Salesians 2015 %28en%29


Salesians 2015 %28en%29



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Salesians 2015
EDITORIAL TEAM SALESIANS 2015
Fr Filiberto Gonzàlez Plasencia sdb,
Councillor for Social Communications
Members of the SC Department
and Fr Giuseppe Pelizza sdb
TRANSLATORS
Ms. Deborah Contratto (Italian)
Fr Franco Pirisi sdb (Italian)
Fr Julian Fox sdb (English)
Fr Jacob Iruppakkaattu sdb (English)
Fr Arcadio Cuadrado sdb (Spanish)
Fr Placide Carava sdb (French)
Fr José Antenor Velho sdb (Portuguese)
Br Zdzislaw Brzek sdb (Polish)
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Br Ephrem Santos sdb (Coordinator),
Each of the authors of articles, photographers:
Mr Andrea Cherchi,
ANS for re-writing some ANS news items as articles,
the staff of CCS - Madrid and the staff of Elledici – Turin.
LAYOUT
Maison adv snc (Turin)
PRINTING
EGL, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Poligrafia Salezjanska, Krakow, Poland
SIGA (Salesian Institute of Graphic Arts), Chennai, India
Sociedad Salesiana Editorial Don Bosco, La Paz, Bolivia
GRAFISUR, S.L., Madrid, Spain
PUBLISHER
Non-Commercial Edition
Direzione Generale Opere Don Bosco,
Via della Pisana 1111,
Casella Postale 18333,
00163 Roma-Bravetta, Italia
For further information:
redazionerivistesdb@sdb.org
www.sdb.org

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8 Dynamic
spirituality
22 Joyful
spirituality
52 Festive
spirituality
72 Missionary
spirituality
84 Ecclesial
spirituality

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E

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E
editorial
Dear Friends,
It is with great joy that I present to you the magazine SALESIANS
2015, which corresponds to the third year of preparation to the
Bicentenary of Don Bosco’s birth.
The first year of preparation was dedicated to Don Bosco’s
history, the second to his pedagogy and this third one to his
spirituality - a spirituality that transcends time and space, and
comes to us as a gift and a proposal of happiness. We now
bring to a close the preparation and deepening of these three
important and inseparable elements of Don Bosco’s life.
In the magazine you will find concrete expressions of the
spirituality Don Bosco left as a legacy to his Salesian Family.
There are specific ways of relating to God, to others, to the social
environment and to nature, always under the impulse of the
Holy Spirit. This is why it is called spirituality. These expressions
are like the colours which, together with the form, create a work
of art, a face, a personality with a proper identity. The same
elements of holiness lived by other saints, have been arranged
by Don Bosco in a very special way, giving birth to the Salesian
spirituality of Don Bosco.
The central element of this spirituality is pastoral charity, around
which all other elements revolve: the grace of unity as one
sole movement of charity towards God and neighbour; prayer
motivated by the glory of God and the salvation of souls,
done in a simple, youthful, popular, cheerful way and linked
to one’s style of life; youthful and popular mission, as a place
of encounter with God; ordinary life lived with optimism, joy
and hope; educative goodness which opens up the doors
of the heart to God and neighbor; constant work and joyful
temperance; love for the Pope and for the Church and filial trust
in Mary.
The articles you will read are but a small sample of the rich
human and spiritual patrimony bequeathed as a legacy by Don
Bosco to a vast movement of persons who want to do good
to the young, especially those most in need. You are cordially
invited to participate and to construct for them and with them a
better future.
Cordially,
Fr Filiberto González Plasencia, sdb

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SalesianS 2015

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Rector Major
DON BOSCO… a Saint more modern than ever!
200 years have passed since the birth of that little boy, born to a peasant family, who would later be
known as our Don Bosco. His understanding of education, his spirituality and his human adventure
continue to fascinate many people, among whom are the members of the Salesian family, and
those who in the Church and in civil society get to hear about him.
It was Pope Paul VI himself who, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Don Bosco's birth,
said that “in order to give a Father and a Teacher to the working and studious youth of new times,
aiming at the uplifting of popular classes, in the mysterious designs of his Providence, God chooses
a peasant’s son, born to a very humble family who – if we look at things in a superficial way – did
not certainly have many prospects in life. He gives him a most virtuous mother, endows him with a
strong intelligence, an invincible will, and the physical stoutness typical of his people. He enriches
him with his gifts: the gift of piety, of intelligence, the desire to learn, an inborn love for his peers,
an apostolic zeal, strength in adversities and trials. Then, through difficult paths He leads him to the
Priesthood, giving him a passion for souls, in particular for the souls of the youth. ‘Da mihi animas,
cetera tolle’ -Give me souls, take away the rest- (Blessing of the Holy Father on the 150th anniver-
sary of St. John Bosco’s birth, 30th June 1965).
This is the person of Don Bosco whom we celebrate this year 2015 - the Bicentenary of his birth.
This magazine that now reaches its readers, was supposed to be presented on the occasion of the
Bicentenary, during which we deepened the historical knowledge of Don Bosco, his pedagogy
and his spirituality. In a short while, another publication will follow, aiming at being a modest expo-
sition of what we lived during this Salesian jubilee.
And this because we, who have experienced this year, revealed that despite the 200 years since
his birth, Don Bosco continues to be a timeless priest and educator, “atemporal”, always modern,
“more modern than ever!” This because he encountered in the youth the essence of his dream,
R of his life and of his work. He was capable of reading the signs of the times in which he lived, and
in particular the message of God to the poorest, to those we today would call, with Pope Francis’
words: the “discarded”.
He, who for the Universal Church today is the Father and Teacher of Youth, always aimed at rea-
ching the heart of the young, trying to help them find their place in the world and drawing their
hearts close to God. Because the young were the reason for his anxieties, his worries and all his
thoughts, the young people today, all over the world, feel that Don Bosco belongs to them. His
love for his youngsters was full of concrete and timely gestures. He was concerned with their lives,
the life of each and everyone of them, and he had totally devoted himself for their spiritual and
material good, with all his strength, “to the last breath”.
We know well that for Don Bosco, this service to the young was his generous and complete re-
sponse to God’s call.
Today we are many, consecrated persons and laypersons, who are called to re-incarnate Don Bos-
co, transmitting his spirit, called to educate according to his own heart. And it is for this reason that,
with faith and hope, we dare say that Don Bosco is still alive, and many of us, Don Bosco’s friends,
commit ourselves to keep alive the historical mission he entrusted to us.
With all my heart I wish that this man of God, this saint in the Church, who even today inspires in
us and in the young, that love for Jesus and Mary Help of Christians, continue to sustain us in the
educative work he had lived.
With very cordial greetings,
Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, sdb
Rector Major

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Dynamic
9
spirituality

2 Pages 11-20

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CHINA
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Through this Musical,
the Word of God has touched many hearts.
11
The bond of friendship
that developed within
the group is a great
treasure brought about
by God's grace.

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CHINA
Don Bosco’s Heritage - Youth’s Musical
“
osary Love II” is an original screenplay, self-directed and
performed by the youth of Vineyard Youth Theatre of St
Anthony's Church. This is an extension of a previous musi-
cal, Rosary Love I, in 2011. The musical's title reminds us that
the love of God is something like the beads of the rosary and its
chain. This is a story of a terminal cancer patient’s battle between
good and evil. She lives her life by faith, tough though it may be.
And her living example influence on others.
The youth in this group were multi-tasking. They
self-funded the whole musical by organising fund-
raising activities. They also needed to help with bo-
oklet production, purchasing beads for rosaries, and
rosary-making for fund-raising (they sold rosary be-
12
ads in different parishes), logistics arrangement and
making backdrop and props. Young Salesian John
Baptist Lou, who was in the group before he entered
the Salesian House of Studies, wrote the lyrics for the
musical and gave the actors spiritual input. This mu-
sical was successfully performed in the Sheung Wan
Civic Centre and touched hundreds of souls with its
music, songs, dialogues, drama and the Word of God.
The participants’ life was changed for the better af-
ter this meaningful evangelising musical.
Ho Man Ho, the vice-director and actor, shared his
view: “This musical has been my dream since 2007.
I think that those who stood with me on the stage
were shining. During the preparation and organiza-
tional process, we met obstacles one after another.
It seemed that my presence was not important. At
that moment, I had put “I” to be too significant. One
spiritual sharing caused me to reflect on the reason
of producing this musical and my relationship with
God. There was one dialogue in the original script,
“If God calls one person, nothing can hinder. At the
same time, if a person responds to God’s call, nothing
can hinder too. As God called me to participate in this
musical production, I had to try my best to respond
to his call.”
Kwok Ming Ho, the main actor of the musical said,
“In this troupe, all of us were multi-tasking. Being
an actor, I also needed to take up the booklet pro-
duction, making rosaries for fund-raising purpose,
logistics arrangement, backdrop and pops produc-
tion, etc. The production process was tough. I had
to say the whole process was not systematic in the
beginning but gradually got more organized. These
experiences have definitely trained me to be flexible,
fast-responding with better time management skill.
Despite the difficulties, we prayed continuously dur-
ing the whole process, so that we could be more pas-
sionate in our performance, having stronger convic-
tion and positive attitude to solve problems. In my
spiritual life, I learnt that I should rely more on Holy
Spirit in all things as all of us have limitations”.

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CHINA
Don Bosco’s Heritage - Youth’s Musical
Fong Chun Ho was a primary five student, newly-
baptised. He said, “It was very challenging to be re-
sponsible for different roles in the musical eg. angel,
devil, gangster. I was still very fresh spiritually. Now,
I find that I learnt a lot about my faith from the elder
brothers and sisters in the group such as taking care
of the younger members, more willing to help others
and pray more.
Lee Cheuk Lung, who had a supporting role in the
musical said: “As I was not one of the main perform-
ers, I was free to work on other non-acting duties. All
the expenses were covered by us and we didn’t want
to waste money on unnecessary things. Besides, we
came together to make the rosary beads and pray
the rosary at the same time. This really helped our
sense of belonging to the group. The musical was
about our sense of loss, pain and suffering, life and
death, which are common but important themes in
our life. This musical helped me to think more of life
and death in my own life”.
The pianist, Tsang Long Ting said: “I joined this
group when I was very young and only came occa-
sionally. Someone knew that I played the piano and
asked me to join the musical production. I have to
say the pressure was much. If there was any mis-
take, everyone would know as this was a live music
performance. What I could do was to try my best to
overcome the pressure, trusting that God would give
me grace to finish the task, since what we did was for
the glory of God”.
Ng Chau Yin, the main actress, said: “I love this
group. We experienced so much together and we de-
veloped deep relationships within the group. This
relationship would not change even though some of
us were busy with our work or studies. I treasure
greatly this relationship. Besides, I have learnt that
with God’s grace and trusting in Him, I can overcome
difficulties and solve problems”.
Cheung King Yip, the dance director, who is a Prot-
estant, recalled, “I really thought that God looked af-
ter this group. During the second show, there was an
13
incident where the music player was suddenly out of
order. I was the leader of the group and most famil-
iar with the dance arrangement, but my mind went
blank at the time.
Then, one of the dancers began clapping according
to the beat and initiated the dance performance. Af-
ter a while, the musician worked back in. At that mo-
ment, I really saw God present in the midst of the
musical, taking care not only of our performance but
also of the group. God loves us first and thus we see
these beautiful fruits”.

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austria
by Leo Dhanraj
14
A Pentecost
of cheerfulness
«Be cheerful! Let your cheerfulness be genuine,
welling up from a conscience free from sin».
Don Bosco

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AUSTRIA
Young people from all the Salesian presences in Aus-
tria came to Unterwaltersdorf (Vienna) to celebrate
100 years of Salesian presence... and this soon became
a unique opportunity to celebrate the Bicentenary of
Don Bosco’s birth. About 220 youngsters coming
from our youth centres, parishes, oratories, schools
and pensions for students and workers participated in
this celebration. A day ‘twice blessed’, to the joy of all
Austrian Salesians and the youth present. The Youth
Ministry Team organized the entire event: meeting,
being together, playing, working, getting to know each
other, praying for one another. Fr. Herbert and his
team coordinated the Pfingst – i.e. Pentecost – event.
They were helped by Fr. Rudolph Osanger sdb, and by
Fr. Petrus Obermüller sdb, as well as by other Salesians
and numerous youths. This event of particular joy
lasted two days. Two days entirely devoted to activi-
ties such as sports, football, colouring the wonderful
Logo of the Pfingst event, Mehendhi activities, music,
dancing and singing, a live concert, moments of shar-
ing, group activity, prayer, spiritual activities, and the
exciting night around the fire. A football tournament
was also organized among the various teams coming
from all the Salesian presences in Austria.
At the end of the second day, Fr. Rudolf Osanger de-
livered awards to the winners of the various sports
and games saying. “It’s been a real festival of the
young, and particularly for the young”. With Don
Bosco’s blessing, after his example and his words, we
15
served the Lord in saintly cheerfulness. And we saw
this cheerfulness in the face of each of the partici-
pants.

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PHILIPPINES
By Bernard P. Nolasco
16 Salesian Spirituality
in Summer Outdoor Camps
Summer outdoor camps were one of the many means
St John Bosco used in order to help young people
spend their time wisely and fruitfully, especially dur-
ing their vacation months. Summer youth camps, in
the mind of Don Bosco, must cater to the holistic for-
mation of the youth. While the youth enjoy the fun of
outdoor activities a youth camp can offer, they must
also find themselves being given the opportunity to
develop their God-given talents and capabilities for the
common good. Since the time of Don Bosco until now,
Salesian youth camps continue to offer to the young
the chance to be empowered in realizing that they can
already rise to the challenges that life offers them.
In keeping with this formative tradition, the Salesians
of Don Bosco in the Philippine-North Province (FIN)
continue to organize summer camps in all their re-
spective settings (schools, parishes, oratories) that are
attended by young people who elicit joy and optimism
in their being ‘bosconians’. With the help of their
youth leaders, the Salesians develop modules that can
help young people appreciate their being young, lead-
ing their youthful energies to produce positive results
while at the same time helping them to prepare for a
very meaningful and responsible adult Christian life.
While preparing for the 2015 Bicentennial Celebra-
tion of St John Bosco’s birth, the FIN Province decided
that instead of the usual summer camps per Salesian

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filippine
setting, a province-level summer camp be organised
in the summer of 2014.
When this camp was undergoing its initial conceptu-
alisation and planning, Fr. Gaudencio ‘GC’ Carandang,
the head of the Commission for Youth Ministry (CYM),
was inspired to take Fr Armand Robleza’s CODE OF
CHAMPIONS as the core module of this camp. Follow-
ing the great example of St. John Bosco, the champion
of youth, this camping aimed at letting every Bosconi-
an youth be inspired by the father, teacher, and friend
of youth as they hope to be champions for people they
encounter in their daily lives, especially to their fellow
youth.
CHAMPOREE, (the name of this camp, combining the
words Champion and Jamboree) was able to offer all
four hundred campers a variety of input and inter-
active sessions that allowed them to be champions
for each other. The camp’s teams were named after
blessed youths of the Church (Savio, Tarcisius, Na-
muncura, Vicuna, Calungsod, Gorretti, Kesy and Lu-
wanga) and were composed of members from the dif-
ferent Salesian settings. There were no competitions
among the different teams. The objective of all the
team activities was not to fight against each other to
see which team was best but to inspire each other and
be champions for each one. There were moments for
guided personal and group reflection, evaluation and
sharing, so that every input and activity was properly
assimilated and integrated in one’s real life situation.
Bosconian leaders from DBTI Tarlac, DBA Pampan-
ga, DBTC Mandaluyong, DBC Canlubang, Caritas DB
School Sta. Rosa, Savio Parish, San Ildefonso Parish,
MHC Mayapa Parish, SJB Parish Sta. Rosa, DB Batu-
lao, DB Calauan were able to enjoy each other’s com-
pany for four days: praying, learning, eating, singing,
17
dancing, playing, resting, and making friends among
themselves. They spent four days decoding the Code
of Champions under all weather conditions, amidst all
the challenging activities that required one’s total co-
operation and dedication. In all the camp’s activities,
the campers tried their very best to be the champion
they can be: Cultivating character, Having a heart,
Aiming for a mission, Maintaining a balance, Priori-
tizing the Spirit, and Staying on the course.
CHAMPOREE began on 1st May and ended on 4th May,
two days before the feast of St Dominic Savio (May
6), the champion of every Bosconian. As the campers
were challenged to share with others the good things
they learnt from this four-day camp, they believe that
they have the example of this fifteen-year-old saint
to inspire them to live the code of the champions as
BOSCONIAN CHAMPS.

