Discovering
Treasure Within
THE MAGAZINE FOR THE SALESIAN FAMILY
DON BOSCO TODAY
THE SALESIAN BULLETIN · YEAR 119 · ISSUE 2 · SUMMER 2011
Don Bosco Publications
Thornleigh House, Sharples Park,
Bolton BL1 6PQ
Tel 01204 308811
Fax 01204 306868
Email: joyce@salesians.org.uk
Salesian Missions
Fr Joe Brown SDB
2 Orbel Street,
Battersea SW11 3NZ
Tel 020 7924 2733
Email: donbosco@btconnect.com
Sister Helen Murphy FMA
Provincial Office
110A Alexandra Rd, Crosby,
Liverpool L23 7TG.
Tel 0151-287-5728
Email: srhelen@btinternet.com
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On paper manufactured from a sustainable
source using vegetable based inks.
ARTWORK Val O’Brien
PHOTOS Page 16 from Salesian Schools
Page 7 Bollettino Salesiano
CHILDREN’S PAGE Cliff Partington
WEBSITES WORTH VISITING
www.salesians.org.uk
www.don-bosco-publications.co.uk
www.sdb.org
www.sdb.org/ANS
www.cgfmanet.org
www.salesiansisters.org.uk
www.salesianyouthministry.com
www.donboscoyouth.net
www.bosconet.aust.com
www.youthoutreach.org.hk
Editorial
I would like to begin by thanking all readers who kindly sent donations after the last issue of Don
Bosco Today. Your constant generosity is much appreciated. Some readers wrote to say that the
donations slip was badly positioned since when it was cut out, the article over the page was spoilt. It
has now been moved to page 19 where only the price list suffers. Thank you for your observations.
This edition is about our family, our Salesian Family. The articles introduce the people we have
appreciated, and the people we now appreciate, people who work in the name of Don Bosco,
including the young people who are our hope of tomorrow. We are on Christian-name terms with
them, as their faces shine out from the Contents page.
I would, personally, like to pay tribute to two of these family members - Margaret and Laurence. Both
these Salesian teachers made a deep impression on me, and more importantly both made a deep
impression on the thousands of students who benefitted from their teaching and from their example. I
became aware of the effect Margaret had on her students when I was a governor at St John Bosco’s
High School in Liverpool. The music she inspired the girls to produce was legendary; the prize nights at
the Philharmonic Hall were unforgettable. My gratitude to Laurence is for the five years of teaching I
received from him. In the days of blackboard and chalk, he was a master of presentation with
beautiful handwriting and a wonderful clarity of exposition, always the result of painstaking
preparation. These two teachers proved that good teaching is so much more than imparting
knowledge, with Music and Mathematics came their personalities, leaving an indelible impression on
all who were blessed by their presence.
In this issue we meet Tony, who has been a missionary in his own country of birth and in other lands;
recycled so many times. Luc is a Belgium missionary who after many years in Korea became a Salesian
superior in Rome and is now Bishop of Ghent. A brilliant linguist and musician, he brings the
unpretentious simplicity of Don Bosco to the arduous task of being a bishop. He has a unique gift of
celebrating, with young people, the joy of being Christian. In this issue we see how the young people
from our school in Chertsey enjoyed the privilege of seeing some of the work of the Salesians in India.
The article Helping us Pray Today reminds us that young people will pray in their way if we can help
them.
Finally Michael reminds us of the powerful lessons the Mystics can teach us. Michael has been doing
sterling work these last few years, preaching retreats in so many parts of the world, and writing books
which are much appreciated. His retreats are spiced with endless stories from his many years
of teaching in Bootle. Although he supports Bolton Wanderers, he manages to stay cheerful.
Tony Bailey SDB
a.bailey@salesians.org.uk
2 DonBoscoToday
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DonBoscoToday 3
13 Laurence “Laurence was kind, very kind.”
18 Michael The Treasure Within
8 Margaret
“May she now be singing
with the choirs of angels in
Heaven.”
6 Tony
“Who would have thought I
would be a missionary?”
