2008 October


2008 October

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Nouvelles Salésiennes
Salesian News
Octobre 2008 October No.110
Bulletin mensuel électronique
sdbsem@videotron.ca
SURREY, B.C. The opening of September was
a beehive of activity with guests, school
opening and First Friday Mass with the
children and parishioners. We held our own
Salesian Monday meetings and “pow-wows.”
Fr. Dave and Bro. Jerry celebrated their
profession day on the 1st and 8th, respectively.
The confreres were introduced to the school
children and staff on the 2nd, their first day back
after summer holidays.
Fr. Fernando Suarez (Companion of the
Holy Cross) arrived and did a healing Mass the
following evening on the 4th to a packed
congregation. On the 5th Fr. Lukose, a Salesian
priest from India, arrived and shared a pot luck
Salesian Family dinner with us and our
Salesian Cooperators. He spoke and presented a
slide presentation on the Snehalaya Project and
work he founded for the street children. Later
he was the main celebrant at the First Friday
evening Mass. Afterwards refreshments were
served and he met many interested parishioners
from OLGC East Indian Community. Then on
Sunday, Archbishop Dominic Jala, SDB, from
the Shillong diocese graced us by saying the
11:15 a.m. Mass. For the past six years he has
represented the Indian Conference of Bishops
as board member of the International
Commission on English in the liturgy (ICEL),
which is busy working on the texts of the new
English missal. They meet twice a year to go
through the translations which eventually get to
the Bishops’ conferences for their votes, and
which in turn are forwarded to the Vatican for
the recognitio. He stayed with us for a short
span as his next meeting got underway in
Vancouver that evening until midday of the
12th. He left Fr. Mario a rough draft of the
upcoming liturgical changes, which was an
interesting discussion venue at our daily
community meetings for the remainder of that
week.
With excellent warm weather the Golden
Agers’ 50+ Club members enjoyed an all-day
outing on Sept. 10 to Chilliwack’s Minter
Country Garden exhibition in nearby Rosedale,
B.C. Their moderator, Bro. Jerry, and our
visiting priest, Fr. Teotimo Melliza, SSP, from
the Philippines accompanied the van
participants. The hour’s drive from Vancouver
offered them a quiet escape into the Mighty
Fraser Country with the rugged peaks of the
Cascade Mountains that overlooked the
spectacular world-class floral displays, the
explosion of color, an evergreen maze and a
collection of whimsical flower “sculptures”
shaped like Southern belles and radiant
peacocks, all located at the base of 2,1344-m
(7,000-ft.) Mount Cheam that houses this
peaceful garden sanctuary. What an impressive
sight!
Our Tuesday night CCD classes began in
earnest on the 9th, while the RCIA Wednesday
evening sessions began at 7:00 p.m. on the 10th.
The post-confirmation CCD classes and their
theme on “Christian Vocation,” which Fr. Dave
is conducting, is overflowing in numbers--so
much so, that there is not a large enough
classroom to accommodate them.
Consequently, Fr. Dave is using the Don Bosco
Gym grandstands for their seating
arrangements.
On the 13th at Holy Rosary Cathedral, Bro.
Jerry and the parents of Knights of the Altar,
Juan Dantes and Robert Jerome Robles,
attended the 3rd Annual Altar Servers Award
and Mass. The Serra Clubs of Vancouver were
the sponsors of this event, and the Most Rev.

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Raymond Roussin, S.M., bishop of the
archdiocese of Vancouver, gave the homily and
was main celebrant at the concelebrated Mass.
A reception was held afterward in the hall, as
our altar servers enjoyed the honor and this
proud occasion in their lives. Truly the parish is
appreciative of their dedicated participation and
service to our community.
The Exaltation of the Holy Cross had the
catechists’ commissioning ceremony during the
11:15 a.m. Mass. The following day our
Salesian community enjoyed an outing to
Grouse Mountain, followed by lunch in the
Peak Chalet (elevation 1,128m, or 3,700 ft) on
a beautiful, sunny and clear afternoon
overlooking the city and valley. We took in the
Red Skyride up and down; the Theatre in the
Sky; the Eco Walk and Grizzly Bear Habitat.
