InTouch 6.14.12


InTouch 6.14.12

1 Page 1

▲back to top
June 14
2012
86 $:HVW3URYLQFH1HZVOHWWHUએ%XLOGLQJ%ULGJHV%HWZHHQ&RPPXQLWLHV
ƚŚĞƌĞǁĂƐƐŽŵĞƟŵĞĨŽƌǀŝƐŝƟŶŐ
the  sacred  places  in  the  Holy  City,  
in  Jericho,  in  Galilee.    Chuyen  had  
arranged  a  special  Mass  for  our  group  
it  will  be  missed,  because  now  Judy’s  
life  journey  has  led  her  to  decide  to  
ĂĐĐĞƉƚĂƉŽƐŝƟŽŶĂƐƐƐŽĐŝĂƚĞWƌŝŶĐŝƉĂů
ĨŽƌ^ƚƵĚĞŶƚ>ŝĨĞĂŶĚ/ŶƚĞƌŶĂƟŽŶĂů
at  Gethsemani  on  my  last  day  in  Israel.     Students  at  Ramona  Convent  
It  happened  to  be  the  memorial  of  our   Secondary  School  in  Alhambra.    In  
June  14,  2012
Dear  Brother  and  Sister  Salesians:  
young  Polish  martyrs  of  World  War  II,  
^ĂůĞƐŝĂŶŽƌĂƚŽƌLJůĞĂĚĞƌƐ͘KīĞƌŝŶŐDĂƐƐ
over  the  rock  of  Jesus’  agony  I  prayed  
for  the  young  “oratory  leaders”  of  our  
province,  especially  those  gathering  
for  SYLC  next  week.    Be  strong  in  your  
ǀŽĐĂƟŽŶĂƐũŽLJĨƵůĚŝƐĐŝƉůĞƐ͕ƐĂĐƌŝĮĐŝŶŐ
everything  to  help  other  young  people  
ďĞĐŽŵĞŚŽŶĞƐƚĐŝƟnjĞŶƐĂŶĚŐŽŽĚ
ŚƌŝƐƟĂŶƐ͘
the  name  of  the  province  I  thank  Judy  
Wilber  Alvarez  for  all  she  has  been  and  
done  among  us,  both  in  youth  ministry  
ĂŶĚŝŶƐŽĐŝĂůĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ͘tĞ
all  wish  her  every  success  in  her  new  
work.    Salesians  through  and  through,  
she  and  her  husband  Mike  are  bringing  
the  charism  and  spirit  of  St.  John  Bosco  
ƚŽŽƚŚĞƌĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƟĞƐĂŶĚĨĂŵŝůŝĞƐ͕
always  making  the  young  their  life’s  
My  Birthday.  The  actual  day  of  my  
birthday  last  Friday  I  spent  in  an  early  
morning  car  ride  from  Hergolshausen  
to  Wurzburg  (Germany),  two  train  rides  
from  Wurzburg  to  Frankfurt,  two  plane  
ŇŝŐŚƚƐĨƌŽŵ&ƌĂŶŬĨƵƌƚƚŽƵƌŝĐŚĂŶĚdĞů
Aviv,  and  one  car  ride  from  Tel  Aviv  to  
Jerusalem.    All  day  on  road,  rails  and  air  
lanes.    Arriving  in  Jerusalem  I  found  all  
LJŽƵƌŐƌĞĞƟŶŐƐŽŶƚŚĂƚƐƉĞĐŝĂůǁĞďƉĂŐĞ
so  cleverly  designed  by  Judy  Alvarez  
and  InTouch  ƐƚĂī͘dŚĂŶŬLJŽƵƐŽŵƵĐŚ͘
I  can  only  assure  you,  most  gratefully,  
that  I  did  pray  for  every  one  of  you  
here  at  the  holy  places,  my  family  and  
friends,  my  confreres,  and  everyone  in  
the  Salesian  Family  of  western  USA.
Jerusalem.    DLJĮƌƐƚƉƵƌƉŽƐĞŝŶĐŽŵŝŶŐ
here  was  to  share  in  Chuyen’s  joy  as  