4 Luc
“We must become a humble
Church, close to the people
who suffer.”
14 Mary
“This trip is something
I will still be talking about
twenty years from now.”
16 Joseph Helping us Pray Today
9
Bosco
Bear
Serve the Lord
with Gladness
4 DonBoscoToday
DonBoscoToday 5
Mgr. Luc Van Looy SDB
Let’s begin on musical note. How many
languages do you speak, how many musical
instruments can you play?
Music and languages go hand in hand, so they say. I was lucky
to learn quite a few languages, I especially cherish Korean,
I spent many years in Korea. Even now I am comfortable in
seven languages, and use them all regularly. As for the music,
I have a piano in my office, a gift from the Rector Major when
I was ordained bishop. Also I regularly play the organ, because
when we bless an organ in the parishes of the diocese, they
always ask me to play. Then there is my accordion, which
l always take with me in my car when I attend meetings of
young people or visit hospitals.
What does it mean being a Salesian bishop?
It means being close to the people, and relating in a friendly
way to young people. It means having an open house, open
for everyone. My house is a kind of oratory, where people can
relax with their bishop. The chapel door is always open, and
I encourage those who work in the house to make a visit.
What was your boyhood dream?
As a child, I dreamt of becoming a missionary. My parents
were daily communicants. My uncle, who was a priest, had
been in China and the Philippines as a missionary. The stories
my uncle told me made me dream. He died fifteen days before
my first appointment to Korea, after giving me his chalice.
Tell us about your diocese.
The diocese of Ghent has 1,300,000 inhabitants. Most of them
are Christians. There is a good group of Muslims, Turks and
Moroccans. For me the Catholic school is important. We have
about 800 schools in the diocese. There are 427 parishes and
450 priests, many of them over 75 years of age and we have
84 permanent deacons. In recent years we have had to merge
the parishes for lack of priests. The training of the laity is our
priority.
What are the biggest problems you face?
The main difficulty is that of vocations. We invest heavily in
youth, we have strong youth ministry teams, we organise the
best experiences for them, yet we have few vocations.
Sometimes I wonder why the Lord does not give us vocations.
The problems of the Church in Belgium are severe right now.
The outbreak of moral scandals gives us no peace. The
judiciary, parliament, and the media will not let us work in
peace. It is true that the Church must become transparent,
visible, and render justice where needed. I think this is a good
time to review the way we work, we must become a humble
Church, close to the people who suffer. Once purified, we
could work better by following the model of Christ the Lord.
How do young people relate to the Church in
Belgium?
The first day I arrived in the diocese, the priest who welcomed
me, asked if I was willing to celebrate Mass that evening with
young people. I did. From time to time I meet with these same
young people to celebrate Mass and spend the evening with
them. Every Thursday, at 7pm, a group of about sixty of them
come for Mass and a lively prayer meeting. Particularly strong
is the celebration of Good Friday, with the cathedral full of
young people for hours, in the adoration of the cross.
What was your most memorable experience?
The most beautiful experience is perhaps our annual Bavo Day
(St Bavo is the patron of our diocese). It is a day for young
people preparing for Confirmation. This year there will be
4500 of them, together with their catechists, for a day of
catechesis, prayer and celebration. That’s when the city
realises that the Church is alive. Last year there were 170
volunteer helpers. At the end of the day, they are invited to
dine with the bishop in his home. My house is full from 7pm to
10pm, singing, eating and celebrating. A wonderful experience
that we repeat this year for the fifth time.
What are your thoughts about the Salesian
Congregation?
The Salesian Congregation is the mother of the young, in
terms of its spirituality and its concern for the poor.
What would you want for Europe?
For Europe, the spirit of Christianity. Even if the politicians
don’t recognize it, Christianity made Europe.
To achieve this, I think it is important to strengthen
cooperation between countries in the Church. We have much
to offer. The danger is that we are very fragmented, even as a
Church. And then, pray and pray -
pray that the Church finds a
future in Europe.
Never stop asking people to
pray,
— with the
Scriptures.
