Salesian Family Day Celebrated in Sherbrooke

Salesian Family Day Celebrated in Sherbrooke

(ANS – Sherbrooke, Que. – April 21, 2026) – On Saturday, April 11, members of the Salesian Family in Quebec Province gathered to celebrate Salesian Family Day, with representatives from Montreal and Sherbrooke in attendance. The gathering took place at the Don Bosco Youth Centre and was inspired by the Rector Major’s 2026 strenna: “Do whatever he tells you: Believers free to serve.” The day began with a moment of prayer led by Fairouz Hanna, provincial coordinator of the Salesian Cooperators in Canada, followed by the screening of the official video for the 2026 Strenna. Following this reflection, the participants split into small groups to explore the 4 key verbs of the message: look, listen, choose, and act, guided by various facilitators. This was followed by the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Association of Salesian Cooperators, with a presentation on the history and current activities of the Association. The day concluded with the Eucharist, presided over by Fr. Richard Authier. Present were Sr. Alphonsine Roy and Fr. John Puntino, delegates of the Salesian Family and the ASC in Canada, together with other Salesians, Daughters of Mary Help of Christians from Montreal and Toronto, members of ADMA Montreal, past pupils, ASC members from the 3 centers, and numerous supporters.

Homily for 3d Sunday of Easter

Homily for the
3d Sunday Of Easter

April 19, 2026
Luke 24: 13-35
Villa Maria, Bronx
Our Lady of the Assumption, Bronx
St. Francis Xavier, Bronx

Disciples and Jesus on the way to Emmaus
(Fraternita di Emmaus)

“Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter his glory” (Luke 24: 26).

No one of sound mind likes suffering, either his own or someone else’s.  Nor, if our theology is sound, do we believe that God the Father wanted his Son to suffer.  There is a misguided theology of the atonement that maintains God demanded the blood of Christ to atone for all the sins of humanity.

Yes, Jesus’ blood—his passion and death—has atoned for our sins; not because God required it, but because we sinners inflicted all that pain and suffering on God’s Son, which he didn’t run away from in spite of his fear—remember his prayer in the garden of Gethsemane to be delivered from it.  Instead, he accepted what evil men imposed upon him, rather than abandon his mission of bringing God’s love and mercy to everyone—to everyone!  That universal love outraged a lot of people, somewhat like people being outraged today that God loves people of all races, all nations, all languages, even all faiths.

Was it not necessary for Christ to suffer?  Yes, inasmuch as suffering comes without fail to every woman and man, even very good women and men, even the saints.  God’s Son assumed our full humanity so that he might elevate us with a share of his divinity, with a share of his glory.  So as a human being he had to suffer.  He had to be one of us, like us in all things except sin.  The sinless One had to suffer and die as we do so that, like him and thru him, we may be raised up to be with God.

Bp. Robert Barron makes the keen observation that “his willingness to go to the limits of godforsakenness … [saves] those who had wandered from the divine love.”[1]  You remember that Jesus cried out from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt 27:46).

So Jesus suffered injustice, pain, abandonment, and death—like victims of the Holocaust, persecuted Christians in Nigeria, the people of Ukraine, the victims of genocide in Gaza, the millions of unborn humans aborted every year, women and children abandoned by their men, women and children trafficked by merchants of human misery.  Jesus suffered pain as we do from illness, accidents, allergies, loss, heartbreak, and unfair treatment.  It was necessary that the Christ should suffer so that we weak and afflicted men and women can look to him with hope:  “Your faith and hope are in God,” St. Peter reminds us today (1 Pet 1:21).  He cares for us, having shared our experience, and he will redeem us from our sins and our sorrows, even from death, so that we might “enter his glory” and live with him in God’s kingdom.

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[1] The Word on Fire Bible: The Gospels (Park Ridge, Ill., 2020), p. 446.

General Council Session Ends

General Council Session Ends
Rector Major Focuses on Call to Hope and Authenticity

(ANS – Rome – April 17, 2026) – The spring plenary session of the Salesian general council, which began on March 9, concluded on April 16 at the Salesian headquarters. As is customary at the end of each session, the rector major delivered his Good Nite to the community members of the Generalate, sharing a summary of the council’s experience and offering several spiritual and pastoral reflections for the journey of the Congregation. The session lasted 6 weeks, one week longer than usual. It also included the annual spiritual retreat, held in Nemi.

In his address, Fr. Fabio Attard first expressed his gratitude to the members of the general council, together with the collaborators who accompanied the work during this intense and fruitful period.

A Week Marked by the “Will to Conversion”

The rector major devoted his 1st reflection to the retreat, describing it as “a very significant week,” lived in the spirit of Art. 91 of the Constitutions: the “will to conversion.”

Accompanied by Fr. Pascual Chavez, rector major emeritus, the participants reflected on the theme “Rediscovering Ourselves,” accepting the invitation to listen attentively to our times. Such listening – he underlined – requires a heart ready to go out of itself, without fear or hesitation: “Dilexit nos. The heart beyond the obstacle.”

