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