VOL. 42 • NO. 1 JUNE–AUGUST 2012
BULLETIN
P H I L I P P I N E S
Reason as prophetic mission
2 SalesianBulletinPH•June–August2012
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
Fr. Noel Osial, SDB
Message of the Rector Major
By Fr. Pascual Chávez Villanueva, SDB 3
Cover Story
Reason as prophetic mission
By Fr. Noel Osial, SDB 4
Don Bosco’s dream of the two pillars
JesusintheEucharist
and devotion to Mary Help of Christians
BySr.MariaSocorroBacani,FMA 7
Social communications and Don Bosco’s mission
Anewbeginning
By Imelda Benitez 10
Features
Likesheepwithoutashepherd
ByFr.JohnCabrido,SDB 12
Contemplation in action
Propheticwitnessingtoday
By Wilma Militante 14
Reason, religion and loving kindness
Sowinghope
ByEvangelineDolliente 17
Media education and evangelization camp
for oratorians and street children
Witnesses of “Bro”
BySr.MariaSocorroBacani,FMA 20
FIN-FIS news 21
Salesian world news 21
Special feature
Mymother’sheart
ByFr.JoelCamaya,SDB 22
TABLEOFCONTENTS
St. John Bosco continues to be a modern-day prophet who evangelizes by educating and
educates by evangelizing. His educational
method, the Preventive System of education, has produced saints
then, and continues to do so today.
This issue of the Salesian Bulletin focuses on reason as an
expression of Don Bosco’s prophetic mission. Called to be present-
day prophets, we rejoice in the certainty that the Spirit will touch
the minds and hearts of today’s and tomorrow’s generations if we
remain faithful to the formula Don Bosco left us.
In preparation for the bicentenary of St. John Bosco who walked
in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd, four issues of the Salesian
Bulletin will help us reflect on Jesus preaching, curing, praying and
ultimately dying and rising, and on the unique and radical manner in
which Don Bosco followed in the footsteps of our Lord. Featuring
the prophetic mission of St. John Bosco, this issue focuses on reason
and Don Bosco evangelizing. In September we will study Don
Bosco the educator and plumb the reality of loving kindness and
its profound capacity to heal. In December we will reflect on Jesus
praying, and walk with Don Bosco the priest and try to understand
religion and its efficacy in the Preventive System. We will also
contemplate our Lord dying and rising which is a daily experience
for those who participate in Don Bosco’s shepherding mission. Last
but not the least, in March we will try to be on intimate terms with
Don Bosco the saint and set out on the greatest adventure of our
lives in order to encounter the mystery of spirituality as a sanctifying
mission.
It is wonderful how members of the Salesian Family from
entirely diverse settings share their experiences with the Preventive
System. The Familia Asociacion Damas Salesianas (FADS) writes about
reason, religion and loving kindness as key to turning negative
situations into positive ones while the Secular Institute of the Don
Bosco Volunteers expounds on contemplation and action.
Don Bosco’s dream of the “Two Pillars” brings us back to the
foundations of Salesian spirituality.
In a heart wrenching documentary video on the miraculous
rebirth of the church in war-torn Cambodia we see through the
eyes, heart and vision of a Cooperator’s video entitled “A New
Beginning,” miracles of faith and hope.
The documentary video and the FMA media camp “Saksi ni Bro”
which got young people all fired up to use media to witness to “Bro”
are examples of what the Salesian media apostolate can accomplish
in terms of self-expression for the youth and genuine prophetic
ministry.
The Salesian Family is being challenged to be prophets today. It
is imperative that she uses ways and means, the media included, that
are attuned to the young. Let us be real prophets and help young
people maximize their choices in favor of what is good, joyful and
life-enhancing.
Magazine of Information and Religious Culture
of the Salesian Family in the Philippines
Owner SalesianSocietyofSt.JohnBosco
Printer Don Bosco Press, Inc.
EDITORIAL BOARD Publisher Fr. Noel Osial, SDB | Editor-in-Chief
Ma. Lourdez Ll. Galza |AssociateEditorImelda Benitez |CopyEditor Br.Antonio
Caspellan, SDB | Coordinators Fr.RandyFigueracion,SDB FIS; Sr. Maria Socorro
Bacani,FMA FMA&FMAPastPupils; Sr. Ina Tateishi, SCG SCG; Brenda Ramirez
ASC;VirgilioHernandezIIDBAPNF;MariaJuniferMaliglig ADMA; Evangeline
Dolliente FADS |ProductionManager Maria Geraldine Miranda | LayoutArtist Early
Macabales|Circulation Commission on Social Communication
Forsubscriptionscontact
SALESIANBULLETIN
Commission on Social Communication
3/FDonBoscoProvincialOffice,DonBoscoCompound,
C.RocesAve.cor.A.ArnaizAve.1264MakatiCity,Philippines
Tel(02)893-8227Loc.114•Telefax(02)892-8174
AnnualSubscription(4issuesayear)PHP200.00
Sendyourcommentsandsuggestionsto sbulletinph@yahoo.com
Challenged
tobeprophets
June–August2012•SalesianBulletinPH3
MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
P
H
O
TO
C
O
U
R
TE
S
Y O
F C
O
M
M
IS
S
IO
N
O
N
S
O
C
IA
L C
O
M
M
U
N
IC
ATIO
N
-FIN
We are approaching the bicentenary of the birth of Don Bosco, which will be celebrated on August 16, 2015. It is a very special event for
us, for all the Salesian Family and for the whole Salesian
Movement, which requires an intense and profound process
of preparation, so that it may prove fruitful for all of us, for
the Church, for the young and for society.
The XXVI General Chapter, taking as its theme the
motto of Don Bosco “Da mihi animas, coetera tolle (Give me
souls, take away the rest)” and putting as the foundation
of the five key issues in “Starting afresh from Don Bosco,”
has set us on our way to the bicentenary. In the letter
announcing the GC26 I wrote: “By making our own the
motto ‘Da mihi animas, coetera tolle,’ we intend to take up
Don Bosco’s spiritual and apostolic program resulting in
his tireless work for the ‘glory of God and the salvation of
souls.’ In this way we can find once again the origin of our
charism, the purpose of our mission and the future of our
Congregation” (AGC 394 p. 6).
Second year of preparation:
Don Bosco’s Pedagogy (August 16, 2012-August 15, 2013)
Some years ago I spoke about the importance of a
deeper study of Don Bosco’s pedagogy; now this needs to
become a program to be put into practice in this second
year of preparation for the celebration of the bicentenary.
Then I wrote: “Nowadays a deeper understanding is
needed of Salesian pedagogy. In other words we need to
study and apply that updated preventive system desired by
Fr. Egidio Viganò… developing its great implicit principles,
modernizing concepts, guidelines and interpretations so as
to express the basic ideas in a modern manner: the greater
glory of God and the salvation of souls; living faith, firm
hope and pastoral charity; the good Christian and upright
citizen; the threefold “cheerfulness, study and prayer”; the
three “S” (in Italian): health, knowledge and holiness: piety,
morality and culture; evangelization and civilization.
The same can be said of the great guidelines regarding
attitudes: make yourself loved rather than feared; reason,
religion, loving kindness; father, brother, friend; familiarity,
especially in recreation; winning over the heart; the
consecrated educator for the good of his pupils; freedom to
run about, play and chatter (AGC 394 pp. 11-12).
May the Spirit of Christ help us to pursue our path
of preparation for the bicentenary and may Mary Help of
Christians support us; on the seriousness and the depth
of the preparation depend in fact the spiritual, pastoral
and vocational fruits which we are looking for from the
bicentenary year. May Don Bosco, as always, be our model
and our guide. (Excerpts from the Letter of the Rector Major,
Solemnity of the Feast of St. John Bosco, January 31, 2011).
STUDY AND APPLY THE UPDATED PREVENTIVE SYSTEM
DESIRED BY FR. EGIDIO VIGANÒ, SDB
Aboutthecover:
The Salesian
imperative
Visible in the warm glow of a Paschal candle on the right is an image of Jesus preaching among the people as children
gather around him. On the left we can see part of an authentic picture of Don Bosco—the consecrated educator and
modern-day prophet with his beloved youth. In the center is a bright luminous flame which symbolizes the light of
reason and grace. It is the light of the Holy Spirit that illumines, instructs and heals.
