Congo Faces Dramatic Situation

DRC Faces Dramatic Situation

Affected by violence, displacement, and an increase of mpox cases

(ANS – Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo – August 30, 2024) – On August 14, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an international emergency due to the increase in cases of mpox, or monkey smallpox. So far this year, there have been more than 15,000 cases of mpox and more than 500 people have died from this disease in Africa, most of them in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Salesian missionaries in the DRC are attentive to this situation, which is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis caused by violence and internally displaced persons.

The increase in the number of mpox cases if overwhelming an already precarious system. The scientific community warns, in fact, that the increase is of great concern, especially due to the high number of infections among children. According to WHO data, more than 10,000 children up to the age of 15 were infected in 2024, and 39% of those infected are children under the age of five.

This epidemic represents a great risk for the country, since the population is already very vulnerable. Salesian missionaries working with displaced people in Goma explain their fears: “The displaced people living in the Don Bosco Ngangi camp are very exposed to this new MPOX epidemic. They live in overcrowded conditions, and the hygienic conditions are not the most adequate. Our doctors warn that these are people with an already very weak immune system and that an epidemic could have really dangerous effects.”

The alarm has already been raised because four cases of infection have occurred in the health area where the Don Bosco Ngangi center is located.

“Practices similar to those implemented to combat Covid must be put in place everywhere to avoid contagion,” the Salesians explain. “The epidemic emergency has already been declared, but many people are not yet aware of it and lead their daily lives normally. Awareness and prevention work will be essential to control the smallpox epidemic in monkeys,” they say.

The Salesians manage 33 works in 14 cities of the DRC, and their priority is the education and protection of young people. There are primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, kindergartens for the youngest, and care and recovery centers for street children and girls in vulnerable situations. We also work with displaced populations and in areas where people live in extreme poverty.

Misiones Salesianas, the Salesian Mission Office in Madrid, ensures that it will work together with the DRC’s missionaries on 3 fronts: food security, schooling, and health support to protect children.

 

Homily for the Passion of St. John the Baptist

Homily for the Memorial of
The Passion of St. John the Baptist

Aug. 29, 2024
Collect
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

The Feast of Herod &
the Beheading of the Baptist (Giovanni Baronzio)

“He died a martyr for truth and justice” (Collect).        

The Liturgy of the Hours and the collect emphasize John the Baptist’s bearing witness to the truth; the collect adds “justice.”

Luke’s Gospel brings out the “justice” when John tells people to share from their abundance, tax collectors not to collect more than is due, and soldiers not to rob people and to be satisfied with their pay (3:10-14).  I suppose we could also call it justice toward the tetrarch Herod Philip that John disallows his wife Herodias’s unlawful marriage to Herod Antipas.  (Keeping track of all the Herods in the NT era is a major project.)

More important is John’s testimony to the truth.  He knew who he was, the forerunner, the lesser of 2 lights in the world, the one who had to decrease in order that the Messiah might increase; and he said so.  He identified Jesus as the Lamb of God, the one who would take away our sins, and directed his own disciples to Jesus.  He pointed out the failures and sins of people in power.  Today’s memorial, obviously, highlights his condemnation of Herod’s supposed marriage.  In neither the gospels nor Josephus do we hear that any of the religious leaders did so.  John stands out.  Not for nothing did Jesus tell the crowds, “Among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist” (Matt 11:11).

Truth hasn’t become less important, altho in our day it’s often reduced to one’s personal opinion.  You have your truth, and I have mine.  As regards bearing true witness to Jesus, here’s a little example:  It’s somewhat fashionable for Scripture students and some others to replace B.C. and A.D. in dates with B.C.E. and C.E., referring to the “Common Era.”  I can understand a non-Christian’s doing so—but a Christian?  Are we ashamed to testify to Christ the Lord?

Far more important, of course, is that we persistently testify to moral truths, “whether the time is favorable or unfavorable,” as St. Paul says about preaching the Gospel (2 Tim 4:2):  truths about human dignity, human life, human rights, human sexuality, religious freedom, war and peace, capital punishment, migrants and refugees.  Read the Pope’s public audience yesterday, wherein he says, among other things, “Systematically working, using all means, to push back migrants, when done consciously and responsibly, is a grave sin.”[1]

You’re not in a classroom any longer, brothers.  But you still wield influence in other forums.  You can still imitate John the Baptist.

---

[1] Pope at Audience: World must heed cries of migrants dying in deserts and seas - Vatican News. See also https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2024/08/28/pope-francis-driving-away-migrants-grave-sin.

Homily for Tuesday, Week 21 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Tuesday
21st Week of Ordinary Time

Aug. 27, 2024
2 Thes 2: 1-3, 14-17
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

“… with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling with him” (2 Thes 2: 1).