An exciting adventure in the grandeur of the
mountain!
On the 17th, Fr. John underwent gallbladder
surgery. He was in by 7:00 a.m. and returned
home that same evening, much to our surprise.
The week previous he had undergone a root
canal surgery only to discover later that the
tooth next to it had become infected. He is
recovering and still suffering from those
anxiety attacks, hyperventilation and weakness,
but slowly the antibiotics are doing their job.
Kindly keep his complete recovery in your
generous prayers. He would appreciate that, I
am sure.
Fr. Richard Authier arrived from the joint
provincial council talks in California around
noon on the 18th and stayed with us for a few
days, treating us to breakfast at Ricky’s. He
shared with us some of the happenings there,
and concelebrated Mass on the 19th before
heading to Edmonton the next day.
The 23rd was Fr. Dave’s birthday, while Fr.
Samed’s was June 4 past, and Sr. Anne’s was
on Sept. 7. In honor of them all, we anticipated
this special occasion with a staff luncheon party
on Sept. 2. The principal and vice-principal
from OLGC School and one of our Salesian
Cooperators and all the parish staff attended.
Bro. Jerry prepared the spread, luncheon, cake,
candles, and all to the joy of the participants. A
good time was had by all, including the
“birthday boys.”
With beautiful Indian summer upon us, and
the leaves starting to wear their fall colors,
many visits to the sick, school retreats, and
introductory days away from OLGC and Holy
Cross have been done by Fr. Dave, with Fr. Jan
pitch-hitting for Fr. John, and also conducting
the Polish Saturday Language School and
saying Mass at the various nursing homes. Our
guest priests, Fr. Tim, SSP, and our Missionary
of Africa (White Father) Innocent Mogauya
from the Congo, who is visiting his family on
route to his studies in Rome, have both been
helping with our daily morning Masses. In fact
they joined us for our community day at the
Korean Parish on the 29th. Fr. Tim spoke on St.
Paul’s friendship with St. Barnabas as
charismatic leaders, and how because of his
youthful enthusiasm, Paul eventually lost that
friendship and later, with more wisdom, was
able to give his discourse on love to the
Corinthians “Love is patient, kind…” etc.
Funerals, weddings, baptisms, blessings,
confessions, and the various meetings and
activities that encompass a parish setting have
made September an extraordinary, active
month.
It concluded with Coadjutor Archbishop J.
Michael Miller, CSB, saying the 11:15 a.m.
Mass on the 28th, with Salesians concelebrating.
He gave the homily, and later joined the
Knights of Columbus pancake breakfast at our
Don Bosco Gym. All in all, with the Legion of
Mary and St. Vincent de Paul Society holding
their meetings in our various facilities, and the
Catholic Women’s League hosting the various
funeral receptions in our Mary Help of
Christians Hall, I can honestly say that our
team effort rose to all these precious occasions.

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SHERBROOKE, QC. Les jours passent et ne
se ressemblent pas. Déjà un peu plus d’un mois
de l’année scolaire qui est chose du passé. Mais
les fruits demeurent, espérons-le! La nature est
entrée dans une autre saison. Ceux qui
connaissent le Québec se souviendront que
c’est la saison des couleurs. Ici au Séminaire,
entourés d’un magnifique boisé d’érables, nous
sommes témoins d’une explosion de jaune, de
rose et de rouge. Mais la nature aura vite fait de
nous rappeler comment la vie est éphémère;
quelques heures de pluie et de vent et ces arbres
seront mis à nu, prêts à affronter le dur hiver
canadien, tout en préparant silencieusement la
douce sève du printemps.
Le 21 septembre avait lieu le Tournoi de
Golf du Salésien au Golf Orford. Cette activité
annuelle organisée au profit de la Fondation du
SS rassemblait quelque 125 membres du
personnel et d’anciens du Salésien. L’un des
traits peut-être qui caractérisent cette institution
est l’attachement à cette «école-famille» de
ceux qui y sont passés. Il ne se passe presque
pas une journée sans que des anciens
reviennent «faire un tour». Et bien sûr, nous
sommes fiers d’eux, comme eux le sont de leur
Alma Mater. Fiers de lire leurs succès, de voir
leur photo dans les journaux, lors d’un
événement spécial. Une bonne surface du
babillard du Couloir des Anciens contient
toujours plusieurs coupures de journaux,
surtout de La Tribune, du Journal de
Sherbrooke et de La Nouvelle, exposant leurs
«exploits».