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mexico
Don Bosco on Wheels
18
The Don Bosco on Wheels Movement lives
the Salesian Preventive System,
helping the less fortunate youth to reclaim
the joy and hope in life.
By Hugo Orozco

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MEXICO
“ A fter the accident I was dead to life,
my friends were tired of visiting me,
my family was tired of doing everything for me...
I lay in bed, unable to move...
I was angry with life, with God, with myself...
I felt I was dead even though I was still living...
until that day when a priest visited me
and asked me why I was lying there if I was not sick...
The truth is that I was angry within,
but Don Bosco came into my life on wheels,
and raised me up, restored me to life,
and encouraged me to be independent...”
19
The experience of having an accident is always
something that marks the lives of those who suffer
and those who survive. More so when there are ir-
reversible consequences, such as injury to the spi-
nal cord. Accompaniment, education and the right
support for people who cannot walk or stand up on
their own accord, on occasions is neither adequate
nor appropriate. The situation is exacerbated when
financial or educational support is inadequate. Thus
it is that young people between 10 and 30 years of
age can lie “hidden”, “locked up” in their own home
without knowing other alternatives to the disability
they suffer.
Sahuayo is a medium-sized city in the State of Micho-
acán in Mexico. For more than 50 years the Salesians
of Don Bosco have had a presence with a strong so-
cial and educative concern for the people. Since the
26th General Chapter, urges us to discover new fron-
tiers for Don Bosco’s charism, Fr Jaime Reyes Retana
sdb, a member of the community, began what years
later became the Don Bosco on Wheels Movement
aimed at a very necessary frontier and a novelty in
our beloved Mexico.
Over the last 10 years, circumstances led Fr Jaime
Reyes to study the issue, be in contact with other
social actors and involve more people. Today Don
Bosco on Wheels has social recognition, a presence
in the SYM, more than 800 sympathisers in differ-
ent cities and a workshop that manufactures wheel-
chairs for independent living.
The principal mission is to look for children and
youth in a situation of dire poverty who have mo-
tor disabilities, and invite them to join with oth-
ers where together we find the means necessary

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mexico
for development and integration into society.
The experience of recovering their lives is immedi-
ately visible in their faces. These are young people
who have the same desires, need friends, need to
feel part of a group, play sport, work, socialise, play,
dance... For them to regain an independent living
and social encounter also means regaining their
sense of life. If the sadness and shock of losing
motor skills immerses them in a dark and deep de-
pression that affects their inner existence, then the
happiness of finding new options for life, the effort
this implies, the struggle, the constancy, affect so
much more their optimism, their will to live, the joy
of encountering others and the possibility of making
“peace with God”.
Certainly Don Bosco has inspired us to seek out
20
young people who are not visible, and certainly we
are happy to recover the life of any young person,
more so if that person already feels lost. And of
course we are convinced that no one is saved alone;
we always need others. And it is clear that we be-
lieve in responsibility and inclusion of all citizens in
daily social life. In Don Bosco on Wheels we share
the values of a spirituality that has inspired the edu-
cational work of Don Bosco and the Salesians: Fam-
ily Spirit, Fellowship, Charity, Solidarity, Freedom,
Responsibility, Work.
The very feeling of closeness in Don Bosco’s Pre-
ventive System has been part of the movement. Fr
Jaime and some young volunteers have learnt how
to push wheelchairs not just as an expression of
solidarity, but of being close to people, expressing
empathy. They go on chairs with them, go for out-
ings, celebrate Mass, play, dance... whatever a young

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MEXICO
The values of the Salesian Spirituality is shared
by this group, having a workshop that makes
wheel chairs for those less fortunate.
person does. The Holy Week was an opportunity to
encounter God for those in Don Bosco on Wheels
who wanted to take the path of reunion with Him:
for many of them the accompaniment, prayers, shar-
ing, experiencing the Holy Week celebrations were
an opportunity to renew their faith in life.
Don Bosco on Wheels, like the mustard seed of the
Gospel, is still a small thing, but it is beginning to
extend branches which offer shade, shelter, serenity
and tranquility to many young people. Today, like
Don Bosco, it is enough for them to be young to love
them in God, see them happy now and in eternity,
since we are the eyes of the Good Shepherd who
seeks out those who cannot be seen. May the bicen-
tenary of his birth flood us with apostolic passion
for all the young people in our cities whom people
do not see but who are there just the same... waiting
21
for us.

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22

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Joyful
23
spirituality

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USA
By Osvaldo Gorzegno Davico/Juan Carlos Quirarte
24 The torrid
border Mexico-USA
The pastoral and educative offer of the
Salesians from MEG and SUO, distributed
along the MEXICO-USA border, focuses
intentionally on popular areas, marginal
areas on the outskirts of the city and
strategic areas for human mobility. We
offer systematic educational, welfare and
evangelising programs. We have 13 youth
centres, 6 parishes (one on American
territory), a college and a community centre
with educational and welfare programs for
migrants, deportees, and local people.

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messico
The border is seen as a sign of hope by the
Mexicans but as a risk for the Americans.
Some places for various reasons become channels which
concentrate large flows of human migration. One of these
is the border between Mexico and the United States, an
area stretching 3,200 kilometres from east to west. The
area has many border posts, and at global level possibly
sees the greatest number of people moving across, legal-
ly or illegally, under a particularly sophisticated vigilance
strategy by the United States.
The crossing to or from the United Stated occurs at 23
locations, eight of which see 94% of the migratory flow
25
going both ways. These posts fall into three categories:
◦ border cities of a traditional kind and strategically
placed: Tijuana-San Diego (west), Ciudad Juárez- El
Paso (centre) and Matamoros-Brownsville (east).
◦ Less important border cities: Mexicali-Calexico, Pie-
dras Negras-Eagle Pass, Nuevo Laredo-Laredo Texas
and Nogales Sonora-Nogales Arizona.
◦ New border crossing: Reynosa-Mc Allen, Ciudad Acuña-
Del Río and Sásabe in the Altar desert in Sonora State.
The Salesians from Mexico-Guadalajara (MEG) have
seven communities along the frontier (Nuevo Laredo,
Piedras Negras, Ciudad Juárez, Nogales, Mexicali and Ti-
juana) and Salesians from the United States West Prov-
ince (SUO) have one community in Laredo Texas and
various communities in southern California.
Over the last three decades, along the border of both
countries, we have seen important transformations in
the social dynamics which considerably affect migration
processes; there have been strong changes in volume,
direction of the flow and, over time, new forms of migra-
tion have come into being. In this context we can define
four migration flows depending on direction:
1. Migrants who arrive on border cities on return to the
country, after working in North America.
2. “Undocumented” Mexicans captured in the United
States and returned to the country by “border patrols”.
3. Residents from other parts of the country who are
temporarily in the border cities working or looking
for work and who are on their way back to the place
of origin (coming from the northern border)

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USA
Most of the youth that the Salesians
have met were victims of violence
26
and maltreatment.
4. Inhabitants of other areas of the country who arrive in
the border cities in the north intending to work there
or cross over to the United States for work purposes
(coming from the south).
For the younger generations in fact who are born in a
walled-in border context, it is the only reality they know,
see and can touch. For young people transiting through
the border cities or who hear about them, it has a social
image which is the result of the most recent contempo-
rary situations:
◦ Touch migration policies brought about by the US and
its elected representatives to regain a feeling of secu-
rity, especially after 9/11, 2001.
◦ The stigma attached to the Mexico-US border as an
opportunity for Mexicans but a danger to the United
States citizens.
◦ Any area for illegal traffic in drugs, arms, people and
money.
For those thinking of young people today, meaning those
born in the second half of the 1980s onwards, border
areas between Mexico and the United States are seen and
perceived as areas of international tension, exacerbated
to a great extent by social and political tendencies in both
countries. Areas of suspicion, conflict, flow and, at times,
blocking. While border relations have not always been
so troubled, nor might current tensions continue into the
future, for today’s youth, the Mexico-US demarcation and
its emblematic Wall are an uncomfortable topic.
Following Salesian tradition, our offer consists of edu-
cation programs, and programs of evangelisation and
human development. We are a significant presence for
children and older youth, with alternatives for use of lei-
sure time, literacy initiatives, opportunities for school re-
covery and mainstream schooling, cultural expressions,
which respect the multicultural origins of border com-
munities.
Faced with a situation of violence and social insecurity
which has arisen over recent years, we strive to educate
to peace, work for social integration, prevention of ad-
diction, prevention of becoming part of organised crime,
offer fraternal presence, full of Christian charity for those
who have been victims of violence.
The witness of our religious life is also an important part
of our border presence. From this we see the urgent need
to encourage encounter with Jesus, recover and deepen
faith in its various expressions. This work requires dedi-
cation and constant tenacity amidst so many social, eco-
nomic, pastoral problems, including also the climate.
From the outset of the Salesian presence on the north-
ern Mexico border, we have had the support and pres-

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27
ence of volunteers from a number of communities
(EU, Austria, Spain, Italy, Argentina, etc.), with brief
visits (summer programs, Christmas, or Holy Week) or
from volunteers who stay longer. To all of these young
people with such generous hearts go our thanks and
gratitude. The two Provinces have had the chance to
reflect and exchange views, and we have been able to
be more systematic in receiving not only volunteers
but also Salesians in formation.
After the Team Visit in Salvador in 2011, the issue of our
pastoral and educative proposal on the border was the
object of reflection, study and future planning by both
provinces, with the possibility of being able to set up
an international Salesian community. Our aim is to inte-
grate not only the Society of Don Bosco, but to encour-
age teamwork too with the Salesian Family and laity.
Questions such as New Evangelisation, education, hu-
man development, education for peace, family and hu-
man rights, are open to cooperation; and as sons of
Don Bosco the Dreamer, they have us think optimisti-
cally of the social impact, better conditions for life for
everyone, especially young people in both countries,
allowing us to experience hope in a more fraternal, just
and human future, and being part of building up the
Kingdom proclaimed by Jesus in the Gospel.

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Spain
Gospel of Joy
28
A Corridor and 12 Doors
Being an educator at Casa Don Bosco has allowed me to grow professionally, but it has especially
allowed me to grow as a person, since every day there are amusing moments and others more
demanding, unbelievable experiences, anecdotes of every hue, ultimately experiences of life that no
one will be able to erase from memory and that you will remember throughout life.
By Luis Miguel Avilés
My gaze fell only on the long corridor with its 12 ro-
oms, my ears only heard the silence of a warm Au-
gust morning. My tongue and mouth could not stop
twitching from small nerves and the hairs on my body
stood on end as the minutes passed. My nose began to
capture the subtle odours coming from the walls and
my heart sensed that this place was something special,
as time would prove.
I was 21 years old, some might think too young to be
working in a Centre for the Protection of Minors, and
that was so, but the desire to dedicate myself to Social
Education overcame the adversities of age.
I remember that first day as if it were yesterday,
and two years, seven months have already passed, two
years and seven months where I have become like a
three-year-old, and as they say for babies, I became a
sponge; I observed, observed and kept observing each

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spaIn
At this time, I have learned gratitude,
being constructive and the sense of family.
of my colleagues, and that helped me to grow much as sing moments and others more demanding, unbelieva-
an educator, since I consider them to be very profes- ble experiences, anecdotes of every hue, ultimately ex-
sional, very qualified, but especially very human.
periences of life that no one will be able to erase from
29
memory and that you will remember throughout life.
My time as part of Casa Don Bosco (Don Bosco House)
could be summed up in a word, “awe”, since I have But the truth is that not all has been rosy—during my
been in awe of so many things... from the affectionate, time at Casa Don Bosco there have been times, as I say,
sympathetic and fun way the educators deal with their when I have felt good, satisfied with my work, certain
charges; the good atmosphere that exists between of myself... but there have also been agonizing mo-
staff and administration; the experiences and events of ments when I have had to ask if the profession I have
the youngsters; the involvement of all the staff; since chosen is really suitable, moments when you doubt
getting to know the Salesians I am not surprised now yourself, moments, and why not say so, when you en-
by such a special style, yet so nice to have in life (there counter a very complicated professional and personal
is no way you can win a game of table tennis against dilemma. And it is in these moments when important
any of them).
people appear in your life, and you trust them and
they help you take the right decision. In my case these
However my experience as an educator at Casa Don people were some members of my family and some
Bosco could not be summed up in a word; it would colleagues, and this situation has made me realise that
need others such as: gratifying, constructive, forma- we must be there for the kids so that if they sometimes
tive, familiar... and many more, but I prefer to remain find themselves faced with a dilemma like mine, we
with what is personally most important to me.
can be someone they can turn to, since we are an im-
portant part of their lives as my family and colleagues
Being able to go to work every day and spend time with were for me.
the kids, with the idea and the hope that one day these
moments can appear in the lives of the boys when they Two years and seven months, and I still look down that
have to face the adversity that presents, and to think corridor with my eyes, hear the same silence, I recall
that something you said one day, or did one day, or the smell and take in mouthfuls of air thinking of what
that you taught, can help these kids—I believe that is it meant for me that day. I remember that first day and
the most gratifying thing that can happen to someone. it continues like that.
The only thing that has changed is me, when I recall
Being an educator at Casa Don Bosco has allowed me the person who came in and look at myself now and
to grow professionally, but it has especially allowed who I am. I recognise everything I have learned, and
me to grow as a person, since every day there are amu- much that lies ahead still to learn.

4 Pages 31-40

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4.1 Page 31

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argentinA
God
30 is my Place
By Manolo Cayo
God invites everybody to be holy.

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argentinA
I am writing from Córdoba, mon amongst young people. Almost unique... unrivalled,
where I am carrying out the offered to give life to the future. We can all be part of this
Provincial Visitation at the service. Let us draw up a new future”.
Postnovitiate House. As I “Mary Help of Christians is my mother; she made it pos-
speak with the various Sale- sible for Don Bosco to live his dream and has kindled the
sian confreres over these call to holiness, the desire for holiness in my heart. If she
days, there is the recent, vivid makes it possible for a boy of 14 to want to be holy, what
memory of Gonzalo Acosta, a young man from Salta, a could then be impossible?”
city in Argentina's north-east, where he shared his pre-
novitiate years and much of his novitiate with them. These words that he said nine years ago were the ones
He left us in September after a serious and intense pe- that he lived intensely in all the decisions he took. We
riod of discernment, but a strong bond remained.. and know this through the testimony of those who accom-
still continues.
panied him on his journey of life. This is why his life
Gonzalo met up with an accident and died on Easter was so fruitful despite it being so short... his departure
morning 2014. He was just 22 years of age. Many was so sudden, but his heart was ready.
31
made the trip from Córdoba to Salta, a little more than
800 kilometres, for the final farewell. They expected I am reminded of Gonzalo on the day we recall Domi-
a tough, difficult time ... but what drew their attention nic Savio: a holy youth, someone who discovered that
was that, in the midst of such sorrow, a serene cheer- he could already begin to live profoundly. He did not
fulness reigned, the hope that there is when we put have to wait “until he was mature” to give abundant
our trust in the Risen Christ.
fruit, because each step he took in life contained its
He was serenaded with guitars at the funeral, many own fullness. He was a saint who met another saintly
friends spoke of his life, there were anecdotes and en- pastor and educator who placed his trust in him, heed-
thusiastic testimonies about him; the Requiem was a ed his deep desire for God and encouraged him to take
real celebration of gratitude to God for Gonzalo's life. up that adventure.
Gonzalo was once more giving us a true lesson of life Recalling Saint Dominic Savio invites us to at least two
from God.
things: firstly, convincing ourselves that there are many
Amongst the memories I am going back to, there was young people like him, such as Gonzalo, and many oth-
an essay he wrote when he was 14. Amongst other ers... who want to live life profoundly, be fruitful, give
things there he said:
their lives meaning (we should not be caught up in a
diabolically pessimistic view of the condition of young
“There is an invitation we all have and for which God has people today). Secondly, to heed and take seriously
given us countless gifts: it is the call to holiness, some- this desire that wells up in so many teenagers and old-
thing that is possible, yes, and which we must all have as er youth... so we can accompany them from that point
our priority... by banking on the holiness that comes from onwards! It is so sad to see the educator and pastor
little things”.
who minimises, relativises and disregards what is in a
“All my recollections of the Oratory are happy ones: our young person's heart by seeing them as “incomplete”
times together, climbing the nearby hills, our walks along (looking at them from an adult-centred point of view!)
the river, the football competitions, the oratories we At the last retreat that Gonzalo made two months ago,
would set up in the missions... but none of those memo- he wrote down something which summed up his de-
ries can be compared with being amongst my friends, sire for today and his plans: “God is my place...”
and no experience would be worth anything to me had I It is from such a place that his life will continue to speak
not shared it with them”.
to us... just us Dominic's life continues to do so... 157
“One of the key features of the Salesian is service, that self- years later.
less service offered with love. A service which is not com-

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LIBERIA
By Sony Pottenplackal
32
The Mission
of the Group
“Dominic Savio and Don Bosco”
The youth who attend the two Salesian
presences in Monrovia – Don Bosco House
in the 8th Street and the House
of New Matadi – are animating a community
initiative of sensitization and preventive
education against Ebola epidemic.
Education and knowledge are the best arms
to defeat this lethal virus.