The early Church seems to have expected an imminent return of Jesus to complete his work of salvation.  Paul wrote about that concern in his 1st Letter to the Thessalonians, which is our earliest piece of the NT, probably a quarter-century older than the 1st written gospels that we have.

Paul’s concern here is that some of his disciples in Thessalonica are so convinced that Jesus will come soon that they’re not living day-to-day Christian lives.  So he urges them to “stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught” (2:15).  Those traditions included chaste living, mutual charity, and honest work, as he brought out in his 1st letter or will bring out later in this one.  We can link his teaching with what Jesus says in today’s gospel (Matt 23:23) about “judgment, mercy, and fidelity.”  “Judgment” there means “justice” or “righteousness”; in the words of one commentator: “honest diligence in doing what is right and fair”: mercy is “active kindness to everyone in need of help”; fidelity is “steady integrity in dealings with others.”[1]  That’s practical Christian life.

We also note that Paul speaks “our assembling with our Lord Jesus Christ.”  His word for “assembling” is episunagoges, or in the Latin translation, congregationis.[2]  It’s the same word for Christians’ weekly gathering for worship.  The word suggests Jesus’ presence in our assembling for the Eucharist, and a continuity between our assembling here and when he comes again.  Thru our presence in Jesus’ assembly, he effects our calling “to possess [his] glory” (2:14).

So, in our worship and in our daily lives we pray for the Lord’s return.

____________

[1] Floyd V. Filson, A Commentary on the Gospel According to St. Matthew (London: Black, 1960), p. 246.
      [2] Grammarians:  both words are in the genitive case.

Salesian Missions Funds Programs for Rwandan Youths

Salesian Missions Funds Programs to Empower Rwandan Youths

(ANS – Muhazi, Rwanda) – The Salesian project to empowering young people through sports and spiritual activities at Don Bosco Muhazi Recreation Center in Rwanda has made significant progress in achieving its goals, thanks to funding from Salesian Missions of New Rochelle.

With the funding, the existing infrastructure at Don Bosco Muhazi Recreation Center is undergoing renovation. The basketball and volleyball courts are near completion. Sporting and musical equipment has also been purchased. Through these efforts, youths will be able to access new initiatives at weekend programs.

In addition, the Salesians aim to promote awareness on poverty reduction and sustainable development while supporting youths in preparing for their futures. The Salesians will provide training in farming activities to equip youths with skills to reduce poverty in their communities. Education on values and youth programs are also being organized in a safe environment to promote personal growth and development.

A Salesian explained: “The impact of the project on the community surrounding Don Bosco Muhazi Recreation Center will be significant. We expect that more youths will engage in agriculture and farming activities. We will also be able to serve more young people during the weekend program, as they participate in various activities such as games and training.”

The project is not yet complete, but Salesians are confident they are on track. The Salesian noted, “Moving forward, we plan to continue implementing the project and further expand its reach to empower even more young people in the community. We want them to have a bright future, and these new activities are a step in the right direction.”

Salesians provide a range of educational and social development services in Rwanda. Poor youths are able to access programs including health services, nutrition, education, and general support services that help them to lead healthy, productive lives. Salesians first arrived in the country in 1953. Today, there are 6 Salesian centers in Rwanda, which is part of the larger African Great Lakes Province (with Burundi and Uganda).

Close to 39% of Rwandans live in poverty, according to the World Bank. Rwanda is a rural, agrarian country with about 35% of the population engaged in subsistence agriculture with some mineral and agro-processing. Many of the country’s orphaned children are the tragic result of a violent civil war. Half of all children drop out of primary school, and 2.2 million people — 22% of the population — face critical food shortages.

Source: Salesian Missions

54th Pilgrimage of Faith to Chimpay

54th Pilgrimage of Faith to Chimpay

138th anniversary of the birth of Blessed Ceferino Namuncurá

(ANS – Chimpay, Argentina – August 26, 2024) – Between Friday, Aug. 23, and Monday, Aug. 26, the 54th Pilgrimage of Faith in memory of the young Mapuche saint was held in Chimpay, the town in the province of Río Negro where Ceferino Namuncurá was born 138 years ago. The pilgrimage theme this year was “Ceferino, attentive gaze, sensitive heart, supportive hands.”

The greatest Pilgrimage of the Faith in Patagonia began on Friday with the arrival of the faithful on horseback who, after travelling hundreds of miles, arrived at the hermitage of the Ceferino Park to bring their offerings, their greetings, and their prayers before the traditional image that is venerated all year round.