In a historical context marked by deep tensions and rapid change, the Salesian pastoral journey often appears countercultural. For this reason, the rector major affirmed, the challenge of hope is decisive – not an ingenuous optimism, but a theological virtue that shapes the heart and gives meaning and joy to the mission.

At the center of this perspective lies the inseparable bond between Religious Life and the Word of God. Without the Logos with a capital “L” – the Word of Jesus – only our own limited human word remains. For the Salesians of Don Bosco, intimacy with the Word is indispensable nourishment and the guarantee of a balance that is both delicate and urgently needed.

Interior Freedom, an Evangelical Gaze and Active Hope

Sharing some of the guidance offered to the members of the general council, the rector major highlighted 4 fundamental attitudes:

• to ask the Lord Jesus for the grace of interior freedom, dwelling in silence in His presence;
• to look at history with the eyes of Jesus, allowing our hearts to be touched by His Sacred Heart;
• to live conversion as a journey marked by hope rooted in history, translated concretely through the lived experience of the Preventive System as a critical force capable of generating a civilization of love;
• to ensure that the Word of God becomes the source, nourishment, light, and strength of personal life and mission, to be “broken” and shared with the young.

Only from intimacy with the Word made flesh, he reaffirmed, can the Salesian vocation mature authentically.

In a “Change of Epoch”: Being Informed and Credible

In the final part of his message, the rector major broadened his reflection to the global context, describing it as a true “change of epoch,” marked by conflicts and tensions that profoundly challenge Christian conscience.

Faced with this reality, the Salesian headquarters – he stated – cannot limit itself to commenting on events. He therefore invited the confreres to adopt 2 defining attitudes:

1. To be well informed, studying and understanding in depth what is happening in the world, so as to help the provinces develop a global vision and incarnate the charism within increasingly complex cultural contexts.
2. To live consistently in humility and poverty, together with serious study and attentive accompaniment of the provinces, as choices that make the service of the central government credible.

“How we live is what we communicate,” he reminded them. “And how we live speaks louder than what we say.” Hence the invitation to safeguard and promote at the Salesian headquarters a simple and sober lifestyle, without compromise.

“Martyrs of Otherness” and Salesians in Places of Risk

In conclusion, the rector major recalled the witness of the 19 martyrs of Algeria, including the monks of Tibhirine, described as “martyrs of otherness” for having chosen to remain with the Algerian people until the end.

Referring to the powerful image from the dialog between a monk and a village girl – “We are the birds, you are the tree” – he emphasized the value of faithful presence, capable of offering shelter, protection, future, and hope.

Today, he noted, the Congregation is present in 10 particularly challenging contexts marked by conflict and danger, where Salesians are true “martyrs of education and evangelization.” To them goes the human and spiritual closeness of the entire Congregation.

Their witness, he concluded, calls everyone to live the Salesian vocation authentically and without compromise, like “trees” that safeguard and nurture the hope of the young.

With this invitation to conversion, hope, and coherence of life, the rector major entrusted to the community of the Salesian headquarters and to the whole Congregation the task of continuing the journey with renewed fidelity to the Gospel and to the charism of Don Bosco.

The First Salesian House in China

The First Salesian House in China

(ANS – Macao – April 15, 2026) – The longest-running mission of the Salesians of Portugal, which marked the beginning of Don Bosco’s work in China, was the work in Macao. Portuguese Salesians were present in Macao for 92 years: beginning on February 13, 1906, with an interruption between 1910 and 1912, it ended only on December 31, 1999, when the territory was returned to China. On the 150th anniversary of the expedition that marked the expansion of the Salesian presence into the missions, the Salesians of Portugal recall their first missionary outposts and their first missionaries.

Despite the jurisdiction of the Portugal as the colonial ruler, the first Salesians in the territory were Italian. The first director of the Immaculate Conception Orphanage – today the Salesian Institute, still in operation – was St. Louis Versiglia (1873–1930). It was not until 1912 that the first Portuguese Salesian, Fr. José da Silva Lucas, arrived in Macao, where he remained until 1927, having served as director of the orphanage. After him, many Portuguese Salesians passed thru over the years.

From the modest initial premises and its role as an orphanage, it went on to include a primary school, workshops, teaching in Portuguese, English, and Chinese, and new buildings equipped with modern facilities and machinery. In 1950, Colegio Dom Bosco opened for Portuguese students. Over the years, both institutions adapted their curricula and facilities to the evolving education system. Both the Salesian Institute and Colegio Dom Bosco were honored by the Macao Government with the Medal of Cultural Merit. Colegio Dom Bosco was the only one to remain under the jurisdiction of the Portuguese Province until 1999.