In some sense of the word I was
reminded that I was one, not because of
the fact that I was baptised, nor by any
ecclesiastical authority, but by the secular
enforcements of the law of the State
Government in India. I left Kenya, the
country of my birth for India, in 1965 at
the age of 18, soon after completing my
GCEs. I began my training for the
priesthood in the Salesian junior
seminary of Don Bosco, Lonavla. In my
mind I was to live a normal life of a pre-
novice discerning my vocation to be a
priest.
But being a foreigner, holding a British
passport, studying in a religious
institution, I was already categorised as a
missionary, subject to regulations that
would monitor my movements from one
state of India to another. I would have to
present myself to the local police, should
I want to go to another state. So began
my missionary vocation. With my
whereabouts carefully monitored, I went
through the various stages of formation,
passing through three different states
before being ordained as a missionary
priest in Mumbai, in 1977.
A Recycled Missionary
“Who would have thought I would be a missionary?”
6 DonBoscoToday
Project Africa
In 1979, when the Rector Major, invited
volunteers for Project Africa. I saw this as an
opportunity to work as a priest in Kenya, my
home country. Sadly, I was reminded by my
confreres, that I was not going to Africa as a
missionary but as one who was merely
returning to his home country, Kenya. So the
Provincial put things right and assigned me to
the mission Parish in the Southern Highlands of
Tanzania.
The start of my first missionary journey, like
that of St Paul, was almost shipwrecked by the
local government authorities in India. I was not
given the green light to sail with the first
missionary expedition for Africa, my boat was
firmly grounded, as my papers (those of a
foreign missionary) were not in order. I was
duly reminded of my predicament by the
immigration officer, who told me very casually
but sarcastically, Not even your Jesus Christ can
save you from this. The Salesian Brother who was
trying to facilitate my journey assured me that
all would be well and I need only to whisper
the words of Matthew’s gospel, you will be hated
by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures
to the end will be saved. How right he was. That
night I was able to join the rest of the group on
the boat.
For the next few years in Tanzania, I enjoyed a
most wonderful missionary experience. On
several occasions when I visited the far-flung
outstations of the parish I was assigned to. On
any Sunday I could be celebrating Baptisms,
First Communions and Marriages, all in one
grand, colourful and vibrant service. Being a
missionary meant touching the lives of young
people by word and example; standing up for
what they dreamed; gently but firmly guiding
them along the paths they wanted to tread;
exploring with them the many options that lay
before them in their search for God in their
lives. The new Provincial, in 1986, de-missioned
me – I was to go home – to Kenya, where I was
to work for almost twenty years.
Project Europe
To prevent any further burn-out to my potential
as serving as a missionary elsewhere, I returned
to my home Province in India in 2009 and was
labelled as a FMA (Failed Missionary of Africa)
but with a prospect of joining the GBR
Province. My time spent in Goa, assisting youth
in a school for alternative learning, helped me
build up fresh energy.
When the Regional Superior for Asia visited
Goa, he talked to the local confreres about
Project Europe. He actually offered the bait and
I snapped at it immediately and applied to be
part of Project Europe. Strange enough, I was
being reminded once again by the powers that
be, that I was not going to Great Britain as part
of Project Europe, but merely joining my family
there, which I had left 34 years ago. I took that
with a great spirit of resignation as I slowly
began to understand that others could interpret
your intentions and tell you what you did not
want to hear. Then, instead of being assigned to
a community in England, I was requested to go
to Scotland, a totally new place for me. This was
to be a missionary experience I had so much to
learn from.
I have been in Easterhouse, Glasgow, for almost
two years. The warmth and friendly nature of
its people put me so much at ease, that even the
severe winter I had to endure, did not deter my
resolve to adjust to my new surroundings.
Every now and then the people, with great
concern for me, would be asking if I was doing
OK. My reply was always, I’m, oooh rite, nay
bother.
Chasing arrows? Recycling actually gives you a
warm glow, it makes you satisfied in the
knowledge that you are making a positive
contribution to the world around you. So why
don't you give it a go and get the same glow?
That is what I have been telling myself in this
new area of my missionary land.
