Homily for 3d Sunday of Ordinary Time

Homily for the
3d Sunday of Ordinary Time

Jan. 25, 2026
Matt 4: 12-23
Villa Maria, Bronx
Our Lady of the Assumption, Bronx

The Triumph of Christianity
(Gustave Dore')

“The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light” (Matt 4: 16).

In our Lord’s time, Galilee had a large Gentile population of Greeks, Phoenicians, Syrians, and Romans in addition to the Israelite population.  St. Matthew singles out that population, referring to “Galilee of the Gentiles” as he adapts the quotation he takes from Isaiah (8:23—9:1), part of our 1st reading.

Strange, then, that the Jewish Messiah should emerge from that context rather than from Judea or even Jerusalem.  But Matthew sees God at work.  He sees Jesus fulfilling what Tevye calls “God’s vast eternal plan.”  So here, as in numerous other instances, Matthew cites the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament, to explain or comment on Jesus’ life.  God has planned this all along.  God wills from the start that his Messiah redeem not only Israel but all the nations.

Matthew tipped his interpretive hand when he included in Jesus’ genealogy several Gentile women (1:1-6) and when he narrated the story of the magi (2:1-12).  Then he finishes his Gospel with the Lord’s command to “go and make disciples of all nations” (28:19).

The magi, those foreigners from the East, were led by a star, by an extraordinary light, to him who is the light of the world.  Now, as Jesus begins his ministry, the light bursts upon the world—for both Jew and Gentile:  “The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light; on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen” (4:16).

The definitive darkness of humans created originally in God’s image—whether Jew or Gentile—is separation from eternal light, from God.  In the 2d Eucharistic Prayer we pray that God welcome everyone into the light of his face.  In the 4th Eucharistic Prayer, we give thanks to our “Father most holy” who dwells “in unapproachable light” (Preface) before asking to be granted a share in his glory “freed from the corruption of sin and death.”

Sin is the 1st form of darkness, and it leads to the dark grave.  Therefore Jesus begins his preaching with a summons to “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (4:17).  The kingdom is present in him, light personified—“Light from light,” in the words of the Creed, “a light that shines in the dark, … the true light that enlightens everyone,” in the words of St. John’s prolog (1:4,9).

This true light will conquer the darkness in our hearts, forgiving our sins and remedying our separation from the eternal light.  Finally, he’ll conquer even death.  He’ll do this for all whom his apostles snag in their gospel nets (Matt 4:19).

Jesus’ ministry includes not only the verbal forgiveness of sins, but also what St. John calls “signs.”  His healing of disease and illness are visible, physical signs of the light he bestows on our souls.  His driving out demons is a sign of his power over the Prince of Darkness.  His nature miracles are signs that every form of darkness in our lives, even death, is subject to him.  Jesus “went around all of Galilee … curing every disease and illness” (4:23), casting out demons, salvaging a wedding disaster, walking on water, calming a storm, forgiving sins—all signs of the kingdom of light, of “unapproachable light” bursting into Galilee and into the whole world.

The “fishers of men” whom Jesus chose and continues to choose, preachers and practitioners of the Gospel, continue to bring his light into the world, the light of his truth and goodness.  So the Church preaches the Gospel and teaches the Gospel’s application to our lives in a world struggling against darkness.  Christians bring the light of healing, education, and mercy to the sick, the poor, the bereaved, the afflicted, the frightened, the oppressed, the hopeless.  We oppose every form of darkness—moral, spiritual, physical, and psychological—that the Prince of Darkness and his minions thrust upon us.  We work and we pray that the kingdom of heaven, eternal light, may reign in all parts of our lives.

Pope Leo XIV to Visit Sacred Heart Basilica

(ANS – Rome – January 23, 2026) – The diocese of Rome announced on January 23 that Pope Leo XIV will make his first pastoral visit to the basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Castro Pretorio on Sunday, February 22. The event is expected to be a historic moment of grace for the parish community and for the entire Salesian Family.

The visit is part of the Holy Father’s Lenten program, which includes meetings with 5 parishes representing the different pastoral sectors of the diocese of Rome, in keeping with the tradition of Popes visiting the communities of their diocese personally during Lent.