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33
Liberia is the country most struck by contagion, and
Monrovia, its capital city, is the zone where it seems
more difficult to contain the epidemic, which in Libe-
ria alone so far claimed more than 1800 lives. The
youth have engaged in a fight against Ebola in the
streets of Monrovia with the slogan “Each One Reach
One”. In a first moment they were trained by health-
care workers and physicians of the Health and Social
Security Ministry, and by a formation team of the
project ‘Response to Ebola’ promoted by the Catho-
lic Church and guided by Dr. Timothy Flanigan, spe-
cialised in infectious diseases at Brown University in
Rhode Island, USA, and who is also a permanent dea-
con. From an operational point of view, these youth
– who number 105 boys and girls, divided into two
teams – go from one community to another, in the
city streets and in shantytowns, and instruct people
on how to avoid infection and protect themselves and
their families. In this way, young people assume a
role of leaders and forerunners in the fight against
fear and ignorance, to communicate hope and a posi-
tive attitude. Thus, in a moment of crisis and suffer-
ing for the whole country, they express their sense of
solidarity and patriotism. So far it is calculated that,
in the last four weeks, over 5000 people have been
reached with a work of sanitary education. The two
youth teams are animated and accompanied by Fr.
Daniel Libby, coordinator of the young in the Don
Bosco House of the 8th Street, and by Fr. Raphael
Aeroboam, who is in charge of the youth at the Sale-
sian House in New Matadi. Activities are supported
by the Salesians and the generosity of many people
and faithful of St. Joseph’s parish, in Capitol Hill quar-
ter. “My friends and relatives were very about for me,
in this situation. They advised me in all possible ways
to return to Nigeria, but I told myself: this is a situ-
ation that requires the contribution and help of all,
no matter how small this may be. And since God has
given me life and a good health, I use them to do good
to others”, says Josephat, the inspirer and leader of
the first group engaged in checking the virus. The
social context in which the youth are called to work
is always very difficult, since – despite all information
and the precautions adopted – there still are many
people who do not believe there is an epidemic, but
rather criticize and accuse the government and the

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LIBERIA
The volunteers, trained by the staff of the Ministry of
Health, were able to respond adequately to the needs
34
caused by the Ebola virus.
Ministry of Health of stealing money
and thinking only of safeguarding
wild animals, monkeys and bats, that
are the first carriers of the virus. On
the other hand, the government start-
ed taking serious measures only after
a government officer, Patrick Sawyer,
died of Ebola in Nigeria (at the end of
July, whereas the first cases in Liberia
appeared in March). About 34 persons
were healed from Ebola. According to
the testimony of many of them, the
most important factor that remarkably
facilitated their healing was a correct
nutrition, together with an adequate
treatment from healthcare workers.
“This motivated our group to extend
our mission directly to people struck
by Ebola, – recounts Josephat – since
we could not reach out to them per-
sonally, we donate food, disinfectants,
mineral water (especially to support
and motivated health workers), chlorine
and chloride, cakes of soap and powder

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35
soap, giving our help through the Charity fund of the
Archbishop. We purchase all the necessary material
and send it to our parish priest who forwards it to the
Archbishop and he, in his turn, sends it to the various
Ebola isolation centres located in Monrovia. This is
an initiative of the Archbishop to give the contribu-
tion of the Archdiocese in the fight against Ebola”.
According to the statistics given by the Ministry of
Information on 3rd September, the victims of Ebola
in Liberia were 1015. “The good news is that two
counties in Liberia are presently virus free and the
county where the village in which we operated has
now reduced the number of Ebola cases”, concludes
Josephat. “We managed to encounter numerous fam-
ilies during this mission of ours. The Lord is really do-
ing great things. Some of the people we helped were
dismissed from hospital a few days ago because they
were healed from Ebola, after following the advice
we had given them in our home-to-home visits, af-
firms Josephat. “The situation of the country at this
moment is pitiful. There is a need to intensify prayer
and initiatives: prayer and work. Prayer without a se-
rious work is dead”. Their last journey was not an
easy one. Because of some rumours of ill-intentioned
The situations in which the young volunteers
found themselves were often difficult.
people who might poison the wells, once they arrived
in Gwaa, in the county of Bomi, the youngsters of Don
Bosco and Dominic Savio were stopped and kept in
custody by the local police. They were interrogated,
as were also the families they had previously visited.
Not even the photos of previous expeditions, shown
on their phones, were of any help. The police were
convinced of their good intentions only after they
obliged them to use first on themselves the mate-
rial they had brought. “We did it, washing our hands
and face with that sanitary material. Then a sincere
and long public apology followed. The news that had
previously come from Guinea, where some health-
care workers had been put to death during one of
their home-to-home visits in order to prevent Ebola,
had alarmed us... But the Lord really protected and
saved us. It was not easy for my group to overcome
this trauma, but little by little I tried to make them
understand that our goal was to do what we do for
the Lord and to save as many lives as possible”.

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turKEY
36 «These Salesians
are Good!»
By Giuseppe Nguyen

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TURKEY
37
Ecumenism, religious freedom, protection of Christians
and of religious minorities in the Middle East... many
are the themes at the core of the apostolic trip of Pope
Francis to Turkey. But, as usual, the Pope wished to take
some time out also for the last ones, those least consid-
ered by society, like the minor refugees that are wel-
comed at the refugee centre of the Salesians in Istanbul.
The Pope’s visit to the Salesian presence in Istanbul thus
puts under the spotlight a reality that is little known,
something the Pope himself calls “a hidden work”, but
most precious and an evident sign of the universal ma-
ternity of the Church. It is therefore interesting to note
how much the work of a few, simple people can posi-
tively affect the lives of the small refugees.
The encounter between the Pope and some 100 chil-
dren and teenagers, Christian and Muslim, displaced
from Syria, Iraq and the Horn of Africa, took place in
the afternoon of 30th November, 2014, in the Cathedral
of the Holy Spirit in Istanbul, and was the last stage of
his apostolic trip. An emotional closeness could immedi-
ately be felt between the Pope and the young refugees,
and the Holy Father explained to the children that he
would have wished to meet many more refugees dur-
ing his trip, but he could not because of his intense and
tight program. The majority of the refugees, mostly ten
to eleven years old, attend the school run for them by
the Salesians, with English language courses that pre-
pare them to emigrate to USA, Canada and Australia.
The Pope, who spent about 30 minutes with them, sat
on the steps of the altar, whereas the children were
seated in the first rows of the church pews.
“Continue to pray”
The Rector of the school, Fr. Andrés Callejas, greeted
the Holy Father in Spanish. Then a little Christian girl
from Iraq recounted the “dramatic situation from which
she had fled and the poverty in which she lived, not be-
ing able to go to school and living in a situation of con-
stant danger”. A moving moment was when the children
sang to the Pope a song in Spanish, English and Arabic,
while Fr. Callejas accompanied them on the guitar.
“Dear children – the Pope later said – do not be discour-

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38
aged. Despite the difficulties and obstacles you are now
facing, with God’s help continue to hope in a better fu-
ture. The Catholic Church, also through the precious
work of the Salesians, is close to you and, besides other
aids, offers you the possibility to care for your instruc-
tion and formation. Keep always in mind that God does
not forget any of his children, and that the smallest and
those who suffer most are the ones most close to his
fatherly heart”. Speaking to the youth, the Holy Father
launched another appeal to the international commu-
nity. “The degrading conditions in which many of the
refugees must live are intolerable. This is why we must
do our best to remove the causes of this reality. I launch
an appeal for a greater international coordinated effort
to solve the conflicts that are steeping your homelands
in blood, to fight the causes which push people to leave
their homes and to promote favourable conditions for
them to remain or return”. “As for me, the Pope contin-
ued, I will continue to pray with trust in the Lord, asking
Him to inspire those who hold posts of responsibility, to
promote justice, security and peace without wavering
and in a truly concrete way. Through her social and char-
itable organizations, the Church will stay beside you and
will continue to support your cause before the world”.

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TURKEY
«God does not forget any of his children.
The least and the suffering are closest to His fatherly heart».
POpE francIS
39
When he returned to the Vatican, in the course of
the first general audience, on 3rd December 2014,
the Pope, as usual, shared with the faithful his im-
pressions on his trip to Turkey. And going through
the most salient moments, Pope Francis touchingly
recalled the little refugees he had met in Istanbul and
the Salesians who look after them. These are the words
of the Pope: “The last meeting — this was beautiful
and also painful — was that with a group of young
refugees, hosted by the Salesians. It was very impor-
tant for me to meet with some of them from the war
zones in the Middle East, both to express to them my
closeness and that of the Church, and to underline the
value of acceptance, to which Turkey is also deeply
committed. I thank Turkey once again for receiving so
many refugees and I thank the Salesians in Istanbul
from my heart.
These Salesians are working with the displaced peo-
ple, they are good! I also met other priests and a Ger-
man Jesuit and others who work with refugees. It is a
beautiful initiative, it is a hidden work. I thank all those
people who are working with displaced people. Let us
pray for all the displaced people and refugees, that
the causes of this painful scourge may be removed”.

5 Pages 41-50

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5.1 Page 41

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israel
The spirituality
of the Working
Migrants
40
By Star Tuazon

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israel
Eight years ago I was on a flight. Destination: Israel.
There I knew only one person: my aunt. I felt a mixture
of emotions. It was my first trip abroad; a violent wish
of independence; fear of the unknown; anxiety about
the reports I had seen on TV on the conditions in Isra-
el. Only then did I realize that on board with me there
were also four Filipinos, and all these sensations fad-
ed in the blink of an eye. We immediately established
a friendship that lasts even now, after many years.
Being in Israel meant being away from my family.
Fortunately there is Skype, but this does not diminish
homesickness and the desire to be close to the fam-
ily. Virtual presence is certainly very beautiful, but
it always leaves a hole in the heart that is difficult to
fill. The persons I met on that flight shared my same
condition, experienced the same fears.
Soon I felt they were people I could trust, present in
difficult moments, and they have been a shoulder on
41
which to cry. It is not important whether they come
from the North or from the South. Now they are part
of the family. But above all I must thank God for the
gift of the church. This is the first thing one thinks
on Sabbath day: a sanctuary, a safe haven, a place
to meet, where to open one’s heart, and whisper to
God what one is experiencing, things that cannot be
said, not even to friends or to most intimate persons.
I thank the Lord also for the Filipino communities
of Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Rehovot, Netanya, Haifa, Nazareth,
Jerusalem and Kiriat Shemona. The community of
the “Good Shepherd” in Agron Street, close to the
American Consulate, some distance from the place
where Isaiah prophesied the birth of the Virgin.
Thanks to “St. Laurence” Community of the Salesians
in Ratisbonne. I always participated in the Mass of
the Salesians on Wednesday and Saturday evenings,
moments in which we could leave for about one hour
our elderly employers.
Being a Filipino, a great faith flows in my veins. Prob-
ably, if it were not for the Filipinos, many churches in
the world today would be closed, as once a Salesian
The Filipino community is becoming more numerous.
The sons of Don Bosco ensure that the many immigrants
receive the needed spiritual and social care.

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israel
To live in the land of Jesus is something special for a Filipino.
friend of mine told me. Being a Filipino, one also has
the sense of sacrifice. Especially sacrifice faced for
the good of one’s family. Leaving the children, home
and country, for a job you would have never thought
42
to do in your own homeland, such as being a carer,
a waiter, a borer or a seaman... A permanent state
of unease, solitude, homesickness, discrimination for
years on end. This implies flexibility, ability to see
the positive aspect in everything, adaptability. And,
above all, it means having a great sense of generos-
ity: reaching out to less lucky people, to the victims
of the many and constant calamities that occur in our
beloved homeland, the churches, the children.
Being a Filipino in the Holy Land is something else,
something more, something special: the special thing
is precisely the Holy Land. Who would have ever
imagined that there would be 40,000 Filipinos in
Israel? We are here, we live, we work, we love this
land of milk and honey. The land God had promised
to Abraham, the land where Jesus walked, worked,
suffered, died and rose. The land we first heard of
only at catechism classes or at Mass. We are not only
lucky, but we are blessed because we live here, we
work here with and for these chosen people. Jeru-
salem. Bethlehem. Galilee and Jericho: somehow Je-
sus was present here, he trod on these stones, saw
these trees, drank from these watercourses. Visit-
ing these places I felt at ease, especially when I or-
ganised outings for my friends, excursions to raise
funds for projects we dreamt of. And then there are
my favourite hiding places, where I go to remain
alone for a while, alone with myself: the Holy Sep-

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israel
43
With their presence, the Filipinos stop the decrease in the number of Christians in the Holy Land.
ulchre, the Dormition Church, St. Peter in Gallicantu.
I do not want to forget the colourful feast of St. Cruzan
in May, the feast of our beloved St. Lorenzo Ruiz of
Manila in September and may be soon also the feast
of St. Piero Calungsod. With dances, songs, colours
and music and, obviously, lot of Filipino food.
And then, Holy Christmas, with the difference that
those who live here, as I do, have the privilege to
spend the whole day in Bethlehem.
But, obviously, all is not a bed of roses. There are also
persons who do not enjoy so much freedom: in some
Jewish families, rosaries, Bibles, holy pictures, scapu-
lars are not allowed. They do not have free time and
the possibility to participate in the Sunday Mass, nor
to visit Holy places. They are so anxious about the
possibility to send money to their families back home,
or to find another job in hard times. Our meetings are
marked by lot of faith and friendship. But there is also
a lot of food. There is no meeting without food. Food
that often cannot be prepared in the Jewish houses
where we work. Pancit, puto, adobo, dinuguan, warm
rice. During the week it is good to think of the moment
when we can enjoy our traditional food and to know
that we can share it with our Salesian friends.
All of us know that, nowadays, Christian communities
in Israel and Palestine are smaller and smaller. What
however is not known is that the number of new Chris-
tian communities is increasing. Who would have ever
thought that the presence of Catholics would have
been strengthened by the arrival of so many commu-
nities of immigrants as the Filipinos? These are the
small tricks of God, as Fr. David Neuhaus would say.
“In a land where its native inhabitants of Christian
faith have been persecuted for so many centuries, the
presence of so many Filipinos is an evangelical won-
der, a way to change old memories with new experi-
ences of a gentle, humble and patient service”.
Therefore, in the very midst of suffering and sacrifice,
together with joy and amusement, we can find the
consolation of being the face of Christ, the revelation
of the Father, Love. Hamdolillah! Barukh Ha Shem!
Blessed be His Name for ever.

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PHILIPPINES
By Sylvester Casaclang
Salesian Spirituality
44
In technical vocational education and training centres
As a young, energetic priest, St John Bosco found
himself in a society where there were many poor
and abandoned young people who were either busy
working in factories and on construction sites or
committing crimes just to survive in extreme po-
verty and misery – they were not at school! Many
young people fell into the hands of unscrupulous
employers while others ended up in prison. St John
Bosco felt the strong calling from the Lord Jesus to be
His apostle to these poor and abandoned youth. In no
time, he was able to establish his own workshops and
training centres for these destitute youth. He offered
them a chance to study, learn some skills, and prepare
themselves for a brighter and meaningful future.
In the Philippines, as in the other parts of the world
where the Salesians of Don Bosco are present, St John
Bosco continues to be very much alive through the
technical-vocational programs his Salesians establish
and manage for the poor and abandoned youth of the
country.
As the Philippine government tries to address rising
unemployment in the country, the stakeholders of all
the Don Bosco Technical Vocational Education & Trai-
ning (TVET) Centres, under the auspices of the Office
for the Development of the Educational Apostolate
(ODEA), meet to make sure that they are better gea-
red to fielding quality skilled citizens who respond
to the needs of the industrial and service sectors.
Even if these centres taken together churn out thou-
sands of graduates, they know that to remain rele-
vant they should not give in to complacency. But
of course, for these centres, it is not just about job
matching.
Different research has shown that those most at risk of
delinquency are those who do not have a sense of con-
nectedness with their society, community, Church and
those who do not have positive emotional attachment to
their families. Those who are unable to live in their so-
cial environment are pushed out and marginalised. Just
as St John Bosco did for poor young people in Turin, the
Don Bosco TVET Centers do for the marginalised here,
turning them into agents of development and positive
societal change. And they are deadly serious about this
in spite of the fact that they are now forging into new
‘territories’ they have not ventured into before.
The winds of change have brought educational reforms
bannered as K to 12 in the Philippines. In this regard,
the TVET centres, and in fact the North and South
Philippines Provinces in general, are committed to ta-
king a proactive stance. These Centres are positioning
themselves to work with the government and industries
to champion the vocational tracks for grades 11 and 12.

