T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R T H E S A L E S I A N F A M I L Y
DON BOSCO TODAY
T
H
E
S
A
L
E
S
IA
N
B
U
L
L
E
T
IN
•
Y
E
A
R
1
1
7
•
I
S
S
U
E
1
•
S
P
R
IN
G
2
0
0
9
DON BOSCO TODAY
2
DON BOSCO TODAY
3
Contents
Fr Pascual Chávez
Slumdogs of Don Bosco
Bosco Bear’s Treasure
Brother Neil
Going to Prison
Let Your Heart Pray
Learning through action
Our Books
Editorial
The year 2009 is of special significance to us since it marks the 150th anniversary of
the founding of the Salesians in 1859. This anniversary encourages us to reflect Don
Bosco’s ways, to return to Don Bosco with the eyes of today aware of the needs of
today and with an understanding of the young people of today. We need to reflect
both on what Don Bosco said and what he did. In 1854 Don Bosco said, quoting from
chapter eleven of John’s Gospel:
To gather together into one, the scattered children of God. These words of
the Gospel tell us that our divine Saviour came down from heaven to earth
to gather together all the children of God scattered over all the world.
It seems to me that such words could be applied literally to the young
people of our own times. The young constitute the most fragile yet
most valuable component of human society, for we base our hopes
for the future on them. These young people have a real need of some
kind person who will care for them, work with them, and guide them.
This takes us to the heart of Don Bosco. The article by Fr Merriman, Volunteering to go
to Prison, is a reminder that today there is still the real need of some kind person.
In the last issue of Don Bosco Today, we featured the World Youth Day, an impressive
manifestation of the faith of young people today. In his message to young people the
Rector Major, Fr Chávez, challenges them to reflect more deeply on their Christian
vocation. Although this is a message for young people, in reality it is a challenge
addressed to us, making it clear to us what we should expect from young people
today. A reminder that we should never underestimate their generosity. That generosity
is clearly shown in the lives of many young people, who volunteer to work with Salesian
communities in distant parts of the world, as exemplified in the article by Sarah
Cruickshank.
The new book on Prayer by Fr Michael Cunningham reminds us that we, like Don
Bosco, need to be Contemplatives in Action.
Tony Bailey SDB
Last October, a copy of the Don Bosco Calendar was sent directly to all our readers.
The printer had made a mistake in the month of September for which he apologises:
Unfortunately, during the preparation of the artwork for the 2009 calendar,
an alteration was made which resulted in 5th September being obliterated.
This operation was carried out after the editor of Don Bosco Publications
had read the proofs and the error was entirely Printoff’s. I would like to
personally apologise for any inconvenience arising from this human error.
Brian Hough
Managing Director
Printoff Graphic Arts Limited
The calendar was reprinted at no cost to us and amended copies can be obtained free
by ringing 01204 308811 or emailing joyce@salesians.org.uk
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
13 Streatham Common North, Streatham, London SW16 3HG
Tel 020 8677 4573 Fax 020 8677 4523
Email: provincialoffice.fma@ukonline.co.uk
DESIGN AND PRINTING
Printoff Graphic Arts Limited Tel 01282 877922
Printed on paper manufactured from a sustainable source using
vegetable based inks
ARTWORK
Val O’Brien
PHOTOGRAPHY
ANS Rome
Jim Clough
CHILDREN’S PAGE
Cliff Partington
WEBSITES WORTH VISITING
Our Province Web Site www.salesians.org.uk
Don Bosco Publications www.don-bosco-publications.co.uk
Salesians in Rome www.sdb.org
Salesian News Agency www.sdb.org/ANS
Salesian Sisters in Rome www.cgfmanet.org
Salesian Sisters in the UK www.salesiansisters.org.uk
Salesian Youth Ministry www.salesianyouthministry.com
Don Bosco Youth Net www.donboscoyouth.net
Bosconet www.bosconet.aust.com
Youth Outreach www.youthoutreach.org.hk
6
4
9
13
14
16
18
20
MY DONATION TO THE WORK OF DON BOSCO
Please find enclosed my donation of
Name
Address
Post code
Tel
Fax
Email
I am happy for my donation to be acknowledged by email
Registered Charity No. 233779 Charity Registered in Scotland No. SC039294
Cheques made payable to
DON BOSCO PUBLICATIONS
To donate by credit or debit card
please phone 01204 308811
Taxpayer’s option
Please send me a Gift Aid form
DON BOSCO TODAY
4
DON BOSCO TODAY
5
and sharing to overcome so much individualism and
so much loneliness in which many young people are
living, bearing witness to the positive values that give
meaning and flavour to life, and above all, making the
person of Jesus Christ, the source of life and of joy,
present among the young.
Here is another suggestion: make the voice of the
young heard, in particular that of the many who don’t
have a voice and no one listens to; make their needs
and their expectations known, defend their rights
and support them in their demands. You ought to
be the voice of the young speaking to society and
also to the Church: with a spirit of creativity promote
initiatives that make their plight known, their problems,
hardships, their expectations and hopes. The many
good things too that are already taking place in the
world of youth need to be made known, the many
positive initiatives for which often no space is found
in the media; in this way foster a positive view of the
world of the young among adults, infecting them with
your enthusiasm and drive. For you, young people,
civilian, social and missionary voluntary service
constitutes a possible vocation of significance. Be
ready and willing to opt for demanding and generous
forms of service even to the extent of accepting the
gift of God who calls you to a vocation of special
consecration.