Upon the handover of the territory to China, the works in Macao were integrated into the Salesian Province of China, based in Hong Kong. The Portuguese section of the school was closed. In 2000, following the departure of the Portuguese Salesians, a further restructuring took place: Dom Bosco College merged with Yuet-Wah College (founded by Chinese and under the jurisdiction of the Hong Kong Province), with the former focusing on primary education and the latter on secondary education.

Currently, Macao is celebrating the jubilee year marking the 450th anniversary of the diocese (1576–2026). The Salesian Congregation has just commemorated the 120th anniversary of its arrival in the East. The Salesians are currently present in China with 5 establishments in Hong Kong and 2 in Macao: the Salesian Institute and Colegio Dom Bosco/Yuet Wah College. They also have 3 works in Taiwan. Today, in the Macao Special Administrative Region, 14 Salesians are working: 10 priests, 2 deacons, and 2 coadjutor brothers. The Salesian Institute, which has existed for over a century, and Dom Bosco College/Yuet Wah College are 2 of the largest schools in the territory.

Homily for Thursday, Week 2 of Easter

Homily for Thursday
2d Week of Easter

April 16, 2026
Acts 5: 27-33
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

The apostles before the Sanhedrin
(John T. Squires website)

“You want to bring this man’s blood upon us” (Acts 5: 28).

Precisely! tho not in the sense meant by the high priest.  The apostles want the leaders of their people, and the entire nation, to be washed by the blood of Christ.  That’s why they’re defying the Sanhedrin’s prohibition of preaching about Jesus (Acts 4:17,21).  That’s why they continue to announce his resurrection and his place at God the Father’s side, “granting Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins” (5:31).

To bring repentance and forgiveness to the whole human race thru Christ’s blood remains the mission of his Church, which “must obey God rather than men” (5:29).  In defiance of the powers of the earth, we will preach peace, human dignity, and the rights to life and liberty that God gives to every one of his children.  “We are witnesses” (5:32) to God’s universal love expressed in Jesus our Lord, risen and pouring forth from his pierced heart his sacrificial blood.

Salesian Missions Funds Education and Health of Impoverished Students

Salesian Missions Funds Education and Health of Impoverished Students

(ANS – Quito, Ecuador – April 15, 2026) – Salesians in Quito, Ecuador, had the funding to help support education and health for students living in poverty thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions of New Rochelle. The families of these students work mainly in informal, low-paid jobs and in precarious conditions. Students are at risk of dropping out of school or face academic challenges. Many require educational reinforcement and psychosocial support to ensure that they remain in and do well in school.

With the funding, Salesians were able to continue and strengthen the comprehensive care program for these youngsters. From January to June 2025, academic and psychosocial support was provided to 191 youths. In the 2nd half of the year, 181 students received support. In addition, Salesians provided school kits with supplies students needed.

Salesians also held 4 specialized health campaigns including dentistry, optometry, general medicine, and nutrition. These activities were carried out in coordination with the Prefecture of Pichincha and the Vista para Todos Foundation. These interventions covered not only basic health needs, but also guaranteed the delivery of corrective lenses and health-related procedures for 183 students. 

Further, 76 parents and caregivers attended workshops on parental responsibility and emotional management. Youths went to workshops on rights, inclusive communication, and safe environments. At the same time, Salesians helped youths maximize free time with sports and cultural activities, which improved the perception of well-being and quality of life.

Casandra Rey Sancho, aged 13, has been attending the Salesian Mi Patio Reference Center since she was 8 years old. She is one of the beneficiaries of the project. She said: “Before entering the program, I was a very withdrawn child. I had a hard time trusting others, and I didn’t have a safe space where I could play, learn, or just feel supported. I felt small in front of the world. Today I can say that I am different.”

She added: “Thanks to Salesian support, I have strengthened my security and confidence. Not only do I get support with my homework and school supplies, like backpacks and notebooks, but I also have people who believe in me. Teacher Susana visits my house, talks with me and my mother, and also comes to my school to follow up on my progress. That close support has motivated me to try harder. My grades have improved, and I now have good grades.”

Sancho also receives psychological support and participates in health campaigns. She loves to play soccer and dance. She noted: “Not only have I improved in school, I believe in myself, have been opened up to the world and now imagine a different future. I am deeply grateful, because thanks to this project, today I am more confident, happy, and hopeful.”

Salesians provide social development and educational programs across Ecuador to help youths who are poor gain an education and the skills for later employment. The skills they learn ensure they are able to care for themselves and their families while being contributing members of their communities.

Homily for Tuesday, Week 2 of Easter

Homily for Tuesday
2d Week of Easter

April 14, 2026
Acts 4: 32-37
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph Residence, N.R.

“The community of believers was of one heart and mind” (Acts 4: 32).

In the midst of Luke’s description of the ideal Christian community, he interposes an interesting note:  “With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus” (4:33).  It’s as if to say that the common life and mutual sharing are part of the community’s proclamation that Jesus is risen and he is Lord.