Commenting on the announcement, the pastor, Fr. Javier Ortiz, emphasized the profound ecclesial significance of the event: “The Holy Father’s visit represents a historic moment of grace for us, coming shortly after the Jubilee Year and prolonging its fruits of spiritual renewal, hope, and ecclesial communion.” Welcoming the Pope, he added, “is a strong sign of closeness and encouragement for our entire community.”

According to the Vicariate of Rome, the visit will be a true pastoral visit. Pope Leo will meet with parish organizations, pastoral workers, and some youth groups before presiding over the Eucharistic celebration, the culminating moment of the meeting with the entire community.

Fr. Francesco Marcoccio, the rector of the basilica of the Sacred Heart, also highlighted how the presence of the Holy Father in the basilica, built by Don Bosco himself and entrusted to the Salesians, “confirms the importance of pastoral commitment to young people, families, and those who live or pass through this central area of Rome,” inviting the community to renew its missionary zeal in the light of the Heart of Christ.

For the parish of the Sacred Heart and for the Salesian Family, Pope Leo XIV’s first visit to the basilica is thus a sign of communion, renewed pastoral responsibility, and trust in the journey of the Church of Rome, guided by its bishop.

New Exhibit at Mission Museum Focuses on Indigenous Communities

New Exhibit at Misiones Salesianas Museum Focuses on Indigenous Communities

(ANS – Madrid – January 22, 2026) – The Misiones Salesianas Museum presents the second phase of the commemorative exhibition entitled La aventura valdrá la pena: 150 años de las misiones salesianas (“The adventure will be worth it: 150 years of Salesian missions”). This new stage of the exhibition offers a critical look at the relationship between Salesian missionaries and the indigenous peoples of Tierra del Fuego, particularly the Selk’nam people, with an emphasis on historical memory and current processes of reparation and recognition.

The exhibit runs across 2 rooms. The 1st traces the changing mindset of the Salesian missionaries who arrived in Patagonia at the end of the 19th century, influenced by a colonial vision. Contact with the reality of the indigenous populations gradually transformed this view, dismantling prejudices and revealing the cultural, social, and spiritual richness of the Selk’nam people.

Some Salesian missionaries actively denounced the injustices suffered by these communities during the colonization process. Among them were figures such as Dominic Milanesio, an inter-ethnic and cultural mediator, and Albert Maria de Agostini, whose photographic, scientific, and pastoral work marked a profound change in the missionary sensibility of the time.

The 2d room brings together more than 30 photographs taken by De Agostini at the beginning of the 20th century, documenting the traditions, beliefs, clothing, and social organization of the Selk’nam people. The exhibition is completed by an excerpt from the documentary Terre Magellaniche (1933), one of the first film recordings of the indigenous peoples of Tierra del Fuego and southern Patagonia, as well as a selection of Selk’nam arrowheads belonging to the museum’s founding collection, unique vestiges of a millennial culture that was on the verge of disappearing.

The inauguration of this 2d phase took place on January 15, with a conference entitled “Reparación y revitalización de la memoria Selk’nam de Tierra del Fuego” (“Repair and revitalization of the Selk’nam memory of Tierra del Fuego”). The conference was attended by Margarita Angelica Maldonado, a descendant of the Selk’nam and cultural transmitter from Rio Grande, Argentina; Manuel Peris, a Chilean visual artist, graphic designer, and art professor; and Alejandra Muñoz-Tapia, a Mapuche social psychologist and doctor of psychology.

This meeting offered insights into the cultural, social, and legislative processes that today allow for the recovery of the collective memory of a people who for decades were considered “extinct” and who today are reclaiming their identity and rights in both Argentina and Chile.

With this 2d phase of the exhibit on the 150th anniversary of the 1st missionary expedition sent by Don Bosco, the Misiones Salesianas Museum reaffirms its vocation as a cultural and educational space at the service of memory, intercultural respect, and the construction of a more just present by listening to the past.

The exhibit can be visited free of charge until April 11 at the Misiones Salesianas Museum (Calle Lisboa, 4, Madrid), from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on Fridays also from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Homily for Thursday, Week of Ordinary Time; Day of Prayer for Human Life

Homily for Thursday
Week 2 of Ordinary Time
Day of Prayer for Human Life

Jan. 22, 2026
1 Sam 18: 6-9; 19: 1-7
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

Saul Threatening David
(by Jose Leonardo)

“Saul discussed his intention of killing David with his son Jonathan and with all his servants” (1 Sam 19: 1).