Strengthen your own Salesian Youth Movement
promoting contacts and knowledge about each other
between the various groups in the same Salesian
centre or in the same local area, encouraging the
sharing of ideas and resources, collaboration in joint
projects in the service of the great causes of life
and of solidarity. Collaborate with institutions and
organisations in civil society, especially those which
are working among the young and in the field of youth
in need. Make the Salesian presence, as a Movement,
visible in the Church and in society by taking part in
joint projects, offering your resources and capabilities
in support of initiatives on behalf of the young.
Following paths of spiritual growth and development
and of pastoral formation we will be able to carry out
our shared mission which is the Christian education
and guidance in life of the young person.
Here is the question put by the Pope to the young
people at the last World Youth Day in Sydney; he said:
Dear young people let me now ask you a question.
What will you leave to the next generation? Are you
building your lives on firm foundations, building
something that will endure? What legacy will you leave
to young people yet to come? What difference
will you make?
Let us walk together with
hope: You shall receive
power when the Holy Spirit
has come upon you; and
you shall be my witnesses
to the ends of the earth.
(Acts 1:8). My dear young
people, these words of Jesus
are addressed to each one
of you. Never ever forget
it! The Risen Jesus opens
up for each one of you
these wide horizons, to
the ends of the earth.
But these begin here and
now in your own countries,
in your own cities where
Providence has placed
you. We are part of a great
Family born in the heart of
Don Bosco and increased
with the gift of Mary
Mazzarello and of all
the Saints who have
given it life, in a special
way the young saints, such
as Dominic Savio and Laura
Vicuña. Today the Lord is calling
us to continue this beautiful
adventure for the benefit and
the salvation of the young.
Mary, who was the Mother and
Teacher of Don Bosco, cannot
leave us alone on this journey. She is for us
too the Mother and Teacher who opens our
hearts to Christ and to the young, so that at
the service of the poorest young people we can
build a movement of salvation and the fullness of
life.
Fr Pascual Chávez
Turin, on the feast of Saint John Bosco,
31st January 2009
Last summer I took part in the World Youth Day in
Australia. It was great to see so many young people
coming from all parts of the world, despite the
distance and the expense. My thoughts immediately
went back to the great adventure that began with
Jesus of Nazareth. Fascinated by Jesus, the apostles
followed him, listened to him and often didn’t
understand him. They had doubts about him until the
end, and they betrayed him. Finally, however, they
all associated themselves with Peter’s passionate
profession of faith: Lord to whom shall we go? You
alone have the words of eternal life. They had been
caught up in his total selfless love. A love which was
more real than all their weakness, than their every
betrayal. So that tiny seed germinated, and became
a great people who cover the face of the earth: the
Church.
Meeting those thousands of enthusiastic young
people in Australia reminded me of a small group
of young men who on the cold evening of 18th
December 1859 had met together in Don Bosco’s
room to make the most important decision of their
lives: to stay with Don Bosco, giving themselves
totally to the Lord. And so in a simple and humble
way, 150 years ago, a seed was sown. From that tiny
seed there grew the Salesians, the Daughters of Mary
Help of Christians and the Salesians-Cooperators.
A story that has reached even us because that seed
has become a great tree: the Salesian Family.
To you too, young people of the beginning of this
third millennium, Jesus entrusts the mission which
two thousand years ago he gave to his disciples:
I am sending you to proclaim my gospel to the ends
of the earth. Go with that love and that apostolic and
educative passion which led Don Bosco always to
give preference to the young, the poor, the people not
yet evangelised.
I want to give you some suggestions to reflect on
in the generosity of your hearts. I invite you to walk
together towards a shared goal, with a deep spirit of
communion, with a mature ability to plan together.
Our common mission, our shared goal is the world
of youth. For this reason, dear friends, we need to
be part of the youth scene. Jesus is sending you,
together with the whole Salesian Movement, to the
world of today’s young people, with its anxieties and
hopes, with its moments of joy but also its suffering.
I am thinking of the world of school, of university, of
work; I am thinking about the places for free time and
entertainment; I am thinking, in particular, about the
desperate places of youth deprivation. It’s a question
of being actively present in all these places fostering a
better quality of life, better and deeper communication
Message Of The Rector Major
To The Young 2009
My Dear
Young People
DON BOSCO TODAY
6
DON BOSCO TODAY
7
Without doubt one of the greatest hits of 2009 is
the new film by Danny Boyle, Slumdog1 Millionaire.
It tells a very basic tale of rags to riches, with love
conquering all, set in the Dharavi slum of modern
Mumbai. It is a film made in the centre of the
so-called Bollywood cinema industry and speaks
volumes for this production as it crosses over the
cultural divides and makes us realise that we do
live in a global village. It has the universal appeal
of the victory of good over evil. Many honours,
including BAFTA and Oscar nominations, have
been bestowed upon both cast and crew.