Jesus himself advised his apostles that all would know them for his disciples by their love for one another (John 13:35).  Their love is manifest practically in care for one another, seeing that no one lacks whatever’s needed for a good life, including spiritual harmony.  That’s why we sometimes hear a church leader say of our schools, health care, or Catholic Charities that we do such ministry not because its beneficiaries are Catholic but because we are.

We religious try to live with “one heart and mind,” holding “everything in common” (4:32).  When we do so, we bear witness with great power that Jesus lives and is our master.  Words aren’t necessary.  Faithful, mutual, practical love for one another says everything.

Homily for Monday, Week 2 of Easter

Homily for Monday
Week 2 of Easter

April 13, 2026
Collect
Salesian HS, New Rochelle, N.Y.

Adam & Eve Expelled
from Eden
(OL of the Assumption, Bronx)

In the opening prayer a few moments ago, the prayer called the “collect” because it brings together the prayers and desires of all of us, we asked Almighty God to transform us.

1st, we credited God with renewing us “by paschal remedies.”  “Paschal” refers to Passover, and for Christians the Passover is Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection—by which he passed over from our human mortality to eternal life.  That’s a remedy for us—for our sins, which bring death, and his remedy of grace, which will free us from death, as he was raised up.

The prayer spoke of “the likeness of our earthly parentage.”  All living persons, from our most distant ancestors, are sinners.[1]  That’s what we’re like.  And because of sin, all of us die.  Ashes to ashes and dust to dust, as the saying goes.

But God’s grace, God’s forgiveness, transforms us “in the image of our heavenly maker.”  That is, grace will make us images of Christ, risen from death and living forever—free from sin, free from pain, free from sorrow.  Christ, of course, never sinned.  But we do.  Nevertheless, his grace has the power to transform us to be like him.

That’s what we prayed for in the collect.

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[1] With the exception, of course, of the Virgin Mary.  Jesus is not a “human person” but a divine Person who assumed a human nature.  This need not be detailed in a brief homily.

Homily for 2d Sunday of Easter

Homily for the
2d Sunday of Easter

April 12, 2026
1 Pet 1: 3-9
St. Francis Xavier, Bronx
Our Lady of the Assumption, Bronx

Jesus Appears in the Upper Room (James Tissot)

St. Peter assures us, “God … in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope thru the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Pet 1: 3).

That Jesus of Nazareth truly rose from the dead is evidenced by his appearing to his apostles in spite of their hiding away in a locked room, and their touching him and probing his mortal wounds.  On the apostles’ testimony, backed up eventually by their martyrdom for the sake of Christ, we’re as sure of the resurrection as we are that Washington crossed the Delaware with his army on Christmas Day 1776.

Jesus alive gives us “living hope”—hope that the power of God will touch us, too, who have been reborn in him by water and the Holy Spirit.  Thus does God pour out on us his great mercy—which we particularly mark today, Divine Mercy Sunday.

In fact, Jesus is our “living hope,” as we pray before Communion at every Mass:  “By the help of your mercy, may we be always free from sin …, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.”  Mercy, hope, and our Lord Jesus—all together!

Our hope rests on that wonderful mercy.  His resurrection wouldn’t mean much to us without that—the mercy he commissioned the apostles and the whole Church to pass on from him by the power of the Holy Spirit:  the power to forgive sins, the power to reconcile us with God in spite of our mortality, our frailties, our failures, our sins great and small.

God loves us, God forgives, God redeems us in Jesus, risen, alive, bringing us to life.  That’s the Gospel, the Good News.  That’s the mission of the Church—to hear and accept the Gospel by receiving the sacraments—being washed clean in the holy font and reborn in the Spirit (Collect), by communing with his Body and Blood, by having our sins erased in confession; and by practicing Christ’s own love for God and neighbor.  And, further, to share the Gospel we’ve accepted, letting everyone see by our words and deed that we belong to Jesus Christ, our merciful Redeemer.

St. John Bosco Parish Celebrates Holy Week

St. John Bosco Parish Celebrates Holy Week

By Fr. Eddie Chincha, SDB

                     

(Salesian News – Port Chester, N.Y. – April 8, 2026) – Holy Week was a major event at St. John Bosco Parish in Port Chester, beginning on Palm Sunday and continuing over the following days.

On Palm Sunday the parish offered 2 extra Masses to accommodate the large number of people who attended Mass. During Reconciliation Monday, the Salesians heard confessions from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; we stopped only for Evening Prayer and dinner together.

Additionally, the community had a two-day parish mission. Each day after Mass, our new confrere in community, Fr. Felix Levin, preached to hundreds of people who attended this Tuesday and Wednesday mission.

St. John Bosco Parish’s pastor, Fr. Franco Pinto, SDB, and I attended the Chrism Mass in St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Tuesday, March 31, in midtown Manhattan.

