July 5 2012b :: Salesian Regions

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July 5 2012b

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July 5

2012

USA West Province Newsletter • Building Bridges Between Communities

summer camp, although it was more

like summer school. He said to those

boys “I have something very impor-

tant to tell you. I want you to help

me in a matter that I have very much

at heart—your eternal salvation. This

is not only the main reason—it is the

only reason why I am here.”

A Blessed and Happy Camp Sea-

son to all!

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Timothy C. Ploch, SDB

Provincial

July 5, 2012

Dear Brother and Sister Salesians:

Every year by the 4th of July most

of our summer camps have begun.

Practically every one of our parishes

this year has summer day camps, the

newest one being St. Luke’s in Stock-

ton. The three clubs have growing day

camp programs, with some of them

also continuing regular club program-

ming in the evening.

And then there’s Camp St. Francis,

the only overnight Salesian summer

camp in the country! They too be-

gan this week. The staff is about forty,

including SDB, novices, young adults

of the Salesian Youth Movement, and

former campers returning as assistant

counselors or counselors in training.

The campers this first week number

over 50. Coming weeks will climb to

100!

Why do we do this? Why invest

so much, especially personnel, in sum-

mer camp? Recently I was reading in

the Biographical Memoirs (volume 7,

chapter 50) about the summer of 1863

when Don Bosco had kids return-

ing to the Oratory for something like

Our summer camps must also

bring across the same message to our

kids. Our game rooms, gyms, arts and

crafts, swimming pools, field trips, tal-

ent shows, prayers and Good Morn-

ings, beach, and even the bug juice

are all meant to give the kids lots of

summer fun in an experience that is,

like it was at Don Bosco’s Oratory, a

home, a school, a church, and a play-

ground. And through that oratory

experience, accompanied by caring

adults who treat them with loving

kindness, as we are urged in the 2013

strenna, they will come to know what

Don Bosco wanted his boys to know:

not only happiness here and now, but

everlasting happiness in heaven.

We SDB just finished our first re-

treat. Fr. Eunan McDonald from Ireland

led us into a fascinating exploration of

the spirituality of St. Francis DeSales.

One of the things that really stuck

with me was Francis’ saying that God

who is good created us good. Can

we see that goodness in our camp-

ers? Our colleagues? When we find

that goodness in them, it will call forth

from us that loving kindness that is at

the root of Salesian spirituality, heart

speaking to heart. This is the way we

Salesians accompany the young, and

one another, even in summer camp.

InTouch 1 7.5.12

PROVINCIAL’S CALENDAR

QE JULY 2012

5 Members Meeting, St.

Francis CCC High School

6-8 Office Days

9-11 Provincial Council Meet-

ing, Salesian High School,

Richmond

12 Board Meeting, Los Ange-

les Salesian Boys & Girls

Club

13-17 Office Days

18 Members Meeting,

Salesian High School,

Richmond Board Meet-

FV ing, West Contra Costa

Salesian Boys & Girls Club

19 Office Day

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Annual Retreat

Tom Jua re z, S DB

adnboedrsfiHecraihoenetnHisGhsswspeoeatihsaadnrinneseudasttprrlsieioytnnusu.n.t.tsslebu.euntessostcsiatohffuonlersyse,

InTouch 2 7.5.12

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Salesian Educators

Seminar in Review

By Marie Marheineke

tools to continue to build on what we

have in place.

Overall, SES was a fabulous experi-

ence. Fr. Nick and Sr. Mary were in-

credibly dynamic, striking a balance

between comedic performances, in-

formative presentations and meaning-

ful reflections as only true Salesians

could. The group who attended SES

has found new friends and colleagues

Ihad an amazing Salesian experience

at the Salesian Educators Seminar

during the week of June 18-22 in

Berkeley. I attended SES with three of

my co-workers, Denise Colosi (Math

Department Chair), Carolyn Cmaylo

(English Department Chair), and Steph-

any Marks (Spanish Teacher).