Challenged
tobeprophets
VOL. 42 • NO. 1 JUNE–AUGUST 2012
BULLETIN
P H I L I P P I N E S
Reason as prophetic mission
Fr. Pascual Chávez Villanueva, SDB, Rector Major
4 SalesianBulletinPH•June–August2012
COVER STORY
as prophetic mission
By Fr. Noel Osial, SDB
eason R
June–August2012•SalesianBulletinPH5
COVER STORY
HOLINESS: THE KEY TO
WISDOM Don Bosco’s success can
be traced to his deep “union with
God”; a day-to-day collaboration
with the action of God as he helped
the poor boys in Turin. He admired
St. Francis de Sales who showed how
the Holy Spirit leads us from deep
heartfelt prayer, no matter how brief
and simple, into transforming action.
Senses are purified, the intellect
refined, the will strengthened and vast
horizons of holiness and apostolic
effectiveness open up to those who
collaborate with grace and live their
baptismal promise heroically as Don
Bosco did.
“I THIRST” The heart of every
Salesian draws its inspiration from
the pierced heart of Christ. Christ
cried out in anguish from the cross:
“I thirst!” Young people can lash out
against parents, teachers and society
and cry in their own pain: “I thirst!”
Only with the pierced heart of
Christ can one give anguished and
troubled youth Don Bosco’s unique
intervention. Don Bosco echoed
Christ responding in the spirit of
Da mihi animas, coetera tolle (Give me
souls, take away the rest).
Of the Preventive System, Don
Bosco said, “The practice of this
system is based on the words of St.
Paul … ‘Love is patient and kind. Love
bears all things… hopes all things,
endures all things...’Hence only a
Christian can apply the Preventive
System with success. Reason and
religion are the means an educator
must constantly apply; he must teach
them and himself practice them if he
wishes to be obeyed and to attain his
end. ”
as prophetic mission “If the educator does not succeed in winning the youngster’s heart, he labors in vain. If a youngster does not open his heart to the educator,
education fails” [Peter Braido, Il sistema
preventivo di Don Bosco, p. 205].
At baptism we are marked with
oil as a sign that we are consecrated
to God and anointed by the Holy
Spirit. Our anointing is a sign that we
are joined to Christ in his threefold
mission as Prophet, Priest and King.
Jesus is the perfect Prophet. He is
the eternal Word who lived, preached
and explained God’s word to us. As
the perfect high Priest, he offered the
supreme sacrifice for our sins. As King
of the universe, he will reign forever
with a scepter of righteousness over
the new heavens and new earth.
As Christians we imitate Christ
in each of these roles. We have a
“prophetic” role as we proclaim
the gospel to the world and witness
to God’s saving Word. When we
speak truthfully about God to young
people, we are fulfilling a “prophetic”
function. The secret of Don Bosco,
prophet and educator, is his love of
God and love of neighbor. God has
a passionate love for His people, and
Don Bosco had a passionate love for
God and for humanity.
Boldness and passion are
important traits of a prophet.
Prophets like Don Bosco make clear
the presence of God so that people,
especially the young are attracted
to Christ with a passion. Prophets
make excellent teachers. They have
vision, great creativity, boldness and
strength and they study and ask
critical questions such as, “What does
the Word mean to you and me?” and
“Where are you and I going?”
Fr. Dave Buenaventura, SDB spends time with young
people at St. John Bosco Parish, Makati City
P
H
O
TO
C
R
E
D
IT: C
O
M
M
IS
S
IO
N
O
N
S
O
C
IA
L C
O
M
M
U
N
IC
ATIO
N
-FIN
6 SalesianBulletinPH•June–August2012
THE WAY TO THEIR HEARTS
Father J.B. Lemoyne, SDB, Don
Bosco’s biographer writes: “Kindness
was habitual with Don Bosco. This
was the basis of his system, for he
was firmly convinced that to educate
young people one must find the way
to their hearts [...].”
Don Bosco wanted Salesian
houses big or small, oratory, hostel
or school, to be like a home where
all the people in it could live as a
happy family. Educational practice
reinforced the good and relationships
were characterized by familiarity,
spontaneity, trust and joy. He used
simple words like ”study,” “devotion,”
“wisdom” and “work.”
Don Bosco used the word
preventive mainly to distinguish it
from anything repressive. Fr. Arthur
Lenti, SDB describes how Don
Bosco’s family spirit does away with
the institutional mentality, the superior-
inferior relationship and the official
style (“Don Bosco the Educator In Loco
Parentis” Fr. Arthur Lenti, SDB, Salesian
Bulletin, Sacramento CA, 2007).
He analyzes Don Bosco’s ideas
about education on the level of
philosophy, operation, strategy and
the means or tools he used. On the
level of philosophy, it was a synthesis
of humanism and Christian faith. On
the question of operation, Don Bosco
used a family model and the principles
of reason, religion and loving
kindness. As a strategy, Don Bosco
relied on prevention and the assistance
of the Salesian educator.
Don Bosco’s tools, or what
one would consider “educational
reinforcements and formative instruments”
were work and study, religious
practice, moral rigor and a great
variety of play activities (games, sports,
outings, theater, music, celebrations).
In his Treatise on the Preventive
System, Don Bosco warned against
authoritarian repression and abuse of
authority which he believed destroyed
the affective relationship and
undermined the educational process.
Today people know about rights,
but more than a hundred years ago
Don Bosco already knew that abuse
changes who you are. He knew that
young people who were humiliated
or cowed into submission suffered
irreparable harm and loss of self-
respect and that this weakened the
capacity for decision-making. Abuse
also led to aggression and resentment.
This is why Don Bosco insisted so
much on “reason.”
Reason implies fair play and that
educator and youngster are subject
to rules and not to individual whims.
Reason promises that everything
is sensible and work assignments,
discipline and religious practices are
age - appropriate. Reason relies on
dialogue which works to motivate
young people so they can make an
intellectual commitment to the
educative process and participate in it
wholeheartedly.
Salesians in the United Kingdom
have a shortcut, a little acronym for
the four relationship skills which a
cyberage Good Shepherd needs to
develop: respect, understanding,
affection and humor. The first letter of
each word spells out the Hebrew word
“Ruah” which means spirit (Cf www.
salesians.org.uk).
RESPECT. The mystery of God at
the heart of the young demands that
a Salesian be polite, honest, genuine
and sensitive in relating to the young.
The dignity of the young person
should be obvious in the behavior of
every Salesian.
UNDERSTANDING. A Salesian
works with the limitations and
potential of young people as groups
and as individuals. Knowing their
fears and strengths, the Salesian
shepherds them towards experiences
that lead to life, preventing harm
before it happens.
AFFECTION. Engaging young
people with the heart; that is,
establishing genuine, friendly
relationships with young people is
essential to the Salesian work. Don
Bosco said that affection sets up an
electric current of confidence between
adult and young person by which
hearts are opened, hurts are healed
and life unfolds for both the Salesian
and the young person.
HUMOR. Don Bosco saw fun and
laughter as an expression of faith in
the God of life. In touching what is
deepest in the young he preferred
noise, laughter and chaos to heavy
and solemn silences. Cheerfulness in
adults and young people is a sign of
holiness for Salesians.
THE FUTURE: CHURCH AND
SCHOOL AS FAMILY The
Church’s moral program can be
attractive to the kids of tomorrow.
Education based on ethical and
religious practices is the answer to the
deepest yearnings of the young and to
their “thirst.”
For some young people, Don
Bosco may offer the only genuine
experience of a family that they will
ever know, and their only experience
of a church that is a happy family.
The Preventive System is really the
most exciting gift the Salesian Family
can offer young people and the cause
of education around the world. More
than prevention, it is a spirituality of
friendship and personal relationship
with the Lord Jesus, known and
visited through prayer, the Eucharist,
the Word.
Youthful holiness is a force.
Happy young people, as a living sign
of communion for all the world to
see, will be the “compelling force”
that can bring the children and future
generations to Christ.
COVER STORY
June–August2012•SalesianBulletinPH7
Jesusinthe Eucharist
and devotion
to Mary Help of Christians
THE PROPHETIC DREAM At the
good night talk of May 30, 1862, Don
Bosco narrated the dream “for your
spiritual benefit,” as he himself recalled
to his listeners.
The scenario was a battle at sea.