Holy Thursday featured a packed liturgy, at which all St. John Bosco Parish’s altar servers and eucharistic ministers processed in together. We had 12 apostles represented by men from different groups of the parish.

On Good Friday the parish welcomed a large crowd of the faithful to the 3:00 p.m. liturgy. After the service, we processed through the main streets of Port Chester, acting out the way of the cross. Our young adult group prepared these live stations of the cross for months. They practiced every Wednesday and recruited parishioners as actors and support crew. 

The procession lasted for 4 hours and ended with the Veneration of the Cross. Thousands of people of all ages came out of their homes to walk with us, witnessing publicly to the strong faith in the village of Port Chester in a dynamic way.

Fr. Felix Levin and Deacon Ivan Gemio lead the Way of the Cross

Our actors gave a very realistic performance. The whips were very real and the sincerity and devotion of the actor who played Jesus was extraordinary.

The Easter Vigil was majestic. We had 13 adult baptisms that night in a multilingual liturgy. One of the most moving moments of that service was the renewal of baptismal vows. Our people shouted “I do” with loud voices that shook the building.

Finally, on Easter Sunday, many gathered for Mass and to witness the Baptism of 20 children. Afterwards, a fun Easter egg hunt was organized for the little ones. In conclusion, it was an intense week, filled with devotion and love for the Lord.

This was indeed a packed week filled with devotion and love for our Lord. We hope that next year our Holy Week celebrations will be even bigger!

Homily for Thursday, Octave of Easter

Homily for Thursday
Octave of Easter

April 9, 2026
Acts 3: 11-26
Luke 24: 35-48
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

St. Peter Preaching in Jerusalem
(public domain)

“Repent and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away” (Acts 3: 19).

Christ’s victory over death signifies our redemption, i.e., our restoration to a good relationship with God.  The Father forgives our sins and ends our alienation from him and from one another.  The only condition is that we repent, reject our sinful inclinations, and desire to adhere to our Lord Jesus.

Our sins distress us.  Some of them may haunt us.  No one in his right mind wants to be alienated from God or from his brothers or sisters.

Rather, we desire what we pray for:  to be one in the faith of our hearts and the homage of our deeds (Collect), i.e., to believe that “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has gloried his servant Jesus … and raised him from the dead” (3:13,15), which effects reconciliation for us; and to act as Jesus’ disciples, as men and women who have learned from him how to conduct ourselves as children of God.  That belief and that conduct is repentance, the repentance that brings forgiveness and redemption.

Not According to Plan

Not According to Plan

For weeks I was anticipating a vigorous hike and 2 nites of camping in Harriman State Park in the days right after Easter.  I planned to do, more or less, a reverse of a hike I did in 2017.  That was almost at the same time of year (April 29-May 1) when I’d come east from Champaign for my cousin Margaux’s Confirmation.  On that occasion, I didn’t carry a tent, just a tarp, and only 1 gallon of water.

But for this intended April 6-8 jaunt, I carried a tent and 4 liters of water besides food, fuel, warm clothing, and more—probably 40 lbs.

From Reeves Meadow, a view of Dater Mountain,
which one climbs via "Almost Perpendicular"

I parked at Reeves Meadow Visitors Center on 7 Lakes Drive on the outskirts of Sloatsburg, N.Y.  There were about a half dozen cars in the lot.  I got on the trail about 9:15 a.m., trudging up Reeves Brook Trail, which I had to myself for over an hour. 

The solitude ended when a family of a dad and 4 kids came down the trail.  We exchanged a brief greeting.  Shortly, I could hear a racket behind me and didn’t guess what it was until, at the RBT’s junction with the 7 Hills Trail (1.35 miles) I paused for a breather.  And up the trail came a noisy Wolfpack (Cub Scouts) with 3 women guiding them.  They hesitated, not sure of their route; assured that I’m a Scouter, was equipped with a map, and was pointing them east on 7 Hills (their intention), they headed off with exuberance.

Every so often, I emailed Fr. Mike Conway and Fr. Jim Mulloy of my whereabouts and intentions.

I was soon passed by 3 Korean day hikers, apparently a family.  At the Raccoon Brook Trail (.3 mile), they went east, as I meant to do also.  They hesitated at the steep climb then proceeded, and when I got there, I hesitated as well.  With my full pack, I decided that ascent would be too much of a challenge, not say precarious (which I did say in my notes).  So—change of plan:  no RBT to the Hillburn-Torne-Sebago Trail and the Russian Bear, where I’d intended to camp.

Instead, I went west on the RBT .3 mile to its end at the 7 Hills Trail.  Along the way I stopped for lunch (turkey and cheese sandwich with some trail mix, a Kind bar, and water).

  A party of 5 day hikers passed by, heading west.  At the junction with 7 Hills,

Raccoon Brook Trail's end
at Seven Hills Trail

there’s an excellent viewpoint (Torne View) with westward and northward vistas. 