Fr Tony Fernandez SDB
DonBoscoToday 7
Margaret was the youngest of a family of four. She attended the Convent of Mercy in Garnethill Glasgow for three years,
leaving in 1949 to enter the FMA Aspirantate in Chertsey, England. In Chertsey she continued her education until her
profession in 1955. Shortly after her profession Margaret endured the terrible suffering of the death of both her parents
within weeks of each other. Later she was to write, I have been through great suffering, personal and emotional, but have
felt supported all the way by my Sisters.
After her profession she attended the College of the Immaculate Conception in Southampton, England, where she trained
as a Junior Teacher. From 1957 Margaret spent her life with young people teaching in schools in Cowley, Chertsey and
Liverpool, and working in clubs, both in and out of school. Although she had trained to teach younger children, she was
later asked in 1966 to move into the Secondary School sector. She described this as a great upheaval, but with her
generosity of spirit, which was so typical of her, she accepted this obedience and began to discover and use her great
talents in music. Margaret attended Keele University, from 1975-1976, to gain a Diploma in Music . From then on, it was in
this area that Margaret was most associated. Her choirs were well known in the city of Liverpool. She spent many hours,
both in and out of school, working with the girls in choirs, orchestra, musical productions, and liturgies. She was invited to
be a member of the Archdiocesan Music Commission where she was a valued member for many years. Her vitality,
dynamism, energy and humour made her well-liked and respected.
In 1993 Margaret retired from her role as a teacher. She described her retirement as a relief, but in many ways very
painful. Being with the young had been such a vital part of her life. In 1994 she was appointed as Animator in our house in
Rotherhithe, London. After a sabbatical year in 2003, Margaret was Bursar in our house in Kendal before being appointed
Animator of the community in Easterhouse Glasgow.
In 2009 Margaret was again visited with a great suffering. Her brother Michael, a
Salesian priest, who had gone to work in South Africa, died suddenly. This was a
terrible blow to Margaret. On finishing her term of office as Animator in
Easterhouse Margaret visited her other brother Tom in Canada. While there,
she became ill and was admitted to hospital. After returning to Glasgow her
health gradually deteriorated until after Christmas when she was again
admitted to hospital in Glasgow where sadly she died.
Margaret had a great capacity for friendship. Her many friends, Sisters, and
past pupils mourn her loss which has come as a great shock to our
Province. One of the SDBs said, on hearing of her death, God blessed me
with some very special friends and Margaret was one of the very best.
The Sisters in the Province will so miss Sr Margaret’s vibrant presence at the
gatherings, where she lead with such enthusiasm and strength the O Qual
Sorte..1 organised and accompanied the music for so many professions and
interspersed her faithful life with a unique sense of humour which will be
greatly missed.
May she now be singing with the choirs of angels
in Heaven.
Sr Pauline Clark FMA
(Provincial GBR Province)
1 a popular Salesian anthem -
O qual sorte, siamo Figlie di Maria Ausiliatrice…
We are fortunate to be
daughters of Mary Help of Christians.
SISTER MARGARET POWER FMA 1936 - 2011
8 DonBoscoToday
FR LAURENCE MARTIN SDB 1920 - 2011
Laurence was born in Marylebone, London. He and his younger brother, Denis, were brought up by their
mother, a devoted Catholic who grounded her sons in the faith and who was determined that her boys would
get the best she could give them, although the family found it difficult to make ends meet. Laurence and Denis
were enrolled in the Salesian College, Battersea, paying what the mother could afford. Laurence liked what he
saw at Battersea and expressed a wish to become a Salesian. He joined the Salesian Novitiate in Cowley, Oxford.
He was professed in 1936. He continued with his studies of Philosophy at the Salesian House of Studies in
Oxford. In September 1937, as part of his training, he was sent to the junior school in Burwash, Sussex, where,
he said, he was not a success. He found it difficult to get the measure of junior students who were under twelve
years old.
After a year he went to Shrigley where he taught with greater success. He took his perpetual vows in 1941.
Fr Hall, the provincial, arranged for Laurence to study for his degree in Mathematics at Kings College, London.