During our time at SES we quickly re-

alized how Salesian St. Francis is, and

also how we can grow in our Salesian

identity and spirituality. The message

delivered by Fr. Nick Reina and Sr. Mary

Greenan really hit home for me and I

felt that was common among all of

us who attended SES. While we had

amazing conferences on such topics

as Images of God, Punishment in the

Salesian Preventive System, and an in-

credible opportunity to sit with Fr. Ar-

thur Lenti in an “armchair discussion,”

the work wasn’t confined to the con-

ference room atop the Le Conte Street

house. The discussions carried over

to our walks around the picturesque

Berkeley neighborhoods and Cal cam-

pus, our dinner at Caesar’s in San Fran-

cisco, and even in line for our meals in

the dining room.

We also had a chance to see Salesian-

ity in action with our visits to Salesian

works in the area. We were hosted for

a historic tour of Sts. Peter and Paul, by

Fr. John Itzaina, complete with a visit to

the roof, overlooking the San Francisco

Marina and North Beach neighbor-

hoods! We were then treated to dinner

at nearby Caesar’s, a legendary North

Beach fixture. We also traveled to Sale-

sian High School in Richmond, getting

a peak at Don

Bosco’s vision in

action. It was

powerful to see

the students on

campus for sum-

mer activities,

including work

at the Salesian

Boys and Girls

club, right there

on campus. Bro.

Ricky and Judy

Reed gave us a

tour of the fa-

cility, and seeing

the boys and

girls bouncing

joyfully around

would have sure-

ly made Don

Bosco smile.

SES

There was a

great mix of Denise Colosi, Stephany Marks, Marie Marheineke and

people who at-

Carolyn Cmaylo.

tended SES –

teachers, CYMs,

office staff personnel, presidents and

principals. The various attendees gave

us a wide scope of how Don Bosco’s

Preventive System works not only

school wide, but province wide, and

involves the participation of everyone

involved – we are all Salesian!

throughout the province. The 4 of us

from St. Francis agreed that everyone

should take the opportunity to attend

SES. We plan to share our experience

with our faculty and staff and have al-

ready been discussing newly inspired

We walked away from SES realizing

that at each of our schools throughout

the province we are indeed Salesian

and the Preventive System vital and

active. Fr. Nick and Sr. Mary sent us

back to our campuses with sharpened

Marie Marheineke is beginning her

fourth year as the Assistant to the

President for Admissions at St. Francis

Central Coast Catholic High School in

Watsonville, CA.

InTouch 3 7.5.12

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born on February 16, 1883, the third of

Sister Maria

Troncatti: the grace

of a total yes

four children, at Corteno Golgi in the

Lombard Alps of northern Italy. She left

her family and birthplace to enter the

postulancy on October 15, 1905. She

never returned home. Her suffering in

leaving her dear ones and her home-

land was so great that she could not go

Ju n e 27, 20 1 2 - It al y

back to the place that gave her birth.

In fact many years later, on the eve of

of Turin. It is the second biography of her 85th birthday, she wrote a letter to

the heroic missionary sister, after The her nieces and nephews. In it she spoke

Jungle, Country of the Heart. Transla- of her old and ever present suffering.

tions into other languages should ap- “You tell me that you are always hop-

pear soon.

ing to see me return to Italy. At my age

The book contains 17 chapters that fol- it’s impossible and isn’t my superiors’

low the entire life of Sr. Maria beginning fault. They have told me many times

with her encounter with the Salesians that they would let me go see my fam-

when she was ten years old and re- ily if I wanted to. I never accepted, first

ceived the Salesian Bulletin, given to because my place is here, but also be-

her by her elementary school teacher. cause, when the day to leave arrived

There she read of the missions and [in 1905], the detachment from my

discovered new horizons. It ends with parents, superiors, country, language,

ANS – Rome – On May 10, 2012,

Pope Benedict XVI signed the

decree on the miraculous cure

attributed to the intercession of Ven-

her death on August 25, 1969, when the

plane she was in crashed en route to

Quito.

Sr. Maria’s life is filled with rich experi-

from everything, cost me dearly. When

I boarded the ship, I said good-bye

forever. We will see each other once

again in Heaven.”

erable Sr. Maria Troncatti. On June ences, a truly adventurous life. She was Suffering and hope are constants in the

24, feast of Don Bos-

life of Sr. Maria. Before

co’s successor, Mother

leaving for Guayaquil,

Yvonne Reungoat, Su-

perior General of the

Daughters of Mary Help

of Christians, gave the

May They Rest In The

Peace of Christ

Ecuador, in 1922, typhoid

and the First World War

(1915-1918) deeply affect-

ed the soul and spirit of

Rector Major the latest

book published on Ven-

erable Maria, entitled La

Please pray for the repose of the soul of

VIRGIL JOHN GERGEN

the Blessed. Even after

her arrival in the Ama-

zon forest, there were

grazia di un sì tutto do-

nato.