Religious, cultural, and recreational activities continued on Saturday, with the arrival of pilgrims by bicycle, on horseback, in campers, and on foot, from various locations in Patagonia, such as Gastre, Gan Gan, Telsen, Trelew, Gobernador Costa, Viedma, Villa Regina, Cipolletti, Neuquén, Zapala, and some from Buenos Aires.

As the day continued, there were also celebrations and baptisms, and pilgrims continued to arrive. Hundreds came to greet the Blessed, touching the wooden sculpture and his poncho. At dusk, a prayer was held by the fire, led by the Mapuche tribal community. Saturday ended with a hymn to the earth by the young people from the Chimpay sports center.

On Sunday activities began with the first rays of the sun on the hill of the Fifth Centennial Cross (on National Road 22), with Mapuche prayer and supplication. At 9:00 a.m., the multitude of people began the pilgrimage to Ceferiniano Park, where they arrived after a 2-hour walk. At 11 o’clock, the Mass began on an altar prepared outdoors.

The celebration was presided over by Bp. Alejandro Benna of Alto Valle del Rio Negro, and concelebrated by the bishop of Viedma, Bp. Esteban Laxague, SDB, and San Carlos de Bariloche’s Bishop Juan Carlos Ares, and by priests from different parts of the region and the country. Among the concelebrants there were Fr. Darío Perera, South Argentina provincial, Fr. Osvaldo Braccia, vice provincial, and several other Salesians.

During the homily, Bp. Benna stressed: “Once again Ceferino calls us, and with his example invites us to live the present moment well. We have come to renew our faith.... How much faith on this road! I saw many who came on horseback or by bicycle, or on foot from afar. These days I have blessed many people. And one of them said to me, ‘I’ve been coming to greet Ceferino for 50 years.’ What beautiful faith I see in children that is passed on from grandparents to parents and from parents to children. That grace that God gave to all of us on the day of our Baptism!”

Although the main activities took place last weekend, on August 26, the day on which we celebrate the birth and the liturgical memorial of Blessed Ceferino Namuncurá, Masses were held throughout the day, and those present shared a lunch and a symbolic cutting of the cake.

The certainty that remains after this pilgrimage is that this manifestation was, once again, a true demonstration that, if one prays with faith, God works in people’s lives.

 

Homily for 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time

Homily for the
21st Sunday of Ordinary Time

Aug. 25, 2024
John 6: 60-69
Our Lady of the Assumption, Bronx
St. Francis Xavier, Bronx

“This saying is hard; who can accept it?” (John 6: 60).

Christ teaching in a synagog
like the one in Capernaum (John 6:59)

We’ve been reading St. John’s 6th chapter for 5 weeks, since July 28.  Our reading culminated last week when Jesus pronounced, “The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world” (6:51).  If we desire eternal life, we must eat his flesh and drink his blood; otherwise we don’t have life within us (cf. 6:53); we’re spiritually dead.

We heard some rumblings of skepticism from the crowd.  Today those rumblings become open disbelief:  “As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him” (6:66).  Jesus asks the 12, his closest followers, his intimate friends, whether they’ll leave, too.  Speaking for all of them—except maybe for Judas, “the one who would betray him” (6:64)—Peter responds with a question of his own:  “Master, where would we go?  We know you’re God’s Holy One who speaks the words of eternal life.”

The 1st part of Peter’s response, by the way, is Card. Dolan’s motto:  Ad quem ibimus?  “To whom shall we go?”

When we look around, it’s apparent that a lot of Catholics have gone somewhere else, are following someone else.  Surveys show us repeatedly that only about one quarter of people who say they’re Catholic come to Mass on a regular basis, come to partake of the bread of life.  The stats are even worse for young adults.  Apparently, for a majority of Catholics, not to speak of other Christians, salvation’s to be found at the beach, in the mountains, in the backyard, at sporting events.  All of those are good in themselves, but they don’t fulfill our deepest longings.  Apparently, for many people salvation’s to be found in one’s own opinions, one’s own “truth,” about public and private morality, about how to live their lives, without regard for the Word of God.  That’s not good in itself.  It gives us moral and social chaos.  Ultimately, it’s deeply frustrating.

Which doesn’t mean that we who are in church most Sundays should take on the attitude of the Pharisee whom Jesus condemned in one of his parables; he prayed his thanks to the Lord that he was better than everyone else (Luke 18:9-14).  God forbid we think that way!

We, too, are sinners who need to take to heart the choice that today’s sacred Scriptures put to us.  Do we really believe that Jesus teaches us the way to eternal life?  Do we give the same answer that the people gave to Joshua about what God we’ll serve, the God “who performed those great miracles before our very eyes and protected us along our entire journey” (Jos 24:17)?  I.e., will we serve the God who raised Jesus from the dead and sent out his apostles to proclaim the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life thru Jesus, “the Holy One of God”—Jesus who lives and teaches us thru the apostles and their successors in the Catholic Church?