The young hero, Jamal Malik is a contestant on an
Indian TV version of the universally popular game
show, Who wants to be a Millionaire? For those few
who have never seen the programme, the format is
very simple: answer a series of questions and win a
million pounds - you can even ring a friend for help or
ask the opinion of the audience. In the movie, Jamal
is accused of cheating as he moves closer to that top
prize and he is arrested. He is able to show, through a
series of flashbacks to his childhood in the slums, that
his knowledge is not book or school-based, but his
learning comes through the harsh realities of having
to survive in a cruel world.
These scenes of life in the slums are perhaps the
most moving of the film; Danny Boyle has often
commented on how real poverty can be seen nightly
on the television news, but to really experience it
you must smell it and taste it. Indeed it is to the
producer’s credit that they did not choose to film it on
a vast soundstage in leafy Surrey, but they worked
exclusively in Mumbai, using a cast of local children
with no formal acting training. These are the real stars
of the film; they speak and act with complete honesty
that perhaps reflects their own situation. Indeed the
screen writer, Simon Beaufoy wanted this reality to be
obvious throughout the film, I wanted to get (across)
the sense of this huge amount of fun, laughter, chat,
and sense of community that is in these slums. What
you pick up on is this mass of energy. Energy is
evident in the film from that opening chase through
Dharavi to the final explosive Bollywood-style dance
routine, with Jamal finally winning over the only love of
his life, Latika.
I was lucky enough to watch the film with a fellow
Salesian, Fr Gerry Broidy, who spent some time with
the Salesian Breads project in Southern India. The
film rang true with many of his recollections of working
with the youngsters on the project, it gives a true
portrayal of how millions of people have to live in our
world on a daily basis. Boyle does not seek to sanitize
it or dress it up: he tells it as it is, while pointing to
the fact that India is fast becoming a new force to be
reckoned with.
Danny Boyle is a Lancastrian by birth and attended
Thornleigh Salesian College in Bolton. Any remote
thoughts of becoming a Salesian or entering the
priesthood were soon dismissed by the gentle
Fr James Conway. As Danny later related, I don’t
know if he was trying to save me or the priesthood.
Like Danny, I was lucky enough to be a pupil of the
most wonderfully charismatic teacher of English
Literature, Mr Frank Unsworth. To the sixth formers of
Thornleigh he was a hero: as he not only taught us
literature, but was also our drama coach and took us
to the theatre, especially to Stratford where we could
see Shakespeare. While some of us moved on to
industry or commerce or even became Salesians of
Don Bosco, Danny followed that vision given to each
of us by Mr Unsworth and went on to study drama at
Bangor, the rest, as they say, is history.
Vision and encouragement is something we all need
in life; Don Bosco saw that this was crucial in his
system of education. We need the challenge of the
next question and we should not be content with
second best. Slumdog Millionaire offers each of us a
chance to reflect on where we are going in life.
Gerry O’Shaughnessy SDB
Slumdog Millionaire
1 The word Slumdog probably means the underdog from the slums
SLUMDOGS
OF DON BOSCO
This site answered the question. Under the
heading Salesians in India we read
SALESIAN WORK FOR THE
YOUNG AT RISK
A formidable network of services, as astounding
for its variety and reach as for its impact!
• 354 Street Presences
• 100 Shelter Homes
• 117 Children’s Homes
• 233 Street Education Centres
• 63 Vocational Training Centres
• 29 Advocacy Units
• 35 Missing Child Search Units
• 26 24-Hour Childline Centres
• and a host of other projects across 72 cities
and towns throughout India – undeniably
the most vigorous expression of Salesian
India’s concern for the ‘Young at Risk’, the
most neglected and vulnerable section of the
country’s youth.
What are the Salesians doing for
the children of the slums of India?
When I searched the internet
I discovered a new site entitled
www.slumdogs.org
DON BOSCO TODAY
8
Heading
Sub Heading
9
The Bear Facts
Hello Children
Do you like children’s stories? The competition, in this magazine,
is for you to write your own story. Have you ever tried curling up on a settee
to read a book? Lots of children like a story at bedtime. Some like fantasy
books like Harry Potter: Others like a ghost story: everybody likes a story
that makes them laugh. Do you like a happy ending? Do you like to imagine
that you are one of the characters in a story? Which is your favourite book?
Write the Title in the space above your own story and we’ll see which is the
most popular one of all.
Most children, today, spend plenty of time on their computers and watching
TV but there are still many boys and girls who enjoy getting into a really
good book. Reading is extremely good for you as you learn lots of new
words; you improve your spelling; you will write better yourself and you’ll
even start to speak better; and all of these things will happen without you
even knowing it! So…..READ ON!
Autumn 2008 Boscoword Competition - Solution
The expression Young at Risk (YaR) embraces
children and young people whose safety, growth
and development are put at risk through indifference
and neglect on the part of parents as well as society.
Generally, the term refers to runaway children, school
dropouts, rag-pickers, street children, child workers,
young drug addicts, orphans; those abandoned,
abused or exploited; refugee-children, victims of war,
violence and calamities.
Inspired by Don Bosco, in the past thirty years or
so the Salesians in India have clearly established
themselves as the pioneers in bringing new hope
for children in difficult situations. Interestingly, their
move to the streets in the 1970s was triggered off
by the helplessness of a City Corporation.