he  received  the  sacrament  of  holy  
ŽƌĚĞƌƐ͕ŽƌĚĂŝŶĞĚĂĚĞĂĐŽŶďLJƚŚĞ>ĂƟŶ
Patriarch  of  Jerusalem,  Fouad  Twal,  in  
Bethlehem,  the  place  of  Jesus’  birth.    
Some  of  Chuyen’s  family  came  over  for  
the  occasion,  as  well  as  other  folk  from  
ĂůŝĨŽƌŶŝĂ͘tŚĂƚĂĚĞůŝŐŚƞƵůƐƵƌƉƌŝƐĞ
to  see  them  here,  Anthony  Castaneda,  
Mary  Ellen  Carlson,  Sr.  Gloria  Mar!    Of  
ĐŽƵƌƐĞĂŌĞƌƚŚĞŽƌĚŝŶĂƟŽŶĐĞůĞďƌĂƟŽŶƐ
ĞůĞŐĂƚĞĨŽƌ^ŽĐŝĂůŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ͘  
For  two  years  now  our  province  has  
enjoyed  the  services  of  Judy  Wilber  
Alvarez  as  my  delegate  for  social  
ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ͘/ŶϮϬϭϬ͕ĂŌĞƌĂďŽƵƚ
twelve  years  in  our  youth  ministry  
ŽĸĐĞ͕:ƵĚLJǁŝůůŝŶŐůLJĂĐĐĞƉƚĞĚŵLJ
ŽīĞƌŽĨƚŚŝƐĐŚĂŶŐĞŝŶĚŝƌĞĐƟŽŶ͘
Since  then  she  has  competently  led  
our  province  to  new  heights  in  our  
awareness  of  the  urgency  of  social  
ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƟŽŶƐĂƐĂŶĞƐƐĞŶƟĂůƉĂƌƚ
of  and  tool  for  our  mission.    Within  
ƚŚĞƐŽĐŝĂůĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƟŽŶƐĂƌĞĂƐŽĨ
ĂŶŝŵĂƟŽŶ͕ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶĂŶĚĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ͕
Judy  has  blazed  a  path.    InTouch  is  
the  most  evident  example,  but  her  
work  on  the  editorial  board  of  The  
^ĂůĞƐŝĂŶƵůůĞƟŶŚĂƐĂůƐŽďĞĞŶĐƌŝƟĐĂů
for  improving  the  quality  of  that  joint  
ƉƌŽǀŝŶĐĞƉƵďůŝĐĂƟŽŶ͘ŽƵƌƐĞƐŽŶ
ƐŽĐŝĂůĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƟŽŶƐĂƌĞŶŽǁƉĂƌƚ
ŽĨƚŚĞŝŶŝƟĂůĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶĐƵƌƌŝĐƵůƵŵĂƚ
almost  every  stage,  thanks  to  Judy’s  
ĚĞƚĞƌŵŝŶĂƟŽŶĂŶĚƐŬŝůůƐĂƐƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĞƌ͘
And  there  are  many  other  areas  in  the  
ĮĞůĚŽĨ^ĂůĞƐŝĂŶƐŽĐŝĂůĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ
where  Judy’s  impact  on  our  province’s  
development  has  been  profound.    And  
InTouch    1 6.14.12
mission.    Thank  you,  Judy,  and  God  
bless  you  always!
Sincerely  in  Christ,
Rev.  Timothy  C.  Ploch,  SDB  
Provincial
  Pro  v   incial’s Calendar
June 2012
14 Board Meeting, Don
Bosco Technical Insti-
tute (AM)
15-17 Office Days
18-22 Salesian Education
Seminar (SES), Don
Bosco Hall, Berkeley
21 Members Meeting, Sale-
sian High School,
Richmond
22 SES Concluding Mass
23 SYLC Concluding Mass
24-29 Confreres Retreat,
Three Rivers