For example, today we heard St. Paul’s teaching about Christian marriage (Eph 5:21-32).  Putting his teaching into today’s context:  he’s calling on both husbands and wives to attend to each other, to serve each other, to look out for each other’s needs and concerns, to love each other in the same way that Christ loves the Church and sacrificed himself for us.  That’s a hard saying, as every married person knows.

Likewise, Jesus and his Church give us hard sayings—Gospel truths—about the dignity of every human being, unborn or aged, healthy or infirm, saint or sinner, regardless of race, nation, or religion; about human sexuality being directed not only to mutual love (as St. Paul says) but also toward the procreation and raising of children; about fidelity in marriage between one man and one woman; about the works of mercy toward our neighbors; about moral means of defending oneself and one’s country; about our responsibility as citizens for the leaders we choose to govern us and the policies they make.

Jesus asks us:  “Does this shock you?  What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?” (John 6:61-62).  The Son of Man has ascended to heaven.  In our Creed we affirm that he’ll come again to judge the living and the dead—to judge our faithfulness to his teaching.  He invites us, as we prayed in the collect a while ago, to “fix our hearts on that place where true gladness is found” (Collect), which isn’t in this world but in the world where our Lord Jesus reigns, the world to which he promises to bring us when he returns on the Last Day, in “the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come” (Creed).

Homily for Thursday, Week 20 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Thursday
20th Week of Ordinary Time
Queenship of Mary

August 22, 2024
Ezek 36: 23-28
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

“I will prove the holiness of my great name … thru you” (Ezek 36: 23).

(Michelangelo)

After denouncing his people for their idolatries and other profanations of the covenant between himself and Israel, the Lord God announces a cleansing of his people, a restoration to their homeland, “a new heart and a new spirit” within them (36:26).  That new heart and new spirit will reflect his own holiness.

We celebrate today the one human person who was so filled with the Lord’s spirit and so clean of heart that she’s been given a special place at the wedding feast of God’s Son, a place as the Son’s mother.  (I said “the one human person” because, you remember, Jesus Christ tho possessing a human nature isn’t a human person but a divine person.)  Mary’s association with the Great King’s Son renders her a queen.  In his graciousness, our Lord Jesus has given her to us as our mother too.  As our mother, she guides and helps us more than ruling over us, even as Jesus said the great ones among his followers must be the servants of all.

From a book of Hours, ca. 1485

As mother and helper, our queen mother wants above all to help her Son’s people reflect his holiness.  She is the Help of Christians, that we might live our calling to “prove the holiness of [Jesus’] great name.”  With our hearts cleansed in Baptism and frequent Reconciliation, with our spirits thus renewed, we’re empowered to show God’s holiness to the world, to be saints invited into the wedding feast of the Son.

Five Salesians Renew Temporary Vows

Five SDBs Renew Temporary Vows

Bros. Kevin White, Francis Nguyen, and Pascal Mukuye;
Fr. Dominic Tran; Bros. Paul Hotovy and John Taylor.

The province of St. Philip the Apostle celebrated religious professions during their annual retreat at the Don Bosco Retreat Center in Haverstraw on Thursday, August 15, solemnity of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

Five young Salesians renewed their temporary profession in the retreat house chapel.  Bros. Paul Hotovy, Pascal Mukuye, Francis Nguyen, John Taylor, and Kevin White each renewed their vows for one year, in accord with the practice of the Salesian Society—Bro. Pascal on Aug. 17, after his sister arrived at the retreat house, the other 4 men on Aug. 15.  Fr. Dominic Tran, provincial, received their vows in the name of the rector major.

At an afternoon Mass on Aug. 15 at the Marian Shrine chapel, Bro. Thomas Junis made his perpetual profession.  (See separate post.)

The renewals of temporary profession took place within the celebration of Morning Prayer in the presence of more than 35 SDB confreres, 8 Salesian Lay Missioners, and (on the 15th) Bro. Nguyen’s family from Virginia. 

Fr. Tran gave a brief homily after Thursday’s short Morning Prayer reading from Isaiah, taking his cue from “In my God is the joy of my soul” (61:10).  That joy echoes in Mary’s Magnificat, he said:  “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Lk 1:47).  Fr. Tran finds that both verses reflect one of Fr. Pascual Chavez’s retreat themes, the absoluteness of God.  (The rector major emeritus was the week’s retreat preacher.)  We proclaim that God is the joy of our vocation.  Our vocation isn’t an obligation or a burden even though it does involve the cross because we follow Christ.  Fr. Tran stated that on Mary’s solemnity we invoke her help that God may be the joy of our souls, as he was for her.  We pray especially for these young brothers of ours renewing their commitment to Christ.