Nous les retrouvons dans la vie publique.
Deux d’entre eux, Jean-François Rouleau et
Marc Denault, sont conseillers municipaux de
la Ville de Sherbrooke. On ne peut se vanter
d’avoir eu comme élève le Premier Ministre du
Québec, M. Jean Charest, cet honneur
appartenant à notre voisine, l’École Secondaire
Montcalm. Luc Berthold est maire de Thedford
Mines. Dans le monde du sport, mentionnons
Bertrand Fabi (+1986), Jean-Marc Rozon, Jean-
François Laroche, Richard Pierre-Gilles. La vie
artistique: chanson (Jim Corcoran, Tristan
Malavoy, Olivier Brouseau). Théâtre: Hugo
Dubé, Carole Facal. Musique, compositeur et
auteur: Maxime Mckinley. Cinéma: Youri
Paillé, Marc-Antoine Beaudette, Pierre
Marcoux. Architecture: Rémi Petit.
Journalisme: François Cadieux. Monde des
affaires: Pierre Dion, Vincent Felteau, Benoit
Riendeau, les 3 frères Cameron. Vraiment
j’avais l’intention de ne mentionner que 4 ou 5
noms, mais une fois la chaîne commencée… et
ce n’est pas tout. J’espère y revenir à un autre
moment. Oui, le Salésien est vraiment fier de
ses anciens!
«Lors d’une conférence de presse (ndlr:
tenue ici le 11 sept.) haute en couleur et très
animée, le président et chef de la direction de
Quebecor, Pierre-Karl Péladeau, a annoncé un
don de 150 000$ à la campagne majeure de
financement de la Fondation du Séminaire
Salésien tandis que le président et chef de la
direction du Groupe TVA, Pierre Dion (ndlr:
ancien du Salésien), a confirmé une
contribution financière de 75,000$ à la même
cause.» (Chronique de Ghislain Allard, Le
Journal de Sherbrooke, le 12/09).
Et sous le titre QUEBECOR ET TVA
INJECTENT 225 000$ DANS LE PROJET, le
texte rapporte les paroles de M. Pierre -.K.
Péladeau à cette occasion: «En rendant
possible la construction d’un centre culturel
dont pourront bénéficier autant les artistes en
herbe que les artistes établis, Quebecor
poursuit une tradition d’engagement envers la
culture, l’éducation et l’aide à la jeunesse qui
date de 50 ans. Ainsi les élèves du Séminaire
Salésien mais aussi le grand public de toute la
région pourront profiter d’un nouveau lieu de
diffusion culturelle à l’avant-garde, ce qui
s’inscrit dans notre volonté d’appuyer les
initiatives culturelles ayant un impact majeur
dans différentes régions du Québec» Après la
conférence de presse à laquelle plusieurs
personnalités de la région participaient, dont le
recteur de l’Université de Sherbrooke, M.
Péladeau s’est entretenu pendant près d’une
heure avec les élèves de la 5e Secondaire, bien à

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l’aise avec leurs intelligentes questions leurs
questions.
Et de M. Pierre Dion qui assumait la
présidence de la campagne de financement,
j’aimerais citer encore ses paroles (de la même
chronique). «J’ai rapidement accepté ce grand
défi. Je suis natif de Sherbrooke. Mes parents y
habitent encore. Mon cœur est encore à
Sherbrooke. Je suis un ancien du Séminaire
Salésien. Ce que j’ai appris là dépasse très
largement les matières scolaires. Le Salésien
forme des leaders avec des valeurs de droiture
et de générosité. Je suis très fier de la
contribution du Groupe TVA à cette
campagne.»
Le 3 octobre sera la journée d’accueil des 5e
et 6e années de diverses écoles primaires de
Sherbrooke et de la région. Ceci en prévision
de leur choix d’école secondaire dans un an ou
deux--pour leur donner le goût du Salésien! Et
il y a un invité de marque, Charles Lafortune,
de TVA, un acteur et animateur de variétés et de
jeux. La graduation des finissants 2008 se
tiendra le lendemain, avec remise de diplômes
et de l’album ‘08, ainsi que du Prix du
Gouverneur Général.