A stately ship was assailed by heavily
armed vessels with cannons, bombs
and firearms of all sorts. Even the
winds and the waves were favorable
to the enemy. All of a sudden, in the
midst of the endless sea arose two
solid columns soaring to the sky, but a
short distance apart from each other.
The first pillar was surmounted by
the majestic statue of the Immaculate
Virgin with her title inscribed “Mary,
Help of Christians,” while the far
loftier and sturdier one bore the
Eucharistic Host with an inscription
“Salvation of believers.”
The commander of the stately
vessel was the Pope who, together
with the captains of the auxiliary
ships, strategized defense against the
attackers. As the storm raged against
the enormous flagship, the Pope
mustered all his strength to steer the
ship between the two pillars and hook
the anchor on both to gain
stability and assure safety.
As soon as he succeeded,
the enemies bombarded
the flagship with books
and pamphlets, bombs,
firearms and cannons. The
battle became more furious,
but the flagship remained
undaunted and unscathed,
and sailed smoothly on its
course. At times it was hit
by unavoidable splinters
which tore gaping holes into
its hull, but immediately a
mighty wind from the two
pillars would seal the gash
and restore the flagship and
put it back in good shape.
The next target was
the commander-in-chief,
the Pope, who got seriously
wounded and died. But no
sooner is the Pope dead
than another takes his place
as leader of the flagship.
The self-assurance of the enemy wanes
and fades.
Breaking down all resistance, the
new Pope steers the ship to sure safety
between the two pillars. The enemy
ships panic and disperse, colliding and
DON BOSCO’S DREAM OF THE TWO PILLARS
BySr.MariaSocorroBacani,FMA
FEATURES
IM
A
G
E
FR
O
M
S
D
B
.O
R
G
8 SalesianBulletinPH•June–August2012
FEATURES
scuttling among themselves as they end
in final defeat.
THE MEANING OF THE DREAM
“And so,” Don Bosco asked
Fr. Michael Rua, “what do you make
of this dream?” Fr. Rua answered,
“I think the flagship symbolizes the
Church commanded by the Pope. The
ships represent mankind; the sea is an
image of the world. The auxiliary ships
are those who are loyal to the Church;
the attackers are her enemies. The two
columns symbolize the devotion to
Mary and the Blessed Sacrament.”
At this point, Don Bosco himself
added, that “the enemy ships symbolize
persecutions. Very grave trials await
the Church. What we suffered so far
is almost nothing compared to what is
going to happen. Only two things can
save us in such a grave hour: devotion
to Mary and frequent Communion.
Let’s do our very best to use these
two means and have others use them
everywhere. Good night.”
THE FIRST PILLAR: JESUS
IN THE EUCHARIST Towards
the end of his life, Don Bosco
synthesized his whole pedagogical
insight as “Kindness at all times
and make sure that the chapel is
always left open” (BM XVI, 168).
Frequent and spontaneous visits to
the Blessed Sacrament became one
of Don Bosco’s spiritual legacies to
his sons and daughters. He declared
in a good night talk in 1865, “There
is nothing the devil fears more than
these two practices: Holy Communion
well made, and visits to the Blessed
Sacrament. Do you want the Lord
to grant you many graces? Visit him
often. Do you want very few graces?
Visit him rarely. Do you want the devil
to assail you? Visit Jesus rarely. Do you
want the devil to run away from you?
Visit Jesus often. Do you want to give
the devil a good hiding? Frequently
take refuge at the feet of Jesus. Do
you want to be beaten? Leave off your
visits” (BMVII, 32).
Again, Don Bosco emphasized
the importance of meeting the
Eucharistic Jesus in relation to the
reality of death: “If we really want our
meeting at the hour of death to be
that of a friend, let us go to find him
frequently and fervently in the Blessed
Sacrament, and keep him close to our
heart; let us pay him a visit at those
times when we are free; let us offer
him our heart, our will; let us tell him
to do with us whatever he thinks best”
(BM XI, 492).
Don Bosco wanted the young to
draw from Jesus’ Eucharistic presence
in the Tabernacle “a treasure much
greater than you would find in heaven
or on earth. Whatever you ask for,
provided it is not harmful to you, will
be given you. So go and ask and you
will receive. Knock and the door will
be opened. Christ wants to give you
his graces, especially those for your
soul’s welfare” (BM VI, 171).
P
H
O
TO
C
R
E
D
IT: C
O
M
M
IS
S
IO
N
O
N
S
O
C
IA
L C
O
M
M
U
N
IC
ATIO
N
-FIN
June–August2012•SalesianBulletinPH9
States. The Church appeared to be
crushed and was desperately seeking
miraculous assistance. Don Bosco felt
the title opportune and appealing.
Furthermore, Pope Pius IX expressed
to Don Bosco of his preference for
this Marian title. From 1863 onwards,
Don Bosco would turn to the Help
of Christians as Mother and Queen
of Christians and of the Church.
In fact this is how she is portrayed
in the painting at the main altar of
the basilica in Turin built by Don
Bosco: “Mary most holy stands in a
sea of light and majesty; enthroned
on banks of clouds and crowned with
stars which proclaim her as Queen of
heaven and earth. A band of angels,
encircling her, do homage to her as
their Queen. In her right hand she
holds a scepter, the symbol of her
power…”
As in the Dream of the Two
Pillars, Mary Help of Christians
defended and protected the Church.
Don Bosco wrote: “The Church
attributes to Mary the defeat of
heresies. The Help of Christians was
the Queen of the Battles in Lepanto
in 1571, of Vienna in 1683, and she
saved Pope Pius VII from the prison
of Fontainebleau in 1814. She was
and still remains the protector of the
armies which fight for the faith. To
Don Bosco it seemed that Mary Help
of Christians was needed more than
ever in his day because the Catholic
Church was being assaulted” (Don
Bosco, Preface, The Marvels of the
Mother of God).
The daily miracle of growing in
sanctity is yet to unfold for those who
anchor themselves to the two pillars of
Salesian Sanctity. From Don Bosco’s
words: “Entrust everything to Jesus in
the Blessed Sacrament and to Mary
Help of Christians, and you will see
what miracles are.”
FEATURES
THE SECOND PILLAR:
DEVOTION TO MARY HELP
OF CHRISTIANS From Mama
Margaret, little John Bosco learned
to say the Angelus and pray the
Rosary. She advised him to choose
as his friends those devoted to the
Madonna (Italian title for Mary
as “My Lady”). From 1841-1858,
he spread the devotion to Mary
Immaculate in the historical context
of the promulgation of the dogma of
the Immaculate Conception and the
apparition at Lourdes. From 1858-
1868, his devotion took shape in the
Marian titles of Immaculate and Help
of Christians.
When the basilica in Turin was
completed in 1868, he separated
the two titles. A few years before,
in 1862, a miraculous image of
Mary Help of Christians had been
venerated in Spoleto. This coincided
with the period of crisis in the Papal
Left to right photos: Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, DD,
Archbishop of Manila; Statue of Mary Help of Christians at
St. John Bosco Parish, Makati City; Pope Benedict XVI
P
H
O
TO
FR
O
M
TU
R
N
B
A
C
K
TO
G
O
D
W
E
B
S
ITE
(W
W
W
.TU
R
N
B
A
C
K
TO
G
O
D
.C
O
M
)
10 SalesianBulletinPH•June–August2012
A newbeginning
By Imelda Benitez
SHARING GOD’S LOVE In the
ordinary circumstances of daily life,
Salesian Cooperators respond to
God’s call from moment to moment.
Whether in the home or in the
workplace, whether we are with family
or with strangers, whether we are at
church or in a place of recreation,
we must always be a loving Salesian
presence ready to share God’s love as
lay persons at any given moment.
Day to day, from task to task, we
connect and reconnect with Jesus, the
Good Shepherd who is the real owner
of everything we are and everything
we do.
Working as a movie reviewer for
the Catholic Initiative for Enlightened
Movie Appreciation (CINEMA), a
project of the Office of Women of
the Catholic Bishops’ Conference
of the Philippines to promote media
literacy from the Catholic perspective,
I began to understand that Don
Bosco did not introduce social
communications into the mission.
Rather, Don Bosco was convinced
that his mission had already included
social communications.