Province Commissions 6 Lay Missioners

Province Commissions 6 Lay Missioners

On Friday, Aug. 16, the province of St. Philip the Apostle (New Rochelle) commissioned 6 lay missioners at a ceremony in the chapel of the Don Bosco Retreat Center in Haverstraw, N.Y., during Evening Prayer.

When the Gospel first spread from Jerusalem, it wasn’t because of pastoral planning but because of a disaster, the persecution that broke out after Stephen’s martyrdom.  Fr. Dominic Tran, Salesian provincial, recalled that fact, based on the commissioning service reading from Acts (11:19-26).  The Salesians and 6 new Salesian Lay Missioners are doing what the early Church did—going out and preaching, carrying out the missionary mandate that Jesus gave at the end of Matthew’s Gospel (28:19-20).  At that time, Jesus promised he would be with his disciples always.  He came as Emmanuel (Matt 1:23), and after his ascension he remains Emmanuel, God with us.  Fr. Dominic assured the SLMs that God will be with people through them; they will incarnate God in the places they’re being sent to.

3 of the new SLMs are missioned overseas:  Suzanne Platt to Blessed Michael Rua postnovitiate, parish, and youth center at Dalat, Vietnam; A.J. Scheip to the refugee camp at Palabek, Uganda; and Kurt Whiteley to Don Bosco Technical School at Al Fidar, Lebanon.  Alexander Pelletier will go to the school and youth center at Colima, Mexico.  Two SLMs are destined for U.S. works:  one, anonymously, for the multiple works at Mary Help of Christians Center in Tampa and Anthony Deldebbio (a graduate of Salesian HS in New Rochelle) for Archbishop Shaw HS in Marrero.

After various prayers, including an extended blessing from everyone present, Fr. Dominic conferred on each SLM a missionary cross.  The cross has been newly designed for use in all the provinces that send out young (or not-so-young) volunteers.  

A.J. Scheip receives his cross from Fr. Dominic

Then each SLM read a short (or not-so-short) personal mission statement, and each signed a document of commitment.

Suzanne Platt reads her mission statement of intention.

The commissioning was celebrated with more than 30 Salesians on retreat taking part, as well as some members of the local SDB community and the families of 2 of the new SLMs.

The SLMs were commissioned after 3 weeks of orientation.  Lodged at the former rectory at Corpus Christi in Port Chester, they learned about Don Bosco and the Salesian Family, learned about inculturation, got youth protection training, filled out paperwork, and helped in the ministries of Port Chester’s St. John Bosco Parish.  They made a retreat at Haverstraw, sharing prayer and meals with the SDBs, attended 2 rites of religious profession, and had the option of a day-long hike in Bear Mountain State Park with your humble blogger, including Mass on the trail.

SLM director Adam Rudin was assisted during orientation by returned missioner Jocelyn Escudero.

The SLM hike on West Mountain

When Adam told Fr. Mike that 3 of the SLMs wouldn’t go hiking (for various reasons), they thought the 4 who would participate would be able to handle a strenuous jaunt.  Later, Fr. Mike, at least, thought they’d taken on too much:  a 6-hour round trip that traversed 7 miles, including about 900 feet of elevation.  They were rewarded with some spectacular views over the Palisades Pkwy on one side of West Mountain, over Bear Mountain and the USMA on another side, and over Stony Point and the Hudson River past Croton Point on yet another side.

The weather was sunny and on the warm side—good for hiking as long as one carries enuf water.

After parking in a hikers’ lot off 7 Lakes Driver, the party took a short piece of the 1777W Trail to the Appalachian Trail, then slowly ascended West Mountain.  Meeting the Timp-Torne Trail on the ridge, they followed both trails for about a mile till they forked, the AT starting its descent toward the parkway and the TT turning east toward a fine shelter.

At the shelter we met a couple of day hikers, and we ate our lunches.  Several of us gratefully napped for 15 minutes.  On our way back to our van, we met 4 longer-range hikers (not AT thru hikers, tho), and we picked a shady spot to celebrate the Holy Eucharist.

See all photos at https://link.shutterfly.com/C3tyXFOccMb

Farewell to the Rector Major

Farewell to the Rector Major

Cardinal Angel Fernandez Artime steps down

(ANS – Colle Don Bosco, Italy – August 17, 2024) – On August 16, 2024, the Salesian Family witnessed a momentous event as Cardinal Angel Fernandez Artime, the 10th successor of Don Bosco, resigned as Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

Card. Angel was keeping in mind the decree of the Holy See, which had allowed a brief extension of his term following his episcopal ordination.