It is precisely on the life

and work of Sr. Ma-

ria Troncatti that “The

Grace of a Total Yes,

Maria Troncatti Mission-

ary in the Amazon For-

est,” Sr. Maria Collino’s

recent book is focused.

This volume was re-

cently released by the

publisher, Elledici (LDC)

June 22, 2012

aged 91

father of Fr. Mike Gergen, SDB

EVELYN FREITAS

June 29, 2012

Sister-in-law of Bro. Anthony Freitas, SDB

MARIANA MASS

July 2, 2012

aunt of Bro. Tom Mass, SDB

many hard moments to

face, but Sr. Maria was

“the woman of ‘yes.’”

She never turned back

despite the many dif-

ficulties. All this and

more is in the book. Sr.

Maria Collino succeeds

in making the story of

this extraordinary Sale-

sian sister relevant and

involving, thanks to her

refreshing and flowing

InTouch 4 7.5.12

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SDB

BIRTHDAYS

INTOUCH

PROVINCIAL NEWSLETTER

Provincial Announcement

After prayerful discernment

Novice Sean Bryan

has withdrawn from the novitiate.

God bless you, Sean!

May Mary continue to be your help and guide in all

the stages of your coming journey.

InTouch 5 7.5.12

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InTouch 6 7.5.12

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DE SALES HALL

The construction

continued in our

absence

Bro. Joe Lockwood, SDB

1/4 inch fire-shield sheathing screwed

to the 3/4 inch plywood

While we (the Salesians) were

listening to talks about the

connection between God’s

heart and that of St. Francis de Sales in

connection with the “Salesian heart”,

the construction at De Sales Hall con-

tinued in our absence.

Mr. Alfredo Urbirs (Job Supervisor,

from Vincor) reported that the insula-

tion on all the floors has been com-

pleted. The old R-13 insulation was re-

placed with R-19 insulation according

to Title 24 (Energy Compliance).

All of the electrical conduits are in-

stalled (except for the main conduit

to the electrical panel). The contrac-

tor ran into a concrete footing (16 feet

square by 5 feet deep) for the steel

column that holds up one of the ma-

jor structural I-beam running from one

end of the building to the other. The

men are chipping off parts the footing

to make room for the 4 inch electrical

conduit pipes.

Most of the tile work has been com-

pleted in the handicapped showers. It

looks very good!

Before the retreat began, the 3/4 inch

shear plywood wall was completed

on the elevator tower. The shear ply-

wood walls have to be rated as 4 hours

fire walls. The contractor screwed a

1/4 inch fire-shield sheathing to give it

the necessary rating. The stucco con-

tractor will begin to screw the stucco

lathe over the fire-shield sheathing and

then apply the first scratch coat of ce-

ment mortar.

But everything isn’t as rosy as it might

be . . . If you remembered, we hired

Karcher Interior System to handle the

firetstoppings for entire building. Now

there is a discussion between Karcher

and the Building and Safety Depart-

ment of Bellflower about the com-

pliance of the firestopping with the

UBC. According to Karcher, the entire

firestopping job has been completed

while according to the Building and

Safety Department the firestopping

does not meet the 2012 UBC. On July

3, 2012, there is a meeting with all the

concerned parties. This little dispute

has put a hold on the contractor’s

hanging of the 3/8 inch dry wall.

If this was not enough . . . Another

setback is the final plans from the

electrical engineers for the first floor.

The first floor is where the electrical

service enters the building. There are a

few more details that are required by

the Building and Safety Department.

You might ask, why is this being held

up? The answer is that the person re-

sponsible to prepare the plans was on

vacation for the last few weeks. There

is some hope that by Monday, July 2,

2012 there will be movement. Wait

and see!!!

And yet another pain in the . . . . . is the

sub-contractor for the ansul fire extin-

guishing system for the kitchen’s stove

hood. He does not like the existing

sheet metal stove hood and wants us

to install a new stainless steel hood

InTouch 7 7.5.12

instead. We said no to a new hood.