2 Page 2

▲back to top
$URXQGWKH6DOHVLDQ:RUOG
Presenting Deacon Chuyen Nguyen, SDB
On Saturday, June 9, in Bethlehem, Br. Chuyen Nguyen was ordained a deacon. Here are picture highlights of this
wonderful celebration sent to us by Fr. Tim Ploch.
2012 Deacon Class, Church of St. Catherine, Bethlehem, with
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Fouad Twal.
Immediately after ordination Mass
Californians in Jerusalem: Deacon Chuyen and Bro. Itchan
with Fr. Tim
Peter Nguyen, Fr. Tim, Grace Nguyen (Deacon Chuyen’s brother
and sister-in-law)
Ordination dinner, left to right, Peter and Grace Nguyen (Chuyen’s
brother and sister-in-law), Anthony Castaneda, Mary Ellen
Carlson, Fr. Chinh, Fr. Tim, Deacon Chuyen,
Huey Nguyen (brother-in-law)
USA and Canada delegation after the Ordination dinner: Fr. Tim
Ploch, Deacon Jim Zettel (SUE), Deacon Chuyen Nguyen,
Fr. Richard Authier (SUE)
InTouch    2 6.14.12

3 Page 3

▲back to top
$URXQGWKH3URYLQFH
Don Bosco Technical Institute Graduation
On Friday, June 8, 2012, Don
Bosco Technical Institute
graduated 124 seniors during
the baccalaureate and
commencement exercises held on
the school campus.
This accomplished group of
young men garnered acceptances
from universities and colleges
across the country. Ninety-
seven percent will begin their
post-secondary education in the
fall; with approximately sixty
percent majoring in Science,
Technology, Engineering and Math
(STEM) related fields. The class
valedictorian, Sina Almasian, will
attend Stanford University.
“We’re extremely proud of our
senior class,” said Principal Xavier
Jimenez. “This group of students
consists of technologically
competent innovators,
communicators and leaders, and
we have great confidence in the
future achievements of the class
of 2012.”
Dr. Ali A. Valenzuela, a 1998
Bosco Tech graduate, offered the
keynote address. Dr. Valenzuela
is Assistant Professor of Politics
at Princeton University where he
teaches and conducts research on
American politics with a focus on
Latino public opinion, immigrant
socialization, voter turnout, and
racial and ethnic identity in the
United States. His research has
been published in Election Law
Journal, the Quarterly Journal
of American Politics, American
Politics Research and Presidential
Studies Quarterly.
Sina Almasian - 2012 Validictorian
Four honored graduates (L to R ): Andrew Quintero, Dillon Welch, Elijah Yanet,
William Yoshida
DBTI graduates with hands on their hearts during the “Star Spangled Banner.”
InTouch    3 6.14.12

4 Page 4

▲back to top
$URXQGWKH3URYLQFH
A Fun Filled Fiesta
By Judy Wilber Alvarez
On Sunday, June 10 2012, St. Joseph’s Salesian Youth Renewal Center hosted their annual Family Fiesta.
People of all ages gathered from groups that find their home at St. Joe’s: the Sunday Mass Community, LA/SGV
Search, Marian Devotion, Salesian Cooperators, Salesian Novitiate community and staff from the retreat center
and province offices.
To kick off the event there was great food for lunch and throughout the day, provided by community groups.
Fiesta activities circled the front lawn with children’s games, food booths, dunk tank, dining tables and special
vendors all around a central stage where the entertainment got everyone involved.
Special performances were offered by Jam Daddies, a rock and roll band where familiar faces from SJBHS
regaled the crowd; by Stella Beltran with her Zumba and salsa teachers and by Steve DeMaio, whose rap songs
were a fitting end to the energetic Don Bosco skit performed by the retreat center staff and novices.
Music DJ’d by Sean Bryan and Paul Garcia made more spontaneous games happen. There were no age limits
for those who played musical chairs and the balloon toss, and the Search community definitely had a leg up
on the Macarena and country line dancing.
Prize give-aways kept everyone attentive as pre-sale ticket holders won special gift baskets and the final grand
prizes were announced: an 8-day Las Vegas resort vacation; a 3-day Mountain Cabin resort vacation; a new
Apple iPad II and a dinner “out on the town” with Fr. Tom Juarez. Whether you won prizes or not, the day
proved to be a fun filled gift for everyone!
Lisa Dreyer, Retreat Center Coordinator, expressed many thanks for all the groups who made the day possible,
especially the Fiesta Committee chaired by Dave Lerma. For More Pictures of this Fiesta please click here
Jam Daddies kick it
SEARCH Macarena
Don Bosco Revival
Lisa Dreyer, Retreat Center Coordinator with
Stella Beltran, Cooperator
The “Burger Brothers”
Hernandez family crafters
They got the beat.
InTouch    4 6.14.12
Fr. Tom saw more than his fair share of water!