Several chapters of 1 Samuel narrate Saul’s jealousy and paranoia, often interpreted as schizophrenia or some other mental imbalance.  Thruout, David, the Lord’s chosen one, enjoys divine protection and Jonathan’s steadfast friendship, and he acts uprightly while protecting himself and his family.

Today the Catholic portion of our nation observes a day of prayer and penance for the protection of human life.  Another portion of the nation acts or at least thinks more like Saul—moved by fear, self-interest, or grossly misguided “compassion” to seek the lives of the innocent or to defend those who do so; not only unborn human life, but lives perceived to be painful or just useless.

If we perceive that it’s acceptable, even healthy, even necessary to make some humans disposable, we’re as sick as Saul was.  Iceland proudly asserts that it has eliminated birth defects.  They’ve eliminated the “defective” before birth.  That attitude affects our entire “enlightened” society—“enlightened” like the Third Reich.  That attitude, I think, is at the root of a great deal of the violence we lament in society:  random, senseless assaults in the subways, gang violence, carefully planned assassinations and mass shootings, revolutionary terrorism, and the invasion of territory.  If life is cheap, disposable, and subject to one’s feelings or national aspirations, why are we shocked?

David models patience and dependence on God.  Jonathan models defense of the innocent.  Many of the psalms attributed to David are pleas for God to uphold him and all who are upright.  So we speak up for the unborn, the ill, the elderly, and the refugee.  We persist in marching, lobbying, and weighing the moral character of candidates for public office.  And we pray. 

March for Life, Jan. 19, 2018
Washington

Homily for Tuesday, Week 2 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Tuesday
Week 2 of Ordinary Time

Jan. 20, 2026
1 Sam 16: 1-13
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph Residence, N.R.

Samuel anoints David
(Church at Dura Europos)

“Not as man sees does God see …” (1 Sam 16: 7).

One of the themes of the set of OT historical books we’re reading is quite simply that God’s in charge.

When the people demand that Samuel—whom they recognize as a spokesman for God—appoint a king for them, he does so reluctantly and only when God give him the OK, telling him, “It’s not you they reject; they’re rejecting me as their king” (8:7).

So long as Saul does what pleases the Lord, he and Israel do well.  When Saul disobeys, as we heard yesterday (15:16-23), he’s finished.  In the wider context of the books of Samuel, we may suppose that if Saul had repented immediately, as David did later when Nathan confronted him, instead of justifying himself, God would have welcomed his admission of guilt, as he did David’s.

But lacking that, God moves on to Plan C.  Rule by judges was Plan A, and Saul was B.  Now God chooses David.  It’s more than evident that God’s calling the signals from the moment he sends Samuel to Bethlehem, an insignificant town, and there chooses the least likely man, a mere shepherd boy, to anoint decisively with “the Spirit of the Lord” (16:13).

It remains true that individuals, the Church, and nations fare well when they let the Spirit of the Lord guide them.  Pope Leo recently reminded the diplomatic corps of that.  Yesterday 3 cardinals reminded the President of that, citing Leo as well as traditional moral teaching.

Today, here, we’re praying for and, in a sense, honoring a longtime friend[1] of Bro. Charles[2] who—so far as we can judge—sought always to follow faithfully the Holy Spirit’s lead.  External evidence is that Walter’s heart belonged to Christ.  May it be so for eternity.

And may our Lord Jesus always be pleased when he sees our hearts.

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[1] Walter Lau of Honolulu, †11-20-25.

[2] Bro. Charles Avendano, CFC, 100-year-old resident of St. Joseph’s.