Whether we are professional
media practitioners or simple
parents, teachers or animators,
SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS AND DON BOSCO’S MISSION
communication is crucial and
Don Bosco is our best teacher
as an evangelizer, educator and
communicator!
I began to see social communica-
tions as a great opportunity to en-
counter, document and communicate
God’s love. It was this conviction that
inspired me in 2003 to join a pro-
duction team that was going to do a
video documentary about the Catholic
Church in Cambodia, a predominant-
ly Buddhist country.
The video documentary entitled
“A New Beginning” is about the
rebirth of the Catholic Church in
Cambodia after an era marked by civil
war and genocide that claimed two
million lives in the mid 70’s.
As a scriptwriter, I went around
the country to do both research and
actual filming. I realized that doing
so was like opening the “sleeping”
wounds of the people in Cambodia
and that I needed a lot of sensitivity
in dealing with them in order to
achieve my objectives. I had to call on
the Holy Spirit to open my heart and
enlighten me before doing anything.
It was not easy. It was a
monthlong heartbreaking ordeal just
to be in a place where significant
damage had been done and horrible
crimes against humanity had been
committed. I visited the places where
their loved ones had been imprisoned,
died and been buried. I met the
crippled victims of landmines, many
of whom were children.
THE GIFT BEHIND THE PAIN
Mysteriously behind the anguish
and pain, I began to sense that the
information I was gathering was
actually more grace than data. All
these stories, I realized, had actually
been inspired and sent to me by the
Holy Spirit. They were the same words
of faith that people held on to during
their most difficult times. The Word
they believed in had literally kept them
alive and helped them survive. It was
just my job to document and to put
on record this miraculous gift of faith,
their life journey and the wisdom they
had accumulated so that others might
share in these precious gifts.
I was deeply inspired by the
foreign missionaries I worked with
during the production of the video;
I still vividly recall one particular
conversation. I had asked Fr. Hernan
Pililla, SDB about his missionary
work in Cambodia and he replied: “I
FEATURES
June–August2012•SalesianBulletinPH11
A new
am not here to convert people but to
love them the way Jesus loves me.” I
will always keep his very short yet so
meaningful response in my heart.
Indeed this is the missionary spirit
that everyone is called to have. This is
LOVE. I realize that truly Jesus’ love is
the positive force that makes possible
new life and new beginnings. With
the ebb and flow of life, Jesus’ love
can seem like a wave to most people.
Thus like surfers, our task is to ride
the wave as gracefully as we can, and
go where the Lord brings us. I believe
the Lord brought me to Cambodia to
encounter him more closely through
the people and events that transpired
there.
Undeniably, it involves a great
deal of faith and strength to let go and
submit to God’s will. Sometimes we
must help others ride the waves which
will carry them to new horizons of
peace and joy undreamed of before.
Unlike other ordinary
productions, the one I did for the
Catholic Church in Cambodia was
more like a spiritual exercise than
a mere creative representation of
Cambodia’s struggle for religious
freedom. It was an experience of
pure contemplation in action that
demanded of me, from moment to
moment, constant prayer, reflection,
sacrifice and always, discernment.
Just like my companions,
I embraced every difficulty
courageously. Mobility, to name a
few, was extremely hard. There were
times when our boat was threatened
and tossed by the heavy rains and
strong winds along the Mekong river.
On other occasions, we had to sleep
beside pigpens just so we could meet
and interview people. We also had
to travel along extremely rough and
bumpy roads, and not to mention
the trying moments of reaching out
to disinterested people who would
unwillingly cooperate.
But amidst all the hardships were
numerous graces. God continued
to send us gifts: great people and
meaningful experiences that made us
better persons and brought out the
best in us.
We were overwhelmed by God’s
blessings. Moreover, the completed
video that I had originally written in
English has now been translated into
five languages—Khmer (Cambodia),
Spanish, French, Thai and Italian.
In fact, it has been widely used as
information material in the promotion
Editor’s Note: “A New Beginning” has been
awarded Honorable Mention at the International
Catholic Film Festival held in Warzawa Poland in
June 2004 under the Documentary category for
documenting the rebirth of Catholic Church in
Cambodia. The video was produced by the regional
office of Signis Asia, an International Association of
Catholic Communicators. It is available on Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-Yh9RPJHlo.
of the Church in Cambodia.
As Salesian Cooperators, we are
called to discern and respond to the
action of the Holy Spirit. When I
documented Cambodia’s new journey
of faith, it was a new beginning for me.
I began to share in the great depths of
the Cambodian’s faith journey.
God makes waves; we must be
ready to ride them and let the Holy
Spirit lead us where He wills. This is
the work model of our founder, St.
John Bosco, who continuously makes
waves of love and brings God’s love
to everybody, reaching out to young
people to carry them to Jesus.
During the 7th East Asia Regional
Congress in Bangkok, Thailand
on October 11-15, 2011 Cambodia
became the youngest province of
Salesian Cooperators in the region
along with Indonesia. It was a great
formation moment and a time for
praise. It was a new beginning!
Left, The production team on a boat ride to a filming
site; Top right, the author with the famous Angkor Wat
Temple in the background; Lower right, the Catholics
who kept their faith and survived the civil war.
P
H
O
TO
S
C
O
U
R
TE
S
Y O
F IM
E
LD
A B
E
N
ITE
Z
12 SalesianBulletinPH•June–August2012
I must have walked over 100 kilometers through thick tropical rainforest spread over four
discontinuous days before I reached
Tuke, a tiny Catholic mission station
established by German MSC Fathers
nearly 50 years ago deep in the Pomio
mountains. The 11 hamlets which
comprise the Catholic community
belong to the archdiocese of Rabaul,
led by Salesian Archbishop Francesco
Panfilo, SDB.
The trek to Tuke may be arduous,
but the final two-hour leg is infinitely
more so! I finally gave up counting
the times I fell—frontward, backwards,
sideward—as my six youthful helpers
and I slithered down the steep,
mountain descent. On one instance,
for about 150 meters, I clung to
slippery mountain walls and held
tightly on to tree vines and roots for
dear life to avoid plunging into a deep
ravine.
Tuke’s remoteness and
inaccessibility may be a reason for
the infrequent visits of its diocesan
pastor. When I first arrived at the
station in late February 2012 and
celebrated the Eucharist, it was the
first mass the people had since May
the year before. It was a difficult
mass. The people knew neither
the responses nor the songs; they
were even mistaken in the postures
during the celebration, opting to sit
down during consecration! It quickly
dawned on me I was in the midst of a
nominally Catholic community that
had managed to hold steadfastly to its
faith, while not deepening in it.
Another root of Tuke’s troubles
is the lack of education. Though
most people in the community were
illiterate, the elementary school
opened only in 2008. Once, having
mistaken a young adult as one of
the teachers, I was corrected amidst
thunderous laughter and told that
the over 30-year old was actually a
Grade 5 student! Not knowing when
I would be returning to Tuke again, I
celebrated baptism for seven infants
during my first, brief five-day Lenten
stay and sat down every evening for
confession during the time for rosary.
I took the occasion of the “good night
talk” to do a little catechesis—but just
how much can one achieve in four
nights?
Tuke too had its delights, primary
of which was the nearby, immense
river which soothed my sore legs
and provided the villagers with an
amusing spectacle whenever I took my
afternoon bath. Without electricity, I
also had the joy of sleeping at 7:00 at
night to the chorus of crickets under a
cool, starry sky.
Leaving the village for the first
time was particularly difficult as I
wondered when the Eucharist would
be available again for the villagers. The
gospel description “sheep without a
shepherd” has never been as real for
me as it was then and it applied to the
people there.
It was with immense relief,
ByFr.JohnCabrido,SDB
Like sheep
withoutashepherd
FEATURES
P
H
O
TO
S
C
O
U
R
TE
S
Y O
F FR
. JO
H
N
C
A
B
R
ID
O
, S
D
B
June–August2012•SalesianBulletinPH13
therefore, when on March 17, 2012
I greeted the archbishop, who had
walked up the Pomio mountains,
bringing with him two diocesan
priests, including the parish pastor.
This paved the way for me to plan a
two-week return to Tuke during the
Holy Week and Easter celebrations.