In 1974, the Mayor of Cochin was confronted
with a problem. He had on his hand 110 young
delinquents – an unruly pack, indeed, of rough and
tough pickpockets, shoplifters, rag-pickers, and
runaways. The police had rounded them up from the
city’s railway stations, bus stands, market places and
streets. The Mayor was convinced that keeping them
confined in a settlement under police surveillance
was not the best solution, but he couldn’t see any
alternative till, of course, he heard of the Salesians.
He approached Fr. Varghese Menacherry, the Director
of Don Bosco Youth Centre at Vaduthala. Would the
Don Bosco people be able to do something for these
delinquent children? They are troublesome kids, but
we need to do something for them, he pleaded. Fr.
Varghese nodded in agreement and added, Definitely.
They need to be taken care of; they need to be guided
and taught some skills to help them earn a living. The
Corporation authorities promised to provide the place
to keep them and also to meet all the expenses of
looking after them, if only Don Bosco would accept
them.
Fr. Varghese contacted Fr. Thomas Panakezham,
the Provincial of Madras, who gave the project full
support and encouragement. And so, on the 31st May
1974, the Salesians received the first batch of 110
youngsters from the Municipal Corporation of Cochin
in an old warehouse of the Corporation in Palluruthy,
which they christened Sneha Bhavan (House of Love).
Thus began a new chapter in the history of Salesian
Youth Ministry in India – a conscious movement
towards street children, those roofless and rootless
young people one finds everywhere, especially in the
cities, eking out an existence by picking up things
from around railway stations, bus stands and market
places.
Soon Sneha Bhavan’s ripple effect began to be felt
across Salesian India, especially among the younger
generation. More and more Salesians began to show
a new interest in working for these young people.
In 1977-79, Fr Joe Fernandez did the first-ever
scientific study on street children in India, as part of
his Master’s in Social Work at the Madras School of
Social Work in Chennai. As his study was nearing
completion, Door Darshan, the national TV channel,
(then in its black-and-white infancy years) telecast
an interview with Fr Joe, highlighting some of the
important findings of his study. Several photographs,
showing the life of children on the streets were also
shown on the TV during the interview. Soon UNICEF
got interested in these photographs and bought them
for their campaigns during the 1979 International Year
of the Child.
Without doubt, Fr Joe’s study of the paper-pickers
of Madras did create a new awareness of the
phenomenon of street children. In fact, beginning
from 1980, the Salesian students of theology at Kristu
Jyoti College, Bangalore, started venturing out into the
streets of the city, contacting the rag-pickers, under
the banner of Project Outreach. In course of time,
through the young priests who passed out of Kristu
Jyoti, this initiative found echoes in all the provinces of
India.
C
h
ild
re
n’
s
S
ec
tio
n
DON BOSCO TODAY
Bosco Bear
H O P
B L A C K A S H
E S F O
N T T U R I N
Y E T I W I E
D O N B O S C O
S I N G A G E
C S W I M R
T F E T E
1 2 3
4 5
6
7 8
9 10
11 12
13 14 15
16
ACROSS
4. A dark colour (5)
5. A type of tree (3)
6. City in Italy where
Don Bosco was
born (5)
7. The abominable
snowman (4)
9. Founder of
Salesians (3-5)
11. Choirs do this (4)
12. A long time (3)
13. If you don’t, you
could drown! (4)
16. Summer Fair (4)
DOWN
1. Famous battle in
1066 (8)
2. Alright (2)
3. A mobile (5)
4. Name of the Pope (8)
5. Nigeria and Ghana are
in this Continent (6)
6. How many are there
in twins (3)
8. Very heavy weight (3)
10. Shrek was one of
these (4)
14. Perhaps (2)
15. I (2)
Winners
Tom, Finchie and Beth Whitehead from London
Geraldine Ainsworth from Stockport
Olivia Nicholaou from Laleham
Prize
They have all received a copy
of ‘John Bosco: friend of
children and young people’
DON BOSCO TODAY
10
I don’t know, said Graham,
just shake your shovels and
follow me!
They came to a clearing and
on the sandy floor was a rusty
old spade.
A-aaaa-rgh. I said a-aaaaaaa-rgh, said Rio.
He was very excited. Start digging.
THE TREASURE
CLUNK !
I’ve found something, said Rio. We’ll be rich….we’ll be
millionaires!
It was a very ancient, oak box. They yanked it up…. opened
the creaking lid …. And inside was….a wooden leg!
Where’s the treasure, asked Graham?
Whose is this leg, wondered Suzi?
Is it Grizzly’s? said Rio.
BOSCO
It might be, said Bosco. My Grandad told me that Grizzly had a
wooden leg and the pirates often used to have fun and try
and trick him. They called it ‘pulling his leg’.
You’ve not been pulling OUR legs, Bosco, have you, asked
Molly, looking straight at him? Rio Suzi and Graham all
turned to look at Bosco as well.
WOULD I DO
THAT? asked Bosco.
GRIZZLY BEAR
Bosco, Molly, Rio, Suzi and Graham were
on Parrot Island, in the middle of the
River Snake.