I started south on 7 Hills around 12:20 p.m., figuring to take that to the HTS and Ramapo Torne (which would’ve been my 2d campsite, after Russian Bear).  But clambering down rocky descents with my heavy pack, heading toward the valley between the 2 tornes, and the thought of then ascending Ramapo Torne (which loomed in view),

soon discouraged me.  My legs were feeling the strain of it all.  So I decided to backtrack and look for a camping spot off the trail.

I found a good site before long, about 1:30 p.m., maybe a quarter mile south of the RBT junction, a bit after noon—a level area fit for my tent and a spot to make a fire. 

I pitched my tent, gathered firewood (which was abundant), and hung my bear bag. 

Two or 3 couples came by; I was right off the trail in plain sight, and we greeted each other and conversed briefly about the weather and the trail.  The leaves aren’t out on the trees yet, so shade was scarce, but I found a little bit where I could sit on a rock and read.  I had an issue of Columbia and a little religious book, and on my phone the Liturgy of the Hours.

A group of young Hasidic men went by, southbound, and returned about an hour later; at that point we spoke briefly.  They were amazed that I was camping out and wondered that I wasn’t scared of the wildlife.  Actually, the only wildlife I’d seen was a pair of crows and some hawks.  There were a lot of deer droppings in the area where I was camped.  Nothing to make a hiker or camper nervous.  I did tell the young men I’d seen bears 3 times in the park in 30 years.

Part of the area around my camp

I checked the temperature at 4:34 p.m.--49°.  The elevation was 1,153 ft.  The sun was out nicely, and the wind was strong, giving me a chill.  But I had enuf clothing to layer up well.

About 4:30 I prayed Evening Prayer, read a bit more, then prepared supper:  a hamburger with bread, Crystal Lite, trail mix, apricots, and a Kind bar. 

I put the rest of my food into the bear bag, about 150 ft. from my camp.  I read more.  I admired the sun’s setting behind a bank of clouds, and I could see parts of the Manhattan skyline afar off.

As the sun was lowering, I made a small, sheltered fire, which I fed as needed as I continued reading. 

Not very long after the sun went down and it got dark, I called it a day and retired to the tent.  I changed into fresh, dry clothing.  My REI air mattress provided a comfortable enuf bed under my winter sleeping bag.

The forecast was for a low temp of 39°.  I was snug, but (as usual) I tossed and turned all nite, with some periods of sleep and even dreaming.  At least I didn’t have to get up in the middle of the nite to visit Mother Nature.  I was thirsty, in fact, and did take some water after midnite.  Altho it had clouded over by sundown, the clouds must have cleared away in the middle of the nite because the half moon lit up the tent (to some degree).

At 6:20 a.m. I rose.  It was 40°.  With enuf layers of clothing, that was tolerable; I found a light pair of gloves useful.  After visiting Mother Nature and retrieving my food, I made breakfast (hot granola with strawberries, coffee, apricots, and nuts), then prayed the Hours. 

I began the process of breaking camp and considered where else I might hike and make a 2d nite of camping.  After an interval following breakfast, I picked out a reasonably flat rock and celebrated Mass.

Then I packed up the tent and other gear.  My pack should have felt lighter with 2 liters of water and some food gone, but it didn’t feel appreciably so.  I headed north on 7 Hills at 9:45.  That stretch of trail was reasonably flat and pleasant.  I was thinking I’d get to the car, and drive to Johnsontown Road, then hike to the Dutch Doctor shelter for the rest of the day and overnite.

But as the trail began its descent, I had to pick my steps with great care, and my pack was weighing heavily.  By the time I reached 7 Hills’ junction with Reeves Brook Trail (.8 mile), I’d put the idea of more hiking out of my head and just wanted to get to the car.  My legs were straining, and my shoulders ached.  On reaching the RBT, at first I thought I was to continue northeast on 7 Hills—where an intimidating climb faced me; but, happily, I checked the map (never hike without one!) and I realized that I wanted RBT, which took me steadily downhill alongside the brook, 1.35 miles back to Reeves Meadow—crossing a couple of streamlets and always requiring careful footing.  I didn’t meet a soul the whole way from camp to the parking lot.

I reached the lot around 11:15 a.m.  It was packed, and there were cars along the road as well. 

Several day hikers came along, disappointed that the visitors center—and the bathrooms—were closed.  (I was disappointed too.  After more than 24 hours in the woods, I would’ve liked a real bathroom.)  Several hikers (obviously newbies) wondered whether the trails were closed, too.  Of course they weren’t.  They never are, unless some specific section has been wiped out by a storm (as happens now and then).  I helped orient 2 hiking groups toward Pine Meadow Lake or RBT toward Torne View.  A party of about 10 guys came off the Pine Meadow Trail, regretted the restrooms were closed, and headed to their cars.