Fr. Elijah Comini to Be Beatified

Fr. Elijah Comini, priest and martyr, 

will be beatified on September 27

(ANS – Vatican City – January 19, 2026) – On January 2, Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, substitute of the Vatican Secretariat of State, informed Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, archbishop of Bologna, that Pope Leo XIV had accepted the proposal to celebrate the Rite of Beatification of the Venerable Servants of God Ubald Marchinoni, diocesan priest, Elijah Comini, Salesian priest, and Martin Capelli, Dehonian priest, on September 27 in Bologna. The representative of the Supreme Pontiff will be Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

Fr. Elijah Comini was born in the locality of Madonna del Bosco in Calvenzano di Vergato (Bologna) on May 7, 1910. Msgr. Fidenzio Mellini, a former pupil of Don Bosco in Turin, directed him to the Salesians of Finale Emilia. Elijah became a novice on October 1, 1925, made his first profession on October 3, 1926, and his perpetual profession on May 8, 1931. Ordained in Brescia on March 16, 1935, the Servant of God lived in the Salesian houses in Chiari (in the province of Brescia), until 1941 and Treviglio (in the province of Bergamo), from 1941 to 1944.

In the summer of 1944, Fr. Elijah returned for a few periods to the Bologna Apennines to assist his mother, who was now elderly and alone, and to help Msgr. Mellini in his pastoral work. He arrived in Salvaro on June 24. He remained there for just over three months, until his death.

Fr. Elijah helped the population with their many practical needs dictated by wartime, animated the liturgy, and promoted the reception of the sacraments; he supported the consecrated women and lived an intense apostolate in the exercise of all works of corporal and spiritual mercy. He also mediated between the opposing sides: the population, the partisans, and the Germans soldiers who were stationed in the rectory for a month (August 1 - September 1, 1944).

Fr. Elijah established a priestly fraternity with the young Dehonian Fr. Martin Capelli, which united them in ministry and martyrdom. On the morning of September 29, 1944, Fr. Elijah rushed with Fr. Martin to Creda, a village where the SS of a battalion of the 16th Armored Division had just perpetrated a massacre: their stoles, holy oils, and ciborium with some Eucharistic hosts clearly identified them as priests in the exercise of their ministry of comforting the dying. Captured, stripped of their priestly garb, and used as pack animals to transport ammunition, Fr. Elijah and Fr. Martin experienced intense suffering that day. Transferred in the evening to the “house of the carters” in Pioppe di Salvaro, they lived through 2 intense days, convinced from the outset that they were destined to die, yet remaining close to the prisoners. On the evening of October 1, they were killed in the group of “unfit” prisoners at the spinning mill in Pioppe di Salvaro, at the end of a surreal liturgy in which the SS had paraded the prisoners along a walkway before mowing them down with machine guns: Fr. Elijah intoned the Litany and finally cried out “Pietà!” (Mercy!). The bodies couldn’t be recovered because the spillway was opened and the impetuous current of the Reno River carried away the remains.

Fr. Martin Capelli, ordained in 1938, was a seminary professor. He moved with the students to Burzanella, in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines. In the summer of 1944, he came to Salvaro to help the elderly parish priest of San Michele in the pastoral service of the village, despite that the area was at the center of armed clashes involving German and Allied soldiers and partisan groups. After the massacre perpetrated by the SS in the nearby locality known as “Creda,” like Fr. Elijah, Fr. Capelli rushed to bring comfort to the dying and was seized, abused, and executed.

Monument to Frs. Comini and Capelli at Salvaro

Fr. Ubald Marchioni was an exemplary priest, faithful to his community even in the most tragic moments of World War II. After years of formation and deep friendships in the seminary, he became a priest in 1942 and was pastor in San Martino di Caprara and Casaglia from May 1944. During the Nazi massacre of September 29 of that year, he remained with his parishioners until his violent death on the steps of the altar in Casaglia. It was among the rubble of that altar that a bullet-riddled ciborium was found, a symbol of faith and martyrdom.

Fr. Pierluigi Cameroni, Salesian postulator general, states, “Fr. Elijah Comini, Fr. Martin Capelli, Fr. Ubald Marchioni, together with Blessed John Fornasini are young priests who embodied the charity of the Good Shepherd, giving their lives for their flock and with their flock, faithful ministers of the mysteries of redemption, artisans of peace, justice, and reconciliation.”

Homily for 2d Sunday of Ordinary Time

Homily for the
2d Sunday of Ordinary Time

Jan. 18, 2026
John 1: 29-34
The Fountains, Tuckahoe
St. Francis Xavier, Bronx
Our Lady of the Assumption, Bronx

“John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world’” (John 1: 29).

Last week we celebrated the feast of the baptism of Jesus, and we heard God the Father’s recognition of Jesus as his beloved Son and witnessed the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus in the form of a dove.