My Grandad told me that one time a
long time ago, my
Great-Great-Great-
Great- Grandad Grizzly
was a pirate, said Bosco.
Grizzly had a ship called
the Gorilla; he flew the skull and crossbones, and when he returned
from a voyage he sailed up the River Snake to hide his gold and
silver on this island.
Wow, gasped Suzi. Where is the Treasure?
Well, said Bosco. The legend says that you should look for an
Appange tree.
A what, said Molly?
A tree where the fruit is half-apple and half- orange, explained Bosco.
Then look for the pink and black, 4-legged, bird-eating spiders.
Follow the spiders and they will take you to the treasure!
THE SEARCH
Bosco’s friends liked playing at Pirates.
A-aaaa-rgh and shiver mi timbers, said Rio. Graham; away and see
what ye can find.
Belay, said Molly. Come on mi
hearties and follow me.
Suzi sat down and dreamed that some
diamonds would go very nicely with her new
dress. Suddenly Graham came sprinting back.
You look like a hot dog, joked Rio!
Graham wasn’t amused. You’ll be a very hot dog,
you pesky varmint, when you walk the plank,
replied Graham. Come on. I’ve found an apple
tree and some spiders, he said.
Did the spiders have 4 legs? asked Suzi?
The Pirates Of The Buried Demon
DON BOSCO TODAY
13
When I was little and was on holiday my Mum
and Dad took me to a park where a Pirate ship sailed to an island in the middle
of a lake. A man, dressed like a pirate, said if we dug in the sand we’d find
hidden money. So…..all the children began to scrape away with their hands
and found lots of coins. It was great!
Years later my Dad told me that when we reached the island the Pirate’
whispered to all the adults to drop some coins in the sand when the children
weren’t looking! I remember my dad on his hands and knees, next to me, trying
to find his money because he didn’t want to lose it.
Nearly everyone likes money. Some people think it’s the most important thing
of all. Other people think that the best things in life are free. Which is better: a
new car or good health?
Lots of new clothes or feeling that you’re loved? Many people think that the
more money they have the happier they will be. I also know people who have
been to Africa and have met people with very little money; yet my friends
sometimes tell me that these very poor people seem happier than we do.
So…..what do you think about money? How important is it? Are the best things
in life free?
COMPETITION: WRITE A SHORT STORY ABOUT MONEY (no more than 100
words).
Please send entries to Bosco Bear DON BOSCO PUBLICATIONS
Thornleigh House, Sharples Park, Bolton BL1 6PQ
Please include Name, Age and Address
12
THE BEST THINGS
IN LIFE ARE FREE
Brother Neil McElwee SDB
1919-2008
Brother Neil McElwee died at
Farnborough on the 7th October 2008.
Brother Joe Adams went to Neil’s room
to see why he wasn’t down for supper,
the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, said
that, when he found that Neil had died
while sitting comfortably in his chair with
his legs on a footstool and his rosary in
his hands. That says it all a holy death,
at the end of a good life.
Neil’s sister, says that when Neil was a young lad
playing football on the streets of Strabane, he would
often disappear for a short while, to pay a visit to the
nearby church. There is no doubt that Neil’s whole
life was deliberately directed towards developing a
close, intimate relationship with the God. I’m told that,
at Farnborough, whenever you opened the chapel
door the first person you’d see would be Neil. He was
always there and he was always early, and invariably
he had his rosary in his hand. It was the habit of a
lifetime. He was the same in Blaisdon and probably in
every house where he served.
Neil worked in the Salesian Community in Shrigley for
21 years, where he developed and honed his skills as
a cook. During the war, Neil was able to make a great
meal out of the meagre rations and many a hungry
Salesian was forever grateful for his expertise and the
care he took to keep them fed. In the 1960s he spent
short periods in Ballinakill, Chertsey, Warrenstown
and Bootle as cook, driver, and groundsman. He
joined the staff of Blaisdon in 1968 and was there for
26 years. He spent a few years in Stockport before
retiring to Farnborough.
Stories of Neil’s trickery on the football pitch abound,
always a presence on the left wing, he was small but
packed a powerful shot. One of his favourite hobbies
was repairing watches. We used to say, Give it to Neil,
he’ll fix it. In his last years, at Farnborough, there was
no more cooking, no more watches to repair. We must
not undervalue the fruitfulness of those last years. He
now had to be more dependent on God and on other
people. God’s will was being worked out through his
fidelity, these were not wasted years.
So may Neil, that gentle unassuming Brother and
genuinely good human being rest in peace.
Fr Aidan Murray SDB
C
h
ild
re
n’
s
S
ec
tio
n
DON BOSCO TODAY
DON BOSCO TODAY
14
DON BOSCO TODAY
15
Volunteering To Go To Prison!
Fifteen years ago a very determined
lady began something entirely new
in the British prison service. She
organised volunteers to come into a
Young Offenders Institute to teach Basic
Skills reading, writing, and numeracy.
The volunteers work, one to one, with
inmates who asked for help.
That Office organising Volunteer Supported
Education (VSE) is still the only one of its kind in
the UK. Recently we had a function, celebrating
what has been achieved over 15 years and asking
distinguished and influential guests, why have
other prisons both for young and old offenders, not
introduced similar schemes. They could play an
important role in breaking the cycle of re-offending.
