Homily for Thursday, Week 31 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Thursday
Week 31 of Ordinary Time

Nov. 5, 2026
Luke 15: 1-10
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

The Good Shepherd
(Philippe de Champaigne)

“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15: 2).

It’s been said that if Jesus doesn’t eat with sinners, he must eat alone.  Let’s concede that his Mother could join him.

To respond to the complaint of the Pharisees and scribes, Jesus tells 3 parables.  We just heard 2.  All of us probably could narrate the 3d one from memory, the parable of the lost son and his rejoicing father (15:11-32).

All 3 parables highlight heaven’s joy when someone who’s been lost is found and restored, symbolized by a sheep, a drachma, and a son.

The parables, let’s remember, are addressed to those who look down on “sinners” and fault Jesus for caring about them.  Perhaps we sometimes despise “sinners” too—the world has an ample cast of evil characters.  If we care about them like Jesus, altho we can’t dine with them, we can pray for them.

The other side of the parables is us.  We are the lost sheep, the lost drachma, the lost son, sinners.  We are the ones who rejoice God’s heart when we repent (15:7,10); and repentance is our constant, never-ending work, trying daily to let Christ find us and keep us safe.

Salesians to Rebuild 2 Schools in Sudan

The Salesians to Rebuild 2 Schools in Sudan

Will restore hope to 581 children affected by civil war

(ANS – Khartoum, Sudan – October 28, 2026) – The civil war in Sudan, which began in April 2023, has left the country devastated, with millions displaced and numerous schools, hospitals, and homes destroyed.

In Khartoum, the capital, the fighting has also severely affected the facilities of the Salesian mission, which for decades has been providing education, vocational training, and support to thousands of vulnerable families.

After more than 3 years of conflict, the material damage has been compounded by an economic crisis that prevents many families from meeting basic needs, such as feeding their children and providing them with an education. Many children have been out of school for a long time, leaving them vulnerable to child labor, exploitation, and other risky situations.

The provincial delegate for Sudan, Fr. Joseph Can, traveled to Khartoum to assess the damage. While finding the situation relatively calm in the areas he visited, he noted the deterioration of schools, workshops, parish centers, and other mission facilities. Fortunately, much of the infrastructure can be restored. To this end, the Salesians have launched a program of gradual rehabilitation, with the aim of returning these educational and social spaces to the communities.

Two schools damaged by the war and 581 children in need of a return to education

Among the priorities are the schools in Al Gubba and Al Gadisiya, linked to the Salesian parish of St. Joseph in Kalakla, in the southern part of Khartoum. The former has 287 pupils—161 girls and 126 boys; the latter has 294 pupils—155 girls and 139 boys. In total, the 2 schools are attended by 581 children from families who have suffered displacement, financial loss, and the direct consequences of violence.

Both schools have suffered significant damage to classrooms, doors, windows, furniture, and water and electricity systems. At Al Gadisiya, it will also be necessary to assess the safety of an upper floor whose construction has not been completed.

The works involve the refurbishment of 12 classrooms or rooms and 2 blocks of toilet facilities in each school, the restoration of essential utilities, and the purchase of school furniture. School uniforms and teaching materials are also provided for all pupils, along with financial support for the 26 teachers and 4 support staff working at the 2 schools.

The resumption of teaching activities, in fact, does not depend solely on the reconstruction of the buildings. Many families have lost their jobs and lack the necessary resources to buy school supplies or ensure their children have adequate nutrition.

Much more than just repairing classrooms: nutrition, protection, and community life to rebuild the future

Therefore the Salesians plan to provide a daily meal to the 581 pupils, helping to combat hunger, improve concentration, and encourage school attendance. The initiatives also include sporting activities, hygiene education, psychosocial support, and child protection measures, so that children can find a safe and stable environment in schools.

The schools also serve as an example of coexistence in a country deeply scarred by violence: 388 pupils are Muslim and 193 are Christian, and they all share the same classrooms without any religious distinctions.

The Salesians arrived in Sudan in 1980 and were the last religious congregation to leave the country at the height of the war, when it was no longer possible to guarantee their own safety. They have now returned to contribute, thru educational reconstruction, to restoring trust and cohesion within the communities.

Restoring the chance to study to these 581 boys and girls means much more than simply repairing buildings: it means offering them protection, stability, and an opportunity to build a different future.

Salesian Missionary Volunteers

Salesian Missionary Volunteers
The Advisory Team Visits Würzburg

(ANS – Würzburg, Germany – November 4, 2026) – Following its annual meeting in Rome, the Salesian Missionary Volunteers advisory team travelled to Würzburg, where they took part in a gathering of former volunteers who, in recent years, had been sent from Germany to various Salesian provinces around the world for a year of volunteer service. The gathering, focused on the theme of hope, was very fruitful and well-attended.

U.S. members of the advisory team are J.C. Montenegro from Bellflower, Calif. (far left in photo), and Adam Rudin from New Rochelle (at back, 3d from left).