5 Page 5

▲back to top
$URXQGWKH3URYLQFH
29 Years Ago . . .
On June 11, 1983, the Memorial of St. Barnabas, Apostle, in the
City of St. Francis at SS Peter and Paul Church, Italian Cathedral
of the West, the young cleric Brother Theodore Montemayor
was ordained a Salesian priest. The ordaining prelate was
Archbishop Oscar Rodriquez, SDB, Teguciagalpa, Honduras.
Today, 29 years later, the SJB Salesians and the FMA community
gathered with the parishioners of St. Dominic Savio Church,
Belllflower, California to celebrate this special occasion of their
pastor’s ordination. Congratulations Fr. Ted!!!!
Fr. Ted, welcoming the parishioners to 8:00 AM Mass, and Fr. Joseph Thinh
Nguyen, Director of St. John Bosco High School and Salesian Community.
Fr. Ted giving communion to Sister Cesira Pierotti,
St. Dominic Savio Convent
InTouch    5 6.14.12

6 Page 6

▲back to top
$URXQGWKH3URYLQFH
The Work Continues . . .
By Bro. Joseph Lockwood, SDB
On June 7, 2012, I was reading
an article in the Sacramento
Bee about two Bay Area men
being arrested for copper
wire theft. Last Tuesday when
the contractor arrived and
inspected the building, he found
that someone had tried to pull
out the copper water pipes. He
determined that the thieves
did not have the tools needed
to remove the copper pipes.
Then someone tried to cut
the (all copper) main electric
cable to the construction office.
If they had succeeded, the
person would have been “fried”
because the 220-volt cable is
live. At the end of the day, the
contractor would board up all
of the openings using nails.
But since this attempt to steal
the copper, the men now use
screws.
Last Friday (June 8), Mr.
Filiberto Cortez came down
from Richmond to attend a
graduation ceremony at San
Miguel School (Compton)
where he had taught. Fr.
John Malloy accompanied
him and they stayed at SJB.
As they approached SJB, Fr.
John saw the DeSales Hall
and he remarked that the
building improvements are
very impressive. He said that
the exterior of the building
looks very good, with the new
windows and paint job.
weight lifting room, recreation
room, music room and finally a
shop). As you can see from the
picture, three men tore down
the building. Yes, they used
sledgehammers to break up
the foundation, concrete block
wall and the floor. These men
worked very hard in the hot
sun.
United System Company (fire
alarm company) connected all
of the window smoke detectors.
With the detectors connected,
the insulation and dry wall
work will begin.
Scaffolding around the elevator tower
Juno Electric installed
the conduits pipes for the
electricity, telephone, and
fire alarm system, for the
elevator mechanical room.
The foundations and floor
were poured. The contractor
is now ready to begin the
framing of the mechanical
room. The scaffold for the
elevator tower has been
constructed and the framing
will begin.
Elevator mechanical room ready for concrete
Electrician installing the conduit pipes in the
elevator mechanical room
foundations
The “Bro. Jack’s old bicycle
shop” was finally torn down.
(Just a little side bar: This
building was also used as a
dormitory, housing for workers,
Demolishing of “Bro. Jack’s old
bicycle shop”
InTouch    6 6.14.12
Using sledgehammers to break concrete footing

7 Page 7

▲back to top
On the recent mission
trip to Haiti, Claudia
discovered a strong call to
return to serve there for a
year. In this reflection she
tells readers why.
Why choose Haiti as
my one-year mission? It
all comes down to one
reason: God gave me a
vision for it.
Before leaving I attended
a YAR retreat. During
one of the small-group
reflections, I mentioned that I
wanted to be a missionary and
teach English to the children,
but I really didn’t know how.
I just knew I wanted to serve
God in some way.
As I left Montreal on my way
to Haiti I knew it was going to
be an amazing experience for
me to grow more faithful and
spiritual. I also began to feel
a strong desire to know just
what God wanted me to do.
Did he want me to come back
home or did he want me to
focus on Haiti and its children?
I didn’t think much about it
until that moment when it
seemed as if I was impressed
from the outside, out of
nowhere, with this strong
desire to know.
I began to pray in deeper ways
with God. I asked, “God, show
me what it is you want me
to do with my life.” It was a
simple prayer, but it was full of
all the faith I could muster. I
didn’t know how he’d answer
it and I wasn’t even concerned
with what the answer would
be.
0LVVLRQ$QLPDWLRQ
My Mission to Haiti
By Claudia Bergantino
through my talks with the
children at the oratory and
with Jose. This feeling of a
simple positive response
from God as I spoke in front
of the English class felt as
strong as a vision itself.
During this mission I had a great
opportunity to speak with Jose,
he was an inspiration to most of
us on this mission journey but,
to me, he was the answer I was
waiting for.
We spoke about Haiti’s future
and how the young want to
make a difference. He explained
to me that every child has a
dream, a dream that someday
Haiti will no longer be the
country it is today. He told me
that Don Bosco had a dream
and so do they. As he completed
that sentence I thought of Don
Bosco’s saying:
Do you want to do a good deed?
Teach the young!
Do you want to perform a holy
act? Teach the young!
Do you want to do a holy thing?
Teach the young!
Truly, now and for the future,
among holy things, this is the
holiest.”
As I was shy to speak to the
students, Jose and Stevenson
encouraged me and it felt
awesome. After that moment
I felt great. I felt like all my
questions were answered
InTouch    7 6.14.12
While I discern and prepare
myself to answer God’s
call, I have received an
encouraging message:
“You’ve done a great service
to me as a friend and with so
much kindness, I found the
comfort I needed. It’s so important
to have someone like you, the
Glory of God appears in your
face.” Jose
Through my personal and
spiritual development and life
experiences, I’ve realized that
there’s nothing I’d rather do. I
loved my trip to Haiti, even as
different as it was from anything
I’ve ever experienced. God’s
given me a vision and placed a
passion in my heart and I fully
intend to follow through with
it, in whatever fashion and for
however long He desires. I’m just
getting started with it all.
,Q7RXFK3URYLQFLDO1HZVOHWWHU
Salesians  of  St.  John  Bosco
1100  Franklin  Street
San  Francisco,  CA  94109
Phone:  (626)  280-­8   622  #35
E-­ m  ail:  intouch@salesiansc.org
Weekly  publications  will  be
distributed  on  Thursdays.  Please
submit  news  for  publication  by
Friday  of  each  week.
Send  contributions  to:
intouch@salesiansc.org.