On our Exhibition Evening five of our most recent
students went up with their tutors and read out to an
audience of about 100 people what had been their
experience with VSE. My own student, Danny, gave
the longest presentation and he has agreed to let me
publish the text he himself had written.
What seemed quite amazing was the courage of
these lads. Despite their limited educational and
social backgrounds, they had to stand and speak
before an audience of 100 people, including a recent
Chief Inspector of Prisons, prison governors, and
visitors from a number of other prison establishments.
Here’s what Danny had to tell them.
When I heard there was gong to be a VSE get-together
I felt obliged to attend and share my views as I had
been a student learning under my tutor Joe for some
time now. I come to hear of what VSE has to offer
whilst working in the officers’ mess and meeting Joe.
When Joe explained that he could give me one-zone
help with my mathematics among other subjects I told
him I was interested right away as I have never been
the great at mathematics and as you can appreciate
being in prison and not doing any form of education
makes you forget any of what you have previously
learned in school for instance as you are not putting
your brain to work.
When I started to work with Joe I come to realise that
my maths skills had decreased significantly and that
maths is a subject you cannot learn overnight this gave
me no self confidence. With each lesson I began to
see improvements and with I become able to tackle
harder questions and learn and put to use methods
in order to do this. I soon sat a level one maths exam
and passed which I am pleased about. We then
aimed towards a level two with only a small number of
practice lessons before the exam and as a result Joe
tried to cram in a number of topics into one session
which was difficult for me to take in. I was hesitant to
take the exam to say the least as I didn’t feel ready,
though Joe was eager for me to try and said “You don’t
have nothing to lose by sitting it but you have gained
something if you pass. If only we had a few more
sessions beforehand, perhaps four or five I would have
gone into the test feeling more upbeat nevertheless I
took it
I enjoyed each lesson with Joe and before starting
work we would talk about recent events and things
such as what we had done since our last lesson with
him usually telling me stories of his most recent long
distance walking adventure and the latest book he
was enjoying reading that tends to be written in either
French or Italian, seeing how excited he would be over
such things amazed me and I come to realise there
are a wide variety of things people like doing and that
my likes were so confined in comparison. I wondered
maybe I too could receive enjoyment from various
activities and hobbies if only I would give them a go.
I also liked laughing with Joe as he got a question
wrong he would become flustered and annoyed with
himself until he had found the correct answer and why
he had made a mistake. This rarely happened though
I would always remind him of it as it made a nice
change to me being the one with the wrong answer.
I would strongly recommend VSE to anyone interested
in furthering their education as you can learn new
skills at your own pace in an environment where there
are no distractions as it is just you working with your
tutor. I personally believe VSE has helped me and I
am confident that I can put my new skills to good use
outside of prison when given the opportunity to do so.
I would like to thank Joe my VSE tutor for all the help,
support and confidence he has given me and VSE as
a whole for enabling him and others to pass on their
knowledge to us who need it most. Thank you for
listening.
A letter to Danny
At the celebration of the 15th birthday of VSE at Feltham on Tuesday April 8th 2008, Danny,
you were brilliant!
I’m sure lots of visitors told you that, that same evening.You were a great ambassador for VSE. VSE has helped you. It was good that you and the
other lads were willing to help VSE – and many other prisoners elsewhere in the future.
Prisons everywhere need to set up VSE systems, and the evidence of our Feltham students
could help bring that about, though it may still take some time before we can see the results.
What you wrote, and read out to us all showed clearly that you have a gift with words. you
conveyed to everyone that VSE is about much more than the teaching and learning of basic
skills, very necessary though that is.
More important still than your words were what you brought to the evening, simply by being
yourself. everyone in the audience knew how nerve-racking an experience you were having,
standing up there to address them. Perhaps I’m prejudiced but there was something about
what you shared with us that impressed deeply because you came across as so honest and
genuine I didn’t feel we were being conned.
Later, I was noticing how you and the other inmates were mingling with the visitors, after
the formal part of the evening. Both you and the visitors seems at ease with one another, as
young people might be in their own house, at a reception for friends of their parents.
The evening proved that you don’t need to take a drink to show your best self. In your natural
and plain self you deserve and win respect, because you have qualities others can admire.
No need for smart clothes or flashing lots of money around.Over the coming months, and even in ten years time, we at VSE will always be delighted to
hear from you, to learn of the ways in which you are succeeding in re-building your life. And
of course I will always be happy to write back.
Joe Merriman (VSE Tutor)
DON BOSCO TODAY
16
DON BOSCO TODAY
17
Why did you write Let Your Heart Pray?
In recent years, I have given retreats in many parts
of the world. For me, the most evident sign of the
presence of the Holy Spirit, in our troubled times,
is the recovery of the contemplative tradition. This
tradition was taught for the first 1500 years of the
life of the Church. It unlocks the heart of the gospel
message, which is that we have all been created
to live in the deepest union with God. It is in our
deepest DNA. Anything outside that is to miss the
point.