Rector Major's Message for November

 THE MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR

Fr. Fabio Attard, SDB

Believing – in a World

Without a Compass 

A reflection on Rom. 12:12: “Be joyful in hope, steadfast in tribulation, persevering in prayer.”

By Arpingstone - Public Domain 

Let’s pause for a moment on these few words. Let’s read them again slowly, allowing each one to find its place within us: joyful… steadfast… persevering. These are brief words, written by Paul to the community in Rome, yet they contain an entire journey. They’re offered as cardinal points for those who fear they’ve lost their way.

How many today feel this bewilderment. We live in an age rich in possibilities, knowledge, and instruments, yet often poor in shared points of reference. We’re constantly bombarded by information, proposals, and promises of happiness, and we struggle to distinguish what endures from what passes away. Everything is in acceleration. Uncertainty grows, and life becomes fragmented. Something within us weakens: the capacity to wait, to persevere, and to entrust ourselves.

Paul doesn’t offer us a formula that consoles us for a fleeting moment; he gives us a rule of life. He doesn’t ask us to flee the world, but to inhabit it with a heart that’s rightly oriented. Hope, steadfastness, and prayer—interwoven like a three-strand cord that’s not easily broken.

Joyful in hope

Be joyful in hope. The first word is an invitation to joy—not to a superficial cheerfulness, but to that quiet joy born of a certainty: God is faithful. Our lives have meaning. No situation, however dark, is beyond the reach of his saving hand.

Let’s allow this certainty to sink deep within us. History isn’t a random succession of events; our existence isn’t consigned to a void. We walk toward a fulfillment that we don’t construct alone: ​​we receive it as a promise; we welcome it as a gift. Precisely for this reason, hope doesn’t divert us from our daily commitments; indeed, it restores them to us so we can live them with greater freedom and responsibility.

Those who hope can sow even when they don’t yet see the harvest—loving without possessing; serving without seeking a reward. Hope unbinds us from the anxiety of “wanting it all and wanting it right now” and educates us to a fruitful, patient, and trusting form of waiting—like that of the farmer who steadfastly awaits the precious fruit of the earth.

To be joyful in hope, then, means safeguarding in our hearts a joy that can endure even through tears. It’s the joy of those who know that evil will not have the final word. It’s a humble joy—sometimes silent—yet one that rests upon a rock: the presence of God.

Steadfast in tribulation

Christian hope doesn’t preclude tribulation. It promises no one a life free of trials. It asks something of us that is both humbler and greater: to remain steadfast amid the trial.

Steadfastness is the quiet strength of those who remain faithful when the path becomes an uphill climb. It means not abandoning what’s good simply because it demands time, sacrifice, and patience. When everything around us urges us to cast aside whatever doesn’t yield immediate satisfaction, the believer bears witness to the value of faithfulness—in relationships, in one’s vocation, in service, in education, and in the pursuit of justice.

Tribulation wears many faces, and each of us is familiar with some of them: illness, loneliness, failure, misunderstandings, a crisis of faith, the struggle of accompanying those who suffer. Then there are the tribulations that weigh upon entire peoples: war, poverty, forced migration, violence, inequality, and a lack of faith in the future. Faced with all this, the disciple can’t turn away his gaze. Indifference isn’t a Gospel path.

Steadfastness, in the light of the Gospel, thus becomes presence: the mature capacity to stand alongside those who suffer, not running away. It’s the courage to defend human dignity when no one else seems to see it. It’s faithfulness to the Gospel even when its message appears weak, inconvenient, or at odds with prevailing fads.

Persevering in prayer

But from where do hope and steadfastness come? Not from willpower alone. They require a deeper source, and Paul names it: perseverance in prayer. Without prayer, hope risks being reduced to naive optimism, and steadfastness to senseless obstinacy. In prayer, however, we gratefully acknowledge that we’re sustained in life by God.

To pray is to return, each day, to the Source. In silence and by listening to the Word, we learn to distinguish what’s urgent from what’s truly important. Prayer isn’t a magic wand that changes circumstances. It’s the sacred space where God changes us: he transforms our perspective, illuminates our hearts, and teaches us to interpret history not starting from our fears, but in the light of his fidelity.

To persevere in prayer means remaining steadfast even during times of dryness, distraction, or silence—when no consolation comes our way. It’s precisely then that prayer is purified: we choose to trust in God for who he is, and not merely for what he gives.

Persevering prayer thus becomes a relationship, surrender, and an openness to God’s will. It doesn’t lock us away in a private, interior sphere. A true encounter with God always matures into a call to encounter our brothers and sisters: the poor, disoriented youths, wounded families, and those who’ve lost hope. True prayer opens our eyes, educates us to compassion, and leads to service.