After lunch (PB & J with water), I got into the car and emailed my confreres that my plans had changed and I was returning a day early.  It felt good to sit down out of the wind.

Here are all the photos and the map.

Good Friday at Camp Savio

Good Friday at Camp Savio: An Encounter That Began a Journey

(ANS – Bellflower, Calif. – April 7, 2026) - Nearly 200 young people gathered at St. Dominic Savio Church on Friday, April 3, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM for a Good Friday reflection organized by Camp Savio. What began as part of the regular Friday formation for summer volunteers became, for many, a profound encounter with God—and their first step back into a church setting.

Based in Bellflower, Camp Savio is more than a summer program. Rooted in the Salesian spirit, it forms young people as leaders while preparing them to serve during a 5-week summer camp. Formation for counselors begins each March, with weekly Friday gatherings focused on leadership and spiritual growth.

This particular evening was intentionally dedicated to reflecting on Good Friday and the personal relationship each young person holds—or longs to hold—with God.

The night unfolded with simplicity and purpose. After an opening moment of silence and reflection, participants divided into small groups and rotated through witness talks led by former Camp Savio members. Each testimony focused on a core dimension of Christian life: sacrifice, forgiveness, love, hope, faith, and trust.

The power of the evening lay in its authenticity. Justin, Lesley, JJ, Sam, Juanito, and Zoey shared not theories, but lived experience. JJ spoke about feeling overwhelmed by uncertainty and discovering unexpected growth through surrendering to God. Sam reflected on betrayal and the difficult path toward forgiveness. Others shared stories of learning to trust God in moments of doubt and disappointment. Throughout the evening, the church was marked by an unusual stillness. Nearly 200 teenagers sat in attentive silence. The absence of distraction spoke for itself—something meaningful was happening.

After the rotations, the group gathered for a communal reflection and night prayer. The evening concluded with a heartfelt “good night” message from Fr. Mike Gergen, who thanked the young people for their generosity and willingness to serve. He affirmed their importance to the community and encouraged them to continue seeking depth in their faith.

One question at the end revealed the deeper impact of the night: “How many of you have participated in a church service or event for the first time this week?” Nearly 80% raised their hands.

For most present, this was not simply another activity—it was an entry point. It highlighted a broader reality: many young people today do not immediately see church spaces as accessible or relevant. Yet when invited into environments shaped by peer witness, authenticity, and community, they respond.

In a culture shaped by digital noise and fragmented belonging, young people continue to search—often quietly—for meaning and connection. When pastoral initiatives meet them where they are, faith becomes not an abstract idea but a lived encounter. This evening was not improvised. Since December, 17 head counselors have been preparing thru a structured formation process designed to shape both leaders and meaningful experiences. Their preparation made this encounter possible.

As St. John Bosco is often paraphrased: “Love what the young love, and they will come to love what you love.” Good Friday at Camp Savio embodied that vision—not by imposing, but by accompanying. For many, the journey began on April 3.

Salesian Community in Palabek Has New Solar Power System

Salesian Community in Palabek Has New Solar Power System

Salesian Missions funds the project

(ANS – Palabek, Uganda – April 1, 2026) – The Salesian community in Palabek Refugee Settlement, located in Uganda, has a new solar power system thanks to donor funding by Salesian Missions of New Rochelle. The funding enabled the successful installation of 60 high-quality solar panels, harnessing renewable energy to meet the community’s electricity needs. This significantly enhances energy access for the community, including religious missionaries and residents. 

The upgraded system has contributed to reducing dependence on fuel-based generators, leading to noticeable savings in operational costs. The new system also advances environmental conservation efforts by utilizing renewable solar energy and decreasing the community’s carbon footprint. More than 600 people from the youth center and chapel have benefited from this donation.

Before the project, chapels, youth centers, nursery schools, and the community needed more electricity than the existing system could provide. The old system’s capacity was insufficient to supply continuous electricity where needed. The 12 batteries could power the area for only a few hours after sunset, with some lighting lasting just 3 hours. To address this, the new system increased the number of batteries to 16, including high-quality lithium batteries known for their long life and resistance.

The installed system now supports lighting, communication, and basic electrical needs within the residence, enhancing daily living and community activities. The improved energy infrastructure has increased the community’s ability to support various programs and activities, fostering development and well-being. 

Ojok Denis Mlozi, aged 51, is one those benefiting from the project. He cares for his 6 younger siblings and his 4 children, and he has also taken in 2 orphaned children from his sister. Mlozi is a trainee technical teacher, currently working with Don Bosco Vocational Training Center in Palabek. 

Mlozi was excited about the new solar power system and aware of the challenges faced by the Salesian community. He said, “Before the project, I was worried that power outages might occur earlier in the night, especially since the community hosts important visitors. I felt reassured when the project was completed because the new system was built with high-quality technology. Overall, I and others are happy with the changes brought by the project. We are grateful for the support.” 