Today John the Baptist testifies that he has witnessed this event.  It seems that John doesn’t immediately recognize who Jesus is; but when he sees the Spirit descend on Jesus, then he knows who he is:  “He’s the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit” (1:32-33).

John’s recognition goes further:  “This is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”  This man Jesus, by giving the Holy Spirit to people, takes away sin—not just sin of some vague sort, but “the sin of the world.”  In another place, St. John tells us “the whole world is under the power of the Evil One” (1 John 5:19).  All the power and glory of the kingdoms of the earth belong to Satan (Luke 4:5-6).  This is that collective which John the Baptist calls “the sin of the world.”

It’s more than that; each of us bears the baggage of sin.  Each of us is weighed down by degrees of pride, greed, lust, anger, and a pile of personal sins.  All of that is encompassed when John announces the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

John the Baptist identifies Jesus as “the Lamb of God.”  He’ll repeat that identification the following day for the benefit of 2 of his disciples (1:35-36), who will proceed to follow and stay with Jesus.  So do we identify Jesus at Holy Communion when we echo John’s acclamation, “Behold, the Lamb of God” and he invites us to come to and stay with him.

What does “Lamb of God” mean?

It evokes the Passover.  The Hebrews in Egypt were spared when the angel of death passed over the land and slew the firstborn sons of all the inhabitants except in those houses where the doorposts had been painted with the blood of the passover lambs.  We are saved—John is crying out prophetically—by Christ’s blood, which marks our souls as belonging to God’s people.  This Lamb’s blood washes away our sins.  John points to Jesus so that we may go to him and claim his protection from the Evil One, so that we may be filled with the Holy Spirit, so that we may be saved.

So we come to Jesus.  We come every Sunday to be cleansed anew in the blood of the Lamb.  We come to the Lamb in the sacrament of Reconciliation, so that he may wash away our sins, all our words and acts against charity, our words against the Lord’s holy name, our unfaithfulness, our impurities, our lies, our impatience, our greediness.  We come to follow the Lamb; he leads us to the Promised Land where he dwells, as God led the Hebrews out of Egypt into the land he’d promised to Abraham.

 

Homily for Thursday, Week 1 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Thursday
Week 1 of Ordinary Time

Jan. 15, 2026
1 Sam 4: 1-11
Ps 44: 10-11, 14-15, 24-25
Collect
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

                                                                                    Philister pentapolis.gif

Ekuah at German-language Wikipedia

“After a fierce struggle, Israel was defeated” (1 Sam 4: 2).

The books of Samuel and Kings continue the history of Israel narrated in Judges, wherein the pattern is:  Israel sins against the Lord, suffers some kind of oppression, repents and calls upon the Lord, and the Lord raises up a champion to rescue Israel.

In these early chapters of 1 Samuel, Israel incurs guilt thru the sins of Eli’s sons and Eli’s failure to correct their behavior; that’s detailed in ch. 2.  Disaster follows, culminating in the capture of the ark of the covenant.  Israel is utterly humiliated.  O Lord, “you go not forth with our armies; those who hated us plundered us at will” (Ps 44: 10-11).

We don’t adhere to what’s called the “prosperity gospel,” viz., that material welfare surely follows from our faithfulness and virtuous lives.  On the other hand, it’s observable that a family or a society that’s not centered on God suffers from the effects of their own selfishness and belief that “the real world is governed by strength, governed by force, governed by power.”[1]

This week’s collect proposes to us a wiser way.  We plead for the Lord’s “heavenly care,” for the wisdom to “see what must be done” and the “strength to do what [we] have seen.”  The strength and power of God is our path to virtue and a happy community life—religious community or political community.

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[1] Trump official Stephen Miller speaking to CNN on Jan. 5.

A Baptism in Zaporizhzhia

A Baptism in Zaporizhzhia

From the darkness of imprisonment in Russia to the light of God’s love

(ANS – Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine – January 14, 2026) – “This Baptism has an important meaning not only for the personal life of the person who received it, but for the entire community of Zaporizhzhia. It is a sign of hope: the evil that tries to envelop our lives and extinguish the light of God’s love in our hearts is, in reality, powerless. Whatever evil we may encounter is never stronger than God’s love, which attracts, accompanies and guides man.” With these words, Bishop Maksym Ryabukha, Salesian of Don Bosco, bishop of the Greek Catholic Exarchate of Donetsk, recounted the Baptism he celebrated a few days ago in Zaporizhzhia: the recipient was a Ukrainian soldier, a former prisoner in Russian jails who had been freed. The Salesian prelate spoke about it on the occasion of the liturgical memorial of the Baptism of Jesus, last Sunday, January 11.