A compass for our times

In a world without a compass, the Christians don’t claim to possess all the answers. Rather, they simply bear witness to having found a direction—one that has a Face and a Name: Christ, in whom suffering is traversed by love and death opens onto resurrection.

Believers don’t arrogantly impose certainties. They offer credible witness: they’re joyful without being naive, steadfast without becoming rigid, prayerful without withdrawing from reality. Through their lives, they show that another way of living is possible.

Amid the disorientation of our times, Paul hands us a compass that is both simple and profound. Let’s hold it in our hands and allow it to guide our steps: hoping with joy, persevering with love, and praying without growing weary. 

Homily for Memorial of St. Martin de Porres

Homily for the Memorial of
St. Martin de Porres
Tuesday, Week 31 of O.T.

Nov. 3, 2026
Collect
Phil 2: 5-11
Luke 14: 15-24
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

Statue of St. Martin de Porres
(Calvary Hospital, Bronx)

God “led St. Martin de Porres by the path of humility to heavenly glory” (Collect).

As a poor, mixed-race, illegitimate son of a single mother, Martin couldn’t be admitted to religious life in 16th-century Lima.  He became a lowly volunteer in the Dominican convent of the Holy Rosary.  After 8 years, the prior allowed him to profess as a lay brother, and he continued his menial tasks.  He served scores of his brothers and everyone else who came to him in poverty or illness.  He gave his own bed to the sick on more than one occasion.  His care for sick friars had miraculous incidents.  Thruout Lima, he was known as “Martin the charitable.”

Martin was imitating Jesus, who “did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.  Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave” (Phil 2:6-7).  Jesus came to serve us and to give his life for us (Mark 10:45), and that lowliness led to the glorification of his humanity (Phil 2:9).

In the parable Jesus tells today, it’s the great ones of society, the arrogant and the rude, who lose out:  “none of those men … will taste my dinner” (Luke 14:24).  That great dinner to which many were invited (14:16), of course, is the banquet of eternal life.  Who enters the feast and partakes?  The poorest of society, the humble, anyone willing to accept the great man’s invitation to come in and fill the banquet hall (14:21-23).

The humble are exalted, as we heard in Saturday’s gospel (Luke 14:11).  The humble like Martin de Porres are lifted up to glory.  For the humble “have the same attitude that is in Christ Jesus” (Phil 2:5).

Salesians Appoint New Postulator General

Salesians Appoint New Postulator General

(ANS – Rome – October 27, 2026) –Fr. Fabio Attard has appointed Fr. Gabriel de Jesus Cruz Trejo as the new postulator general for the causes of saints of the Salesians of Don Bosco, succeeding Fr. Pierluigi Cameroni. Vatican approval was granted on October 26.

The New Postulator

Fr. Gabriel Cruz Trejo was born in Mexico City and made his first Salesian profession in 1997. He was ordained a priest in 2006. He began his ministry in Salesian formation in Mexico. He served as a formator and teacher, as well as community director and director of the interprovincial postnovitiate.

Fr. Cruz subsequently earned a licentiate in missiology and theology of religions from the Pontifical Gregorian University. He also earned a specialization in Islamic studies from the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies in Rome. Fr. Cruz was then sent as a missionary to Pakistan, where he carried out intensive pastoral, educational, and missionary work, also serving as the delegate for Pakistan of the Southern Philippines Province.

In 2022, he was assigned to the Salesian Generalate in Rome, where he joined the postulator’s office as an assistant to Fr. Cameroni. During this time, he earned a diploma in advanced specialization in the causes of saints from the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, which was conducted at the Pontifical Lateran University and the Augustinianum Patristic Institute. He also served as the global spiritual animator of the Association of Mary Help of Christians.

A Precious Spiritual Heritage

The postulator general for the causes of saints is responsible for overseeing, on behalf of the Salesian Congregation, the causes for beatification and canonization promoted by the Congregation and by the various groups of the Salesian Family. In collaboration with the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, he contributes to the Church’s discernment and promotes awareness of the witness of holiness that has matured within the charism of Don Bosco.

Ever since the introduction of Don Bosco’s cause in 1890, the postulator general’s office has safeguarded a precious spiritual heritage that today extends to every continent and to the various vocations of the Salesian Family. Its mission consists in overseeing the causes through the various stages of their process and in making known the spiritual richness of the women and men who have exemplarily embodied the Gospel according to the Salesian charism.

As postulator general, Fr. Cruz will make available to the Church the spiritual richness of the causes for beatification and canonization promoted by the Salesian Congregation and the groups of the Salesian Family.

Homily for All Souls Day

Homily for All Souls Day

Nov. 2, 2026
John 14: 1-6
Ps 23
Rom 14: 7-12
Salesian HS Juniors, New Rochelle, N.Y.

Holy Trinity & Souls in Purgatory
(unknown artist)

In the gospel we just heard, Jesus tells us not to let our hearts be troubled (John 14: 1).  When someone we love dies, our hearts are troubled.  That doesn’t mean we’re bad Christians; it means we’re human.  Jesus wept when his friend Lazarus died (John 11:35).