Unfortunately, the weather was
totally uncooperative and this time
continuous rains, a swollen river and
impassable streams closed the school
down. It was a blessing in disguise
however, as this allowed me to tap the
school teachers and Catholic students
for help, even though it meant that we
had to pluck them out of their remote
hamlets. The first batch of altar servers
was a disaster and I had to request
the headmaster for more “trainable”
ones, settling on seven youths ranging
from adolescents to young fathers.
Without the benefit of electricity, we
celebrated our Holy Thursday “Last
Supper” Eucharist at 3:00 p.m. to
ensure we had enough daylight since
darkness comes early in the rainforest.
I was particularly insistent that my
“12 apostles”—who all go around
barefoot—scrub their legs and feet
vigorously before the service! The “Rot
bilong Kruse” (Way of the Cross) the
next day was a truly memorable one.
For the first time in over a week, the
sun finally shone which allowed us
to commemorate the stations passing
through the various hamlets. This
was meant to rekindle faith in the
places where they lived and not just
in the mission station. The nearly
three-hour celebration saw the faithful
trekking through forests, climbing
steep slopes and rambling down stony
mountain paths reliving Jesus’ final
passion, aided by a drama ensemble.
Unspeakable horror almost befell
us in the 10th station when a soldier-
actor totally disregarded my explicit
order “to remove only (the actor)
Jesus’ top shirt but not his bottom
laplap (waistcloth). Speedily—and
unhesitatingly—an errant youth tugged
away at the waistcloth! Mercifully, the
inner loincloth held and scandal was
averted. Not having a proper Easter
candle, we had to make do with a
gigantic tree trunk cut and decorated
as a paschal candle, topped off with
a small wax candle at its crest. In the
darkness of the forest, that one little
candle made such a difference as the
Exultet was being sung—in Melanesian
Pidgin, of course! The Easter mid-
morning mass was a joy as the church
was bathed in light with festive
decorations appropriately expressive
of the new life running through the
community.
When my fortnight stay came to
an end in mid-April 2012, it was like
a case of déjà vu—with a difference.
With their local pastor just a two
days’ walk away and another priest at
an equal distance, I hoped the two
diocesan priests would be able to visit
them more frequently and enable the
faithful to celebrate the sacraments
more regularly. I still left Tuke with a
heavy heart but more tranquilly. As
I continued my three-month sojourn
through the various mountain villages,
I incessantly encouraged young people
to take heart and answer God’s call to
be shepherds of His flock.
Left photos (top to bottom): Various celebrations in Tuke.
Right photos: (top) a happy mother and child pose for
posterity; (lower left) a typical classroom; (lower right)
and an elderly leisurely sitting beside a young boy.
P
H
O
TO
S
C
O
U
R
TE
S
Y O
F FR
. JO
H
N
C
A
B
R
ID
O
, S
D
B
14 SalesianBulletinPH•June–August2012
CONTEMPLATIVES IN
ACTION As members of our
Salesian Family we are all called to
be contemplatives in action. And not
only that, we are all invited to have a
contemplative view of all things and of
every one like Don Bosco, our beloved
spiritual father and the founder of
our charismatic Salesian Family. A
contemplative in action, he is defined
by his contemporaries as living union
with God in work and in prayer.
The spiritual life is a blend of
contemplation and action, a harmony
of prayer and work or vice versa.
St. Francis de Sales, in his Treatise
on the Love of God said that the
authenticity of prayer is charity—love
of God and neighbor manifested in
our selfless service to others. The
fruits of this are enumerated in
Galatians 5: 25. St James, too, reminds
us that faith without good works is
nothing. St. Francis de Sales calls this
intimacy of God in prayer—the ecstasy
of action wherein the soul is so much
in rapt or completely engrossed in
God’s love and the marvel of that love
and what the Lord has done in his or
her life that he or she cannot help but
share this in haste to others like Mary
to Elizabeth, Andrew to his brother
Simon, Magdalene to the Apostles,
Don Bosco to the young, Blessed John
Paul II telling the world not to fear God
is with us and Mother Teresa giving
God’s love to the poorest of the poor.
Following are examples from
ordinary lives of contemplation in
action and prophetic witnessing
given by Don Bosco Volunteers who
bring Christ with them wherever they
are. The Don Bosco Volunteers is a
secular institute for women who love
Don Bosco’s spirit and choose to
follow in his footsteps for the glory
of God and the salvation of souls. In
the 19th century St. John Bosco had
already envisioned a novel type of
consecrated life for “extern” Salesians
living in the world. Historically the
Don Bosco Volunteers were founded
as a lay association in 1917 by Blessed
Philip Rinaldi, Don Bosco’s third
successor as Rector Major of the
worldwide Salesian Family (http://
www.secularinstitutes.org/dbv.htm).
EXAMPLES FROM ORDINARY
LIVES Rebbie wakes up at four every
morning and gratefully starts her day
with a sincere prayer. She thanks the
Lord for the gift of life and offers her
whole being and all of her 24 hours
to God—entrusting to Him everything
the day might bring and everyone she
gets to meet and work with. Then in
solitude and silence she unites herself
with God, praying the Lauds in union
with the Church and meditating on
the day’s Gospel. And much more,
she seals her early morning spiritual
encounter with Holy Communion at
a 6 o’ clock Mass which she regularly
attends before going to work. For
CONTEMPLATION IN ACTION
rophetic P
witnessingtoday
FEATURES
By Wilma Militante
June–August2012•SalesianBulletinPH15
Rebbie, the Eucharist is the very heart
of her day.
Rebbie holds a position of
authority in her office and a delicate
one at that. In all her dealings,
she simply injects Gospel values in
her work without her officemates,
subordinates and top rank corporate
bosses, the CEO included, noticing
it. They admire her calmness in
the midst of trying situations. They
seek her advice in delicate corporate
matters and every now and then,
she is called upon to troubleshoot
tangled administrative affairs. She is
popular among both the rank and file
employees with the powers that be in
the company where she belongs. They
respect her opinions and suggestions.
And most of all, from the top to the
bottom of the corporate ladder, she
is a shoulder to cry on, an ear to
unburden to, a mouth that speaks
to them words of encouragement
or fraternal correction. She is most
respected because of her witness of
life. In fact, Rebbie’s colleagues see
her as ordinary as them in every way
yet misteriously inspiring and worth
emulating. One time, she skipped
eating lunch with her officemates
just to attend the afternoon Mass
after failing to do so in the morning
because of performing troubleshooting
for her boss. One of her lunch
mates quipped, “ Di ka na kailangang
magdasal, parang dasal na ang buhay mo
(You need not pray, your life is like a
prayer already).”
Rhia is a head nurse–supervisor
with a very tight schedule in a
hospital. She calls her workplace her
mission field. She gives seminars
and workshops to young nurses and
doctors, without failing to instill
in morality and sacredness of life.
Learning about her pious advocacy,
particularly at the surge of the RH
Bill promotion, her hospital Director
expressed his total dismay on Rhia’s
opposition to the said Bill campaign.
To this, Rhia explained, “I am a
Catholic nurse. We have laws that are
legal but not moral. I will continue
to enlighten our young nurses and
mothers about God’s commandments
and the teachings of our Holy Mother
Church on respect for human life.”
She went on to say “Doctor, I am a
Christian first before being a nurse
and I will do as my conscience
dictates.”
The director was piqued by her
polite but firm remarks. From her
peers, she received flak but she stood
her ground since she is a very efficient
nurse and well respected by her peers,
loved by the patients and listened to
by pregnant women whom she talked
to on a one-to-one basis in the course
of her rounds about the negative
effects of contraceptives. To this day,
she continues to be a spokeswoman
of the Church on matters pertaining
to life in her private capacity as a
Left and above: Women and young people engaged in
prayer and community work with Fr. Ramon Borja, SDB
(in gray).
P
H
O
TO
S
C
O
U
R
TE
S
Y O
F IM
E
LD
A B
E
N
ITE
Z
16 SalesianBulletinPH•June–August2012
concerned citizen and an upright and
committed Christian. When asked
what makes her so fearless to the
extent that she even incurred the ire of
a town mayor, she replied with a smile,
“ Prayer and zeal for souls.” Indeed
she has a strong Eucharistic life and
the refrain of her day is, “All for Jesus,
Mary, Joseph and Don Bosco.”
Lina is a married woman totally
immersed in the corporate world. She
works in a multinational company
which entails travels abroad. She,
however, balances her being a
loving wife and mother, her being
a professional woman and dedicated
parish servant-leader with prayer—the
source of her strength. She proclaims
Christ as center of her family life.