Salesian missionaries living and working among the refugees at Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp provide a range of educational and social development programs for the 93,000 people living in the camp. Most of them are from South Sudan, and 60% are under age 13. Salesians have been supporting refugees since the opening of the camp in 2016.

Message of the Rector Major for April

THE MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR

Fr. Fabio Attard, SDB

To Jerusalem, Passing thru Emmaus

Hope lost, faith found thru charity

The story of the 2 disciples can be described as an experience of transformation from spiritual blindness to the recognition of the Risen One. I will comment on three movements that in some way have something important to say to us today.

1. Human understanding alone leaves us stranded

The disciples on the road to Emmaus represent the limits of purely human interpretation. They knew the events – the crucifixion, the rumors of the empty tomb – but only as information. These facts represented only a “tomb,” a “failure,” a “dead end.” “We had hoped that he would be the one to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:21). Everything reduced to things belonging to the past. Hope was already dead.

This sentiment speaks powerfully to our own time. We live surrounded by information, but often stranded in meaninglessness. The news cycles, the traumas, the contradictions of our time – when read only thru human analysis, they lead to despair. The disciples’ conversation mirrors our own: meaningless facts become a burden rather than a light. Their thinking was locked in the box of their own human categories, and these alone can’t embrace the frontier of the resurrection.

How often do we too try to “solve” faith only with reason, with social analysis, with the resolution of institutional problems? It’s an effort that lacks the breath of the divine, an effort that loses spiritual oxygen.

2. Jesus as companion: prophetic enlargement

What’s striking is that Jesus, setting out on the road with them, doesn’t reveal himself immediately. Instead, he first listens (“Why are you talking about all this?”), then teaches. He doesn’t underestimate their pain but addresses it with patient pedagogy: “Beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them what was said about himself in all the Scriptures” (Luke 24:27).

Jesus doesn’t impose understanding, even tho it’s what they need. Jesus invites them to broaden their understanding. He gently invites them out of their labyrinth. The disciples’ reasoning, the Messiah they imagined, all of this is broadened and deepened thru the Scriptures. The message of the prophets is a living text, not a dead one.

The most beautiful detail is that while they listened attentively, they didn’t recognize him while he taught. Recognition comes later. With their hope still wavering, they offer their dear companion their hospitality (the breaking of bread).

Here we have a beautiful lesson for us today. It’s not just a matter of transmitting doctrine, noble and urgent as that is. People need to be helped calmly and patiently to see their own lives, their own questions, their own hopes within the broader understanding of Jesus’ message. This listening requires community; it feeds on communion. It’s a step toward true understanding, that is, the moment when the “eyes of the heart” are opened.

3. Encountering him in the breaking of bread: eyes open without seeing

The paradox is exquisite: “Their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight” (Luke 24:31). They encounter him precisely not by seeing him, but by recognizing him in the action of hospitality and communion.

This is the most profound point. The Eucharist is not just a ritual remembrance, but the ongoing reality of Christ’s presence thru the gift and sharing of himself. The 2 disciples “now” do not need constant visual proof. They have experienced something deeper: participation in his gift.

I would like to share some insights for our journey based on these 3 small steps.

a. Leaving behind a faith that is enslaved to the immediate and to appearances.

Even today, we risk living our faith in Jesus with the same dominant mentality of calculation: I want to see, to be certain. I accept, yes, but with certain conditions. Instead, Jesus, the companion of Emmaus, invites us to a different way that begins with closeness, is enriched by listening, and leads to communion. This path is marked by patience and charity. Gradually, Jesus asks us to dismantle those structures of fear and defense that keep us prisoners of ourselves.

The Jesus we discover thru teaching invites us to go further: entering and taking on his model of self-giving. He asks us to renounce false images, to escape from traps of dependency of every kind, offering himself as an example: offering himself to the point of the cross. Fixing our eyes on him, dead and risen, we recognize our “prisons” without fear, and we overcome them with courage.

b. The authentic experience of faith is recognized thru hospitality.

The 2 disciples could have resisted Jesus’ words. Instead, they didn’t! They allowed themselves to be challenged. Let’s not forget that they had lost all hope, perhaps even their faith. But they had not lost their capacity for welcome and hospitality: they were still disciples capable of living charity!

Here, at this point, and only at this moment, there’s a turning point: they recognized him by giving him hospitality. When they welcomed Jesus, Jesus gave them everything, all of himself. They asked Jesus to stay “with them.” Instead, Jesus rewarded them by remaining “in them”!

c. The Eucharist as the culmination and beginning.

The breaking of bread is not the end of the story; rather, it’s the beginning of their authentic story. Altho evening was falling, the 2 disciples immediately returned to Jerusalem, to the community, to bear witness. Now the darkness outside no longer has power over the light that fills the heart of the believer. The true power of the Eucharist is what pushes us outward, toward others, upward.

This is the beauty of faith in Christ, sustained by hope and lived with charity!