Comme depuis quelques années, s’est tenu
le Salon du Bénévolat à la Salle Père-Décarie
afin d’inculquer à nos jeunes le goût de donner
du temps gratuitement aux autres. Et dans tout
ce train de vie, Opération Soleil (vente
d’oranges & pamplemousses) vient d’être
lancée.
Le 8 septembre, le Père Roméo,
accompagné du P. Paul C. et entouré de la
famille de la défunte, présidait une Célébration
de la Parole au Cimetière St- Michel de
Sherbrooke lors de l’inhumation des cendres de
Mme Colette Lapeyrie, décédée en mars
dernier à Rosemère. Plusieurs de nos lecteurs
l’ont connue: elle était la mère de Gérard
Lapeyrie, directeur adjoint du Salésien, décédé
en 1976. – De plus, quatre confrères de notre
communauté célébraient ce jour-là, en la fête
de la Nativité de la BVM, l’anniversaire de leur
profession religieuse.
Quelques jours plus tard les PP. Richard et
Roméo s’envolaient vers San Francisco afin de
participer à la rencontre annuelle des 3 conseils
sdb de l’Amérique du Nord (13-17/09). La
rencontre se tenait à l’Institut de Spiritualité des
Salésiens à quelques pas de l’University
California-Berkeley. La douzaine de sujets à
l’étude nous a quand même permis, les 1er et
dernier jours de notre séjour de visiter cette
magnifique ville.
Nous nous sommes joints aux religieuses/x
du diocèse de Sherbrooke au Sanctuaire de
Beauvoir le dimanche 21/09. Le conférencier
invité était M. l’abbé Léandre Boisvert, exégète
et accompagnateur spirituel, qui nous a
entretenus d’une façon très intéressante et
profitable sur la prière: Comment Devenir des
Adorateurs ‘en esprit et en vérité’.
Le grand événement ecclésial qui retiendra
notre attention ce mois-ci, c’est le Synode des
évêques qui se tiendra à Rome du 5 au 26
octobre. C’est une rencontre de quelque 250
évêques du monde entier réunis autour du Pape
Benoît XVI. Le thème abordé lors de ce synode
sera: La Parole de Dieu dans la Vie et la
Mission de l’Église. Citons à ce sujet une
parole célèbre de saint Jérôme dont nous avons
célébré la fête liturgique il y a quelques
jours: «Ignorer les Écritures, c’est ignorer le
Christ.». Saint Augustin nous rappelle encore
que vaine serait la prédication de la Parole de
Dieu par celui «qui ne l’écouterait pas au-
dedans de lui». En bon prédicateur, le Pape
Benoît XVI rappelle que l’Église doit toujours
« se renouveler et rajeunir, et la Parole de
Dieu, qui ne vieillit pas et ne s’épuise jamais,
est un moyen privilégié pour cela. » Posséder
un exemplaire de la Bible et l’avoir sous la
main ne pousse pas toujours à l’ouvrir et à la
lire.
+++++++++++++++++
EDMONTON, AB. St. Dominic Savio
Parish. The first weekend of September had a
“welcome back” for all parishioners. Fr. Bernie

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participated at the opening school celebrations
and “meet the teacher” evenings during the first
and second week of the month at our local
schools. Bible study, RCIA and CIC programs
have all started again. To better facilitate
learning, Deacon José from St. John Bosco
parish has volunteered to teach our teenagers
journeying in the RCIA separately from the
adults. On September 20 and 21, Fr. Richard
Authier stopped at St. Dominic Parish for a
pastoral visit on his way back from California
and Surrey. We really tried to “fatten him up”
by feeding him here Saturday evening at a St.
Vincent de Paul potluck and then taking him
over to St. John Bosco for a perogy supper!
Our youth minister has been busy with training
sessions and a weekend retreat for the youth
team volunteers. The CWL ladies baked many
pies the last week of September and sold them
here on the weekend along with having a
coffee/Tim Bit social after all Masses. The
parish office is currently preparing for the
upcoming First Reconciliation registration
meeting.