But Jesus also reassures us even when we grieve for deceased loved ones.  He tells us he’s prepared a place for us (14:2), and he’ll take us to himself (14:3).  Jesus himself passed thru death and into a world beyond our experience.  In that world, the world of eternity, he waits for those we love, and he waits for us.  Even when our hearts are troubled, we have this consolation of our faith.  Jesus has gone ahead of us and is waiting for us whom he loves.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd.  He shows us the way to the verdant pastures that Ps 23 speaks of.  He shows us the way to the house of the Lord where he wants us to dwell with him (John 14:3)—not just “for years to come,” as the psalm says (v. 6), but forever.

So why do we have this solemn day called All Souls Day, a day of praying for the dead?  It’s not that we lack confidence in the goodness of Jesus our Shepherd, Jesus who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).

We pray for the dead because, as St. Paul reminds us, “we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God.  Each of us shall give an account to God” of our lives (Rom 14:10,12).  All of us have to pass the final exam in order to arrive at the place Jesus has prepared for us.  Our prayers for the dead help them prepare for their judgment because for God there is only the present—no past.  Our prayers and others’ deaths are all present to God.

When you go to a prom or a relative’s wedding, you make sure you clean up, your clothes are clean and neat, and you’re well groomed.

To come into the place God has prepared, where Jesus waits for us—to come into God’s presence—we’ll have to be perfectly clean, all stain of our sins wiped away.  Everyone sins, right?  The sins we carry with us to the grave, like our pride, selfishness, laziness, or impurity, have to be cleansed.  In Catholic theology, we call that purgatory, getting cleaned up for God, having our sins scrubbed away.

So on All Souls Day, we pray for the dead—for all who have died, including our relatives and friends—that they’ll be washed by God’s mercy and be able to come into his presence, to dwell forever in the place that Jesus has prepared for them.

Homily for All Saints Day

Homily for All Saints Day

Nov. 1, 2026
Matt 5: 1-12
Rev 7: 2-4, 9-14
1 John 3: 1-3
St. Francis Xavier, Bronx

All Saints (William Vrelant)

“When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, … he began to teach them” (Matt 5: 1-2).

We just heard the beginning of what’s called the Sermon on the Mount.  It takes up 3 chapters in Matthew’s Gospel and presents to us the new law of Christianity—a series of instructions, parables, and prayer.  The Our Father comes from this set of teachings.  It’s beautifully presented in The Chosen, season 3, episode 1.

The site where Jesus gave this sermon, according to tradition, is preserved on a hillside called the Mount of the Beatitudes overlooking the Sea of Galilee and is a place of pilgrimage.

Matthew portrays Jesus as a new Moses.  He goes up a mountain, as Moses ascended Mt. Sinai to receive the 10 Commandments and the rest of the Law directly from God.  On this mountain—really, it’s just a hillside—Jesus sits down, assuming the classic posture of a teacher.  In every cathedral you find a chair reserved for the bishop—called his cathedra, Latin for “chair”—which only he may use because he’s the supreme teacher of his diocese.  When the Pope issues his most solemn teaching on faith or morals, he speaks ex cathedra, “from the chair,” the chair of St. Peter in his case.

Today we hear the beginning of Jesus’ solemn teaching.  He begins with the Beatitudes, 9 blessings for Jesus’ disciples.  Those who practice his teachings are saints.

Today we’re celebrating “all saints.”  We recognize, honor, and celebrate many saints all year—the Blessed Virgin Mary, above all, and the apostles and other favorites like St. Francis, St. Patrick, St. Anthony, St. Therese the Little Flower, Mother Teresa, St. Ann, and of course St. Francis Xavier.  Canonized saints, however, are very few among all God’s holy ones.  The reading from the Book of Revelation speaks of “a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue” (7:9),who stand before the throne of God and the Lamb of God, our Lord Jesus, all of them garbed in robes “washed and made white in the Blood of the Lamb” (7:14).

Undoubtedly, you have known some of God’s holy ones, people who’ve lived the Beatitudes that are the new law of Christ, people who’ve been humble, devout, merciful, kind, clean of heart and mind, peaceable, patient in suffering.  It might have been a parish priest, a nun who taught you in school, a grandparent, a neighbor—someone whose holiness and closeness to God you easily recognized.  I’ve lived with saints among my Salesian brothers and have met others who are wives, husbands, parents “who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matt 5:6), i.e., to be right with God, to serve the Lord and the Lord’s people.

God has called every one of us to be among his saints.  In Baptism we were washed clean in the Blood of the Lamb, and we get a fresh rinsing when we confess our sins—and when we pray and surrender ourselves to God’s will and to his merciful love.  As St. John tells us in the 2d reading today, we’re “the children of God” who have a destiny to become even more when we complete our earthly journey and enter God’s presence to “see him as he is” and reflect more perfectly his image; “we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:1-2).