Her amiability and kindness, honesty,
competence and responsibility,
commitment to family, profession
and parish community make her a
role model in her locality. She goes
about her daily duties with evangelical
simplicity. She has already surrendered
everything in her life to God following
the example of her model of life—Mary
of Nazareth.
Roger is a 29-year-old bachelor
and a junior executive. He works in
a highly secular company dealing
with computers based in one of the
Asian countries. Roger comes home
for a week during the Advent season
and on Holy Week to recharge his
spiritual batteries. As a department
head, his presence and witness
impacts the lives of 25 people under
him. How? By his silent witness of
a good and meaningful life. He sees
in his profession a way to God, a
professional spirituality. In a place
that is multicultural and of different
religious faith, a way of being and
doing that is Christian is practiced at
least in his department. He tries his
best to live by Christian values and
virtues instilled in him by his parents
and school. These are put to the test
daily and pose a great challenge to
him. The practice of the patience of
Job, kindness, courage under fire in
FEATURES
defending a subordinate, knowledge
and the needed competence and
skills for an effective workforce,
responsibility and a sense of humor
and above all, growth in charity are
all fruits of his prayer. Roger said,
“Prayer makes my day, so I do begin
it with a 15 to 20-minute prayer
workout.” He continued telling, “I
also try not to miss my Sunday Mass.
It is the highlight of my week.” Roger
narrated that there are a few Catholic
churches in the country where he
is based and the nearest one is 10
kilometers away. For him, Sunday
Mass is nonnegotiable. When he was
still new in the company, he even
felt discriminated against because of
his Catholic Christian faith. He was
challenged by that and so he tried in
his simple ways, to show how a good
follower of Christ behaves in difficult
and challenging moments. His
perseverance and fidelity to holiness
in daily life paid off. By putting Christ
first, others second and himself
last, he won the hearts of his peers,
subordinates and bosses.
THEY MAKE THE LOVE OF
GOD KNOWN Rebbie, Rhia,
Lina and Roger are four ordinary
persons giving God’s love to others
by going about their daily duties with
a heavenly view but with feet firmly
rooted in the ground of everydayness.
Committed Christians they are—firm
believers of the grace of unity of
prayer and life, of faith and action.
They are living prayers because they
live their prayers. In rapt prayer and
in love with God they bring God’s
love to their families, profession,
communities and friends. Wherever
they are they continue God’s love
and saving action in their lives in
the world in operative silence and
hidden-ness like leaven in the dough,
like light in the darkness transforming
the places where God has put them
into an effective environment of love,
reconciliation, renewal, transformation
and peace. Contemplatives in action,
they perform their daily lives with
serenity and joy working untiringly for
the Kingdom in a world that rejects
the divine. They remain a beacon of
hope for those around them. Their
filial and loving relationship with
God deepens their intimacy and their
respective works offered to God as
prayer cements this union full circle at
the end of every day.
Above: Volunteers of Don Bosco proclaiming God’s
love through direct experiences with people.
P
H
O
TO
C
R
E
D
IT: C
O
M
M
IS
S
IO
N
O
N
S
O
C
IA
L C
O
M
M
U
N
IC
ATIO
N
-FIN
June–August2012•SalesianBulletinPH17
The name “Parañaque” according to Wikipedia is derived from the phrase “para na aque.”
Today one might ask a cab driver to
“stop here,” or “para na dito” in the
vernacular. In the days of horse-drawn
carriages and “kalesas” however, people
spoke Spanish and would have said,
“para na aquí.”
Parañaque has developed into an
industrial center with super malls and
corporate buildings on a grand scale
but like most large-scale development
on the fast-track, there are bleak areas
where people struggle to keep body and
soul together. Women and children are
REASON, RELIGION AND LOVING KINDNESS
Sowinghope
often the most vulnerable victims of
crime and violence.
While urban planners may dub
the problem urban blight, members of
the Familia Asociacion Damas Salesianas
(FADS) have discovered the brightest
rays of hope and promise in the midst
of the darkest and most difficult
situations.
FADS members have found that
business acumen and managerial
talent are keener and brighter when
accompanied with a deep faith in God.
As a way of life and a style of relating,
Don Bosco’s “Preventive System”
has already brought about genuine
transformation in the lives of many.
Reason, religion and loving kindness
are a powerful dynamic that awakens
a person’s inner resources and sows
hope where there is none.
FADS’s mission is to evangelize
through human promotion while
working for the entire formation of the
person. It is sensitive to social realities
and the signs of the times. Believing
in the invisible action of grace, FADS
members work with moms and
kids with realistic optimism and are
beginning to see wonderful results.
They share their happy experience with
us here.
FEATURES
P
H
O
TO
C
O
U
R
TE
S
Y O
F E
VA
N
G
E
LIN
E
D
O
LLIE
N
TE
ByEvangelineDolliente
18 SalesianBulletinPH•June–August2012
The Familia Asociacion Damas
Salesianas (FADS)-Margarita Center
has been sowing hope in the hearts
and minds of mothers and children in
Parañaque City since May 2008 when
it launched a remarkable project called
“Paghuhubog Pag-asa Mission.” Their
dream is to provide integral formation
for vulnerable mothers and children
living in extreme conditions of poverty.
Evangelization by means of
human promotion is the key. Human
promotion is the process by which men
and women reach full development as
they discover and satisfy their needs,
are able to know their rights and duties
by means of their personal work and
participation in society, and help in
building the common good.
In May 2011, FADS selected the
Margarita Center Community in
the Mary Help of Christians Parish,
Barangay Don Bosco, Better Living,
Parañaque City. They had gathered
50 children aged four to 13 and 36
mothers. “Paghuhubug Pag-asa Mission”
was suddenly no longer a dream but a
reality.
Their goal is to empower mothers
to be productive members of the
community. The mothers enrolled
in the program soon realize that
“Paghuhubug Pag-asa Mission” is all
about becoming a better person in very
concrete terms. It means becoming a
better parent, a better spouse and a
better neighbor to those in need.
Integral formation includes adult
catechesis, values formation, livelihood
and skills training, health education,
parenting and spiritual formation.
A “Masigasig” award for mothers
who dare to launch out and use the
livelihood skills they have learned
has many takers. Sixteen mothers
have completed the program which
includes Catechesis on the Creed
(Sumasampalataya), Livelihood Training
in Peanut Butter and Siomai Making
and Health Education on Dental
Home Care.
Change however poses a bigger
challenge for mothers who must
change old habits and old routines
to keep up with the program. Some
mothers discover that they need
more time to adjust to the schedules,
challenges and everything that
beginning a new life entails.
Forty of 50 children have
completed the program in 2012.
Special recognition is awarded to
those who demonstrated the core
values promoted. There is a reward
for commitment and for enthusiasm.
Kids who express a desire to know
and love God and to serve others are
encouraged. Likewise, children who
give good examples and influence
others to do good are also recognized.
Learning the value of goodness and
kindness and responsibility are all
fruits of the Preventive System and the
Salesian family spirit.
Young people warm up to
the friendly and cheerful Salesian
atmosphere. Values formation,
catechism, creative arts, literacy
and health, in addition to a feeding
program provide a happy balance.
Tireless volunteers, benefactors
and friends in the Salesian Family
enable FADS to progress in their
mission of opening minds and hearts
to that most important truth, that
regardless of the devastation around
them, everyone is a child of God and
He has a wonderful plan for each one
of us!
Top to bottom photos: Youth and children
are having fun and some learning activities
with members of Familia Asociacion Damas
Salesianas (FADS) during the “Paghuhubog
Pag-asa Mission.”
P
H
O
TO
S
C
O
U
R
TE
S
Y O
F E
VA
N
G
E
LIN
E
D
O
LLIE
N
TE
June–August2012•SalesianBulletinPH19
“Sa Catechism, natutunan po namin ang higit na
pagkilala, pagmamahal at paglilingkod sa Diyos. Gayundin
ang mga buhay, aral at ehemplo ng mga sinaunang tao na
nalalahad sa Biblia, ang kahalagahan ng Banal na Misa at
ang dapat naming gawin sa loob nito, ang paglilingkod sa
kapwa at pagsisimba. Sa Values, natutunan po namin ang
magagandang ugali tulad ng pagtulong sa kapwa, paggalang,
pagpapakumbaba, pagkamasunurin, hindi pagsisinungaling,
at pagiging masipag. Natuto din kaming maging malikhain
sa pagdrawing, gumawa ng magandang larawan na
mailalagay sa cards o poster sa bawat kapistahan tulad ng
Pasko, New Year, Valentine’s Day, birthday greetings at
pagpapasalamat.