In 1946 he returned to Shrigley for a year to teach and commence his theological studies. He went to Blaisdon,
then the Theologate, and was ordained in 1950. He then began a long period of teaching Mathematics. - for five
years at Shrigley and then for thirteen years at the Salesian House of Studies at Beckford, where he prepared
generations of young Salesians for a degree in mathematics. There is still a good number of Salesians in the
province who owe him a great deal in this regard and for the Salesian example he gave. In 1968 he went to
Thornleigh Salesian College in Bolton where he taught mathematics for a further nine years.
In 1977 he had a three year break from teaching. He became part of the retreat team at Savio House. In 1980 he
was, for a short time, chaplain to the Salesian Sisters at Hastings. Thereafter, he went to the Salesian community
at Farnborough which was his community until he died. At Farnborough, his skills as a teacher of mathematics
were harnessed by the College, especially at senior level. He continued with this for as long as he thought he
effectively could. For a period of nine years he was chaplain (part time) at HM Prison at Coldingley.
The tributes that came from those to whom he ministered give ample evidence of his great gentleness and
sensitivity, together with his own dominant recognition of his priesthood and the power of God and His holy
Mother in his life. He had two periods when he acted as chaplain to the Nazareth Houses in Southend and at
Hammersmith. On returning to Farnborough he filled his time quite happily with prayer, reading and keeping
abreast of a large correspondence from people whom he had met along the way. He was a happy and fulfilled
Salesian who had a broad welcome and smile for all. His stroke occurred in November 2010. He was in Frimley
Park Hospital, for a few weeks and then in the Stroke Rehabilitation Unit of Farnham Hospital where he was
excellently nursed. Then a place was found for him at Hammersmith, at the Home where his mother had been
and where he had acted as chaplain. He looked forward to going home to Heaven. He died on the 20th April.
Laurence had a favourite saying, a quotation from an (unknown) Beatus from
the Middle Ages, which he would often repeat:
Be kind, be kind and you’ll be a saint.
And Laurence was kind, very kind.
John Gilheney SDB
DonBoscoToday 13
CHERTSEY GOES TO INDIA
DURING THE FEBRUARY HALF TERM FR ANDREW EBRAHIM AND PIPPA CARR
TOOK A GROUP OF SIXTH FORMERS FROM SALESIAN SCHOOL CHERTSEY TO INDIA
EACH PARAGRAPH IS A STUDENT’S REFLECTION
14 DonBoscoToday
Our trip to India is one which will remain with me
forever; it was full of a mixture of emotions. One
minute we were laughing and the next we were
brought back down to the reality of the lives of the
poor in India, particularly those living on the streets.
Nothing could have prepared us for our experience
in Kolkata, but I am still overwhelmed by the
welcoming receptions we were greeted with
everywhere we went. It is difficult to put our trip into
words which do it justice. It was an experience that
forced me to ask myself a lot of questions, but most
importantly it gave me hope in the power of people
and their love.
It was a great privilege to be able to visit a number of
homes where we were able to witness exactly how
the money, our school and parish raise, is being
used. At every home we visited we were greeted
with numerous shows of singing and dancing, all of
which put our singing to shame! We were all given
garlands of flowers, which the children put around
our necks as a sign of welcome. All the children we
saw were so joyful and happy, yet they have nothing.
It is an experience which you cannot put into words.
Their friendliness was heart warming as they held
our hands, calling us Auntie or Uncle whilst guiding
us around their home, showing us all the fruits and
vegetables they have grown.
The trip to India was one of the most moving,
educating and rewarding experiences I have ever
had. Not only have I learned about the realities of life
in a society completely different to our own;
including witnessing first hand the impact of the
Indian caste system, I have become aware of the fact
that there are greater gifts you can give to a person
than money. I will never forget the smiles on the
faces of the children from the Ashalyam just because
we were there, spending time with them. They had a
greater impact on me than they will ever know. Just
seeing the way that places such as Asha Bosco can
provide opportunities for these children, which they
would never otherwise have had, is incredibly
rewarding.