The modern civil rights movement advised those sitting in, marching, and advocating for human dignity and human rights to “keep their eyes on the prize,” borrowing that phrase from an old hymn.  That hymn and that phrase remind us to keep our eyes on the prize, which is the eternal life that God bestows on his saints—everyone who walks faithfully with Jesus toward the Kingdom of God.  Keep on walking, sisters and brothers, with your eyes on Jesus because he’s got the prize—eternal happiness.

Salesian HS Walk-a-Thon Raises Funds for American Cancer Society

Salesian High School Walk-a-Thon Raises Funds for American Cancer Society

By Fr. Jim Heuser, president of Salesian HS

Salesian staff lead students on walk
thru Five Islands Park

(New Rochelle – October 30, 2026) – Salesian High School organized its 2nd annual Walk-a-Thon in support of the American Cancer Society on October 23. 450 pupils, teachers, and some parents walked approximately 3 miles through Five Islands Park and the Petersville neighborhood in New Rochelle. The decision to raise funds for the American Cancer Society this year stemmed from the fact that the disease has affected several members of the school community in recent years: teachers, pupils, and Salesians, as well as their families. The school raised over $5,000 to be allocated to cancer research and patient support. At the end of the walk, participants heard from Francis Badillo, the youth ministry coordinator, who gave a heartfelt account of his eldest son’s suffering, recounting the cancer diagnosis received 2 years ago, the various treatments attempted, the relentless progression of the disease and his current condition in hospital.

Students assembled before starting their walk

All's Quiet on the Long Path

All’s Quiet on the Long Path

We’ve been having gorgeous weather, milder than usual for this late in October.  Having a big project nearly wrapped up, I got an OK to go camping on Thursday, Oct. 29, after attending to some spiritual business on the other side of the Hudson.

I drove to the hikers’ parking lot off Long Mountain Parkway (Rte 6) and at 2:45 p.m. headed south on the Long Path.  The most hazardous part of my 2 days hiking and 1 nite of camping was just crossing the highway twice.

My destination was the Stockbridge Shelter, which I last visited 3 years ago.  I’d forgotten how much elevation one gains hiking thither from Rte 6—about 300 feet, spread over 2¼ miles.  I thought I’d handle that in an hour.  Ha!  It took me an hour and a half, including a couple of short breathers and some swigs of water.

There were signs in the parking lot and at the start of the Long Path on the opposite side of the highway warning about hunting—presumably for deer.  Hikers were advised to wear bright clothing and to stick to the trail.  I stuck to it, but I went with the white outer shirt I was already wearing.  (On the return trip, I wore my bright orange (Univ. of Illinois) windbreaker.

In any case, after leaving the parking lot I didn’t see a soul, either going to the shelter or returning.  Nor did I see a deer, or anything larger than a chipmunk.  I did spot a woodpecker and lots of small birds.  The only sounds were rustling leaves.

We haven’t had a good rain for over week, and the spots on the trail that normally would be crossed by little creeks or mushy weren’t so.  The foliage had a good mix of orange and yellow, and still a good bit of green.

I reached the shelter at 4:15

and found it empty—except for a lot of stuff previous visitors had left behind, including a pretty clean, heavy blanket, some empty liquor bottles, one not quite empty, a large Trump 2024 banner, a bagged roll of TP, and assorted other stuff.  

After emailing my confreres at home to let them know where I was (later I also sent a beautiful photo),

I gathered firewood.  It was surprisingly easy to find, both small pieces and larger ones that I sawed up into manageable chunks.

I’d worked up an appetite from the hike and the firewood.  I prepared supper:  chili mac with beef and Crystal Lite, followed by some trail mix and dried apricots.  

Then Evening Prayer and hanging my bear bag from a tree. 

There was a sign right outside the shelter advising use of the cables “behind the shelter” to hang your food, but I couldn’t see anything anywhere in back.

By then the sun had set, and I got a fine fire going in one of the 2 fireplaces in the shelter.  (At this time of year, I always want a shelter with a fireplace.) 

I was enjoying the quiet and the solitude.

The wind had risen and was blowing strong, from the west I think.  So it was chilly outside.  I decided to hunt for the elusive cable apparatus, and by descending from the shelter and walking toward the front of the shelter, I found them indeed—not quite in front of the shelter, more to the east side, but definitely not “behind” it, and definitely below it.  I didn’t relocate my bag, leaving it hanging from a tree limb, like so many other times.

I sat on the shelter platform with my book (Dagger John, a biography of Abp. John Hughes), getting up as needed to feed the fire till about 8:30, when I left it to subside gradually.  I plowed thru maybe 30 pages of the book before deciding to turn in.  I’d laid the Trump banner under my groundcloth, and I used the orphaned blanket for part of my pillowing, under my backpacker’s pillow stuffed with some clothing.