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PHILIPPINES
This is coupled with provisions for Alternative Learning Curriculum, to the religious experience, to the integra-
Systems and projections for programs that consider tion of values in the technical subjects, equipping our
those who would not be selected for grades 11 and 12. trainees with moral-spiritual skills of choice, conviction
While continually working with the country’s Techni- and Salesian Youth Spirituality. They are asking how
cal Education and Skill Development Authority (TESDA) (in spite of the short training period) can their trainees
for the certification of our Instructors and students, the experience God by creating a climate of a home that
centres have begun to benchmark their training with welcomes, a parish that evangelizes, a school that pre-
international standards by seeking accreditation from pares for life, and a playground where they can find
45
the Colombo Plan Staff College (CPSC) which is an true joy with true friends.
Inter-governmental International Organization for hu- But where’s the money they need to put where their
man resources development in Asia and the Pacific Re- mouth is? The last time I checked (February 20, 2014)
gion. CPSC is the only regional institution established they were discussing how to finance, realize and sustain
specifically to enhance the quality of TVET.
all of these initiatives. This is the part where reality re-
The Don Bosco TVET Centres have also realized from ally bites and where fire consumes fuel. But it is also the
the start that there are a lot of people who share their time where our faith in men and women of good will is
cause and appreciate the significance of their initia- truly tested and our trust in God is witnessed.
tives. They cannot and probably should not work in The People who run these centres know that nothing
isolation, they have always believed in networking and worthwhile comes easy. Uncertainty however can make
lately they have published a consolidated directory people nervous. But we found how these same people
cum portfolio representing all the 19 Don Bosco TVET drew hope from the thousands of lives that are better
Centres in the Philippines. This Directory also presents now because of the training they received from Don
their industry partners. Beyond this Directory however Bosco. They are encouraged by the dedication of their
are innumerable meetings that have been organized by lay mission partners. They are inspired by the many
the ODEA with TESDA, Commission on
Lay Brothers who have
Higher Education (CHED), Department
been part of the history
of Education (DepED), Department of
of the Training Centres in
Labor and Employment (DOLE), Indu-
the Philippines. They are
stries and other Stakeholders.
cheered by the esteem of
In the midst of all these ‘upheavals’
government agencies. They
in the socio-economic-educational en-
are consoled by corpora-
vironment, the TVET Centres had to
tions and industries which
assure themselves that they have not
continue to support them
strayed from producing Good Chri-
in good and bad times. But
stians and Honest Citizens. To this
also, they feel in their hearts
end the Spiritual Moderators of the
that these challenges just
Centres have embarked on an ambi-
might be the voice of the
tious task of rethinking their Pastoral
Spirit inviting them to make
Programs from the Christian Living
all things new in Christ.

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PAPUA New GUINEA
You are
46 the Salt…
S.A.L.T.
By Angel Sanchez

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PAPUA New GUINEA
“You are the salt of the earth...”
(Mt 5:13)
How do we put into action this call
of Jesus in everyday life?
How can we become the salt
of the earth?
For more than a decade, Don Bosco Technical School
(DBTS) in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, devel-
oped a special program for students – in particular
for graduated classes of level 12 and of level 2 of
the Technical Industrial Course of the Servanthood
and Leadership Training – SALT. The planning, im-
plementation and assessment of this program are
carried out by the spiritual guide of the school, in
collaboration with his pastoral team. Every Sale-
sian Youth Centre aims at forming the youth so
that they may become “upright citizens and good
Christians”. At Don Bosco Technical School in Port
Moresby this reality is shown in the motto “Bosco-
nians, Guide Those you Serve”. In other words,
Bosconians try to become the salt of the earth by
becoming leader-servants. The SALT Program is a
good means to instil Salesian values and attitudes.
This makes it possible to transmit the various ele-
ments of Salesian Youth Spirituality in the specific
Melanesian context. The youth who graduate from
Don Bosco Technical School assume the attitudes
of Salesian spirituality they have been taught since
their first years in school. In a country and in a cul-
ture where people always request a “reward” for
whatever is asked of them, the young of Don Bosco
Technical School learn to serve others without ex-
47
pecting anything in return. This experience widens
their horizons and gives them the opportunity to do
something good for others. When asked to describe
his experience in SALT Program, Kenesi Sogiri (of
level 12) described it simply saying, “Serving others
with joy, without asking for money...” This is the way
in which Don Bosco Technical School contributes
to the formation of the youth in Papua New Guinea.
Before doing the SALT Program, the students spend
a whole day in the school to which they have been
sent. Team building activities are organized. Talks
and speeches are delivered. Celebration of the lit-
urgy and spontaneous prayer also are integrated.
All these activities aim at motivating the youth to
make Don Bosco’s ideals their own. “As Bosconi-
ans, we call ourselves leader-servants. Therefore we
must put into practice service to others”, says Alois
Tivelit, he too of level 12. And so, for a few Satur-
days, those who are enrolled in the SALT Program
render some services in the communities in diverse
quarters of Port Moresby city. They learn to “roll up
their sleeves”. Then it is not a surprise to see them
engaged in cleaning and garbage collection in pub-
lic streets. Bosconians are not afraid to dirty their
hands! These youth are not left alone in their servic-
es to the community. The respective teachers accom-
pany them in this experience. In this way, the SALT
Program becomes for the teachers too a moment to
learn and practise Salesian assistance. In this con-
text, the presence of the educator is important in the

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PAPUA New GUINEA
sense that SALT is not only a social activity but above
all an educative activity and a formative experience.
It is also to be noted that not all the students of Don
Bosco Technical School are Catholic. Many of them
in fact belong to other Christian denominations.
But the places where students do their community
service are generally sectors of Catholic parishes.
This requires a previous coordination of the activi-
ties that involve several Parish priests of the city.
Because of this, some of our students committed to
the SALT Program have later become animators in
their own parishes. This has awakened in them the
sense of belonging to the local church, helping them
mature a choice of voluntary work in their own par-
ishes. But the service of Bosconians is not limited to
Catholic parishes alone. Cheshire Home community
48
also, a home for disabled, benefits from their pres-
ence. Meeting people with disabilities is always
a very formative experience. Youngsters become
aware how lucky they are and form their heart to be
compassionate and attentive to others. Sometimes
the social context favours the creation of groups of
rascals who are often responsible for many crimes.
Some of our children come from these contexts.
Through the SALT Program, there is the possibility
to visit Bomana prison, in the outskirts of Port Mo-
resby city, where many young people are detained.
Sometimes our pupils are given the possibility to in-
teract with the detainees. Don Bosco used to say that
we must form the youth to recognize “the ugliness
of sin and the beauty of virtue”. In Bomana prison,
Bosconians make a first hand experience of the con-
sequences of an inconsiderate use of freedom. In
prison, all traces of human misery are to be found.
In this context, the youth understand the necessity
of dreaming to have a more luminous future. An-
other student who recently passed out, Don Apini,
acknowledges how the Salesian school had a great
impact on his life. “I decided to be a true Bosco-
nian, not only in name, but also with the concrete
deeds of my life”. Even if the SALT Program lasts
only a few Saturdays, it remains for the youth a
unique experience and what they learn lingers on
after graduation. It is something they treasure and
cherish, because SALT does not lose its taste...

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6 Pages 51-60

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italy
50
Witnesses to Joy
On the Way to 2015
“And I say it again – be happy!” It is a 2,000-year-old invitation, but just as relevant and
provocative today for young people all over the world. In Turin, from 10th to 16th August 2013,
you could see it in the courtyards, streets, churches, squares thronging with 1,200 young
people from the Italian SYM who had gathered for the national 'Confronto' or youth festival.

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italy
Joy was the key element throughout – not a minute with-
out it. This was not a lone event but a stage in a journey
which young people around the world are called to take
up in the Church to be the present and the future, the
“saints of the new millennium” (Saint John Paul II).
At the Madrid World Youth Day the SYM rediscovered
the reasons for its hope in being “Rooted in and founded
on Christ, firm in faith”. The Rio WYD, which took place
at the end of the Year of Faith, invited young people of
the world to: “Go and make disciples of all people”. Thus
the Italian SYM Festival could do no other than draw on
the wealth of the Church's journey, reinterpreting the
ideas of joy and witness in the light of Salesian youth
spirituality. The slogan guiding the Festival, Witnesses
of joy, expresses and brings about what Don Bosco of-
fered his young people in the introduction to The Com-
panion of Youth: “I would like to teach you a method of
Christian living which will at the same time make you
happy and content”. The Festival allowed young people
from around Italy to be immersed in Salesian youthful
spirituality tasting every aspect of it to the full; it offered
a real experience of the Salesian playground: a provi-
dential combination of joy, festivity, prayer, reflection,
confidence, familiarity, listening, significant encounter,
trust in Mary.
Salesian Pilgrimage
The week's program was marked by music and festivity
but also by celebrations and time for prayer; time spent
in listening to the ideas offered, but also in dialogue and
exchange of experiences; taking note of the places of
Salesian history and society in Turin, but also discover-
ing the spirituality and beauty of Mornese, Chieri and
Colle Don Bosco.
Don Bosco was given voice at Valdocco, speaking of
complete and lasting happiness being possible only
when we live in grace, being actively Christian. Joy is the
educational climate he wanted “breathed” in his works.
Daily Mass and confession were basic moments each
day during the Festival.
When they went to Mornese the young people were
guided by the life of Maìn, as the young Mary Domen-
ica Mazzarello was known, through a story of holiness
achieved through little (but great) things, little (but hero-
ic) daily gestures, an extraordinary example of holiness
in daily activity.
In Turin's streets, places around the city where Don
Bosco lived and had a thousand adventures, one sensed
this intimate relationship between the Salesian charism
and the Church. The SYM is part of the Church as an of-
fering of holiness for all young people.
A morning of festivity at Chieri rediscovered John
Bosco's youth and the growth of his priestly vocation.
None of this could have happened without a deep friend-
ship with Jesus, an essential feature of Salesian spiritual-
ity which Don Bosco would then propose to his young-
sters. Colle Don Bosco, called the Salesian Bethlehem,
saw the arrival of 1,200 pilgrims at the Hill of Youthful
Beatitudes, as John Paul II described it at the very first
Festival in 1988.
The adoration vigil and the Mass allowed the joy in their
hearts to explode in a festive moment enlivened by the
presence of Fr. Pascual Chavez.
The Rector Major opened the third and final year of
51
preparation for the Bicentenary in 2015 by inviting
young people to focus on Don Bosco, true master of spir-
itual life, and to draw on him for their own spirituality,
inflaming their hearts with his pastoral charity, meeting
Christ and getting other young people to meet him, so
that every one can become a credible “witness of joy”.
Those who were there still carry three clear brief re-
minders that Fr. Pascual addressed to them on this his fi-
nal encounter as Rector Major with Italian SYM: the first,
“Don't waste your life: your very existence is at stake”;
the second, “Nurture desires: nobody can dream big un-
til they have seen the stars”; and the last, “Learn to swim
against the tide: it is the only way to be fruitful in love”.
A proposal of Salesian holiness
The third millennium needs saints, young people who
are holy in little things and in their grand choices, in their
ordinary and extraordinary activities, in profound joy in
a life which is a witness to Christ's resurrection.
The week's festival simply cannot be summed up in a
few lines or shown in a few images, but to find an icon
which is meaningful and could have the power to de-
scribe young people united in heart and soul in a single
Spirit we might describe it with the flashmob at Piazza
Castello. All of a sudden, on 12th August at 12 noon, the
square was filled with 1200 young people running in
from the surrounding streets and forming a large, hu-
man “MGS” and dancing to the Festival hymn, “JOY!”.
Perhaps it is this joy in Christ which is the purest form of
Salesian youthful spirituality.

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52

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Festive
53
spirituality

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A Celebration of Faith and Fellowship for the Young
54
YOUTH pasch
By Guwahati Province
Guwahati is the gateway to the northeast of India and
the largest city of the Assam region. Salesians arrived
in 1922, and soon spread to every nook and corner
of the region with their youth services, especially
education and holistic development. Guwahati
province, established in 1959, has given birth to two
other provinces since 1981, and can still be considered
as the central locus where the Salesian youth of the
entire northeast can gather. Don Bosco Youth Pasch,
celebrated annually at Don Bosco Institute (DBI),
Guwahati, is one great event which brings Salesian
youth from all the three Provinces and beyond
for spiritual experience and faith formation.

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INDIA
55
Fr. Johnson Parackal, Director of DBI, reminisces about the origin of Youth Pasch in Guwahati: “Way back
in 2004, when about 100 young people came together to celebrate the Paschal Mysteries at Don Bosco
Institute Guwahati, under the leadership of Fr. V.M. Thomas, SDB, the founder director of the institute and
present Provincial of Guwahati Province, little did one realize that something momentous had just taken
place. Since then, at Easter time, hordes of youth have been flocking to DBI to have a live-in experience of
the Paschal Mystery of Christ.”
This meeting has become synonymous
with the Easter celebration
of youthful faith.

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india
56
For more than a decade ‘Youth Pasch’ has lighted up
DBI with the joy and radiance of faith lived and experi-
enced in a Salesian way by hundreds of youth. Today
it has become synonymous with Catholic Youth faith
celebration for the northeast region of the country.
Ms Mazzarello Mh. Boko, a participant at Youth Pasch
2014, speaks thus of her experience: “Youth Pasch
was a unique experience for me. Everything was or-
ganized so well and in detail. We shared together our
faith in Jesus. This was one of the best spiritual pro-
grammes I have ever attended.”
Youth Pasch is an experiential spiritual event for the
youth. “The spiritual package is offered in an engag-
ing manner, in a style most appealing to the young
people of today; and I would say, in a style that is typi-
cally Salesian. It ensures that every individual takes an
active part in the powerful prayer experience”, says Fr.
Parackal.
As a fruit of the methodology used in the celebration of
Youth Pasch, a personal and spiritual transformation is
facilitated in the young participants, leading them clos-
er to Christ. The passion of Christ and the hope of the
Resurrection are also experientially shared through in-
put sessions, and the liturgy of each day is solemnized
in an attractive, appropriate and prayerful manner.
At the start of Holy Week, Don Bosco Institute begins
to bustle with preparations. Young people start flock-
ing from various parts of the northeast region of the
country to DBI Guwahati, perched atop the misty green
hills overlooking the majestic Brahmaputra river.
The celebrations commence on Wednesday of the
Holy Week. Catechesis and bible study sessions are
held with young people, preparing them well to enter
into the Paschal Mystery of Christ. “Learning, study-
ing and knowing the bible in depth was an eye-opener
to me”, says Ms Gracy Kullu from Dibrugarh diocese.
“The symbolic meaning of the words of the bible was
unknown to me earlier, and now I am delighted to be
acquainted with them”.
On Holy Thursday, during the morning hours, Chris-
tian doctrine is shared with the young participants as
they study and reflect on the Word of God.
The evening celebrations include the solemn enact-
ment of the Washing of the Feet and the Last Supper of
the Lord by young people themselves. These liturgical
rituals, so central to the Christian faith and filled with
meaning, are re-lived in a manner that is touching and
appealing to the sensibilities of the young people.

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57
On Good Friday, the focus is on the passion and death
of Christ. The impressive celebration of the Way of
the Cross gives the young people an opportunity to
experience the meaning of suffering and to consider
their own difficulties in the light of Christ’s sufferings.
The youth themselves act out Jesus’ painful journey
through the enactment of the Fourteen Stations. It
makes the participants emotionally involved in the
journey. Samuel Maslai, of Umswai, recalling his Youth
Pasch experience says: “The animation on the paschal
Mystery of Christ really touched me personally. The
word of God has provoked me, and definitely I will
make known to others what Christ has done for me.”
“On this day of the memorial of our redemption the
youngsters are offered an opportunity to experience
the healing power of the Lord through the Sacrament
of Reconciliation”, says Fr. Parackal, the chief orga-
nizer of this spiritual event. Making the celebration a
youthful experience in a Salesian way and providing
the ground for reconciliation, is also a dance drama
entitled “He Lives”, performed by the youth, which de-
picts Peter the apostle’s repentance and renewal.
The meditation and input sessions on Holy Saturday
prepare the young people for the Vigil celebration
The theatrical expression is a good means to transmit the faith.
and help them to enter into the mystery of New Life in
Christ and experience the power of His Resurrection
in a very personal and profound manner.
“We Salesians are an Easter people, a people of joy
and life! And that is what Youth Pasch celebration on
Easter Sunday expresses as we gather on the banks
of the Brahmaptura for the climax”, says Fr. Parackal.
The Galilee experience on the banks of the gigantic
river, soon after the solemn Eucharistic celebration on
Easter Sunday morning, gives the young people an op-
portunity to express their joy and happiness through
music, songs, dance, in the company of their peers,
friends and educators. They share also a fellowship
meal there.
The evening spent in praise and worship and in the
company of one another makes the entire Pasch ex-
perience a journey of faith and fellowship, where they
encounter the Risen Lord who walks with them. They
go back refreshed, renewed and with a firm resolve to
serve Christ in the needy brothers and sisters of their
neighbourhood.

