, he said,


things had gone steadily downhill. He’d been moved


around, had attended a variety of schools, and


received some home tuition. Entered only for Art and


Maths GCSEs he’d got F grades in both.


As usual, I began by sharing with him how to be certain


he’d got the right answer when adding up, and left him


with some questions to practice on, while he was


waiting to be assigned his own regular tutor. His body


language, even more than his words, showed me he’d


been glad we’d met. And so was I.


16




By chance, my morning student the following week said he was sick. Once again I was


at a loose end! Finally it was sorted out I’d have another one-off class with Steve. He’d


done the work from last week, nearly all correctly, but today was in a difficult mood. He


said, Everyone hates maths. I replied, I don’t!….But, you know you don’t have to do this


if you don’t want to. I’ve got to get a GCSE or I’ll never get a proper job. I struggled on,


even though he seemed so distracted and unwilling to concentrate. I coaxed him


through subtractions till he could do on his own 5005-2897. I knew he was pleased with


himself. The comment he wrote on the report at the end of the class was I learnt I must


push myself! Teaching Steve would always be a tussle. I felt relieved I was able to remind


him I would be back next week with my regular student. He’d have to wait for another


tutor to become free. His reply was, Could I say the only tutor I’d work with is you?


Two weeks later I did become Steve’s regular tutor! For how long he will be able to stick


with me, as I try to help him gradually to learn to believe in himself, remains to be seen!


Long journeys have small beginnings, with the train of opportunity possibly having


several initial stops and starts!


For most of us, our students seem to be shipped out to another establishment after


about six weeks or so. A few of my students have lasted very much longer. This year I


had 31 sessions, nearly 60 hours together, with a very intelligent, courteous and


hardworking inmate from Eastern Europe. It was a real pleasure to work with him. He’s


now been deported back to his own country (as he very much wanted) carrying a GCSE


equivalent certificate in Maths, and another triple certificate in English. We were both


very satisfied with what he’d achieved.


I have always enjoyed working with young people, and sharing with them anything I


could, as a teacher and guide. The young men imprisoned by the courts are some of


the most necessitous in our society. Unless they are helped to value themselves, to


open up their minds and to obtain qualifications, they will never be able to break out of


the cycle of offending - prison - reoffending in which we see they have already been


trapped.


Out of thirty VSE tutors, mostly helping with reading and writing, 25 will be women and


of a wide range of ages. We are always needing new volunteers to enrol as trainees. If


you know of anyone who might become a volunteer, do urge them to join us. These lads


desperately need help. And our society needs to protect itself for the future.


If you feel you could help as a volunteer in a young offender’s establishment near you,


why not volunteer now. Details can be found in your local library.


DON BOSCO TODAY


17


Fr Joseph Merriman SDB




18


DON BOSCO TODAY


Grandparents


The grandfather was very old. He had difficulty walking,


his sight was poor, he was a little deaf, eating was an


effort and he stained his clothes and the tablecloth. His


son and daughter-in-law were so annoyed that they


made him eat his meals in the kitchen. One day when


they were giving him his soup, the old man was not


quick enough to take the dish and it fell to the ground


and broke. His daughter-in-law went wild and said that


in future he would have to eat from a wooden bowl, like


the animals. The old man gave a deep sigh and bowed


his head. The next day Michael, the grandson, sitting on


the ground next to his grandfather was trying to fit


together some small thin curved pieces of wood. What


are you doing Michael? his dad asked him. I’m trying to


make a wooden bowl. When you and Mum are old I’ll be


able to use it to feed you. The man and his wife looked


at each other and burst into tears.


This story, very frequently found in elementary school


reading books, takes on a new meaning today in many


societies. Today we are in danger of judging the value


of people by the contribution they make to society, in


danger of putting the elderly to one side and denying


them their proper place both in the family and in society.


As always happens, the young can only learn from what


they see: including how the elderly should be treated.


We need to teach our children the value of old age. It is


indispensable and urgent, because we have to


recognise that the effort of growing old is not as easy as


it seems. It is a complicated and chaotic process, filled


with contradictions: marked by anxiety and serenity,


bitterness and joy, security and fear, activity and


passivity, a closing in on oneself and great openness.


Elderly people need others and yet often they are left to


their own devices: they are useless and a drain on


finances - unless they are only used as babysitters. If


growing old is difficult, it is equally difficult living with the


elderly: they are weak, they need patience and


tolerance, virtues that are almost unknown. In a culture


that is geared to super-efficiency, old age seems an


injury, something wrong, a fault. For too many it takes


on the appearance of the waiting room of death. The


elderly need the tenderness of people who are dear to


them. They feel it as a cruel wrong when they are


removed from family life: an exclusion that mortifies


them, in the original meaning of the term. They are


treasure chests of experience: every time a elderly


person dies, a library dies. The first great gift the elderly


make to a family is precisely that of handing on, not so


much material benefits as those things that make life


better. They have paid a heavy price after all.


So the age of the grandparent has come. Life has given


them great experience; they have learned to be better,


they have slowly acquired a treasure of wisdom: a


collection of memories, of disappointments, of secrets,


of habits, of hopes. Grandparents can pass on to their


grandchildren a collection of stories and memories, so-


called family history that the grandchildren find


extraordinarily fascinating. Grandfather can represent


for the grandchild a certain stability in family


relationships of affection. He is able to talk as someone


who was there when Mum was a little girl and Dad was


at school, of when in the place where the supermarket


stands there were open fields, of when in place of the


multi-storey car park there was a pool where Mum and


Dad went swimming and where everyone knew them. In


this way the child has the idea that his family has always


existed and always will. He gets an idea of how


affections continue. A child is afraid, more than anything


else, of the collapse of his world of affections; the


presence of grandparents is certainly a source of


security and comfort.


It is necessary to see the family as a community of persons, in


which, in the light of the gospel message, those of all ages live


together, respecting the rights of all: men, women, children, and


the elderly.
John Paul II.




19


DON BOSCO TODAY


Since the times of their childhood to today so much has changed: society, values, even


the Faith. Many of today’s Grandparents have painfully lived through this evolution. Their


way of fitting in to this new world determines the place they want to occupy and the


influence they have in communicating the Faith to their grandchildren. Some of them,


perhaps, find it frustrating and they even feel at fault that their own children are no longer


practising, and are not handing on the faith to their children. Is it our fault? they ask


themselves. I ask myself whether this break in the chain of those handing on the Faith


has not something to do with the almost total exclusion of the elderly, whose experience


of the Faith, which helped them to face up to life especially while sorrow came knocking


on the door of their homes, is ignored and has passed into oblivion. Perhaps, as a


theologian has written, We are in the presence of one of the most anti-Christian aspects


of our society and culture.


How beautiful they are


In the autumn of their days


White hair and wrinkled hands


Showing the passing of the years


Love and pain have made them strong,


Have bound them both together,


Have given them hearts which overflow


With graciousness and blessing.


May love enshrine their sorrow,


And each new day as it comes along


Herald a glad tomorrow.


Sister Margaret Renshaw FMA


Fr Pascual Chávez Villanueva SDB


Rector Major