Many shelters have logbooks in them.  I signed into the one here.

After Nite Prayer, I changed into sleepwear (long johns and one more top layer) and snuggled into my sleeping bag.  Very comfortable.  My REI air mattress provided a good pad underneath.  Sleeping, tho, was another story; I tossed and turned most of the nite, dozing now and then, and a troublesome shoulder aching persistently.

The nite was quiet—“not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.”  Just the constant wind, but the shelter interior was warm enuf even after the fire died out.  My phone informed me the temperature was in the low 60s.

The nite looked foggy, but I’m not sure it was.  I waited till dawn to get up, which was about 6:30 a.m. on Friday.  It was 52° with a stiff wind still blowing—and no fog.  I visited Mother Nature, then took up the Liturgy of the Hours (iBreviary).  When it got light enuf, I celebrated Mass on one of the ledges alongside the fireplace opposite the one I’d used for my fire.

I retrieved my bag of food from the tree where I’d hung it and made breakfast:  hot granola, coffee, mixed nuts, and dried apricots—delicious, filling, and nutritious.

Packing up is always a chore, seemingly harder than packing before a trip.  At least this time I didn’t have to deal with a tent.  I take my time, trying to be methodical and, of course, not overlook anything.  Between yesterday and today, I picked up some of the litter left by my predecessors—an empty water bottle, small glass booze bottle, various tea candle remnants, etc.  I wasn’t tempted to take the Trump banner or the heavy blanket.

It didn’t get much warmer with the sun up; the wind continued strong.  Leaves carpeted the trail, occasionally obscuring the footpath.  But the trail conference has done an excellent job blazing it, so it wasn’t hard to follow at all.  Today’s earworm was “when autumn leaves start to fall.”  That was a contrast to yesterday’s snatch of a tune from The Mikado, which I’d just listened to at home:  “A is happy – B is not.”  Why that snatch?  Who knows?  It catchier than “Behold, the Lord High Executioner,” anyway.

I left the shelter with my pack feeling a little bit lighter than on the way in; after all, I’d used a lot of the 4 liters of water I’d brought.  The trail was mostly downhill, requiring care in spots and made a little treacherous here and there by the leaves’ hiding rocks, depressions, or bits of wood.  It took just about the same time, an hour and a half, to return to the car (at 10:30).

I emailed home that I was back at the car after doing a little litter removal in the parking lot—cans, bottles, cups, Burger King detritus.  Then homeward before 11:00.

All photos: https://linkit.shutterfly.com/PyaY0_

Advisory Team for Salesian Missionary Volunteers Meets

Advisory Team for Salesian Missionary Volunteers Meets

JC Montenegro, Lauren Hichaaba, Marco Fulgaro,
Fr. Christopher Kunda, & Adam Rudin

(ANS – Rome – October 26, 2026) – On Saturday, October 24, the annual meeting of the advisory team for Salesian missionary volunteer programs (SMV) began at the Sacred Heart complex in Rome. This mixed team coordinates and leads the SMV at the level of the Salesian Congregation.

Lauren Hichaaba (Australia), Juan Carlos Montenegro (USA West), Adam Rudin (USA East), Fr. Christopher Kunda SDB (Zambia), and Marco Fulgaro (Missions Department, SDB headquarters) began the meeting with a planning session and briefing on the week’s program, followed by Mass in the “Letter from Rome” chapel on Sunday, October 25, and a sharing session, led by Fr. Christopher, at Villa Borghese.

Sunday afternoon was devoted to a mid-term review of the strategic plan drawn up last year. On Sunday evening, Fr. Carlos Mendez (Youth Ministry Department, SDB HQ) will join the group. Over the coming days, the team will meet with several general councilors and the Rector Major; they will work on a documentary to highlight the potential of the SMV; continue organizing the World SMV Meeting in Madrid, October 17–22, 2027; and present the new guidelines for Salesian communities hosting volunteers (Thursday, October 29).

The meeting will then continue in Würzburg, Germany, where the team will have the opportunity to meet and get to know some German volunteers as they complete their placement.

(ANS – Rome) – From 24 to 30 October 2026, the Advisory Team for Salesian Missionary Volunteering (SMV) met in Rome to promote strategic priorities, strengthen international collaboration and reaffirm Missionary Volunteering as a vital expression of Don Bosco’s charism.

During the meetings, the group had the opportunity to engage in an exchange with Fr Jorge Crisafulli, General Teamlor for the Missions, Fr Rafael Bejarano, General Teamlor for Youth Ministry, Fr Silvio Roggia, General Teamlor for Formation, Fr Fidel Orendain, General Teamlor for Social Communication, and other representatives from the various sectors of the Congregation. Discussions focused on the formation of volunteers, the protection of minors and vulnerable persons (safeguarding), mental health, accompaniment, and shared responsibility between Salesians and lay collaborators in carrying out the Salesian mission.