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Kenya
www.dbafe.org
Faith in Action
59
“I look forward to it every month.”
“I wish it were more than once a month.
” It has helped me to strengthen my faith.”
These are some of the comments made
by the youth who come for the youth Liturgy,
“Come and Celebrate,” which is held once
a month at the green lawns of Don Bosco
Youth Educational Services (DBYES), Nairobi,
a Youth Animation and Empowerment Centre
in the Province of Eastern Africa.
By Sebastian Koladiyil

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Kenya
60
This program, “Come and Celebrate”, targets the boarding
school students around Nairobi, Kenya. Many schools do
not have Mass for the Catholic students in their schools
so DBYES thought it fit to have a monthly Celebration of
the Youth Liturgy for the students of the boarding schools
around, on the first Sunday of every month, when they are
not on holidays.
They come in big numbers to be part of it, an average
of around 400 Catholic Students from around 8 to 12
Secondary Schools in the area. The only purpose behind
this is to celebrate faith, for the young people to feel proud
of the fact that they are Catholics in a usually non-Catholic
environment in which they study and live. Each group is
accompanied by a leader-cum-animator, often a teacher available to hear confessions of the youth and it
from their school.
is truly encouraging to see many frequenting the
sacrament or for a talk with a priest. Every part of
A typical celebration
the Mass is distributed for animation to different
The day starts with registration followed by praise and schools: serving at the mass, leading the singing,
worship, lively spiritual songs sung in a typical African readings, liturgical dances, leading the prayers of
style, the students swinging to the lively beats of African the faithful and the offertory procession. Often the
drums and other instruments. Through this they are led Mass lasts about two hours, after which the whole
into a spiritual atmosphere preparing them to listen to a group is given a half an hour’s break during which
talk on the theme of the day. This talk is given by a priest or each school takes their picnic lunch and socialises
religious and at times a youth minister who is a lay person. with the rest.
After the talk, the youngsters are divided into groups and After lunch, it is fun time. Every school is invited
questions based on the given talk are distributed for their to present various items such as song, dance, play/
sharing and discussion. At the end of the group discussion skit etc., all on the theme of the day, coupled with
the answers are shared in the common assembly and any with music for dancing. At the end the winner is
further questions are clarified in the general assembly. given a trophy. By evening it is time to say goodbye,
This is followed by a short break, giving the students often hard to do, and they promise to meet again
time to prepare for the mass. Up to this point, priests are the following month.

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61
The family is the setting in which faith and love are preserved.
“Come and Celebrate” is an experience of Christian life.
Topics
The theme for the year 2013 was faith, given that it
was the Year of Faith. The topics that were dealt with
were: Faith and/in the Bible, Faith and the Church,
Faith and Prayer, Faith as the Creed, Faith, Science,
Media, Faith and Spirituality, Faith and Service –
Charity, Faith beyond now – Hope.
Since 2014 is the Year of the Family, the topics that
are being dealt with are: Family in the Bible, Youth
–Parent Communication in the Family, Preparing
ourselves as Youth for Family life, John Paul II & the
Family, African Values in dialogue with Christianity,
Sacredness of Sexuality within Marriage, Family as a
little Church, Family and Vocation.
We hope to continue this tradition for the
years to come.
The occasion gives these youngsters a chance to
mix and mingle with students from other schools
in a healthy mixed-gender atmosphere, since most
of the boarding schools around Nairobi are boys or
girls’ schools. It is good for them to express their
faith, live it in a visible manner and take pride in the
fact that they are, like us, Catholic family too. Then
their faith also needs to be taught. Catechesis occurs
during these gatherings. Many doubts are cleared and
the youth leave the event with a sense of fulfilment,
strengthened in their faith.

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Africa
By Marc-Auguste Kambire
6622
Baptism
and Eucharist
- Sacraments
of Joy
My name is Matthew Lawson, studying
Masters in Public Law and Political Science at
the University of Lomé. There are certain events
in life which mark our existence and force us
to pause. What I am about to tell you in what
follows is an experience that marked my life.

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africa
It all began on a Saturday afternoon. My mother cus-
tomarily went to the market on Saturday to get the
provisions for the week. I would take advantage of
the occasion to play football with my friends. That
afternoon I saw my mother return and she asked me
to accompany her to the Parish of Our Lady Help of
Christians at Gbényedzi (located in the east of Lomé
and run by the Salesians) to begin my catechism.
To be truthful, she had told me often enough that I
had to start catechism, but I refused to go, and that
afternoon was a black Saturday for me because she
forced me to go. I was 11 years old.
Once we got to the parish, we were directed to the
class for the little ones. My mother handed me over
to the catechist and went back home. I went into the
classroom, but I remained elusive, silent and bitter.
The reason was that I was put in a group I did not
know. It took more than three sessions for me to fit
into the group and especially to begin to get inter-
ested in what was actually going on: catechism. From
being loath to abandon football for catechism class, I
began to feel happy going to Jesus’ school. The fam-
ily spirit in the classroom and teaching virtues like
respect for others and doing well at school were the
things that motivated me to go to catechism class.
I was made a class leader and had to look after dis-
cipline, organise question and answer sessions, and
take the attendance roll. I learned how to lead a
group. Easter Sunday 2005 was the day I made my
First Communion. Ever since I have thought of this
day as the day I was able to approach the Holy Table
for the first time. I could not describe the joy I felt
when I received the Body and Blood of Christ for the
first time. At that age, we wanted to go to Christ’s
table to enjoy what we had been prevented from do-
ing earlier. Curiosity to taste the Body and Blood
of Christ has changed, over the years, to
being a source of health for me. I
discovered in the Sacrament of the
Eucharist the source of hu-
man health. During the
week that followed
Easter Sunday, I went
regularly to Mass and
my family asked me to
pray for them.
Alas, the enthusi-
asm of those ear-
ly days waned and I even stopped going to catechism
for some time. I was convinced that in receiving these
sacraments, I had gained my ‘Catholic Identity Card’,
the certificate I needed, and that was enough.
At the invitation of my catechist I joined the group
called Jésus miséricordieux (Merciful Jesus) in 2008.
While I was in this group I began catechesis for re-
ceiving the Sacrament of Confirmation in 2011. It
was then that I began to take part in the life of the
group and my parish. I was elected as a member of
the local youth coordination team. My involvement in
the group allowed me to remain attached to Christ
and I continued to meditate on the graces received
through the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist.
Joyful Encounter
There are many like Matthew who receive the Sa-
craments of Baptism and Eucharist at Easter. From
63
1982 until May 2014, the Parish has registered
20,046 baptisms and 17,197 have received First
Communion. This means a yearly average of 626 ca-
techumens baptised and 537 baptised people who
have received First Communion. The celebration of
these Sacraments, according to Mrs Désiré Goncalves
(parish catechetics coordinator) “is an opportunity
for the parish to express its joy at seeing its sons and
daughters born again and become part of the Chri-
stian family. In the Éwé culture (people from South
Togo), a child is welcomed into society eight days af-
ter birth. The Sacrament of Baptism is the ceremony
by which we welcome the newly born into God’s fa-
mily. This is an opportunity to bring families together
to celebrate the joy of seeing one of their own beco-
me a Christian. Something of interest in this parish is
the occasion offered to the neophytes to give thanks
to God and to consecrate themselves to Mary Help
of Christians after a Mass celebrated in their ho-
nour on Easter Monday afternoon”.
Thus, the parish is such a genuine place of
joy in the lives of these
newcomers, most of
whom are young. It is a
meansfor the Salesian
community to practise
the spirituality of
joy, a hallmark of
Salesian spiritu-
ality.

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MeXico
By Jorge García Montaño and Oscar Gómez De la Vega
Easter Fruit
Zamora, where the Salesians have a very pastorally
active church, is a medium-sized city in the Mexican
Republic, firmly rooted in Christian tradition stemming
more from practices of piety and celebrations than a
deep Gospel conviction. Christian formation of boys
64
and girls is falling apart and it is common for them to
fall into indifference and religious ignorance.
Easter Fruit is a group belonging to the Salesian Youth
Movement that endeavours to rescue youngsters
and lead them to a keen, happy, profound faith
amidst a superficial society which is contaminated
by consumerism and aimed at "having more" rather
than "being more". It is a youth movement hinging
on Jesus’ words "Whoever remains in me, with me in
him, bears fruit in plenty” (John 15:5).
“How boring!” Monse said when an Easter Fruit
member invited her to be part of the church group.
“The Church is so boring”, she said. We need to know
that Monse was a really good girl, but without any
spiritual horizons. She had really been alienated from
the Church, and God did not fall within the ambit of
her youthful interests. Reluctantly she accepted
the invitation because she would be going
with a friend and... surprise! She was
shown great signs of welcome. In a
short time her life changed, she
tells us, and now she is dedicated
full-time to the apostolate of
leading her friends to discover
friendship with Jesus. She
confesses that she has found true
happiness and “Jesus is her hero”.
The others in the group lend their
time and their hands and invite
their friends at school or in the local
district to be part of Easter Fruit.
Erik is 20 and a few years back was suffering from the
disorder known as anorexia, with other complexes
and apathy. He was insecure and uncommunicative.
Now he has become a leader and adviser for new
groups, because for him God has become a perceivable
presence in his daily life, "always with me; I thank him
when I go to sleep and also when I awake." He is an
artist at heart, sings and plays many instruments,

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MEXICO
livens up liturgies and entertainment, and is a dear
friend for the whole group because, he says, "the group
is where you find true friends", and he has completely
identified with the spirit of Don Bosco, fighting to bring
his friends to Jesus.
Oscar has just turned 17, is doing computer science,
likes languages and reading. "I especially love the
way Don Bosco showed holiness to young people, a
youthful, everyday holiness, a happy and achievable
holiness." Oscar considers holiness as a deep happiness
that stems from doing one’s duty, and he remembers
well Dominic Savio’s words to his friend Camillo Gavio
at Don Bosco’s Oratory: "My friend, here holiness
consists in being happy; we try to avoid sin because it
is the enemy which robs us of God’s grace and peace of
mind; we go to the sacraments and practicies of piety,
and we do our duty well ... and don’t forget what the
Scriptures say "Serve the Lord with happiness."
All the youngsters who belong to Easter Fruit have
similar stories. They have developed at greater or less
speed from a human and spiritual situation of less
relevance, without attractive horizons, amidst family
conflicts and a certain boredom based on parties and
fictional amusement, to a life that begins to fill their
being with the true happiness that comes from a pure
friendship with and commitment to God. They find
this through apostolic activities where they pass on to
friends what they themselves have experienced. Jesus
said: “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you
6655
and your joy may be complete.”
Checo (Sergio) and Grecia are close friends who have
grown and matured in Easter Fruit. Now they
are “sowers”, which is the stage following
the basic three year preparation common
to all. Grecia is finishing her studies to be a
teacher. The topic of her graduation thesis
is “Don Bosco’s educational system”. Checo
has been the soul of the movement since the
beginnings and is the right-hand man of the
founder, Salesian Fr. Alejandro Guzmán. It
troubles him to see boys and girls affected
by lack of love, faith and education, falling
into bad habits that no one knows how to
fix, facing life disadvantaged and helpless
before the models of selfishness
and social indifference which
today’s culture offers them.
Easter Fruit convinces boys
and girls at a stage of life
where the search for meaning
becomes urgent. It is almost
certain that they all fall into the
arms of Jesus who welcomes
them as a friend, because
Don Bosco’s spirituality
is tailored to their
deepest needs.

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By Marina Lomunno
Feast of
Don Bosco
66
in the Mother House

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The feast of Don Bosco had its central moment in the
late afternoon of 31st January, 2015 in the Basilica
of Mary Help Of Christians: the Mass of the young
people of the Salesian Youth Movement, presided
over by the Rector Major Fr. Angel Fernàndez Artime.
A festive celebration, with representatives from all
over the world of the 30 (both lay and religious) units
that compose the Salesian Family and with hundreds
of young people who unbelievably filled the Basilica.
Lord Jesus is the authentic way to
everybody's happiness
The Rector Major, continuing the tradition of his
predecessor Fr. Pascual Chavez Villanueva, who was
present in Turin for the celebrations of the Bicente-
nary, delivered to the young of the Salesian Youth
Movement and ideally to the youth of 132 countries
where Salesians work, the message of the liturgical
feast of Don Bosco, taken from the first letter of St
John: “I write to you, young people, because you are
strong, and the word of God lives in you”. “I chose
these words from the first letter of S. John – said the
Rector Major – because it seems to me a beautiful
actualization of the call the Lord Jesus gives today,
today to each one of you and which Don Bosco, with
his educative genius, would undoubtedly turn into a
challenge and a goal of everyday life for his youth.
My dear youth, I cannot hide this deep conviction of
mine: the Lord, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of the Fa-
ther, is the authentic way to true happiness of each
one of us, of each one of you. Don Bosco believed
blindly, fully in you, young people. Don Bosco made
his own the worries, hopes and joys of his youth (and
of you), living with his youth, among them and with
them, in what was a special gift in him, to be a man
of personal relationship, of good character, of friend-
ship and dialogue, he gave to the youth all his trust
to be really “strong” in the way of life, strong in faith,
firmly believing in their capabilities and possibilities,
believing that you can be and must be – because this
is what the Lord asks – the true protagonists of your
own lives”.
30 Groups, 132 Countries
67
In the morning, the superiors and coordinators of the
30 components of the Salesian Family gathered in
the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians for the first
time on the occasion of the Bicentenary, animating
the playground of Valdocco with the colours and lan-
guages of 132 countries where the Salesians are pres-
ent: “We gathered on the occasion of the 200 years
since Don Bosco’s birth – said Sr. Yvonne Reungoat,
the Mother General of the Daughters of Mary Help of
Christians – to create more synergy among the vari-
ous components of the Salesian Family, to strengthen
the bond of the sons and daughters of Don Bosco and
of Mother Mazzarello. It is the charism of our saint
that unites us: but the more we manage to know each
other and to integrate together, the better can we
serve the Church. In order to be a sign of peace in
the world, we Christians first of all must grow in dia-
logue, pull down parochialisms... Don Bosco does not
belong to the Salesian Family alone, but to the whole
Church and to all those, also non Christians, who love
the young”.

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ethiopia
By Lijo Vadakkan
Salesian Flag Flies
in an Orthodox Land
Salesians
68 in Ethiopia

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EThIOPIA
69
In the Holy Bible, a certain nation called Ethiopia is de-
scribed as “a nation of tall and smooth-skinned people, a
nation mighty and conquering, feared near and far” (Isa-
iah 18:2). Ethiopia today is widely renowned for her old
civilization and is also proud of being one of the first coun-
tries to accept Christ and Christianity. As a matter of fact,
according to the history of Christianity, the only person
who asked, “What prevents me from being baptized?” is
an Ethiopian. The Apostle Philip said: “If you heartily be-
lieve, it is permitted.” The Ethiopian replied: “I believe that
Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” (Acts. 8: 37-38).
was told by an angel that blessings would soon descend
upon the continent (MB XVII, 643, 645).
That’s part of history! However, it took almost 90 years
to realise this dream of Don Bosco in Ethiopia as the
first Salesians set foot on Ethiopian soil only in 1975.
Ever since the arrival of these pioneers, the priority of
the Salesians in Ethiopia has been the education and
holistic growth of thousands of youngsters frequenting
a network of more than 14 Salesian presences spread
across the country.
A ‘Dreamer’ for Africa
In the Biographical Memoirs of Don Bosco, two dreams
particularly in connection with Africa can be found.
The first dream took place in 1866, where a shepherd-
ess appeared to Don Bosco and showed him the growth
of the Congregation through the image of a sunbeam
passing from Santiago to Peking through the continent
of Africa. (MB XVIII, 71 ff.). The second one is recorded
to have taken place in the year 1885, in which Don Bos-
co dreamt he was standing in central Africa where he
The Dream Continues…
The Salesian mission among the youth of Ethiopia has
been a rather challenging one due to the multi-ethnic,
multi-religious and multi-cultural backgrounds of
Ethiopia. While the country had been traditionally ac-
claimed as primarily a Christian nation, in recent times
the Muslim population in the country has grown con-
siderably and today there is roughly the same number
of Muslims as Christians. But Catholics—Latin and
Ge’ez combined—make up less than 1 per cent of Ethio-

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etiopia
70
pia’s nearly 85 million people. Nevertheless, it needs
to be said that the Catholic Church plays a dispropor-
tionately influential role in the lives of many Ethiopians,
especially through its schools, clinics and other social
service institutions. There are more than 350 Catholic
schools operating around the country, enrolling some
120,000 Ethiopian students each year and that makes
the Catholic Church the largest educational organisa-
tion after the Government. Among these, 19 schools
are owned by the Salesians, comprising Primary, Sec-
ondary, Technical Schools and Colleges.
Evangelising in a multi-religious context
The major challenge for the Salesians in Ethiopia is
precisely to make Don Bosco’s charism present in a
multi-religious environment and that too in a country
like Ethiopia where the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is
deeply rooted in the life and history of the people right
from the beginning of Christianity. It has not been rare
that sometimes Orthodox priests have even forbidden
their faithful to attend courses and take part in the rec-
reational activities in the Salesian centres, convinced
that they were just facades behind which the youth will
be induced to embrace Catholicism. Today however,
with patience and endurance they are realising that the
Orthodox and Catholic Church share a common aim:
the development of young people and the development
of society as a whole.
The Salesian Youth Ministry in the Vice-Province has
made great strides in this regard accompanying the
youth to bring about harmony between Catholic and
Orthodox spirituality. Catechism classes, Savio clubs,
Circus and Drama groups in the various oratories of
the Vice-Province are all part of formation to faith com-
bined with recreational activities. Moral classes and
the evening study programs in the oratory at Adwa for
instance, in the northern region of Tigray, are things
that the Past Pupils remember even to this day. The
result is the number of vocations to Salesian life that
have come from these oratories, often from traditional
Orthodox families despite harsh opposition from their
families.