St. John Bosco Parish. September 12-24
Pilgrimage to the Holy Land: “It is right to
give thanks and praise.” These words from the
Preface of the Mass are appropriate to express
the feeling of joy at the return from the
pilgrimage to the Holy Land. We walked in the
footsteps of Jesus from Nazareth to Golgotha.
We had a knowledgeable guide who pointed
out places and history from the Old and New
Testaments. We celebrated Mass in the most
meaningful churches: the Holy Family in
Nazareth, the new church above the house of
St. Peter in Capernaum, on Mount Tabor, the
place of the transfiguration, the place where
Jesus shed tears for Jerusalem on the Mount of
Olives (Dominus Flevit), the grotto of the
shepherds in Bethlehem, the room of the Last
Supper, and finally at Emmaus. Everywhere we
prayed for the people of our parish, for friends
and relatives.
INTERVIEW: Father George Harkins, SDB
What can you tell us about your family and
youth?
I was born on June 1, 1942, at St Joseph’s
hospital in St. John, N.B., and baptized on June
9 at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral,
where my mother (a convert from
Anglicanism) married my father on June 24,
1941. Our home parish was Saints Peter and
Paul in the west end of the city. I attended St.
Peter’s Boys School from 1948 to 1950. My
dad, who was a diesel mechanic with the SMT
bus line, was transferred from St. John to
Sherbrooke, Quebec, during the summer of
1950 to work for the Quebec Central bus
company. From 1950 to 1955 (grades 3 to 7) I
attended St. Patrick’s Academy under the
direction of the Presentation Brothers of
Ireland; they advocated and applied the
repressive method of education by using the
strap and the rod for discipline.
Is it in Sherbrooke that you first met the
Salesians?
Yes, indeed. In 1955 the Salesians arrived
at St. Patrick’s High School under the capable
leadership of Fr. Paul Avallone and of Fr. Ted
Ciampi. What a contrast between educational
methods! The Salesians and lay staff created
wonderful rapport with everyone. We came to
know St. John Bosco and believed that he lived
on in the person of Fr. Hector Carnevale, our
confessor.
I had a very peaceful and happy childhood.
I loved school and I had a facility with
languages. I was involved with the school
council as well as with the St. Dominic Savio
Club, Blessed Sacrament Sodality, and
Immaculate Conception Sodality. I was also an
altar server for ten years at St. Patrick’s Parish.
The fact that we had a school Mass every day
with the opportunity for confession helped me
greatly to weather my adolescence. In addition,
my involvement in dramatics, basketball,

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volleyball and intramurals helped me to round
off my early character formation.
How did your Salesian vocation develop?
From the time I was a child I had always
dreamed of becoming a priest, but I kept it
pretty much to myself until my last year of high
school when, during a friendly chat with Fr.
Avallone, the principal, he asked me point-
blank, “Did you ever consider becoming a
priest?” I admitted that I had been thinking
about it, but that I didn’t know what to do.
From then on, all the doors opened up for me. I
was invited by Fr. Felix Penna, the American
Salesian provincial, to attend the Son of Mary
program in Newton, N.J. So, after my high
school graduation in June of 1959, off I went to
the USA. What a challenge and new adventure
for me! I fell immediately in love with the
Salesian way of life, especially the great family
spirit. I made my novitiate in 1960-61 under Fr.
Attilio Giovannini. This was followed by four
years of college, from which I graduated cum
laude in 1965.
What has been your Salesian itinerary?
After graduating from Don Bosco College,
Newton, N.J., my first obedience was to go to
Ipswich, Mass., to our minor seminary for two
years to teach and to assist some 40 young
seminarians. In 1967 I was deported back to
Canada because I no longer had a student visa.
I was sent to the Séminaire Salésien in
Sherbrooke.
I believe that you remained there quite a few
years…
Yes, I remained there from 1967 until 2002.
Yes, 35 years! During this time I served as an
English, religion, and physical education
teacher, athletic director (23 years), and vice
principal for 12 years. I also pursued my
studies for a Bacc. in Theology and a Master’s
in School Ministry (Pastorale Scolaire). At
various other intervals I obtained a Bacc. in
physical education and a certificate in school
administration.