Why did you choose the subtitle for the
book as Spirituality for Contemplatives
in Action
The contemplative tradition is not to be hidden
away in monasteries. It is for the life of the world. It
lays bare the central spiritual problem facing every
human being: what do I do with my ego? The ego
always makes judgements and creates divisions:
myself and others, good and evil, black and white,
who is right and who is wrong. It places me on
the side of the righteous, so I can feel good about
myself. In contemplation we move to a deeper
centre where everything can be accepted with
compassion and forgiveness, my own failings as
well as those of others.
Did your twenty years teaching in
comprehensive schools help you when
it came to writing your book?
I was fortunate in my teaching years to work with
a number of young people from disadvantaged
backgrounds. I thought I could teach and change
them. I learned that the key question was, How was
this experience changing me? Salesian teaching
has to be an exchange of gifts and challenges.
Which authors have helped you most?
My own founder, Don Bosco, set me on the way. In
recent years Richard Rohr has been the one who
put the pieces together for me. I have always been
fascinated by the story and writings of Thomas
Merton. I am still learning about the contemplative
tradition from Thomas Keating and Cynthia
Bourgeault, and mystics such as St Paul and that
wonderful English woman, Julian of Norwich.
Do you get much feedback from your
readers?
My retreat ministry seems to be growing in
response to requests from people who have read
my books.
What did you learn from your mistakes?
Well, I’ve made many, but it was Richard Rohr
who taught me something that I wish I had learned
earlier. We don’t go to God by getting it right but by
getting it wrong. Unless we have experienced the
compassion and forgiveness of God we have not
really met the Father of Jesus, who uses everything
in our lives, even our sins and failures, and turns it
into good. At the end of the day it is always about
compassion, or loving kindness as Don Bosco
called it. That has to be good news.
Author of
Within & Without,
A Time for Compassion
and Lost and Found
Let Your Heart Pray
A New Book by
Michael Cunningham SDB
It unlocks the heart of
the gospel message“
“
DON BOSCO TODAY
18
DON BOSCO TODAY
19
Learning through action
Sarah in Cebu
In our current financial crisis, it is perhaps
easier to begin to relate to the situations
of millions of people around the world,
although whatever we imagine about their
poverty will still be a long way from the
truth. The crisis that we are currently finding
ourselves in has been happening in the
developing world for over a decade yet
very little has been done to alleviate their
suffering, the reality of which is beyond our
comprehension.
I went to an island called Cebu, for four weeks to live
and work in a church and youth centre there which
is situated in the middle of a slum called Pasil. The
community is built on a rubbish dump, at the base of
a power station, which is constantly generating clouds
of pollution, in an area where no-one else wants to
live, and this is why they are there. In my naivety,
I thought that this would be the only slum community
in the city so I was shocked to find similar areas
throughout the city. The poor are living alongside the
rich in such close proximity that you can literally walk
out of the Cebuano version of the Ritz onto the road
where corrugated iron shacks make up the houses of
those living there. I went out there with an organisation
called Bosco Volunteer Action (BOVA) whose mission
statement is Learning through action; serving the
young and the poor alongside Salesian communities
around the world.
The Salesian community that I lived with in Pasil was
amazingly inspirational. The dedication that they have
to the youth out there was humbling and to be a part
of their projects was incredible. It was by far the most
challenging thing that I have ever done. To be a part
of the bigger picture, to reach out to someone in need
and to receive so much back in return, was a huge
blessing beyond my understanding. My daily routine
involved helping out in the kitchen in the morning
and preparing food for the feeding programme. The
programme is supposed to feed about 100 children
but only about 60 to 70 kids actually turned up
because the mothers could not be bothered to bring
their children. This was quite challenging in itself, as
we simply could not understand why you would miss
the opportunity of free food, as this would be the only
meal the children would have that day.
In the afternoons, I helped out in the office, putting
together official documents for the centre to make the
qualifications they offered to the vocational trainees,
aged between l8 and 25. I also completed the profiles
of the students for the sponsorship organisations.
After that, I would go and help out in the nursery at
the orphanage run by the Sisters of Mother Theresa.
The orphanage was for sick and abandoned children
and we would go along and play with the babies
on the floor, keep them amused and help with the
feeding. The orphanage cares for about 60 babies
and children and was seriously understaffed. In
the evening our duties required us to supervise the
scholars, the children who are sponsored to go to
school, in their tutorials for an hour every night. The
rosary was then said and then we would play games
like basketball and volleyball, table football and pool
which were part of a new Games’ Room that had
recently opened.
Pasil is characterised by the amount of children there.
At all times of the day and night they accompanied us,
everywhere we went. As soon as I got out of the car,
I was surrounded by kids, who wanted me to bless
them by touching their forehead. Pasil is known as
one of the roughest places in Cebu and the poverty
there is indescribable.
Yet, despite this, they all had smiles on their faces;
smiles that mask an immense depth of pain and
suffering, but smiles that were genuine and easy.
The people I met were living from day to day. They
were locked in the cycle of working to eat and eating
to work. Their houses, built of corrugated iron and
maybe some semi-concrete if you were lucky, were
built in extremely close proximity to each other,
making the roads between them narrow, dirty and
smelly. Their bath consisted of a bucket. If you were
lucky you would live near a well otherwise your water
came from a giant plastic container that was filled by
the rain water. It is usual to find whole families living in
one room, with up to, and sometimes, more than ten
or eleven people sleeping together. In fact I was quite
embarrassed to describe my house in the UK, and
how we all slept in separate rooms with more rooms
just for eating or socialising!
