Don Bosco’s Feast in Port Chester
New York’s archbishop, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, has made no
secret of his devotion to St. John Bosco, going back to the inspiration of his
teacher Sr. Mary Bosco in second grade. His enthusiasm was on full display for
Don Bosco’s feast day at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Port Chester at a
special Friday evening Mass (Jan. 31), and the blessing of renovations and
improvements made in the Don Bosco Community Center particularly for young
people.
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| Cardinal Dolan, flanked by Fr. Tom Dunne and Fr. Tim Zak, pastor. Statue of Don Bosco is seen in the background. |
Cardinal Dolan presided and preached; our provincial, Fr.
Tom Dunne, and another 15 priests concelebrated, including SDBs from Port
Chester, New Rochelle, and Haverstraw; Msgr. Kevin Sullivan, director of
Catholic Charities of the archdiocese; Msgr. Edward O’Donnell from Resurrection
Parish in Rye; Fr. Marty Biglin, vicar forane for South Shore Westchester and
our local pastor in New Rochelle. In the congregation were FMAs from Port
Chester and Sr. Karen Dunn, their provincial; SDB brothers; several hundred
parishioners; and Port Chester Mayor Neil Pagano and Village Trustee Gene
Ceccarelli.
In tribute to the parish’s ethnic make-up, readings were
done in Spanish, Portuguese, and English. The cardinal offered to preach in
Italian in honor of Don Bosco, adding that he (the cardinal) likes to eat
Italian. But he stuck to English, except for “Viva Don Bosco!”
A handful of talented young musicians in the choir loft
rocked the congregation with Spanish hymns and liturgical texts. They had the
whole congregation and the clergy, too, clapping along with them.
Cardinal Dolan began his homily by remarking on his
happiness to be at Holy Rosary and on the wonderful things he’s heard about the
parish. He briefly summarized Don Bosco’s apostolic undertakings, then said,
“Don Bosco started a revolution in Europe in his way of caring for the young.”
He thanked the Salesians—priests, brothers, and sisters—for carrying on Don
Bosco’s work, and the donors who help them do so.
After mentioning some of the dangers to young people that
Don Bosco contended with, such as lack of education, unemployment, trafficking
and other forms of exploitation, and idleness, the cardinal asked, “Sounds
pretty contemporary, doesn’t it?” Don Bosco, he said, was dealing with what
Pope Francis has called a “throwaway culture,” which disposes of people it
rates as undesirable (the unborn, the handicapped, immigrants, the elderly, et
al.). But the Church is at its best, the cardinal maintains, when it cares for
these people, like Don Bosco.
Don Bosco, the cardinal explained, taught us to see Jesus in
three ways: in the arms of his Mother, the Help of Christians; in the Holy
Eucharist; and in the Holy Father. The cardinal added a fourth way: in the
poor. Don Bosco, he said, understood that “nobody is trash.”
He concluded by saying, “We need St. John Bosco more than
ever today!”
After Mass the
cardinal and most of the congregation walked next door to the Don Bosco
Community Center, where the cardinal blessed a plaque in the main lobby
honoring the Niehaus Family Legacy Endowment. Bob and Kate Niehaus established
a $1 million endowment to benefit Salesian youth ministry at the DBCC for years
to come.
Down the long
third-floor hallway en route to the new computer media center, the cardinal was
greeted by nearly 100 kids and staff from the youth center, and their families.
He blessed the new Cashin-Niehaus Computer Media Center for education and
career development. Dick Cashin gifted the DBCC with $250,000 for building
renovations and new youth programs. Mr. Cashin and his mother Mary, and Bob and
Kate Niehaus were all present at the Mass and dedications.
The entire celebration was covered by Westchester’s News 12
and a couple of local newspapers.
Additional photos at https://cardinaldolancelebratesdonbosco.shutterfly.com/
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