You are now a priest, ministering in the
Toronto area. Is it very different from what
you were doing in Sherbrooke all these years?
I was ordained a deacon in transition in
1972. After a sabbatical year in 2002, I was
finally ordained a priest on August 15, 2003, by
Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, SDB.
Thereafter I was sent to Toronto as director of
the Toronto-Hamilton Salesian community.
Some of the other highlights of my years in
Sherbrooke were certainly the organisation of
our annual sports banquets with the presence of
hockey players from the NHL. There was also
the organisation of the 30th and 40th
anniversaries of the founding of the Seminaire
as well as my participation as a radio reporter at
the World University Games in Edmonton in
1983, the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in
1984, and the Canada Games in 1986. On a
personal level, I would also mention my
participation in five marathons and the cycling
of over fifty thousand kilometres over a period
of ten years.
Education, especially through sports and
physical activities, seems to have been a
constant of your Salesian life.
As you can see for yourself, I dedicated
over 30 years to educating the young by means
of sport. Through various sports activities, I,
with the help of coaches, of course,
communicated the Christian values of self-
discipline, loyalty, perseverance, cheerfulness,
honesty and fortitude as well as a taste for
effort and fair play. In brief, we sought to
develop sound minds in sound bodies (mens
sana in corpore sano). The crowning
pedagogical and religious events for me were
the numerous weddings and baptisms I
performed for many of our past student-athletes
The most difficult stage of my life was to leave
Sherbrooke for Toronto right after ordination.

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What does being a Salesian priest mean to
you and what facets of priestly ministry do
you value most?
There were many new challenges for me as
a minister of the Word of God, an administrator
of the sacraments, and the creation of new
relationships. Now after five years, the facets of
my priestly ministry which I value the most are
the confessions of young people, the daily
celebration of Holy Mass, and the many new
spiritual relationships. Some of the most
meaningful experiences of my Salesian priestly
life are the accompaniment of the sick and
dying as well as my involvement with the many
youth groups in our parish, especially with the
SLR (Salesian Leadership Retreats), the
Dominic Savio Club after-school program, the
Squires (the youth wing of the Knights of
Columbus), and the preparation of the young
for the sacraments of initiation.
A last question: what message would you like
to leave to Salesians and to young people?
What message would I give to Salesians
and to young people? I would have to admit
that the developing and nurturing of
wholesome relationships with those with whom
we live and play and pray are very important.
We accomplish this through commitment,
sharing and celebrating the presence of God in
all that we say and do.
In conclusion, on the occasion of a witness
talk I gave to a class of Toronto high school
students recently, one of them asked me: If you
could, is there anything that you would do
differently in your life? My answer was, “Yes,
I would want to be less self-sufficient and more
trusting of God in my life.” I am grateful to
God for all the gifts He has given me and
brought to fruition.
============================
IN OCTOBER WE REMEMBER…
Liturgical feasts
5: Blessed Albert Marvelli
7: Our Lady of the Rosary
11: Blessed John XXIII
13: Blessed Alexandrina da Costa, SC
24: Blessed Louis Guanella
Happy Birthday!
9: G. Costamagna
24: Drago Gacnik
26: Jan Staszel
Religious Profession
21: G. Costamagna
Priesthood
9: Mike Pace
+++++++++++++++
The correspondents for the communities are:
Surrey-Bro. Jerry; Edmonton-Ann Harding;
Toronto-Fr. George H; Montreal-Fr. Enzo;
Sherbrooke-Fr. Romeo.
Occasionally I ask others to contribute if they
wish (among whom: Fr. Donne, Fr. Lebel, Fr.
Pillet, Fr. Richard, Bro. Jim, etc.; they are
always welcome even if not asked, just as
others not mentioned here).
Partagez votre joie: envoyez quelques
nouvelles.
Share your life: send news.
+++++++++
Strenna 2009 Étrenne
Engageons-nous à faire de la Famille
salésienne un vaste mouvement de personnes
pour le salut des jeunes.
Let us commit ourselves to making the Salesian
Family a vast movement of persons for the
salvation of the young.