Kami po ay unti-unting nagbabago —mas sumusunod
sa utos ng Diyos, mas gumagalang at nakakatulong sa
magulang, mas masipag mag-aral at tumaas ang mga grades
sa iskul, parati ng nagsisimba at umiiwas sa pakikipag-away.
Sa mga Damas teachers, naramdaman namin ang
pagmamahal at kagustuhang kaming mapabuti. Mahinahon
sila at may malasakit na pinapaliwanag kung bakit tama
o mali ang isang sitwasyon at kung bakit dapat gawin at
sundin ang magandang asal o kaugalian. Masaya at masigla
ang mga Damas teachers sa pakikisalamuha sa amin at
nadarama namin ang pagmamahal ng Diyos sa kanilang mga
salita at gawa.
Sana po ay ipagpatuloy nila ang pagtuturo sa mga
batang nangangailangan ng pagmamahal. Maraming
salamat po sa lahat-lahat ng itinuturo nila sa amin. Alam po
naming mahirap itong ginagawa nila pero andiyan sila imbes
magpahinga sa kanilang tahanan.”— Level 3 Children
P
H
O
TO
S
C
O
U
R
TE
S
Y O
F E
VA
N
G
E
LIN
E
D
O
LLIE
N
TE
Paghuhubog Pag-asa (Shaping Hope) is really where good things happen. The following are true stories. They are heartwarming accounts from a group of children and from a mother of three whose lives have changed for the
better. These happened simply because a small group of people with big hearts,
brilliant minds and indomitable spirits use their special talent for organization
and development to provide them with critically needed education, training and
formation. Read how “Paghuhubog Pag-asa Mission” has brought light and joy to
Judith and to Level 3 Children a lifechanging experience.
“Para sa akin, mas tumibay ang
aking pananampalataya sa Diyos nang
makilala ko Siya. Mas naintindihan ko
ang aking pananampalataya, nabago
rin ang mali kong pag-uugali, natuto
akong magpatawad, magmahal
at tumulong sa aking kapwa.
Regular na akong nagsisimba
tuwing Linggo. Natutunan
ko po talaga na ipaglaban si
Kristo sa aking buhay.
Nakitaan ko din ng
pagbabago ang aking mga
anak. Natuto silang magdasal
bago at pagkatapos kumain
o matulog. Tumutulong na sila sa mga gawaing-bahay,
sumusunod sa mga pinag-uutos at naging mas responsable
sa mga kapatid.
Ang ibang bata naman na kasali sa misyon ay napuna
kong natuto ng magsimba tuwing Linggo, makisalamuha sa
ibang bata at umiwas sa pakikipag-away at pagsasalita ng
masama.
Sa amin naman pong community, nagsisikap po ang
mga magulang na dumalo sa mga pagtitipon. Madami silang
natutunan sa pananampalataya, natutong makipagtulungan
sa gawain pang-community at naging mas maunawain at
mapagpasensiya sa mga asawa. Madami na rin ang umaa-
attend sa Bible sharing o pagninilay at Misa.
Nang maranasan naming masunugan, napagnilayan ng
aming community na ito ay isang pagpukaw at pagtawag
lamang ng Diyos. Para sa aming lahat, ito ay isang biyaya na
nangyari upang higit na magtiwala sa Kanya.
Ang Damas Mission ay isang regalo ng Diyos sa
aming lahat. Kung mabibigyan po kami ng pagkakataon
na madala uli ang mission sa amin, ito ay lubusan naming
ipagpapasalamat sa Diyos. Gaya ng iba, nadarama ko ang
pagmamahal ng Diyos sa kanilang mga salita at gawa.
Mahinahon nilang ipinapaliwanag kung bakit dapat o di
dapat gawin o sundin ang isang bagay. Masigla silang
nakikisalamuha at nakikipag-usap sa amin. Tunay po na
mapagmahal, magagaling at matitiyaga ang mga teachers ng
Damas.” —Judith, mother of three
20 SalesianBulletinPH•June–August2012
More than 100 youth leaders from FMA oratory centers and from one VIDES
outreach area gathered for a Media
Camp entitled “Saksi ni Bro @ Media.
kom” on April 13 to 16, 2012 at Don
Bosco School, Manila and on April 20
to 23 at the Mary Help of Christians
School in Minglanilla, Cebu.
“Saksi ni Bro @ Media.kom” literally
means “witnesses of Brother.” It is a
reference to a popular series on local
television entitled “May Bukas Pa”
which when translated means, “There
Is Still Tomorrow.” Santino, the main
character, is an orphan. Adopted by
monks, he has a supernatural friend
he calls “Bro.”The television series
portrayed the simple faith of a child
who had daily intimate chats with
Jesus reminiscent of Marcelino Pan Y
Vino which moviegoers enjoyed in the
1960s. The message is clear: miracles
are possible for those who have faith.
“Saksi ni Bro @ Media.kom”
participants ranged from 10 year olds
to 28 year olds. They had already been
exposed to media and were eager to
learn how to be more intelligent and
more critical consumers of media.
Mass communication, in essence,
is something that dominates our
perception of truth and reality and
can have either a positive or negative
influence on a person and on children
in particular.
Experts in Media Education
engaged the campers in various forms
of media and explained how each
one could influence young peoples’
thinking, choices and actions.
Campers enjoyed the sessions and
drew up a Camp Manifesto resolving
to be vigilant users of media. A tour
to GMA 7 and ABS-CBN, major
television and radio stations, and to
the Philippine Daily Inquirer, a leading
broadsheet and its group of companies
also in Cebu City thrilled the young.
“Good night talks” on Christian
faith and Salesian dimensions of media
engagement were inspiring. “Saksi ni
Bro @ Media.kom” offered something
much more profound and life–
changing than media literacy as both
FMA Social Communications and the
Youth Ministry realized that what the
TV series and the Media Camp had in
MEDIA EDUCATION AND EVANGELIZATION CAMP
FOR ORATORIANS AND STREET CHILDREN
Witnesses
of “Bro”
common was the powerful element of
witnessing to “Saksi ni Bro @ Media.
kom.”
With hearts aflame, the young
people promised to be witnesses of
Brother Jesus and as such, they would
not only be critical and responsible
users of media but would also learn to
maximize the use of media as a potent
means to spread the Good News of
Jesus Christ.
Entertainment columnist Nestor
Torre once said that the series “May
Bukas Pa” which enjoyed very good
ratings was proof that viewers want to
be inspired by the dramas they watch.
“Saksi ni Bro @ Media.kom” Media
Camp proved that kids have what
it takes to make change happen. As
“responsible masters of their feelings,
actions and conscience,”they yearn
to witness to Gospel values in their
creative use of media. Abangan…
FEATURES
P
H
O
TO
C
O
U
R
TE
S
Y O
F S
R
. S
O
C
C
O
R
O
B
A
C
A
N
I, FM
A
BySr.MariaSocorroBacani,FMA
June–August2012•SalesianBulletinPH21
FIN-FIS NEWS
SALESIAN WORLD NEWS
2012 bABBAd Immersion Camp. Immersionist Francis
(far left) Orlyn Hufancia of Tondo, Manila during bonding
time with his foster family at Barangay Hornalan, Canlubang,
Laguna. Francis was one of the 18 youth participants of the
2012 bABBAd Immersion Camp hosted by Mary Help of
Christians Parish, Mayapa, Laguna on April 15-23, 2012.
ASC-FIN. Thirteen new Salesian Cooperators have made
their Promise on March 18, 2012 during their Annual
Convention held at the Seminaryo ng Don Bosco, Better Living
Subdivision Parañaque City. They are Evelyn Ballesteros and
Reggie Medalla (Canlubang Center), Evelyn Peregrin, Mayet
Abrigo, Ferdie Briones, Zeny Linsangan and Malou Del Rosario
(Parañaque Center), Annabelle Tronco, Rowena Manlapaz,
Delia Gotera, Imelda Retales and Menchie Osial (Makati
Center), and Amelia Tabios (Tondo Center). Also in photo
are SDB Delegates Fr. Felino Gueco, Fr. Roberto Ma. Roxas,
Fr. Paul Bicomong and Fr. Ramon Borja.