One of the most touching parts of our trip was the
visit to the tomb of Mother Teresa. It was clear she
lived such a humble life, and changed so many lives
for the better. It was a moving experience where we
were able to find out how she gave up the security of
life with the Loreto Sisters, and devoted herself to
the poorest of the poor of Kolkata almost up until
the day she died.
As Don Bosco Park Circus was an all boys school, it
was good to visit St Paul's, the Daughters of the
Cross school, to see some female faces! All the
sisters and the girls were so inviting and treated us
like one of them. Some of the older girls taught us to
dance, the younger girls sang us some lovely songs. It
is not only a school, they also have a section where
they look after elderly women, a training centre for
Sisters, a home for street children and a school farm
providing them with a large amount of their food.
This trip was such an amazing opportunity, we are all
so grateful to everyone who welcomed us. It has
made us all appreciate the little things in life which
we all take for granted. The Ashalayam will remain in
my heart forever. Being able to visit our link school in
Kolkata, Don Bosco Park Circus, was great because
we were able to see how Don Bosco has such a large
influence on the people of Kolkata. In fact, a
roundabout in Kolkata is named after Don Bosco,
with a statue in the centre with three children
around him. The two children, at the front, represent
Salesian school children, and the boy behind Don
Bosco represents the many street children that the
Salesians look after. The Salesian ethos in Chertsey
mirrors that of Kolkata.
It was really nice to see our link school, Don Bosco
Park Circus, and meet all the pupils and talk about
the differences between life in India and in the UK. It
was very interesting to see the way Salesians operate
in another country. It was great to see the work that
the Salesians are doing, especially in the Ashalayam
project, which all of us enjoyed visiting, as it was
right in the middle of a slum!
DonBoscoToday 15
I don’t think I will ever be able to understand how
people who have absolutely nothing, can seem so
happy about their situation, it is unbelievably
admirable. Despite being one of the poorest types of
environment, the sense of community and cohesion
that was apparent throughout the slums that we
visited in Kolkata is incredible. Going to India was
also the greatest cultural experience I have had the
chance to have; from the infra-structure, to the
incredibly welcoming and giving mannerisms of most
Indian people.
The most touching part of the week was the
hospitality. We couldn’t have felt more welcome all
week from the priests in the Salesian house, to head
teachers of various schools, to the street kids
themselves. It was incredible to see the smiles of
children who have absolutely nothing yet can still
find joy in music, dance and each other. We have a
lot to learn from their hope and attitude. The reality
of the scale of the poverty stuck me when retracing
the steps of Mother Teresa.
Reach for the Sky
Ask the group to stand and relax their
arms by giving them a gentle shake.
Then stretch them up to the ceiling
with fingers pointed.
Ask them to take a full breath as they
stretch and hold it before relaxing.
Repeat three times.
Lord
You ask us to grow strong and flexible
by stretching ourselves against life’s
challenges. Help us to reach for the
challenges of this day. May the
challenges we meet remind us of the
way that you too were stretched on a
cross so that new life might come
through the Resurrection.
May the times when we are stretched
today bring life into all those we meet.
AMEN
Clapping
We are programmed to see problems
and to solve them.
We have minds that can focus too
much on mistakes.
It is best to recognise the good that is
always here and thank God for it.
So invite the group to respond to the
litany by a short round of clapping as
an active prayer of gratitude.
Lord
We thank you by clapping for a new
day to experience, good friends to
share the day with, many different
gifts in this group, hidden acts of
kindness in our group, the courage to
say we are sorry, the fun that
happens by accident.
Add your own
Lord thank you for the ability to see
what’s positive in each other and
enjoy the gift of life you give us every
day. AMEN
16 DonBoscoToday
Forty years ago, our schools in Great Britain were well-
staffed with Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB). As the
number of vocations fell and Salesians began to retire
from teaching, we began to consider what to do with
our schools. We even raised the question, How many
SDBs do we need to teach in a Salesian school to keep a
school ‘Salesian’? It was felt, at the time, that the
answer to this question would determine which
schools we would have to close. In the event, we did
not close any of our secondary schools. Today we have
more students in our schools than ever before. Most of
our schools have lay leadership and
staff and they are very much Salesian
schools. We now know that we were
asking ourselves the wrong question.
