July 12
2012
USA West Province Newsletter • Building Bridges Between Communities
July 12, 2012
Dear Brother and Sister Salesians:
I’m writing from Salesian High
School, Richmond, where the pro-
vincial council and I are having our
monthly meeting. Summer classes
are being offered in the school, and
the West Contra Costa Salesian Boys
and Girls Club has close to 300 (!)
kids in their summer program. Lots
of busy and happy young people ev-
erywhere!
Meanwhile the council and I are
locked away inside a meeting room
attending to matters like our prov-
ince finances, personnel situations,
and other issues that are of impor-
tance to the province: some legal
problems facing us, the upcoming
Leadership Meeting and Directors/
Pastors Meeting, discerning who
could be the next Delegate for Social
Communications after Judy Alvarez,
etc. As is customary at every meet-
ing we also dedicate about an hour
to reflecting on some key document
for our own formation. This time we
read the Rector Major’s initial pre-
sentation of Strenna 2013: Like Don
Bosco the educator, we offer young
people the Gospel of joy through a
pedagogy of kindness. If you haven’t
seen it yet (only 5 pages) it would be
well worth every Salesian’s and ev-
ery Salesian community’s while (yes,
even during the summer), to access
it at sdb.org, download it, print it,
reflect on it, discuss it, fit it into our
pastoral planning for the coming
pastoral year.
During the course of our meeting
these days we also spent some time
doing some preliminary planning
for two BIG events that our province
will be graced with this coming pas-
toral year: the Extraordinary Visita-
tion and the Provincial Chapter.
Extraordinary Visitation. Fr. Esteban
Ortiz, Regional for InterAmerica,
has just sent the calendar for the
Extraordinary Visitation of our prov-
ince which he will carry out in the
name of the Rector Major. Again,
more details later, but the visitation
will run from February 10 to May 11,
2013.
Provincial Chapter 2013. During Easter
week (April 1-5, 2013) we will have
our next Provincial Chapter to pre-
pare for General Chapter 27, to elect
a delegate for GC 27, and to take up
some province business. Very soon
I expect to get a letter out to every-
one with more details.
Much to be thankful for. Much to
look forward to.
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Timothy C. Ploch, SDB
Provincial
First year of preparation:
Knowledge of Don Bosco’s history
16 August 2011 - 15 August 2012
During this first year of prepa-
ration we need to set ourselves
a systematic plan for the study
and assimilation of Don Bosco.
The study of Don Bosco is
an essential condition in order
to be able to communicate his
charism and propose his current
relevance. Without knowledge
there cannot be love, imitation
or intercession; then only love
can lead to greater knowledge.
It is a question therefore of a
knowledge which starts from
love and leads to love: an affec-
tive knowledge.
Fr Pascual Chávez,SDB
QE PROVINCIAL’S CALENDAR
JULY 2012
12 Board Meeting, Los Ange-
les Salesian Boys & Girls
Club
13-17 Office Days
18 Members Meeting, Sale-
sian High School, Rich-
mond Board Meeting,
West Contra Costa Sale-
sian Boys & Girls Club
19 Office Day
FV 20 Camp Mass, St. Luke’s,
Stockton
21-22 Office Days
23-27 Visit Los Angeles Commu-
nities
InTouch 1 7.12.12