The vicar of the rector major, Fr. Stefano Martoglio, took charge ad interim of the governance of the Salesian Congregation.

August 16 was marked by the concluding Mass of the weeklong Salesian Youth Synod. It also held significance as the birthday of St. John Bosco. The Mass, featuring thanksgiving to Card. Angel, was celebrated with profound solemnity and joy in Colle Don Bosco, the birthplace of the beloved saint. It was a vivid and colorful celebration, with hundreds of Piedmontese young people, civil authorities, and numerous faithful joining the Synod participants. Flags of 94 countries, represented by delegates, filled the basilica of Don Bosco with a vibrant array of colors during the opening hymn, symbolizing the global reach of the Salesian mission. Abp. Giordano Piccinotti, SDB, newly ordained alongside Card. Angel, and several members of the general council and hundreds of Salesians concelebrated the Mass.

In his homily, Card. Angel addressed the young people present, reflecting on the profound significance of celebrating in the birthplace of Don Bosco. He reminded them of the saint’s dream of serving youth all over the world, a dream that was realized through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He drew parallels between Don Bosco’s humble beginnings and the great mission he would eventually undertake, likening it to God’s calling of the Virgin Mary from the small village of Nazareth. The cardinal expressed deep gratitude for the first Salesians who remained faithful to the charism of Don Bosco, ensuring its transmission through the years. He also highlighted the pivotal role of Mama Margaret, Don Bosco’s mother, in the spiritual formation of her sons, mentioning that he remembered her every time he celebrates Mass at Colle Don Bosco.

Card. Angel exhorted the Salesians and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians to remain faithful to their vocation by living authentic Christian lives. He emphasized the importance of demonstrating fraternity, giving their lives out of love for the young, and staying true to Jesus. He assured them that by doing so, the Salesian Congregation would continue to flourish. He concluded his homily by acknowledging the role of Mary in his work, quoting St. John Bosco: “She did it all.”

The offertory procession was a poignant moment, where symbols representing the dreams of young people from around the world were brought to the altar. Two delegates from Africa led the procession with joyful singing and dancing, showcasing the cultural diversity and global impact of Don Bosco’s dream.

As the liturgy came to an end, two young delegates expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Card. Angel on behalf of the young worldwide, thanking him for his loving service over the past decade. They presented him and Fr. Miguel Angel with certificates of appreciation for organizing the historic Salesian Youth Synod. The assembly filled the basilica with resounding applause as a final tribute to the cardinal’s leadership.

In his farewell speech, Card. Angel thanked the Salesian Family for their love and acceptance over the past 10 years. He reflected on his visits to 120 countries, where he witnessed the transformative power of the Salesian educational system. He expressed deep gratitude to his biological family for their unwavering support and offered special thanks to the two general councils that had supported him thruout his tenure. Tho he stepped down as rector major, Card. Angel reassured the congregation that he would always remain a devoted Salesian at heart.

Fr. Stefano Martoglio, the vicar general of the Salesian Congregation, right after the Mass took charge of the governance of the Salesian Congregation ad interim until the election of a new Rector Major during the 29th General Chapter in Turin, scheduled for Feb. 16 to April 12, 2025. Card. Angel expressed full confidence in Fr. Martoglio’s leadership, praising his dedication and qualities as a leader.

In his final remarks, Card. Angel entrusted the future of the Salesian Congregation to Don Bosco and the Help of Christians, reaffirming his enduring commitment to the Salesian mission. With a heart full of gratitude, he bid farewell, leaving a legacy of love, dedication, and deep faith. 

As the Salesian Family moves forward, guided by the legacy of Don Bosco and remembering the inspiring leadership of Card. Angel, they carry with them the dreams of the young and the unwavering commitment to the mission of serving youth around the world.

Bro. Thomas Junis Makes Perpetual Profession

Bro. Thomas Junis Makes Perpetual Profession

On Thursday, Aug. 15, solemnity of the Assumption, Bro. Thomas S. Junis, SDB, made his perpetual profession as a Salesian of Don Bosco at the Marian Shrine in Haverstraw, N.Y.  Fr. Dominic Tran, provincial, presided at the Mass and received Bro. Tom’s vows. Fr. Pascual Chavez, rector major emeritus, preached the homily.

Tom Junis was born to Mitch and Margie Junis in Bloomington, Ill., in 1992.  Already discerning his vocation as a university student, he was influenced by two Newman Center chaplains, the late Fr. Greg Ketcham, who was a Salesian Cooperator, and Fr. Bill Bucciferro, SDB.  He took St. John Bosco as a patron for his educational efforts and went to Turin in 2015 on a Don Bosco bicentennial pilgrimage. 