All my fears of going to the Philippines were
unfounded as I soon discovered that I was extremely
welcome from the moment I arrived. But the heat,
noise, smells, language, traffic and, most of all.
the poverty and destitution everywhere completely
overwhelms you. I have never felt so far removed from
all that I know.
My time out there was spiritually, mentally, emotionally
and physically tiring but I enjoyed every minute. I felt
very humbled by living amongst such an amazing,
inspirational group of people. My faith was challenged
yet fulfilled in ways that didn’t really make sense. The
lives the people live just opened up to me the reality
of what kind of world we share. Projects, such as the
one I helped out in, give young people the amazing
opportunity to change their lives; lives that they have
not chosen to live and would probably have no other
opportunity to escape. They are given a purpose, a
future, a hope, but most importantly a chance to live
as a child should live.
Sarah Cruickshank
DON BOSCO TODAY
20
In this book, Fr Michael Cunningham argues that the contemplative tradition is not to be
hidden away in monasteries. It is for the life of the world. It lays bare the central spiritual
problem facing every human being. It unlocks the heart of the gospel message, which is
that we have all been created to live in the deepest union with God.
Let Your Heart Pray
Fr Michael Cunningham
D
O
N
B
O
SC
O
P
U
B
LI
C
AT
IO
N
S
Michael Cunningh
am SDB
D
O
N
B
O
SC
O
P
U
B
LI
C
AT
IO
N
S
N
A
M
E
O
F
A
U
TH
O
R
Let Your
Heart Pray
Generous discounts for schools phone Joyce on 01204 308811
I would like to order:- Author QTY Price each
LET YOUR HEART PRAY M Cunningham SDB 12.00
SCHOOL ETHOS and CHAPLAINCY D O’Malley SDB 12.00
SYMBOLS and SPIRITUALITY reflecting on John’s Gospel M Winstanley SDB 12.00
THE CHRISTIAN TEACHER D O’Malley SDB 5.50
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION D O’Malley SDB 7.00
ORDINARY WAYS Reflections for teachers & youth club leaders D O’Malley SDB 5.00
PRAYERS TO CLOSE THE DAY D O’Malley SDB 5.00
PRAYERS TO START THE DAY D O’Malley SDB 4.00
TRUST THE ROAD 2nd edition with coloured illustrations D O’Malley SDB 6.00
VIA LUCIS The Stations of the Resurrection D O’Malley SDB 7.00
SERVING THE YOUNG Our Catholic Schools Today J Gallagher SDB 6.00
DON’T ORGANISE MY TEARS Reflections on bereavement A Bailey SDB 6.00
CHLOE & JACK VISIT THE VATICAN K Pearce 5.00
DVD ROSIE GOES TO CHURCH A child’s guide to the church K Pearce 9.00
BOOK ROSIE GOES TO CHURCH A child’s guide to the church K Pearce 5.00
DON BOSCO The friend of children and young people K Pearce 5.00
GOOD NEWS IN THE FAMILY The life of Jesus in story form K Pearce 5.00
101 SAINTS AND SPECIAL PEOPLE Lives of Saints K Pearce 12.00
MEMORY GAME based on 101 Saints & Special People K Pearce 6.00
OUR COLOURFUL CHURCH YEAR K Pearce 5.00
ROSIE AND KATIE GO TO MASS K Pearce 5.00
LOST & FOUND Spirituality for a changing world M Cunningham SDB 7.00
A TIME FOR COMPASSION A Spirituality for Today M Cunningham SDB 7.00
WITHIN & WITHOUT Renewing Religious Life M Cunningham SDB 7.00
SEAN DEVEREUX - A life given for Africa 1964-1993 M Delmer SDB 7.00
DON BOSCO’S GOSPEL WAY Reflections on the life of Don Bosco M Winstanley SDB 7.00
GOD OF MANY FACES Reflective verses M. Renshaw FMA 3.00
MOVING ON Book of reflective poetry Margaret J Cooke 6.00
MAMMA MARGARET The Life of Don Bosco’s Mother Teresio Bosco SDB 7.00
TEACHER, TEACH US TO PRAY for use in primary schools W Acred FMA 5.00
THE WITNESSES - 7 witnesses narrate their part in the Passion Story W Acred FMA 4.00
TOTAL
ORDER FORM - SPRING 2009
DON BOSCO PUBLICATIONS, THORNLEIGH HOUSE, SHARPLES PARK, BOLTON BL1 6PQ
Tel 01204 308811 Fax 01204 306868 Email joyce@salesians.org.uk
REDUCTIONS AVAILABLE FOR BOOKSHOPS, CHURCH REPOSITORIES, SCHOOLS AND MULTIPLE COPIES.
Name
Address
Postcode
Tel Fax Email
Pay by credit or debit card please phone 01204 308811
or order online www.don-bosco-publications.co.uk
P R I C E L I S T - S P R I N G 2 0 0 9 - A l l p r i c e s i n c l u d e p o s t a g e