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EThIOPIA
71
Salesian Youth Day at Mekanissa
The Salesian Youth Day held this year at Mekanissa
was a mega-initiative in this regard to bring youth lead-
ers from the various Salesian Oratories together. The
program was held at Bosco Children, Mekanissa. The
event saw more than 250 youth leaders take part from
the various oratories, to share their views and ideas, to
celebrate their differences and to make it a forum for
transformation. The three days were organised in such
a way that the young people and the Salesians could
participate together in sessions of music and sports in
a spirit of joy and prayer. Among the youth there were
Muslims and Orthodox, Catholics and Protestants but
all living under the umbrella of Don Bosco with the
unique aim of creating a better world.

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72

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Missionary
73
spirituality

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world
By Alfred Maravilla
74 Send Me, O Lord!
Go into the whole world...
During his life, Don Bosco sent eleven missionary ex-
peditions, but none of them will ever exceed the en-
thusiasm of the first one. Among the many who re-
sponded to his call, Don Bosco chose six priests and
four lay-brothers. It was an epochal event for the
Congregation and for the city of Turin! The departure
from Valdocco was solemn: 11th November,, 1875. It
is the beginning of a missionary epoch that will de-
velop in all continents, with the enculturation of the
Salesian charism everywhere: “I always did what I
could. What remains to be done, will be done by my
children”. Since 1875 the Salesian Congregation is
Missionary. Already by 1888, 20% of the Salesians
were living in the Missions in America. And the Con-
gregation still continues to live this specific vocation
with enthusiasm and generosity.
But why being missionaries? What is it that moti-
vates even today this call, may be in countries with
a totally different culture, in places which are often
unsafe and very poor? Odise Lazri (an Albanian, who
left in 2013 as a missionary for South Africa) says,
“Being a missionary for me is being the spokesperson
of Jesus, bringing the good news of the resurrection
of the Lord; the joy of the Risen One where it has not
yet arrived”. Fr. Roberto (an Italian who went to Brazil
in 2012): “From my experience as a Salesian who has
already been several times in the missions, both in
Brazil and Madagascar, I can say that Salesians have
a great target, which is giving always new hope, new
strength, a great faith to new generations”. Fr. Sony
(an Indian who left for Sierra Leone in 2013): “The
main goal of mission today is making Christ known to
those who still do not know him and directing people
to God. We live in a world where God is not impor-
tant and therefore we must make Jesus and his Word
known in a secularized world. In the Bicentenary of
Don Bosco’s birth, all Salesians are called to re-live his
missionary spirit. “The missionary trait became typi-
cal of every Salesian, because it is to be found in the
same Salesian spirit”, wrote Fr. Juan Vecchi, the sixth
successor of Don Bosco. “Therefore it is not some-

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world
Fr. Luigi Bolla: “When the ship left
the harbor of Genoa, I lived one of
the most beautiful moments of my
life... It is a moment when the Lord
tells you: ‘I am everything only
for you’, a moment of infinite joy.
This is the witness I wish we could
retain,, because it can encourage
young people who so often doubt,
who say ‘I go and try’... It is better
to go, open to everything...”
75

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76
thing added for some. It is the heart of pastoral char-
ity, it is the gift that characterizes the vocation of all”.
To the members of the 145th missionary expedition
(2014), the present successor of Don Bosco, Fr. Án-
gel Fernández Artime, asserted: “Saying ‘Salesians’ to-
day means being among the poorest and most needy
people of society; it should not be only a slogan, but
a reality (…) It must be the missionary passion that
every Salesian feels to go to the young; therefore we
need a congregation that is closer to them, to people,
to society. This will guarantee the continuity of our
charism and mission”. Brazilian Deacon José Alves de
Oliveira who was asked to work among the Xavantes
in his own country: “Many missionaries, leaving their

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world
homelands, dedicated themselves to this work with
faith and love. So, in this indigenous reality, I see my-
self as part of the dream of many other dreamers...
and as part of the challenge of GC27, that calls us to
be Don Bosco in the real frontiers of peripheries, and
where a prophetic and evangelizing presence is most
needed”.
“Celebrating the Bicentenary of Don Bosco’s birth
means also returning to our missionary roots”, insists
Fr. Guillermo Basañes, Councillor for the Missions.
77
“Let us live this Jubilee as a Salesian missionary out-
reach. Let the solemn conclusion of these celebra-
tions, on 15th August, 2015 find Don Bosco’s children
“bruised, hurting and dirty because they have been
out on the streets, rather than (…) unhealthy from
being confined and from clinging to their own secu-
rity” (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 49). “Let us go
forth, then, let us go forth to offer everyone the life of
Jesus Christ!”. This is the best birthday gift we can of-
fer our dear Giovannino!
Today Pope Francis enlightens us: living this mission-
ary dimension of our charism means keeping our pas-
sion for Jesus and his people alive, living our Salesian
life in a permanent state of mission. Thus we over-
come ‘pastoral acedia’, ‘small-mindedness’ and ‘tomb
psychology’ and we find once more the joy of evange-
lization! (Evangelii Gaudium 25, 82-83, 268).
Besides, the most beautiful expression of this mis-
sionary spirit is leaving one’s own land, one’s own
people to announce the Gospel of Christ. And so, ev-
ery year, in the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in
Turin this tradition of sending and of bidding farewell
to missionaries is renewed. With the handing over
of the crucifix and the fraternal embrace, a personal
and community journey of preparation is completed.
Missionary vocation is a long love story between God
who calls and the apostle who responds. It is always
God who chooses. Man is never so great as when he
says “yes” to God who passes by and calls.

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Brazil
78
By Roberto Cappelletti, Italian, Missionary in Brazil
The Missionary’s
Voice
I do not know when my Salesian vocation was exactly
born. One thing I know well though is how it has devel-
oped over the years. Since childhood, and then in the
Salesian novitiate, I was always impressed by the stories
of missionaries from distant lands who came to speak to
us of their lives among the poorest. Through the years
my concern for the poor has always been present, but
perhaps, like the fire in a fireplace, it was a little hidden
under the embers of the many activities and my studies.
In the Salesian house in Mezzano I had the opportunity
to get in touch with Brazil, through twinning and visits
in that country. It was there that the fire was decisively
rekindled. I was then assigned as Province Delegate for
Missionary Animation of the INE Province. The trips with
the young people of School of Awareness of Global Re-
alities and the summer experiences in Madagascar have
confirmed my desire to spend my life among the poorest.
Some say “we also need the Salesians here in Italy, so
why do you have to go to the missions?" This is an objec-
tion which might sound reasonable if the choice to leave
one’s country to be a missionary ad gentes were seen
only from the material, numerical and statistical point
of view. But whoever leaves for the mission does not run
away from something.
He goes in order to live fully one’s own vocation, in my
case my Salesian vocation. By placing my application to
be a missionary ad gentes directly in the hands the Rec-
tor Major, I wanted to state that my life belongs to God
and not to me, and I would like to live it for the poorest
and farthest. It will not be so much what I can give, but

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Brazil
79
I'm sure the feeling of happiness inside me for what I do
with the poor is the best answer to many initial doubts.
Now I am in Itajai, a port city in southern Brazil; a city
that, for the most part, is made up of people who are
well off, who work to earn their living. But even in a
city like this, there are hundreds of people and chil-
dren who live on the margins, in dilapidated houses,
in situations of violence, marginalisation and drugs. At
this time I am working here especially for them, to give
them a hope and a future through education, personal
development, accompaniment and the witness through
social service which I endeavour to give together with
the educative pastoral community of Parque Dom Bos-
co. Surely, I too sometimes wonder if I am in the right
place, in a city where most of the inhabitants live a Eu-
ropean style of life, without too many problems. But for
now I'm here, with the dream that perhaps, one day, I
will be able to give my life in a more radical and poorer
missionary context than where I am now. This has al-
ways been my dream. But where I am and wherever I'll
be sent or where I wish to go I will always try my best to
live my Salesian missionary vocation, giving my every
breath to the least and the poorest!

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patagonia
By Pier Giuseppe Accornero
80
From Tierra del Fuego
to the Vatican
“An arid point turning southward, between the Pacific
and the Atlantic, at the end of the American Conti-
nent - That is Patagonia. ‘Recoasted’ on the west by
the Cordillera of the Andes, and lapped on the east by
the Atlantic, open on the north to an uncertain way
that links it to the Argentinian Pampa, and restlessly
hit by the wind”. This is how an explorer describes
Patagonia, 800 thousand square kilometres – twice
the dimension of Italy – where arrived in 1879 arrive
the Salesian brothers and the Salesian sisters sent by
Don Bosco: ‘A tableland, an arid plateau’, stormy riv-
ers, imposing mountains, tremendous solitude, icy and
implacable wind. On the Bicentenary of Don Bosco’s
birth – which was acknowledged by the historical-sci-
entific committee as “an anniversary of national inter-
est” – the Italian Parliament, on 18th November 2014,
paid a tribute to the great saint from Piedmont with a
celebration in the Aldo Moro hall, with the greeting of
the Speaker Laura Boldrini and with the congress on
“Italians at the end of the world: Salesian Missionaries,
Pioneers in Patagonia and in Tierra del Fuego”.
First of All, Human Formation
On 11th November, 1875, in the Basilica of Mary Help
of Christians in Turin, Don Bosco blesses the first mis-

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patagonia
sionary expedition, headed by Fr. Giovanni Cagliero
comprising five other priests and four lay brothers,
among whom was Giuseppe Fagnano a former soldier
of Garibaldi with the spirit of a pioneer. Don Bosco told
them of the painful condition of many Italian families.
“You will find a great number of children and also of
adults who live in the most deplorable condition of ig-
norance of reading, writing and of every religious prin-
ciple. Go, look for these brothers of ours, who were
brought by poverty and bad luck to a foreign land”. At
a later stage they started to evangelize Patagonia: “In
this way we commence a great work, not because we
believe we can convert the whole world in a few days,
not at all. But who knows, this little departure could
be like a mustard seed that gradually spreads and pro-
duces great good”. With great emotion, the ten mis-
sionaries walked through the Basilica, welcomed by
a great crowd, while coaches and lanterns illumined
the night. They carried a leaflet with the ‘special me-
mentos’ written by Don Bosco: “Seek souls, but not
money, honors, or rank. Take special care of the sick,
of the children, of the aged, and of the poor, and you
will win for yourselves the blessings of God and the
good will of people. Let the world know that you are
poor in clothing, food, dwelling, and you will be rich
in the sight of God and you will win people’s hearts.
Love each other, counsel one another, correct one an-
other, but do not give in to either envy, or resentment;
on the contrary, let the good of one be the good of all;
81
the pain and suffering of one be considered the pain
and suffering of all, and let each one try to eliminate,
or at least ameliorate them. Amidst toil and suffering
never forget that a great reward awaits us in Heaven
- Amen.” To Fr. Cagliero he writes, “Do everything you
can. God will do what we cannot do ourselves. Entrust
everything to the Blessed Sacrament and to Mary Help
of Christians, and you shall see what miracles are”. Don
Bosco accompanied them to Genoa, where on 14th No-
vember, 1875 they boarded the French liner Savoie.
The First Houses...
Great Parents of the Pope...
In Buenos Aires and in Argentina migrants from Italy
and Piedmont abound. In 1877 the Salesians in Bar-
rio Almagro inaugurated the parish Church, voca-
tional schools, and the oratory. In 1908 the football
team of San Lorenzo de Almagro was born, after the
name of the founder, the Salesian priest Lorenzo
Massa. The paternal grand parents and the father of
Pope Bergoglio, who emigrated from Turin and Por-
tacomaro, arrived on 15th February, 1929. In Bue-
nos Aires they attended the parish of Barrio Flores,
but their heart was at the oratory of Almagro and
they were supporters of the red-blue coloured team.
Jorge Mario was a great fan: whenever he could, he
went to the stadium to meet them, and in 2008, on
the centenary, the Cardinal Archbishop of Buenos
Aires was given an honorary membership card.

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Thailand
By Anand Thanad
Building with the spirituality
of Don Bosco
Simplicity with true love is the way of life that God de-
sires from all of us. Jesus gave us an example of living
this way and shows us how to follow him. Only the true
Spirituality of Love can push us forward in our service,
thus overcoming all the difficulties and hardships we
encounter in daily in life.
82
The urgencies of the Gospel require many missionaries
to live far away from the land where they are born and
grow, sometimes even without the possibility of ever
returning. One of these missionaries is a priest from
Belgium, Fr. Albert Lucien Gustave Roosens, who has
turned 89 – still witnessing to the freshness of the Gos-
pel. Fr. Albert was ordained as a Salesian priest in 1956
after which he left for Thailand to work ask a missionary,
where the state religion is Buddhism.
His life has been replete with miracles, thanks to the
help of God. Fr. Albert recounted to us about the time
when he was the only missionary who worked in the
South of Thailand, which at the time comprised the
provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat, Yala, Surathani and
numerous other neighboring provinces. It was not easy
to evangelize in those places as it was difficult for them
to accept the basic concepts of a religion other than
their own. He also had to take into account many chil-
dren who were unable to attend school for two main
reasons: poverty and the distance from home to school.
Fr. Roosens decided to build a technical school based
on the same fundamental ideals of Don Bosco Technical
School in Bangkok. He himself planned and followed the
construction of the school building. But that was only
the first one. Soon others followed brick upon brick, just
the way he wanted them.
These technical schools were built for the young, the
orphans from poor families as they could not afford
the money to pay for their education. The main scope
of this type of schools is to teach the students to be-
come industrial technicians, mechanical plant opera-
tors, welders, mechanical engineers, as well as electrical
and electronic engineers. Fr. Roosens believes that this
is the right way to reduce poverty which is by helping
young men acquire knowledge in a specific profession
that they may earn and help their own families.
Apart from these schools, he also did many other con-
struction works such as a compound for a kindergarten
and an elementary school, a structure for the continua-
tion of compulsory education called the Don Bosco Vo-
cational Training Center meant for the children whose
parents suffer from leprosy. These children are thus
enabled to learn a trade and earn a living. Fr. Roosens
also built many houses for the poor who used to migrate
from North-Eastern Thailand to the South. He was also
involved in many projects of sensitization of the villag-
ers on ameliorating the living conditions, particularly
by improving sanitation and providing running water,
even in the remotest villages. To these, we must also add
an Aid Center for the past pupils of Don Bosco School
who are blind and are unable to live autonomously, and
the construction of another vocational school in Pattani
Province, and many more. As Fr. Roosens himself often
says, “there are many untold stories”.
Naturally, to implement and carry out all these proj-
ects requires great financial support. Fr Roosens would
say that every time he began the construction of a new
school, he was never sure whether he would be able to
complete the project as there were many problems to
handle. He would continue the story, his eyes brimming
with tears, “I always prayed constantly, and God never
abandoned me”. One day a benefactor came to me and
told me that I could use his money in whatever way I
deemed necessary. I was very surprised at this gesture:
God had sent me that man; it was a miracle. Many other

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thailand
times I received donations from people I never met be-
fore. He would say, “God always guided me to the right
people from whom we could get help, showing me the
right way to follow and fulfill his mission. God is great.
I blindly believe in Him because He is my shepherd.”
Fr. Roosens loves to construct buildings. During his
life he has built at least 35 new buildings, thus being
nicknamed “Bob the Builder”, (after the name of a fa-
mous local cartoon). He built schools and churches and
he is already planning to build four more. He says, “I
never thought of how many buildings I could have built,
because my only concern is to help the poor and the
needy”.
recreational rooms, meeting rooms surrounded by play-
grounds. In this complex, as per the dream of Fr. Roos-
ens, a chapel dedicated to “Our Lady of Banneux” is still
under construction.
Three years ago, when Fr Roosens was 86 he went to
Belgium to raise funds for this new project. He narrated
that each day he had to drive to various places to visit
friends and benefactors who had assisted him in the
past. When asked how he could remember the various
streets, as it was more than 50 years that he had set his
foot in his own country, he answered, “It is very simple.
I pray the rosary and drive. Well often when I lost the
way, with the help of the people I used to return home
83
He received three different awards from King Baudouin
of Belgium, in the years 1971, 1983 and 1986, and in
December 2013 he received from the Vatican the medal
‘Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice’ for his years of service in fa-
vor of the Church and the welfare of humankind. When
asked what he feels about all these awards, he replied,
“These medals did not certainly fulfill my wish to help
my neighbor; they are only a demonstration that these
constructions certainly could not come out of nothing.
They are the result of a passion and love for one’s neigh-
bor, which is true especially in the case of us priests and
religious”.
Fr Roosens is now busy collecting stamps and taking
care of his latest project, the “Don Bosco Home” and
the chapel of “Our Lady of Banneux, Belgium”, which
has always been his great dream. The construction of
“Don Bosco Home” which has already begun is intended
to host poor children coming from the rural areas of
Thailand who wish to pursue their studies in Bangkok,
having no finance to pay the fees and house rent. This
new four-story construction comprises of bedrooms,
safe and sound!” Then he added, “This is for sure, my last
trip to Belgium.” He is a very determined and stubborn
person, which he himself admits. Since he suffers from
heart problems when asked about this distant trip he
said, “Everything went on well with the help of so many
good-hearted people”.
During an interview when asked whether he feels home-
sick, he said that he had not gone home even for his
parents’ funeral. “I was in the South of Thailand, helping
the poor, and what could I do for a deceased person? I
could only pray for their soul. It is the living, in fact, that
needed me,” said Fr. Roosens.
When asked, “Fr. Roosens, how can we increase our
faith?” he answered, “Believe the impossible!” There
are still many unknown anecdotes around Fr Roosens.
Throughout his life as a religious he always exuded
great joy, knowing that he was at the service of God.
The motto that he always cherishes is “The Lord is my
Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want”.