The “story” features a soldier who was defending his homeland and who, at a certain point, became a prisoner of war. “After months of torture and after experiencing all the drama that this experience entails,” says the Greek Catholic bishop of Donetsk, “it is inevitable that a person begins to reflect on the meaning of life, on the meaning of sacrifice and suffering. All this often leads to a search for a higher power, a search for God, someone who is beyond and above the human drama of existence.” The search for God becomes particularly intense when one is experiencing great suffering. “I believe,” Bishop Ryabukha notes, “that his interest in God was born precisely during his period of captivity.”

“After the grace of being freed following a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine, he returned home, but that deep search for God remained in his heart,” the prelate continued.

At that moment, something in his life had changed. He began to seek out other people who had experienced imprisonment, those who had the courage to speak about that drama and the strength to promote a rediscovery of God. His search is intertwined with another story, that of Fr. Bohdan Heleta, a Redemptorist religious who, together with another confrere, Fr. Ivan Levytskyi, was imprisoned in Russian jails for a year and eight months, sharing that tragedy with many others, military and non-military. In short, “a prisoner among prisoners.” After that experience, Fr. Heleta became the promoter of an initiative: a program of help and support, including spiritual support, for those who had lived through the same experience.

The soldier found the announcement and decided to participate. And, upon returning home, he contacted the parish priest of one of the Greek Catholic churches in Zaporizhzhia and asked to be baptized, as he had never been baptized. He had grown up in an atheist family of Soviet tradition and had never asked himself the question of seeking God. For two months, Fr. Oleksandr Bohomaz prepared him to receive the sacrament. It was a journey of light and inner liberation. “Through reading the Holy Scriptures,” says the bishop, “he discovered the wonderful plan that God has for humanity and the paternal love with which he accompanies every step of man throughout millennia of history. All this made him fall even more in love with God and gave him the courage to say “yes” to becoming a Christian, to recognizing himself as a child of God and to the desire to follow in the footsteps of Jesus from now on.”

His Baptism becomes a message of hope for the whole community. Bishop Ryabukha therefore describes it as “a small sign of victory: God’s victory over the evil we experience in our daily lives. A victory that brings strong hope which gives meaning to life and even to suffering. I believe that Jesus has never abandoned any of us. What we sang and experienced a few days ago at Christmas, proclaiming that God is with us, Emmanuel, has become alive and present in the life of this man. And for all of us, this is also one more reason to feel and express gratitude to God.”

Source: SIR

Salesian Missions Comes to Support of 800 Flood Victims

Salesian Missions Comes to Support of 800 Flood Victims

Photo ©: Salesian Missions

(ANS – Lahore, Pakistan – January 14, 2026) – Salesians working in Lahore, Pakistan, received donor funding for flood relief thanks to Salesian Missions of New Rochelle. The funding helped support 800 people, most of whom are from large families with children and include pregnant women. Nearly 40% of the beneficiaries are under 16 years old.

“This helped us support families impacted by intense flooding,” said Father Noble Lal, director of Don Bosco Lahore. “Now that the emergency phase is over, we are in contact with some families who will soon send some children to our boarding school for a more stable educational path.”

One of the recipients is Danish, a 13-year-old boy. His house was damaged, but after repairs, his family was able to move back. Danish had attended grade 5 in Pasrur, but his school closed due to flood damage. Danish, along with some of his cousins, will now be attending the Don Bosco Youth Center and stay in the Salesian boarding house in Lahore.

Salesian institutions are open to youths of all faiths. The schools provide economic benefits, scholarships, and accommodations for students from the families most in need so that education is not only accessible but the aid also is an incentive for parents to send their children to school.

Pakistan has one of the lowest literacy rates in South Asia at less than 50%. Although the country’s constitution acknowledges free and compulsory education between the ages 5-16, the rule is often not followed in rural areas for those over age 13.