We should have asked the question,
How do we support our Salesian schools
to ensure that they remain Salesian?
A Salesian province has a duty to
support its schools. Staff have a right to
know what is expected of them when
they are appointed to work in a
Salesian school. Every province, in the
Salesian world, will have devised
various support systems for its schools.
One small part of that support is in the work of
publications. For the last ten years the staff of Don
Bosco Publications have sought to provide some of this
support by encouraging Salesians to collaborate in the
creation of publications which staff will welcome, since
these publications will help them in the education of
the young people entrusted to them. Some
publications have been written specifically for the staff
in our Salesian schools, for example the booklet
Working in a Salesian School – Working from the
Heart. This short booklet, which summarises the
essentials of our Salesian Preventive System, is given to
everyone who works in our Salesian Schools. However,
when we display our books at teacher conferences we
make this booklet available for anyone to take, free of
charge. Participants at conferences always appreciate a
gift.
While being aware of the needs of the staff and young
people in our own Salesian schools, most of our
publications have a wider remit; they are designed for
all Christian schools. For example the book
entitled The Christian Teacher: Shepherd of
Loving Kindness by David O’Malley SDB,
while being firmly based on Salesian
principles, is widely appreciated in
Christian circles and is used in teacher-
training courses.
A recent interesting development has
been the introduction of Swatch & Pray, a
60 card-resource of prayers, actions and
reflections for use with young people. It
brings together the Church traditions of
praying with the body and with the heart.
These prayers are designed to be used in
large groups, small groups or individually. The swatch
can be given to an individual to choose a prayer or the
leader may select an appropriate prayer for that day.
The activities and reflections lead from life experience
into prayer. We have had a very positive response to
Swatch & Pray from many Catholic schools and orders
from Anglican schools. It seems they enjoy praying in
this Salesian way.
Helping us Pray Today
DonBoscoToday 17
The Treasure Within
Rediscovering the Mystics
There is a subtle but profound shift taking place in our
times. We live in a very busy, highly extraverted
culture, that fills us with all kinds of information and
endless entertainment, yet there is a hunger in our
souls that our technical brilliance cannot fill. It has
always been the task of great religions
to feed this hunger, but some of our
institutional Churches struggle to meet
this need.
Our busyness and willpower never
seem to be enough. Not only that, but
this distant God, who we are told is a
God of love, seems determined to
punish us. The task of healthy religion
is to shatter this toxic image of God and
shatter our egotistic sense of self and
totally transform our lives. We are
invited to undertake this journey. It is
not easy. Sometimes we prefer to say
our prayers, even attend church
services, perhaps even study some theology, but we
want to keep the ego in control of all this. We want to
feel good about ourselves. The mystics invite us to go
beyond the question of worthiness, performance
religion, or religion as a set of requirements, and,
instead, to surrender to a religion of relationship. We
are invited to look into the mystery of our life in God.
This is our true identity, and once we realise it
everything changes. We look out at the world with
different eyes. We discover how deeply we are united
to God, not by our own efforts but by the gift of
transforming grace. We begin to taste what St Paul
meant when he said, I no longer live, Christ lives in me.
We cannot achieve transformation; it is the work of
the Holy Spirit. God never forces himself on us, but he
invites us to open the door, to enter through the
narrow gate to discover the treasure within which is
the divine indwelling. What we are asked to do is to
slip out of our external world of activity and busyness
from time to time, on a daily basis ideally, and to enter
our inner world in silent prayer, where, as Jesus
promises, the Father is already waiting for us.
There have been five people who have touched my life
and given me the confidence to embark on this
journey. They have deeply explored the contemplative
journey. They have written about it, they invite us to
follow them.
Firstly there is Thomas Merton who has been a key
figure in the recovery of the mystical contemplative
tradition in the Western Church.