The contractor has been in contact

with the Health Department who said

that the kitchen area is original and the

owner is not remodeling it. So just in-

stall the system! And the discussion

Pile of sand: NB: the bottom of the

electrical conduit trenches, there must

be 6 inches of sand mixed with pee

grave as a base for the conduit pipes

another 6 inches on top of the pipes

before the back fill takes place

Carpenters chipping concrete from

the 16 inches square footing

The R-19 ceiling insulation in the third

floor community room

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Salesian Family Days

An Opportunity for Formation and Fellowship

This October the Salesian Family will gather in three regions of our province: North-

ern California, Southern, California and Texas, for a Salesian day of formation. The-

These reflections are offered here to the members of our Province who belong to

the Salesian Family and those who would like to belong. To prepare for Salesian

Family Day we offer a series of reflection on the nature and origin of the Salesian

Family.

The Salesian Family the Genius of Don Bosco

By: Fr. Chris Woerz, SDB

Don Bosco Listens to his Heart and a Friend

Don Bosco, an eager young newly ordained priest, was anxious to begin his ministry. He assumed that

he would be a parish priest and began to entertain thoughts of finding a parish, perhaps one near his

home near Castel Nuovo di Asti.8 He had enjoyed his time with Fr. Peter Cinzano parish church in

Castelnuovo. Describing those five months of service at the parish, Don Bosco enumerates the many

tasks for which he was responsible including preaching, teaching catechism, celebrating the Sacraments

and office duties. He concludes:

My delight was to make contact with the children and teach them catechism. They used to come

from Murialdo to see me, and on my visits home they crowded round me. Whenever I left the

presbytery there was a group of boys, and everywhere I went my little friends gave me a warm

welcome.9

This, my delight was to make contact with the children, is the dominate theme that has run through his

life as a child, student, seminarian and now as a young priest. Now he must find a position. Following the

custom of the time he must find his own livelihood. The young priest sees three options before him:

At the end of the holidays, I had three situations to choose from. I could have taken a post as tu-

tor in the house of a Genoese gentleman with a salary of a thousand francs a year. The good

people of Murialdo were so anxious to have me as their chaplain that they were prepared to dou-

ble the salary paid to chaplains up to then. Last, I could have become a curate in my native par-

ish.10

Don Bosco, before making any choice, seeks the advice of his spiritual advisor, Fr. Joseph Cafasso.

Don Cafasso advises the young priest to hold off making a decision as to ministry. Cafasso sees in Don

Bosco something unique which would be stifled in a parish. Don Bosco is destined for a larger enter-

prise. He invites Don Bosco to take the course in pastoral theology at the Convitto Ecclesiastico where

he himself taught. This was a two year course in what today we would call pastoral theology. The time

was spent in preparing young priests for the ministry.

Don Bosco entered the Convitto, which was located in Turin, on November 3, 1841. A month later he

met a 16 year old, Bartholomew Garelli, in the Church of St. Francis of Assisi. Don Bosco tells the story

in his Memoirs11. This first young person returned with friends to seek out Don Bosco who happily gath-

ered them in the Church and later at the Convitto. In the meantime he was preaching and visiting the

prisons with Fr. Cafasso and attending classes. He referred to these gatherings as the Oratory. Soon

the boys numbered about 30. Don Cafasso a teacher and Don Guala, a founder of the Convitto enjoyed

the young people and often helped Don Bosco with them.

Don Bosco’s genius was forming. He clearly had an affinity for the young. His generosity attracted oth-

ers to help him in this ministry. This will become an essential quality of his future Salesians: listen to

your heart, be generous and others will come to help with the young.