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84

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Ecclesial
85
spirituality

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Salesian Holiness
86 “Everyday
Spirituality”
Father Arthur Lenti is known throughout the Sale-
sian world, especially because of the success of and
the good reception accorded to his multi-volume
biographical survey entitled, Don Bosco: History
and Spirit, now translated into several languages.
Born, like Don Bosco, in the region of Piedmont (Italy),
in 1939, Fr. Arthur migrated to United States where
he joined the Salesian Society. After World War II he
returned to Italy to pursue theological studies prior to
his ordination. Later he was graduated from the Bibli-
cal Institute in Rome..
Since 1975 Fr. Arthur has resided at “Don Bosco Hall”
established at Berkeley, California (United States) and
housing Salesian theological students attending the
Graduate Theological Schools. For a number of years
he filled the post of student advisor. Known for his
simple life-style, courteous manners, and readiness
to be of service, he has
enjoyed the appreciation
and affection of the Don
Bosco Hall Salesian com-
munity that has been his
home over these many
years.
Eventually, as necessity
dictated, and at his su-
perior’s bidding, Father Arthur returned to Rome and
took up Salesian Studies earnestly and diligently, with
emphasis on Don Bosco’s history and spirituality in
the context of the nineteenth century Church and so-
ciety. It was thus that an Institute of Salesian Studies
was established at “Don Bosco Hall,” with affiliation
to the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology.
Father Arthur graciously consented to spend some

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Salesian Holiness
time with us in familiar dialogue on Salesian spiritual-
ity as lived “day-to-day”. Our conversation dwelt on
two basic points:
(1) “How do we understand a daily spirituality in re-
lationship to the Salesian charism?” and (2) “How can
we live by this spirituality today?”
Fr. Lenti makes these comments.
“To speak of spirituality is not
as easy as one may believe.
The very term “spirituality” is
somewhat ambiguous, and we
should not be surprised that
at various times it was
given diverse,
even contradictory, meanings. We have an example
of this when well-meaning, dedicated people speak of
87
spirituality as a purely interior and individual experi-
ence of a relationship to the divine. On the contrary,
spirituality, to be authentic, cannot exist in isolation
but is open to other people, even as Don Bosco under-
stood it and lived it.
As Salesians, we may understand “spirituality” as the
vehicle in which we move and enter into relationship
with our brothers in community, with our young
people, with the persons that share with us the mis-
sion of education-evangelization of the young, and
with people in general. Inclusively and essentially we
are speaking of love or charity. We must not be elit-
ists in this. Practically speaking, we may replace the
word “spirituality” with other terms that may

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Salesian Holiness
88
better express what we mean. We could, for example,
use terms like love, charity, friendship, desire to help,
availability to others, etc. Taken together, these terms
may aptly describe the “spirituality of the quotidian,”
as Don Bosco understood it.
It is this very aspect that best reveals the influence
of St. Francis de Sales on Don Bosco. It is practically
certain that Don Bosco was well acquainted with the
Introduction to the Devout Life (Philothea), the mas-
terly work of the holy Bishop of Geneva. In this book
we discover the taproot of the “spirituality of the quo-
tidian” — the spirituality that Don Bosco lived by and
taught.
We are thereby reminded that Don Bosco lived as a
mystic, that is to say, in overarching union with God,
with the saints, especially with the Virgin Mary, with
whom he conversed with authentic familiarity. More-
over, he understood c mystic life as a life that one lived
in practical Christian love fully engaged in Christian
ministry and lived not merely as humanitarian phi-
lanthropy but out of a deeply rooted union with God.
Hence it is possible to equate the term Christian spiri-
tuality with Christian love or charity. This is better un-
derstood when we recall, for example, that occasional
visitors to Don Bosco’s Oratory would be amazed and
struck at the supernatural aura that one could liter-
ally breathe. Such a sensation was the result not only
to the intense sacramental life, religious celebrations,
and devotional practices—but also, and above all, to
the Christian love that motivated the lives of mere ad-
olescents and pre-adolescents to such a high degree
that was simply “supernatural.”
At the centre of it all stood Don Bosco, whose rela-
tionship to God shone as a beacon that shed light on
all those who gathered around him.
Now then, let us not forget that, on principle, spiri-
tuality is not the preserve of an elite. The Second
Vatican Council understood and promoted it. Spiri-
tuality is not only for bishops, priests, and religious;
on the contrary, it is for everyone. This means that

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Salesian Holiness
89
all the members of the Salesian Family are called to
live this kind of spirituality. Don Bosco expects that
each one of us be ready and available for the work of
charity. Within the Salesian Family this is a task for all
without exception or class privilege. This is not mere
work, but it is work of charity. The Salesian Family is
not a “social club” but a family that
unites us for the apostolate and
working for the salvation of young
people. In other words, what unites
us and sets us apart from other re-
ligious families is our spirituality
and not just our external work or
apostolate.
In this sense, our spirituality does
not keep timetables, but is lived
daily especially in the way we
relate withother people. Conse-
quently we must be careful with
the words we use, and with the
manner we treat other people. In this regard, respect
for others and their way of doing things is very im-
portant. These small details might appear insignifi-
cant, but insignificant they are not, for they express
our interior dispositions, and are authentic signs of a
well-lived Christian (and Salesian) spirituality”.

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Salesian Holiness
“It is to the glory
of my Father
that you should bear much
fruit and then you
90 will be my disciples”
(Jn 15:8).
Venerable Fr. Augustus Arribat
(1879-1963), a French Salesian, was a good father to
all his children. His life is an embodiment of the Gospel
when it says: “I did not come to be served but to serve.”
He never refused any kind of work, and in fact sought
the most humble services. Due to his availability for
cleaning, the novices used to call him “The knight with
the broom”. He would watch over the sick throughout
the night. During the war he gave visiting confreres
his room and his bed and himself would spend the
night on a couch or in the chapel. Called “The saint of
the valley”, some miraculous healings are attributed
to him.
In all his responsibilities of management, especially as
Rector of various Houses over the years, Father Arrib-
at was always the exemplary Salesian: always amongst

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Salesian Holiness
his young pupils, in the playground or the chapel, at disappearance and his mother’s illness; but that was
catechism, in the infirmary; he went from dining room what led him to defend, support and promote the fam-
to dormitory, from the confessional to the garden, ever ily. He gave flesh to Don Bosco’s preventive system in
attentive to everything and everyone. He had an ex- China and the Philippines, especially by exercising lov-
traordinary respect and gentleness for everyone, espe- ing kindness and fatherliness. He brought Don Bosco’s
cially the little ones and the poor. He watched over the charismatic and educational legacy to other times and
House and was thought of as a lightning conductor, places. The commitment and missionary zeal, which
like a new St Joseph. He was transparent and smiling, marked his life, recall the missionary dimension that
this son of Don Bosco who would not ignore anyone. ought to always accompany the life of every Christian
His thin and ascetic frame reminded one of the Cure community to make it fruitful and Gospel-like.
d’Ars, while his kindness and smile were worthy of St
Francis de Sales.
The life of
Majcen
Servant of God,
(1904-1999), was one of
Fr. Andrej
constant change
under the Communist regimes in China, Vietnam and
former Jugoslavia. His joyful spirit, ability to work
with others, his ability to ‘plant’ Don Bosco in Chinese
91
soil, to found the Salesian presence in Vietnam, to fos-
ter mission animation in his country of origin, Slove-
nia, are the distinctive characteristics of this Salesian
missionary.
All that intense activity was leavened by Gospel wis-
dom and discernment: reflections and meditations
can be found in his diaries (more than 6,000 hand-
written pages), his daily and careful examination of
conscience. They reveal his profoundly Christian and
Servant of God Fr. Charles Braga
religious existence, and personal commitment to spiri-
tual growth.
(1889-1971), when he lost his mother, was entrusted
to the Salesian Sisters at Tirano and the Salesians in
Sondrio. When the First World War broke out he was
recruited into the army. He made a request to be sent
to the Far East. He came to Shiu Chow, in southern
China and helped Bishop Versiglia, the first Salesian
Martyr. In 1930 he was made Provincial in China, and
gave considerable development to Salesian missionary
work. He founded the first Salesian school in Beijing,
bringing Don Bosco’s dream to fruition. But Salesian
work, in full expansion, was dramatically interrupted
by Communism. Fr. Braga then turned his attention to
the Philippines where he set up a Salesian presence.
In 1955 he was appointed as Provincial. He died at “Witness to kindness”: in his long and fruitful life, he
Bacolor on 3rd January, 1971.
was a sign and bearer of God’s love. He drew his pastoral
Deeply optimistic, fatherliness and cheerfulness were love from the Heart of Christ, marked as it was by great
Fr. Braga’s outstanding characteristics. Wherever he apostolic zeal and predilection for the young, a witness
went, he fostered a wonderful family spirit. His own to God’s tenderness in word and especially in deed and
family history was marked by suffering: his father’s in the exercise of Salesian loving kindness.

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by Pierluigi Cameroni, Spiritual animator
Association of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA)
92
Greets the New
Rector Major
Members of ADMA “are part of the Salesian Family
because of the Salesian devotion to Mary Help of
Christians, as instituted by Don Bosco himself. This
feeling of belonging means a commitment to honour
Mary, Mother and Helper of the Church, by parti-
cipating in the young and popular mission of Don
Bosco, especially in developing and defending the
Christian faith among the people. Within the Sale-
sian Family the association emphasizes the peculiar
value of the popular devotion to Mary as a means of
evangelization and promotion of the working class
and the youth in need. It acknowledges the Rector
Major, Don Bosco’s successor, as father and centre of
the entire Family (Art. 3 of the Regulations).
ADMA in the Philippines
Fr. Nestor Impelido, Salesian and spiritual Animator
of ADMA in North Philippines, presents ADMA in the
Philippines.
The History of ADMA in the Philippines
The first promoter was Msgr. Guglielmo Piani, Sale-
sian and Apostolic Delegate in the Philippines from
1922 to 1948. He spread the devotion to Mary Help
of Christians wherever he went. He succeeded in
proclaiming Mary Help of Christians as the second
Patron Saint of the Philippines. The first ADMA
group was founded in a church run by the Franci-
scans, close to the centre of Manila, where there was
the first statue of Mary Help Christians that is now
placed in the sanctuary of Mary Help of Christians of
Parafiache. Another group, promoted by a confrère
coming from Hong Kong, Fr. Patrick Rayan, is to be
found in the city of Cebu. This Salesian also founded
a group in the city of Manila (Makati), comprising
of high-class people, which still exists. The devotion
to Mary Help of Christians and Don Bosco spread
all over the country thanks to the Salesians and the

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www.admadonbosco.org
Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, in particular
through the promotion of her Novena.
The Present Strength of ADMA
At present in the Philippines there are 35 groups
with around 1000 members, with two councils lin-
ked to the two Salesian Provinces of the North and
the South. The current significance of the devotion
to Mary Help of Christians manifests itself in counte-
ring emergent secularism, which is sustained by the
government policy, and in responding to the educati-
ve emergency, widely spread in the country.
The Role of Lay Persons
in Promoting the Association
Not only Salesians and Daughters of Mary Help of
Christians were the promoters of devotion to Mary
Help of Christians, but also many lay persons. For
instance, one of our members promoted as many
as six groups. What qualifies ADMA as a group of
the Salesian Family is the presence of youth and the
participation of families in ADMA, as shown in the
International Congress of Czestochowa in 2011. In
Salesian houses there are groups called Auxilium,
an expression of Youth ADMA. These groups in pari-
shes are in charge of animating the singing and the
liturgy, of the teaching of catechesis, and of various
forms of charity to and solidarity with those in need.
The Most Significant Meetings
The National Congress of ADMA both in the North
and the South, the annual meetings of the Salesian
Family in the month of February, the Week of Spi-
rituality of the Salesian Family, the monthly mee-
ting of the National Council, the spiritual retreat in
preparation for Christmas, the anniversary of the
93
foundation of ADMA in the month of April, each 24th
of the month, preceded by a novena, and the solemn
feast on May 24.
The Challenges of the Association
The greatest challenges are the integration and invol-
vement of ADMA among the youth and the families. Be-
sides, the Salesians who know ADMA and promote the
devotion to Mary Help of Christians must rekindle this
apostolic fire and participate in the meetings of the Sa-
lesian Family, to share the Salesian spirit and mission.

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This is Why
94 I Love Him
A Don Bosco Volunteer Presents
her Man and the Reason for her Choice
It is now several years that I love him. Despite some
features of his, I fell in love with him day by day, to the
point of deciding to follow him definitively, though
continuing to live my life, my work, to stay among
people and, something even stranger, without reveal-
ing to anybody (at least officially) my bond with him!
He is a man who goes with strange companies, and
yet all have a place in his heart. For them, he would do
anything, even give his own life. When he has some
free time, he asks to go to the house of thieves (Lk
19:1-6), he even lets a prostitute wash his feet (Lk
7:36-39). Not to mention his lapses of memory: it is
enough for him that a thief, who stole throughout his
life, asks for his mercy and he takes him home with
him (Lk 23:43). This “very short memory” fascinates
me. He forgets all the times I am unfaithful to him,
when I forget him so much as I am absorbed in my
work and in my way of living in the world, with all the
problems it implies! He is not a rational man: once he
told me of a friend of his who had ten drachmas and
who lost one, and she turned the house upside down
until she found it and then, to celebrate, she organized
a great feast (Lk 15:8-10) in which he took part! On
another occasion, using his medical skills, he healed
ten persons, but only one came back to thank him (Lk
17:11-19). But to him one has the value of ten.

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Not “for what” but “for whom”
He is the engine of my actions, the horizon toward
whom I move. When every morning I get ready to
begin my day, I realize that the only answer to the
question “why, what for?” is not enough for me; but
if I ask myself “for whom?”, i.e. for him, the perspec-
tive changes. And yet, he is not a great suitor! When
he knew I was falling in love with him, when I was
considering whether to spend all my life with him,
instead of tickling me with attracting proposals, he
told me: If you want to come after me, renounce
yourself, take up your cross and follow me! (Mt
16:21-27). How can you court a person like him?
And yet, he managed to fascinate me, to make me
understand that the small or big crosses he pro-
posed me to carry were made for me, to put me
to the test, and – an important detail – whenever I
managed to embrace my cross, he was there! Every
day there are some crosses, but the perspective, not
at all easy, to embrace them and to find him there
waiting for me, gradually led me to live another
form of obedience to the cross, which is not suffer-
ing, but a path to purification. And many a time did I
perceive his extraordinary love for me: he made me
feel unique! He made me feel how precious I was
for him, leaving everything to come and look for me
whenever I abandoned my way. And when we have
to make accounts, I also realized that with him, with
the love he puts in doing it, accounts are always
ok. Zacchaeus, one of his strange friends, had the
bad habit of stealing, but when he returns a double
amount, I do not know how, on the receipt I find
written that it is worth four times as much! When I
ask him something, I know that if it is for my good,
he is not stingy. Sometimes he wants me to pray,
and very much too! But I never manage to repay his.
A Credit Card with a letter-code pin
Because of this, the dimension of prayer has become
part of my daily round, acquiring a privileged place
among the many activities and things to do, a prayer
done in many facets: the prayer of the Church, but
also the simple prayer of entrusting to him a meet-
ing with a person, or a complicated situation of life.
Then I found out the way of using his “credit card”:
it has a very peculiar PIN: no numbers, only letters!
Your will be done! And to my great satisfaction I dis-
cover that he often lets me draw from his account
much more than I thought. The man I love did many
jobs, even if in some of them he was not so lucky.
He tried to be minister of economy, but he nearly
brought the system to bankruptcy. For instance, he
pays all in the same way, and when he pays sala-
ries, everybody is somehow unhappy because all
of them receive the same amount (Mt 20:1-16). His
generosity does not allow him to calculate wheth-
er one has done more or less: we are all equal to
him. Perhaps reading these lines, some reader will
wonder who he is and who I am. Well... he is He,
Jesus. I am a DBV, a Don Bosco Volunteer, a secu-
lar consecrated Salesian. That is, I chose to conse-
crate my life to God, by continuing to live in the
world in Salesian style - a consecration made more
profound with the seal that we receive at the mo-
95
ment of our baptism. After a long period of discern-
ment, I decided to pronounce the vows of chastity,
poverty and obedience in the Institute of Don Bosco
Volunteers. For the rest, I continue to live my life
in the world, without a religious habit. I have a job,
many friends, a house. I could be the lady seated
at your side at this moment in the bus, or the one
who lines up at the store or at the post office. I only
wish that my way of living and of relating to others,
be something that arouses some questions in oth-
ers, like, “Do you have anything special which I do
not grasp?” -. How did I make this choice? Well, if
you do not mind, I shall tell you in the next issue.