Julian of Norwich was Merton’s favourite English
mystic and she was probably the first
woman to write a book in English. She
has a beautifully compassionate spirit-
uality, revealing that God is incapable
of anger. When we fail, God looks at us
with pity not with blame. She freely
speaks of the fatherhood and the
motherhood of God.
Thérèse of Lisieux is a universally
popular saint whose gift to the Church
was the discovery of her Little Way
which is rooted in the spirituality of
imperfection.
Bede Griffiths was an English
Benedictine who went to live in India to find the other
half of his soul.
John O’Donohue, an Irish philosopher-poet sought to
move the Church towards a recovery of the more
mystical tradition
These men and women invite us to undertake the
great adventure of the human soul. Their lives point to
the vision and experience of all the mystics: oneness
with God, oneness with others, oneness with creation.
I encourage you to embark on this journey to explore
what Jesus meant when
he said:
Seek and you will find.
Fr Michael Cunningham
Treasure Within
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TREASURE WITHIN (Introductory Price for launch reduced from £12) M Cunningham SDB £10
BOSCO Z BOOK A. Bailey SDB £3.50
A SWATCH JOURNEY THROUGH LENT T Passerello & D O’Malley £9
SWATCH & PRAY A new concept prayer book for young people D O’Malley SDB £9
DON BOSCO PIN BADGE £1.50
SCHOOL ETHOS & CHAPLAINCY D O’Malley SDB £12
THE CHRISTIAN TEACHER D O’Malley SDB £6
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP D O’Malley SDB £8
ORDINARY WAYS Spiritual reflections for teachers & youth club leaders D O’Malley SDB £6
PRAYERS TO CLOSE THE DAY D O’Malley SDB £5
PRAYERS TO START THE DAY D O’Malley SDB £4
TRUST THE ROAD 3rd edition with coloured illustrations D O’Malley SDB £6
VIA LUCIS The Stations of the Resurrection (Hardback) D O’Malley SDB £8
STARTING AGAIN FROM DON BOSCO (Hardback) I Murdoch SDB £12
SERVING THE YOUNG Our Catholic Schools Today J Gallagher SDB £6
ROSIE AND KATIE GO TO MASS (Hardback) REDUCED from £5 K Pearce £2
DVD— ROSIE GOES TO CHURCH A child’s guide to the church K Pearce £9
BOOK—ROSIE GOES TO CHURCH A child’s guide to the church (Hardback) K Pearce £5
CHLOE AND JACK VISIT THE VATICAN (Hardback) K Pearce £5
GOOD NEWS IN THE FAMILY The life of Jesus in story form (Hardback) K Pearce £7
MEMORY GAME based 101 Saints & Special People K Pearce £7
OUR COLOURFUL CHURCH YEAR (Hardback) K Pearce £6
101 SAINTS AND SPECIAL PEOPLE Lives of Saints for children (Hardback) K Pearce £14
LET YOUR HEART PRAY M Cunningham SDB £12
LOST AND FOUND Spirituality in a changing world M Cunningham SDB £7
A TIME FOR COMPASSION A Spirituality for Today M Cunningham SDB £7
WITHIN & WITHOUT Renewing Religious Life M Cunningham SDB £7
SEAN DEVEREUX - A life given for Africa M Delmer SDB £7
LENTEN SUNDAYS Reflections on the Gospel Readings M Winstanley SDB 12
DON BOSCO’S GOSPEL WAY Reflections on the life of Don Bosco M Winstanley SDB £7
SYMBOLS and SPIRITUALITY reflecting on John’s Gospel M Winstanley SDB £12
GOD OF MANY FACES Reflective verses M Renshaw FMA £4
MOVING ON Book of reflective poetry (Hardback) Margaret J Cooke £7
MAMMA MARGARET The Life of Don Bosco’s Mother T Bosco SDB £7.00
TEACHER, TEACH US TO PRAY for use in primary schools W Acred FMA £6.00
THE WITNESSES Seven witnesses narrate their part in the Passion Story W Acred FMA £4.00
DON’T ORGANISE MY TEARS Reflections on bereavement A Bailey SDB £6.00