Bro. Tom with his parents and family

After earning a degree in early childhood education from Illinois State University in Bloomington, Tom entered the Salesians at Orange, N.J., as a candidate on Jan. 1, 2016.  He made his novitiate at the Salesian house in Richmond, Calif., in 2017-2018 and professed on Aug. 16, 2018, at the Marian Shrine.

Following two years of postnovitiate formation, Bro. Tom did practical training in 2020-2022 at Archbishop Shaw HS in Marrero, La., teaching theology to sophomores and juniors, serving as chaplain to the basketball and baseball teams, and developing good relationships with many students outside the classroom.

In 2022, Bro. Tom began theological studies at the Salesian theologate in Tlaquepaque, Mexico.  He has learned to speak Spanish competently and addressed Fr. Chavez fluently at the end of the profession Mass.  His favorite classes have been in Christology, Mariology, and the Scriptures.  He has done ministry in the local youth center as well as in the state of Oaxaca.  Living outside his home province of New Rochelle has been a challenge; so he found peace and joy in returning this year for summer camp in Montreal and the week of retreat before making his final commitment to Christ and Don Bosco.

credit: Vicky Weekley

38 Salesian priests concelebrated the Mass, attended also by numerous Salesian brothers, sisters, and lay missioners as well as Bro. Tom’s parents and other family members.  One special feature of the rite of profession was the use of the very candle that was presented to him (and his parents) when he was baptized 31 years ago.

Fr. Chavez’s homily: A vocation to love

Fr. Chavez began his homily by noting that the Eucharist is Christ’s gift to us so that we might share his heart and his life.  Our profession is an acknowledgment that he loves us, that we most highly regard “the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil 3:8). Bro. Tom will respond by living in communion with his brothers in a profession of love.

The preacher urged Bro. Tom to respond generously to God’s call as Mary did.  To be a Salesian is to follow God in Don Bosco footsteps, and to place everyone and everything in second place in order to give oneself to God and to others, especially the young and the poor, and thus to continue the work of Christ in this world, always mindful that it was he who chose us.  Establishing a friendship with Christ, we take on the mission of bring him to the young as the center of human history.  Like Mary, in Christ we find our greatness.  She found light for her life by listening to God’s Word.  She is a mother who teaches us how to love God.

Photos:

https://link.shutterfly.com/7DuJUZGc7Lb (by Fr. Mendl except Vicky’s group shot)

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBDCvv (by Vicky Weekley)

 

Homily for Memorial of St. Bernard

Homily for the Memorial of
St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Aug. 20, 2024
Collect
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

St. Bernard Preaching (Emile Signol)

The collect notes that St. Bernard of Clairvaux was a man consumed with zeal for God’s house and a light shining and burning in Christ’s Church.  He was the ecclesiastical giant of the 12th century, Europe’s citizen of the century, if you will.

Early in that century, at around 21 years old, Bernard decided to join a new monastery that was experimenting with a reform of the Benedictine tradition.  This monastery was in a place called Citeaux, whose name means “reeds”; the place was a swamp.  Bernard didn’t show up alone but came with 30 other young men, including 4 of his brothers, relatives, and friends.  He should be the patron saint of vocation directors!

And suddenly, Citeaux began to flourish.  When the monastery became crowded, Abbot St. Stephen Harding (an Englishman—they, too, can be holy[1]) started sending out monks to found daughter houses.  So the Cistercian Order—the monks of Citeaux—was born.

St. Stephen designated Bernard in 1115 to lead a band of monks to establish a new monastery.  He’d been at Citeaux no more than 5 years, and perhaps as little as 3 years, and he was just 25 years old!  So Bernard and his group settled in a place called the Valley of Wormwood, apparently not a very hospitable place.  In the Middle Ages, new monasteries tended to be established in places that no one wanted as farmland or a center of trade or military defense; rather, in swamps, deserts, or other wilderness areas. 

Bernard proved to be an effective leader.  Benedict XVI says, “Bernard firmly recalled the need for a sober and measured life, at table as in clothing and monastic buildings, and recommended the support and care of the poor.”[2]  Soon the monastery became known as Clairvaux, “the Valley of Light.”  Hence 2 allusions to light in our collect today.  It grew, and soon was founding its own daughter houses.

Besides that, over the course of the next generation Bernard became renowned as a preacher, letter writer, theologian, mediator of disputes both civil and ecclesiastical, and a man widely consulted for his wisdom, prudence, and learning.