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Mexico
By Jorge García M.
96
Living Water
“Thirsty Women”
LIVING WATER is a movement which brings together
women who are looking for education for life. They
are members of God’s People: responsible, married—
mothers of families, caught up in the normal con-
cerns of a family, without time or space for stopping
to reflect over-much on the meaning of life. They are
carried forward by the tide of daily life and focus all
their attention on staying afloat.
However, they all have and feel the need for some-
thing that can fill their souls and make them aware
of their dignity, their value as individuals, and the
transcendent nature of their lives. Many of them
have never had a complete basic education at school.
They have received no spiritual formation. They go
through life with what they have been able to grasp
from religious practice, images, prayers, devotion to
some Marian title or the saints. In simple terms they
are thirsty for something which they can then recog-
nise as being of God.
“I recall,” says Silvia, “meeting up with a friend, and at
a certain moment she told me ‘I’m going to my group’,
and that made me curious to find out what she meant.
Some ten of us women were invited and we came
along to the famous group. Now I can say that I have
found what I was looking for here. I always felt the
need for “something” and I got that from my first day.”
Norma too was invited to the group but she didn’t like
it. However she had the terrible experience of being
on the brink of death through illness. “I was also look-
ing for something... Was it God? And an angel in the
form of a friend came and invited me to the group.”
Susana tells us that when she was invited she thought
it was just one of those many ‘hens groups’ for gossip,
fun and wasting time. “When I began listening to Fr.
Chavo (Salesian Father Salvador Horacio Pérez) I said:

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‘This is for me’; up till now nobody has helped guide
me through life.”
Many have found God through strong experiences of
weakness or infirmity, problems and pain, inner emp-
tiness, loneliness or abandonment, beginning from a
situation where there was no room for God. “Spiritu-
ally, there was nothing in my life; I had lost faith since
I got married, I took God off and put my husband on
the altar instead. I considered it was all down to fate
and had no need of God.”
Living Water is an appropriate movement for situa-
tions like these of normal women who have little so-
cial relevance nor wealth that would make them stand
out from the common folk or allow them to find room
for personal growth and formation. But in truth it is
the ordinary folk who support the life of society. They
may not be given much attention but they are capable
of developing their capabilities and surprising human
and spiritual skills.
“In Living Water I found God, and this is wonderful
because it helps me to live with dignity. Now I have
answers for so many of my ‘Whys”. Even though I am
a sinner I learn something about Him every day, and
97
Mary is my mother and my strength.”
“God has regained first place in my life, now He is the
first and only One. I came to know Him through his
Word. He is always there when I need Him, whereas
my husband, at a certain moment when I needed him
most, was not.”
“My teenage daughter asked me: “Who do you love
most?” And I told her: “God! And I love Him above
everything else.” Now I want my husband and my
children to know God and my apostolate consists in
directing people towards God and that is why I want
to know Him better.”
“I see that I am changing, and my daughters too are
changing a little; this gives me energy and happiness.
Living Water nourishes me and I am getting ready to
serve my Parish.”
Living Water came out of the concern of a Salesian
priest in the Guadalajara Province, Mexico. It is about
women, wives and mothers of families who are find-
ing their way through life without support or forma-
tion, without any guide for their considerable needs
and things they lack. Father Salvador Horacio Pérez,
more commonly known as Fr. Chavo, led the move-
ment which has dozens of groups around various cit-
ies. Despite his death in 2012, Living Water still has
life and moves forward with a firm plan responding to
the fundamental human and spiritual needs of these
people. They remember him with affection and devo-
tion. He gave life to people who needed it! Life!

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AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN
Youth Evangelising Youth
98 The salesian
youth movement
in America and the Caribbean

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AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN
SINCE 1988, THE SALESIAN YOUTH MOVEMENT HAS INCREASINGLY BECOME A LIVING REALITY INVOLVING THOUSANDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD.
99
For the World Youth Day in Río de Janeiro in June
2013, the Salesian Youth Movement (SYM) had re-
ceived a wonderful period of preparation. It has al-
ready become a tradition that for each WYD a spe-
cial day is chosen where Delegates, leaders and SYM
members come together along with the Rector Major
of the Salesians and the Mother General of the Sale-
sian Sisters.
Born after a Salesian youth camp at Santiago in Chi-
le thirty years back (1974), the SYM then became a
worldwide organisation at the centenary of Don Bo-
sco’s death (1988). He was the founder and father of
the Salesian Family. Don Bosco’s passion for education
led him over time to plan a broad movement of charity
energised by Salesian spirituality; in this way too he
sought to give continuity to the evangelising program
of his pastoral service at the Oratory in Valdocco (Tu-
rin, Italy). Proof of this, amongst other things, are the
various kinds of youth associations which arose and
which Don Bosco called “Sodalities”; he considered
them to be “the work of the young people themselves.”
Given the pastoral renewal that came about through
Vatican Council II in the Church, in the 1970s the Sa-
lesians and Salesian Sisters relaunched Don Bosco’s
“preventive system”, looking for new ways of expres-
sing this pedagogical practice which, based as it is

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AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN
100
on the Gospel, develops amongst the young through
reason and loving kindness. The birth of new youth
groups and associations prepared the ground for dra-
wing up a broader view of the youth movement which,
inspired by Salesian spirituality and in communion
with the Church, can be at the service of many more
young people.
Thus the SYM today is made up of youth groups and
associations that recognise themselves in Salesian spi-
rituality and pedagogy; they keep their own organisa-
tional and practical autonomy, as part of this plurality
of groups, and have a varied educational presence of
quality in new areas of socialisation which are part
of young people’s lives today. This is a movement “of
the young for the young” who share a spirituality and
a form of communication which ensures that com-
mon values and messages circulate amongst them.
The SYM brings together young people who may be
very different in themselves, from those who are quite
some distance from faith, to those for whom spiritua-
lity is a seed which may grow, and also those who in
an explicit and aware form are` involved in apostolic
commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The distinct
purpose of the Movement is to form good Christians
and upright citizens as apostles of the young, at the
school of Don Bosco and Mother Mazzarello.
The SYM America Festival 2013 took place from 18-
21 July 2013. It was the first time for the SYM in the
Americas and the Caribbean to come together, and its
aim was to strengthen its identity as the presence of
Salesian youth in the Church in each country. It encou-

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Salesian
Heart
Biographical Sketch of Xiomara
Hernández González
cuba
102
By Alejandro Satorre Morales

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cuba
103
XIONARA BEGAN TO FOLLOW JESUS, IN HIGH SCHOOL
WHEN COMMUNISM PREVAILED IN CUBA.
Mary's humility, Francis of Assisi's simplicity and John
Bosco's capacity for work could perfectly describe
this woman of the people and the Church, by way of
sketching out her life and by way of frank recognition,
almost contrary to any wish of hers. A Salesian heart
beats in Xiomara (at times a little nervously).
Her personality was forged in the warmth of a family
country home and from the example of her widowed
mother with four children. “When my mother found
herself alone she decided to move to Camajuaní, then
to Santa Clara. She had to wash and iron to keep us, it
was the only thing she could do. That's how she raised
us and educated us”. The seed of her faith also came
from her good mother who trusted in God's power
and in the Virgin of Charity... even if it was a touch
syncretistic”.
She was baptised as a child and already in Santa
Clara “... I began going to a house nearby where they
were teaching Christian doctrine in preparation for
Communion. I remember the catechists, two very
large but very fine women who came from the La
Pastora parish. One Holy Thursday, I don't recall the
year, I made my First Communion”.
But maybe it was the years at High School where
she committed herself forever to Jesus, under the
guidance of the principal, who was preparing the girls
for the sacraments of Christian initiation. She came

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cuba
to Our Lady of Mt Carmel Church (she was 12 or 13
years old) where she got to know the Servant of God
Fr José Vandor, went to Confession to him and chose
him as her spiritual director until he died in 1979. Her
commitment grew and at the Chapel of St Anne where
she used to attend, “I approached some of the young
girls and told them I wanted to do more than just go to
Mass; I began Young Catholic Action”.
Her 'more' could have led her to being a Sister, but at
that time she did not know how, and besides, it seemed
that God did not want that... And so if she has been
faithful to her Church and authentic in her values, it is
partly because of her happy marriage to José Gálvez
(another Salesian heart), even without the five or six
children she really wanted to have, “... this was a huge
frustration, but by God's grace I managed to overcome
104
it.” Amongst her best memories – she says – are “when
I knew love for the first time, «Pepe»; the very special
stage in my life when I married, and when I saw Pepe
ordained as a Permanent Deacon”.
She was married in the Church of Our Lady of Carmel
in November 1965, a parish she had attended for
many years. “We spent more than 50 years with
the Salesian Family of Mt Carmel (she is a Salesian
Cooperator), and I thank God for having given me this
vocation and allowing me to belong to this wonderful
home. It was here that I came to know such good
people: Cheo and Nelita, Amada and Yiyo, María del
Carmen and Juan Carlos, Ileana and Campito, Mirita
and Pirolo, Alemán and Marité; Salesian Sisters Flami,
Lina, Severina, Lupita; Salesians Ballari, Cantello,
Linares, Soto, Adrián, Héctor, Alex, Guillermo; we are a
wonderful family. If you want to know who influenced
me most: Fathers Vandor, Bruno and Giordano. I also
very much recall Bishop Fernando Prego, Bishop of
Santa Clara and my mother, who were my examples of
courage and faith”.
In charge of the marriage group, member of the choir,
parish treasurer (“since Fr Vandor until today all the
priests in the parish have had trust in me”), in charge
of Prison Ministry, the elderly group; she is the true
and driving engine of the parish, a Caritas animator,
extraordinary minister of the Eucharist, visitor to the
sick, the one who distributes the diocesan magazine

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cuba
105
“Amanecer”; “...I have felt fulfilled in all my apostolates,
but without doubt if I had to choose one it would be
that of catechist... I always tell the kids, teenagers and
older youth to live in accordance with their Christian
faith. I have never neglected this task even in my work,
in the local area, not even at the most difficult times...”
Here is the essence of her Salesianity. For Xiomara, it
is not enough to pray to the good God for poor and
abandoned young people, or pray for vocations to
the priesthood and pray for the sick, but her works
testify to a Christ-centred, Mary-centred spirituality
that is cheerful, daily, responsible service and deep
ecclesial communion, a practice she sums up in St
Paul's words: “my favourite line is: «Woe to me if I do
not evangelise».”
Her wrinkles carry the indelible marks of the Church's
life in Cuba: “I took part in the first Catholic National
Congress, the Cuban Church's Reflection (in the
1980s), in both Papal visits”; and she has borne the
ups and downs of the nation without criticism or
complaint, perhaps because she always had high
regard for St Francis de Sales’ words: “you can catch
more flies with a drop of honey than a barrelful of
vinegar”.
Such is the woman that has never lost her pure smile,
who weeps every Good Friday when she hears of the
way Jesus was treated, and it gives you goose-bumps
just to imagine that her favourite melody is Psalm 23;
she who has faced up to the death of her nephews
abroad and trembles every time she goes to hospital,
she who also has the gift of the gab (“I have always
been very nervous”).
And she will continue until the end of her days this
way, because her idea of happiness is that “... to have
God in your heart, is to be at peace with oneself and
with others”.

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106
Like Don Bosco
with the Young,
for the Young
In the Strenna 2015 the Rector Major underscores
the modernity of the educative proposal of Don Bosco
two hundred years from his birth
By lorenzo bortolin

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THE SALESIAN CHARISM IS BEING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE,
MEETING THEM IN THEIR DAILY LIVES, LEARNING ABOUT
THEIR WORLD AND LOVING THEM.
DON BOSCO GOT INVOLVED IN THE PLAN OF GOD,
DUE TO WHICH HE LOVED THE YOUNG
IN WHATEVER CONDITION.
107
The Strenna that the Rector Major, Fr. Angel Fernàndez
Artime, the tenth successor of Don Bosco, proposed for
the year 2015, underscores that the Salesian charism
is at the service of evangelizing communion and is ad-
dressed in particular to the young. He recalls, first of
all, that “from the first years of the Oratory, towards
the end of the year, Don Bosco had begun to give a
strenna/motto to all his boys in general, and another
to each one individually. The first one, the general
one, used to consist in recommending certain forms
of behavior and some things for them to remember so
that the new year about to start would go well”. Af-
ter him, his successors continued the tradition. For Fr.
Artime, “It is a distinguishing feature of our Salesian
Family that in the first place it is a charismatic family
in which the Primacy of God-Communion is the heart
of Salesian mysticism. In this communion we recog-
nize the diversity and at the same time the unity that
has its origin in baptismal consecration, in sharing the
Spirit of Don Bosco and in participation in the Sale-
sian mission at the service of the young, especially the
poorest”. Therefore, the aim of the Strenna is “to be a
message that builds up unity and communion for the
whole Salesian Family in a common objective”.
For All Men and Women
The Salesian Charism “includes and has a place for
everyone” but has a particular attention to the young.
For Don Bosco, Because he felt that he was a part
of the plan of God, this pastoral charity meant lov-
ing young people whatever might be their condition
or circumstances, in order to lead them to the full-
ness of that human life that was found in the Lord
Jesus and which took practical form in the possibil-
ity of living as an upright citizen and a child of God.
This is the key to our existence, our living and put-
ting into practice the Salesian charism. If each one
of us can come to feel in our very being, in the depth
of our being that same fire, that passion for education
that Don Bosco had, meeting each young person at a
deeply personal level, believing in each individual,
convinced that in each one there is always a seed of
goodness and of the Kingdom in order to help them
to give the very best of themselves and to draw them
to a close encounter with the Lord Jesus, then we
shall certainly embody in our lives the best of the
Salesian charism.” For the Rector Major “Salesian
charism is not our property, neither of the Salesians,
not even of the entire Salesian Family”, but of the

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IT IS THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO WILL SAVE US, BECAUSE THEY MAKE US GO OUT OF OUR ROUTINE, OUR FEARS AND OUR INTERTIA.
108
whole Church. It is certainly one of those gifts with
which the Holy Spirit enriched the Church, so that,
with eyes fixed on the essence of the Gospel, and in
ecclesial communion first, and then within the Sale-
sian Family, we can be a precious gift to the Young.
Because of this, the Gospel, a pastoral heart for the
young and communion are for us, the Family of Don
Bosco, the Salesian Family, a guarantee of Identity
and Fidelity”.
Being with the Young
As a consequence, “the Salesian charism is by our BE-
ING WITH THE YOUNG, being with them and among
them, being in contact with them in their daily lives,
knowing their world, loving their world, encourag-
ing them to be the protagonists in their own lives,
reawakening their sense of God, helping them to live
with high aims, to live their lives as the Lord Jesus
did.” Because of this, we must “look for their good,
committing all our energies, all the breath and the
strength we have”. Fr. Artime remarks that “when
Pope Francis talks about going to the peripheries, he
is challenging us in a very real and direct way be-
cause he is asking us to be present on the peripheries
with the young who are there, cut off from almost
everything, excluded and without opportunities. At
the same time I want to say that, as Salesian Family,
these peripheries are something typically our own,
because the periphery forms an integral part of our
Salesian DNA.   What was Don Bosco’s Valdocco if
not the periphery of a large city? What was Mornese
if not a rural periphery? We need to make sure that
our examination of conscience as individuals and as
Salesian Family sees us facing up to the strong de-
mand from the Church, which in its turn is part of
the essential nature of the Gospel. It will be neces-

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THE SALESIAN CHARISM BELONGS TO THE WHOLE CHURCH.
IT IS A GIFT FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT TO REMIND US HOW IMPORTANT THE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE FOR GOD.
109
sary to question ourselves about being with and for
the young, especially the last ones... But it will not be
necessary to decide where we ought to be going, ‘our
pole star’, because it is among the least, the poorest,
those who are most in need of us that the most char-
acteristic feature of our DNA as Salesian charism is
to be found”.
A Year of Feast
The Rector Major adds, “I dare to say that it is the
young, boys and girls and especially the poorest
and those most in need who will save us, helping us
to emerge from our routine, from our apathy and
from our fears. Often we are more concerned with
maintaining our own securities than opening our he-
arts, our ears and our minds to what the Spirit may
be asking of us”. And this is much more important
in the Bicentenary of Don Bosco’s birth, “a year of
celebration for the gift that Don Bosco was for the
Church and for his Family will not leave us focused
on ourselves, self-referential, self-complacent, but
will launch us with greater force, if possible, on our
mission”. Finally, the Rector Major recalls what St.
Pope John Paul II wrote in his letter Juvenum Patris,
on the Centenary of Don Bosco’s death, referring to
Mary, the most lofty collaborator of the Holy Spirit:
To her I entrust you, and with you the whole world of
youth, that being attracted, animated and guided by
her, they may be able to attain through the mediation
of your educative work, the stature of new men for
a new world: the world of Christ, Master and Lord.”
The Strenna is a gift of the Rector Major, Succes-
sor of Don Bosco and Father of the Salesian Family.
Every group belonging to the family, thanks to his
message, lives the common Salesian mission at the
service of the young, especially the poorest ones.

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