8 The area has been renamed Castel Nuovo di Don Bosco.

9 Ibid: Memoirs pg. 97

10 Ibid: Memoirs pg. 99

11 Ibid: Memoirs pg. 102-107

InTouch 8 7.5.12

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Salesian Family Days 2012

Don Bosco the Educator

Featuring

Fr. Joseph Boenzi, SDB, S.T.D

Salesian Family Day California

October 13, 2012

9:00 AM – 3:30 PM

St. John Bosco High School

13400 Bellflower Boulevard

Bellflower, CA 90706

Salesian High School

2851 Salesian Avenue

Richmond, CA 94804

Salesian Family Day Texas

October 27, 2012

9:00 AM – 3:30 PM

St. John Bosco School

5630 W. Commerce Street

San Antonio, TX 78237

The Salesian Family gathers to celebrate the heritage Don Bosco gave us. This is

a day of prayer, community and formation for the Salesian Family Groups:

Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB)

Daughters of Mary Help (FMA)

Association of Salesian Cooperators (ASC)

Association Devoted to Mary Help (ADMA)

Asociación de Damas Salesianas (ADS)

Women Volunteers of Don Bosco

Association of Alumni and Alumnae of Don Bosco

(Sin Fronteras, Bosconians, Awakening ’68, Vietnamese)

Clip and Mail       Clip and Mail       Clip and Mail

I am Attending

 October 13 in Bellflower

 October 13 in Richmond

 October 27 in San Antonio

Please Print

Name__________________________________________ number of people in your group_____

Address__________________________________________________________________

City____________________________________ State _____ Zip Code_______________

Email:___________________________________________ Phone _________________________

A Donation of $10/person is asked to cover breakfast, lunch and program

Mail Check or Money Order payable to Salesian Society

to:

Salesian Family Day

P.O. Box 1639

Rosemead, CA 91770

InTouch 9 7.5.12

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Nome società

Titolo n otiziario

Newsletter for Salesian Missionary Animation

A Publication of the Mission Department for the Salesian Communities and Friends of the Salesian Mission

The "Missionary Group" makes a great difference

D ear Sale-

sians and

friends of the Salesian mis-

sion,

I wish to share with you

once again a dream which

I’ve carried in my heart

these past 4 years. There is

nothing new. Already 90 years ago Blessed Philip

Rinaldi wrote that there is a need of a Salesian mis-

sionary group in every house! But what difference

does the presence or absence of a missionary group

in a Salesian work or in a Salesian formation com-

munity? The presence of the missionary group is a

guarantee that the missionary flame is kept alive!

In the same way that the absence of medical

schools and hospitals would make health care im-

possible, so too without missionaries ad gentes – ad

vitam and without missionary groups in schools,

parishes, youth centres it would be very difficult to

expect that the missionary spirit be kept alive!

Usually missionary groups pray and invite others to

pray for missionary activities and missionary voca-

tion, they make the educative-pastoral community

sensitive to the needs of the universal mission and

they could also contribute directly in missionary

activities either in their own place, or through mis-

sionary volunteer service abroad.

Now I want to present a very special group.

During the recent extraordinary visition in the Prov-

ince of Krakow (Poland) I met several missionary

groups in schools, oratories and parishes. Worth not-

ing among them is group “Art 43”, founded just five

years ago by some postnovices, who took seriously

the Article 43 of the Salesian Constitutions regarding

Social Communications. These young Salesians have

understood immediately that the most attractive pic-

ture of the Congregation is that of its missionary ac-

tivity. In the space of a few years they have pro-

duced more than 260 videos on Youtube (http://

vimeo.com/art43). Besides a small studio in Krakow -

thanks to some volunteer missionaries - Art. 43 was

started (in 2011) an audiovisual studio in the Provin-

cial house in Ashaiman - Ghana (AFW Province). At

present Art 43 is very much alive in postnovitiate in

Ląd (Poland) and in the theologate in Krakow

(Poland). In my wallet I carry with me one of the first

products of Art 43: a prayer for missionaries on an ID

card format and at the back each day the names of 3

- 4 countries where we work are remembered.

I hope that we are able to foster in all our works

similar groups!

Fr. Václav Klement, SDB

Councillor for the Missions

Upcoming

Events

July 30 - August 4: Study Days on Salesian Presence among Muslims, Salesianum

(Rome)

August 6 - 27: 1st On Going Formation Course for Missionaries in America, Quito

(Ecuador)

September 4 – 30: Formation Course for New Missionaries (Rome-Turin)

September 17 - December 6, 2012: XV On Going Formation Course for Missionaries,

UPS (Rome)

November 5 – 9 : Study Days on the Salesian Mission and the Initial Proclamation of

Christ in Africa & Madagascar, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)

November 9 – 11 : Meeting of Province Delegates for Missionary Animation of Africa

& Madagascar, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)

InTouch 1 0 7.5.12