He defended the Church’s doctrine against several heresies of the day.  He defended the Jews against the violence that broke out sporadically against them out of ignorance, prejudice, and avarice.  All this is the background for the collect’s describing the saint as “a man consumed with zeal for [God’s] house and a light shining and burning in [Christ’s] Church.”

In his writing and preaching St. Bernard defended the Church’s traditional way of doing theology, relying entirely on the Sacred Scriptures and the teachings of the Fathers of the Church.  The key to all his teaching is Jesus.  Pope Benedict again:  “Jesus alone—Bernard insists …--is ‘honey in the mouth, song to the ear, jubilation in the heart.  The title Doctor Mellifluus [honey-flowing], attributed to Bernard by tradition, stems precisely from this; indeed, his praise of Jesus Christ ‘flowed like honey.’ . . .  ‘All food of the soul is dry’ he professed, ‘unless it is moistened with this oil; insipid, unless it is seasoned with this salt.  What you write has no savor for me unless I have read Jesus in it.’”  Benedict continues:  “For Bernard, in fact, true knowledge of God consisted in a personal, profound experience of Jesus Christ and of his love.  And, dear brothers and sisters [Benedict is giving a Wednesday audience], this is true for every Christian:  faith is first and foremost a personal, intimate encounter with Jesus; it is having an experience of his closeness, his friendship, and his love.”[3]

Where shall we find Jesus, the Light of the World, who transformed the Valley of Wormwood into the Valley of Light?  What was the source of the light that Bernard brought to his monks, to the Church, and to all who read or study his life?  There are 3 sources that lead us to Jesus:  the Scriptures, the Fathers, and prayer.

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[1] Addressed to Irish Christian Brothers.

[2] Wednesday audience, Oct. 21, 2009, in Church Fathers and Teachers from Saint Leo the Great to Peter Lombard (San Francisco: Ignatius, 2010), p. 158.

[3] Ibid., pp. 159-160.

Every Sunday Is a Eucharistic Revival

Homily for the
20th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Aug. 18, 2024
John 6: 51-58
The Fountains, Tuckahoe
St. Francis Xavier, Bronx
Our Lady of the Assumption, Bronx

“The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world” (John 6: 51).

Our gospel picks up where we were last week by repeating last week’s final verse.  Jesus, as reported by St. John, is transitioning in his address to the people who followed him to the synagog at Capernaum.  He was speaking metaphorically of himself as the bread come down from heaven, better than the manna that Moses gave to the Israelites in the desert.  He is the living Word of God.

Now he takes us a step further, going beyond metaphor, going beyond symbolic language:  “The bread that I’ll give is my flesh, and this bread will give you life.  Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man…, you don’t have life within you” (6:51,53).  Jesus’ listeners understand immediately that he’s speaking about actually eating his flesh.  The Greek verb St. John uses means real eating food:  munching, chewing, gnawing on.  No symbolism.

No wonder the people react:  “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (6:52).  It sounds like cannibalism.  It certainly doesn’t sound like a wonderful gift for everyone listening, even if the previous day Jesus had fed 5,000 men plus women and children with a handful of loaves.

But Jesus restates himself:  “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I’ll raise him on the last day” (6:54); and he says it twice more.  He really means what he’s saying.

What’s not clear is how Jesus will do this.  How will he give us his real flesh to eat and his actual blood to drink—not symbolically?  He’ll make that clear at the Last Supper, when he takes bread and says, “This is my body” (Mark 14:22), and takes the cup of wine and tells us, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many” (Mark 14:24).  Bread becomes his flesh, wine becomes his blood.  The discourse in the synagog at Capernaum explains his action at the Last Supper.  His action at the Last Supper explains his words in the synagog.  The body that died on the cross and the blood that was shed on the cross came to new life on Easter Sunday, promising a share in his risen life to all who eat that same flesh, true food, and drink that same blood, true drink (cf. John 6:55).  This body and this blood are life-affirming, life-giving, because they are the living body and blood of God’s own Son, and “whoever feeds on me will have life because of me” (6:57).

That, sisters and brothers, is why we come to the Eucharist.  Many of you know, maybe most of you, that in our country we’re having a 3-year Eucharistic revival.  Every Sunday is a Eucharistic revival.  Every Sunday Jesus revives us; he gives us new life, his own life; he gives us his very self.  One columnist wrote last week:  “In the holy Eucharist the same Jesus who was within Mary’s womb, whom St. Joseph held in his strong arms, who traveled with the Holy Family on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, who crisscrossed the ancient Holy Land with the disciples and apostles and who has gone ahead of us to the Father’s house, journeys with us.”[1]

“Whoever eats this bread will live forever” (6:58).

 

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[1] Fr. Roger Landry, “Continuing the Eucharistic Revival,” The Pilot online, 8/14/24.