A significant moment was the international launch of the “Guidelines for Salesian communities hosting volunteers”, presented in English with simultaneous translation into Italian and Spanish. The event was attended by Fr Jorge Crisafulli, Fr Rafael Bejarano and Fr Fidel Orendain; the meeting was moderated by Lauren Hichaaba, representing the Advisory Team. The dialogue-based format emphasized the importance of creating welcoming communities where volunteers can grow personally, spiritually and vocationally.

The Rector Major himself, Fr Fabio Attard, also encouraged the Team over the course of the days, urging the group to “prioritize depth over numerical growth, to foster authentic collaboration and to remain attentive to the evolving realities that young people face”.

Reflecting on Don Bosco’s vision, which sees the mission as a shared responsibility, the Rector Major went on to emphasize that effective leadership requires prayer, listening, discernment and a clear pastoral vision. He also highlighted the growing challenges related to mental health and safeguarding, stressing the need to create communities where young people can experience a genuine sense of belonging and personal accompaniment.

The Advisory Team also continued preparations for an International Meeting of Salesian Missionary Volunteer Coordinators, scheduled to take place from 17 to 22 October 2027 in Madrid. The initiative aims to foster greater collaboration and promote a shared vision of Missionary Volunteering throughout the Salesian world.

The Advisory Team has continued to develop a documentary highlighting the joint commitment of missionary volunteers and Salesians to new frontiers. Through authentic testimonies from different continents, the project aims to inspire young people to embrace missionary service as a concrete response to God’s call.

The meeting thus reaffirmed a fundamental conviction: Salesian Missionary Volunteering is much more than a simple opportunity for service. It is a journey of faith, encounter and vocational discernment, through which young people become active protagonists of Don Bosco’s mission and witnesses of hope throughout the world.

In the coming days, the Advisory Team will then travel to Würzburg, Germany, to take part in a gathering of volunteers.

Homily for Thursday, Week 30 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Thursday
Week 30 of Ordinary Time

Oct. 29, 2026
Luke 13: 31-35
Eph 6: 10-20
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

Herod Antipas
(James Tissot)

“Go and tell that fox, … ‘on the third day I accomplish my purpose’” (Luke 13: 32).

Not all the Pharisees oppose Jesus.  Some are friendly enuf to warn him of danger.  Why Herod should “want to kill” him (13:31) is unclear.  But the threat is real; the ruler has already killed John the Baptist.

Nevertheless, what Herod thinks and plans doesn’t determine what Jesus will do.  That’s determined by the Father’s will:  “I must continue on my way…, for it’s impossible that a prophet should die outside of Jerusalem” (13:33).

Jesus has already undertaken his way to the holy city, the city of prophetic destiny.  Luke tells us in ch. 9, “When the days for his being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem” (v. 51).  He has cast out demons and performed miracles, but his purpose still lies ahead.  He will resolutely carry out the Father’s will regardless of Herod.

To use contemporary language, Jesus is laser-focused on God’s will.  That’s an example for us.  “On the 3d day” Jesus will accomplish his purpose—an allusion to his resurrection, by which he goes beyond exorcisms and healings and opens the way to eternal life for us.  Eternal life is the Father’s plan for the human race.  Those who follow Jesus must resolutely seek and carry out God’s will without regard for the Herods of our time, or for “the principalities, powers, and world rulers of this present darkness, or the evil spirits in the heavens” (Eph 6:12)—or for our own desires and wills.

The Salesian Mission in the Americas

The Salesian Mission in the Americas
A network that beats with the heart of Don Bosco

(ANS – Medellin, Colombia – October 26, 2026) – The final day of the continental meeting of provincial superiors and youth ministry delegates from the Americas, held in Medellin October 19-23, was devoted to reflection on Salesian formation and its relationship with the educational and pastoral mission. Fr. Dominic Tran and Bro. Travis Gunther represented the New Rochelle Province.

Fr. Silvio Roggia, general councilor for formation, led the discussion on the 5th edition of the Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis et Studiorum, promulgated on January 26, 2026. His address provided an opportunity to explore the theme of Salesian formation as an ongoing process, which unfolds thruout one’s entire life and is oriented toward the mission of being educators and pastors of young people.

Under the theme “Networking, the dream continues,” for 5 days provincials, delegates, and representatives from various Salesian networks across the 2 American continents shared experiences and reflected on the current challenges facing Salesian youth ministry, on strengthening networking, and on collaboration between Salesian organizations.

The meeting was also attended by Fr. Rafael Bejarano, general councilor for youth ministry; Fr. Gabriel Romero, councilor for the America South Cone Region; and Fr. Hugo Orozco, councilor for the Interamerica Region.

One of the central themes was networking, understood as a way of living out Don Bosco’s mission together. Building on the Rector Major’s message and a reflection on the journey undertaken by the Congregation, the participants explored the relationship with the Don Bosco Network, mission offices, and Salesian NGOs, emphasizing the importance of sharing expertise, collaborating, and building sustainable networks in the service of young people.