8 Page 8

▲back to top
6DOHVLDQ)DPLO\\
Salesian Family Days
An Opportunity for Formation and Fellowship
By Fr. Chris Woerz, SDB
This October the Salesian Family will gather in regions of our province:
Northern California, Southern California and Texas, for a Salesian Formation
Day. These reflections are offered here to the members of our Province who
belong to the Salesian Family and those who would like to belong. As I go
around the Province many ask, “What is the Salesian Family,” or “who
belongs to the Salesian Family?” Here we begin a series of articles to prepare for the Salesian
Family Days. We will look at the origins of the Family and its necessary place in the Salesian world
and mission.
The Salesian Family - the Genius of Don Bosco
The Early Years
John Bosco was a genius, a person who developed a single minded focus of his own self-
awareness and his purpose in life. For all of us, self-awareness is a process that allows us, each
individual, to mature and develop. Various forces in life and experience help us acquire those tools
we need to negotiate the challenges that life presents to us. We develop physical, intellectual,
social, and religious strengths and strategies we call upon when faced with challenges, setbacks,
and opportunities.
From early childhood John Bosco exhibited a lively imagination and curiosity to learn. His inquisitive
mind and natural friendliness combined to make him a leader. His mother Margarita, who was
illiterate herself, had memorized the catechism as a child and passed it on to her children: Anthony,
Joseph and John. They learned their prayers and daily recited them as a family. Margaret’s own
childhood was characterized by a firm devotion to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, a healthy fear of sin,
and faithfulness to the Church exhibited by regular Church attendance. John, perhaps in imitation of
his mother, gathered the children of the neighborhood. He told them stories. He dazzled his peers
with magic tricks and acrobatic feats. He learned his crafts while accompanying his mother as she
sold and traded produce in the market.
His formal education did not begin until he was nine years of age at the “little school” of Fr. Joseph
Lacqua in Capriglio about 3 miles from their home at the Becchi. Here he learned the rudiments of
reading and writing which began a lifetime of study and publication. From here John followed an
irregular path that led him the seminary in Chieri and on to ordination in 1841.1
Don Bosco was 26 years of age when ordained a priest. All of these years and experiences, his
family’s struggle with poverty, the opposition he experienced from all sides, the graciousness of
family and friends, especially his mother, the generosity of families who took him in, and the priests
he met, all combined to form the great educator and spiritual giant we know as St. John Bosco.
During his studies at the Convitto Ecclesiastico2 Don Bosco came under the mentorship of his
professor, Fr. Joseph Cafasso who introduced the young priest to the prisons of Turin. In these
horrible institutions adult criminals were mixed with youth and children. It became such a distressing
experience that he knew he must do something, something for youth.
1! !$ (%$!! !
! ' ,-% %2007
2&)" *# + $ !$' !
!,1775+1848-##$ ! $ ',1515+1595-%,1538+
1584-% ',1567+1622-% '!( !,1696+1787-'
InTouch    8 6.14.12