P
H
O
TO
S
C
O
U
R
TE
S
Y O
F S
LV
P
; A
S
C
; C
O
M
M
IS
S
IO
N
O
N
S
O
C
IA
L C
O
M
M
U
N
IC
ATIO
N
-FIN
Rome, Salesian Bulletin Editors’ Meeting.
Provincial Delegate for Social Communication-FIN
Fr. Noel Osial, SDB and Salesian Bulletin Production
Manager Ms. Maria Geraldine Miranda in a group
discussion during the Salesian Bulletin Editors’
Meeting held on May 17-20, 2012 at the Salesian
Headquarters in Rome. The international assembly
was attended by Salesian Confreres and lay
collaborators involved in the production of the
Salesian Bulletin in their respective countries.
Also attended the event as member of Philippine
delegation was Blue Collar Magazine Editor Ms. Teresa
Tunay.
Saint Therese of Lisieux wrote: “The loveliest masterpiece of the heart of God is the heart of
a mother.” These words are affirmed
in the womb, even before the child
is born. For even if the fetus has a
heart of its own, able to pump blood
into its incipient form, its lungs do
not yet function and it is the mother
that supplies it with oxygen-rich blood.
The beautiful dynamics goes beyond
the womb: the mother’s heart pulsates
for the child, continuously giving it
life. Traditionally seen as the organ for
the passions, the heart has become the
symbol of love. From this enduring
symbol I recall two of the many
beautiful qualities of my mother: care
and endurance—the heart of fire and
the heart of bronze.
CARE. To give birth to a child, to
nurture it as it grows is a given for all
mothers. Mommy was hands-on in
this and much more: she was my first
teacher from whom I learned the basic
skills—reading, writing, arithmetic.
She taught me how to pray and from
her I learned many practical skills that
one cannot do without.
But my mother was also a school
teacher. For almost 40 years she taught
high school mathematics.
In an era when there were no
computers, she managed to work
and care for naughty children like us.
When she came home she prepared
dinner, tutored us and tucked us into
bed. She saw to it that everyone was
all right.
ENDURANCE. I have always seen
my mother as a strong woman. When
I was a little kid she would take me to
Manila—to Divisoria, which was to me
a hostile jungle. I clung to Mommy as
she walked past the throngs of people.
Her skirt, which I clutched tightly,
was my refuge. Nothing in the world
made me feel more secure.
Mommy was able to stand on
her own for several years when my
father had to work abroad. It was not
easy taking care of five children who
occasionally caused her heartaches,
but there she was, the ever patient,
persevering mother who raised us
up in those early years. She had
an amazing inner strength that
inexplicably gave her a high tolerance
for the pain brought on by her chronic
illnesses.
The beating of my mother’s heart
came to an end last March.
One morning, after arriving from
an errand, my father went to the
bedroom. My mother was lying down
solving a crossword puzzle. Seeing
him, Mommy invited him to take a
snack. He told her that he needed to
rest and would join her later. She told
him that she would cook turon (sweet
banana rolls). Daddy dozed off for
a while and saw a fleeting vision of
himself dead, which prompted him
to ask: “If I were dead, who would
take care of my wife?” He woke up
and looked for her. He saw her in the
kitchen: she was lying down, gasping
for breath. He cried out to her and
put a pillow under her. He tried to
carry her but could not. He asked for
help but she breathed her last breath
even before they could make it to the
hospital. It was a heart attack.
Shakespeare put it thus:
…and by a sleep, to say we end
The heart-ache, and the thousand Natural
shocks
That Flesh is heir to? ‘Tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished.
Yet I would like to see the event
this way: on that quiet day, Mommy’s
heart that had consistently pulsated to
give life wanted to leap and burst forth
to proclaim her love for her husband
and her children. After all, only a few
days before, she was able to call all her
five children dispersed in different
parts of the world; and now she
died serving her husband. She was
content. It was Jesus’ consummatum
est on the cross. She saw to it that
everyone was all right. It was the
yearning of my mother’s heart, a true
masterpiece indeed.
PublishedinPhilippineStar
onMothers’Day,May13,2012
Mymother’s
ByFr.JoelN.Camaya,SDB
SPECIAL FEATURE
P
H
O
TO
C
O
U
R
TE
S
Y O
F FR
. JO
E
L C
A
M
AYA
, S
D
B
heart
22 SalesianBulletinPH•June–August2012
P
H
O
TO
C
R
E
D
IT: C
O
M
M
IS
S
IO
N
O
N
S
O
C
IA
L C
O
M
M
U
N
IC
ATIO
N
-FIN
press these numbers
andyou’vegota friend
•DonBoscoPugad-SJBParishCompoundMakatiCity (02) 8438517
•TuloysaDonBosco-MuntinlupaCity (02) 7750484to85
•LauraVicuñaCenter-QuezonCity (02) 7232342
•TVETCenter-MandaluyongCity (02) 5316866
•TVETCenter-MakatiCity (02) 8175807
•TVETCenter-Mabalacat,Pampanga (045)8933899
•TVETCenter-Calamba,CanlubangLaguna (049)5491778
•TVETCenter-Tondo,Manila (02) 2545659
•TVETCenter-Carolina,NagaCity (054)4728755
•TVETCenter-Banquerohan,LegazpiCity (052)4812532
•TVETCenter-SanJose,NuevaEcija (044)5113953
•TVETCenter-Pasil,Cebu (032)2610010
•TVEDCenter-PuntaPrincesa,Cebu (032)2732301
•TVETCenter-NegrosOriental,Dumaguete (035)2250384
•TVETCenter-Dumangas,Iloilo (033)3612500
•TVETCenter-Victorias,NegrosOccidental (034)3993227
24 SalesianBulletinPH•June–August2012
Nothing is more practical than finding God.
That is, in falling in love with God, in a quite absolute way.
What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will
affect everything in your life–your desires and motivations, your
BEING and your DOING, your comings and your goings.
It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning,
and what you will do with your evenings.
It will decide how you will spend your days for the rest of your life.
It will clarify your vision and mission in the Church and in the
world.
It will decide how you will respond in love and act in love in
every way despite your human limitations and weaknesses.
It will decide what you will choose in freedom, consciously
and joyfully to be, what values you will live by, who and what
truly animates your life.
It will decide how you will serve others in a selfless way,
even to the point of laying down your life for them.
Your daily dying in love will decide how you will spend
even your leisure time—
what you will read, what music you will listen to and dance to,
what songs you will sing, what movies and TV programs you will
watch, what will catch your attention in the internet and connect
to, and even the places you will go;
how you will spend your free time responsibly and well;
who your companions are and your conversations.
“As the Father has loved me,
so I have loved you; remain in my love.”
(John 15:9)
To fall in love with God is the greatest of
all romances; to seek Him, the greatest
adventure; to find Him , the greatest of all
human achievements. (St. Augustine)
It will decide your friendships and the people you are sent to
serve.
In our case as Salesians—most especially the young;
what gives you joy and what makes you grateful, what breaks
your heart as well.
Most amazing, in spite of your sinfulness, humbly aware that
you are a redeemed sinner
trying your best with God’s grace to overcome your faults and
sinful patterns, your life is transformed little by little day by
day in every way without you being conscious of it.
Till one day you will be caught by surprise that someone in all
simplicity will recognize the Christ in you.
Grace will make you humbly claim with St. Paul, “It is no
longer I who live; it is Christ living in me.”
Falling in love with God is a grace and a miracle.
It is the greatest freedom—the freedom to love, the freedom
to be and to see God in everything and in every one.
Fall in love with God. Grow in love with God. Stay in love
with God. And it will decide everything, till eternity.
—Adapted from “Falling in Love With God” by Pedro Arrupe
S.J. which moved a member of the Secular Institute of the
Don Bosco Volunteers (VDB) to write her version based on her
Salesian experience of falling in love with God in the spirit of
“Da mihi animas...”
Falling in love with God
IM
A
G
E
S
FR
O
M
M
IC
R
O
S
O
FT O
FFIC
E
W
E
B
S
ITE