The Salesian province of Medellin, Colombia, hosted the meeting, welcoming participants in an atmosphere of fraternity and shared Salesian charism. As part of the experience, the participants also visited Ciudad Don Bosco, where they were able to learn about the educational programs and holistic support services aimed at vulnerable young people.

At the end of the meeting, a renewed commitment was made to strengthen ties between the provinces and Salesian networks, to promote shared discernment, and to consolidate avenues of collaboration across the continents. The event also reaffirmed the close link between formation and youth ministry, areas that are fundamental for preparing Salesians capable of understanding new contexts and responding to the challenges facing young people.

“Networking, the dream continues” – this phrase sums up the desire to keep Don Bosco’s dream alive in the Americas, by uniting efforts and pooling gifts and resources to continue accompanying, educating, and evangelizing young people, especially those most in need.

25 Years of Miracles in Mongolia

25 Years of Miracles in the Land of the Nomads
Silver jubilee of the Salesian presence in Mongolia

(ANS – Ulan Bator, Mongolia – October 27, 2026) – “The past with gratitude, the present with optimism, the future with courage.” Inspired by this motto, the Salesian delegation of Mongolia celebrated its silver jubilee on October 23-24.

Taking into account the country’s historical heritage and social context, the celebration was organized in 2 distinct parts: a non-religious ceremony held on October 23, followed by the religious celebration, which included Mass, on  October 24.

The silver jubilee was marked by the presence of guests from every corner of the world, including Fr. William Matthews, SDB regional councilor for East Asia–Oceania; Fr. Marcello Baek, provincial of the Holy Korean Martyrs Province in South Korea; Fr. Joseph Kim Khanh, vice provincial of the Vietnam Province, who laid the foundations for the Mongolian mission prior to its integration into the South Korea Province; and Fr. Joseph Toth, a missionary from Slovakia, who first arrived 25 years ago and is currently serving in Yakutsk, Siberia. Together they shared their joy and gratitude for 2½ decades of grace.

October 23: gratitude and unity shared with Mongolian society

The celebrations began on October 23 at the Don Bosco Erdem Technical School in Ulan Bator. The program featured a wealth of traditional artistic performances, including the Morin Khuur (horse-head fiddle) and Urtyn Duu (traditional Mongolian singing), as well as testimonies from representatives of various Salesian centers, who presented 25 years of Salesian history and work in Mongolia.

A moving moment of the day was the testimony of Mark, a former pupil of the school, who offered an example of what Salesian preventive education means. He is now a respected and much-loved teacher who expressed his deep gratitude to the Salesians for having shaped not only his professional career, but also his life and his faith.

During the day, the local Mongolian community paid a moving tribute to the Salesians. Residents and young people, who are traditionally reserved in expressing their emotions, invited the foreign Salesian missionaries onto the stage. Wearing colorful traditional Mongolian deels as a sign of respect for the local culture, the Salesians were welcomed with sincere gratitude by the people they have served for 25 years.

October 24: the Salesian Family united in praise at Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral

On October 24, over 300 members of the Salesian Family, including the Salesians, the Polish ambassador to Mongolia, priests and religious from the prefecture apostolic of Ulan Bator, lay faithful, the Salesian Sisters, the Salesian Cooperators, and members of the Association of Mary Help of Christians, filled Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral, where Fr. Matthews presided over Mass.

The 2d day began with an account by Fr. Timothy Choi, the delegate for Mongolia, on the life of Fr. Carlo Maria Savio De Ocampo Villegas, the first Salesian missionary to arrive in Mongolia (2001). After 17 years of devoted service, Fr. Carlo suffered a stroke while celebrating Easter Mass in Darkhan, leaving him paralyzed on one side of his body. He subsequently returned to the Philippines. To mark the 25th anniversary, Fr. Carlo entrusted his beloved medal of Mary Help of Christians to Fr. Timothy.

Another deeply moving moment of the event was when the Salesian confreres sang the famous Mongolian song “Nutgiin Shuvuud” together with the audience. The song expresses the deeply rooted spirit of the nomadic life of the Mongolian people, mirroring the path of self-giving taken by the Salesian missionaries, who left their homeland to live as loving strangers in a distant land.

The mission in Mongolia is facing real challenges due to staff shortages, the financial crisis, and various other social and cultural issues. Despite this, the Salesian Family in Mongolia remains steadfast. Faced with a difficult reality, it entrusts itself to its vocation with “hope against all hope” (Rom 4:18), following the words of Pope Francis from his apostolic journey to Mongolia: “God loves smallness and thru it accomplishes great things.”

As Fr. Carlo Maria Savio testified, the history of the Mongolian mission has been a continuous journey of grace under the maternal care of Mary Help of Christians. The Salesians in Mongolia look to the future with optimism, carrying in their hearts the miracles of the past 25 years.