Homily for Tuesday, Week 12 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Tuesday
Week 12 of Ordinary Time

June 23, 2026
Year II
2 Kings 19: 9-11, 14-21, 31-36
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph Residence, N.R.
“Will you, then, be saved?” (2 Kings 19: 11).

Hezekiah - St. Mary Church, Ahus, Sweden
(produced for Wikipedia by David Castor)

One theme runs thru the collection of Old Testament books attributed to the sacred writer called the Deuteronomist:  Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings.  We might call him the biblical historian or even the archivist.

The theme is, Israel is secure when they’re faithful to their covenant with the Lord, and they meet disaster when they forget the Lord.

So today we find the little kingdom of Judah under threat from the powerful Assyrian empire, which has already devoured the rest of the Near East, including the unfaithful kingdom of Israel.

Hezekiah has been a devout and faithful ruler, one of the few whom the Deuteronomist praises.  Encouraged by the prophet Isaiah, he turns to the Lord, praying for Jerusalem’s deliverance, and the Lord saves the city by inflicting disaster on the arrogant enemy army.

The Defeat of Sennacherib
(Peter Paul Rubens)

In the responsorial psalm, we pondered God’s mercy within his temple (48:10).  That mercy assures God’s people today, Jesus’ Church, that we will stand secure against whoever thinks to surround, overwhelm, and lay her waste (2 Kgs 19:17), whether that be the demonic foe (“the gates of hell shall not prevail against her” [Matt 16:18]) or an earthly oppressor.

Further, like Hezekiah, we trust in God to deliver us from our demonic enemy and from the oppression of our sins.  We count on God’s mercy within the temple of our souls.  We acknowledge our failings, but we know that our Lord Jesus has set us on the firm foundation of his love (Collect).

Salesian NGOs Gather in Samoens, France

Salesian NGOs from around the World Gather in Samoëns

(ANS – Samoëns, France – June 22, 2026) – Representatives of foundations, mission offices, and Salesian NGOs from around the world gathered from June 16 to 18 at the I Becchi holiday village in Samoëns, in the Haute-Savoie department of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, France. Brought together within the Don Bosco Network, they shared impressions, ideas, reflections, and best practices to collaborate ever more effectively and continue to support the Salesian mission globally.

The Don Bosco Network organizes exchange events, working groups, and 2 general assemblies thruout the year. While most of these global meetings take place via video-conference, once a year all its members gather in one place: this year, province of France- South Belgium (FRB) was chosen as the venue to welcome everyone to the heart of the I Becchi holiday village in Samoëns, which belongs to the AEC-Vacances Salesian association.

The event was attended by representatives from Salesian Missions (USA), Via Don Bosco (Belgium), Misiones Salesianas (Spain), Don Bosco Mondo (Germany), VIS – International Volunteers for Development (Italy), Don Bosco Jugendhilfe Weltweit (Switzerland), Bosconet (India), Savio (Slovakia), Don Bosco Aid (Ireland), Don Bosco Mission (Austria), Foundation Don Bosco (France), Don Bosco Foundation (Malta), Salezjanski Osrodek Misyjny (Poland,) and Salesian Missions-Australia.

Projects and missionary outreach

These independent NGOs thus act as a link among themselves and the Salesian Congregation, in particular with the Missions Department, represented at the meeting by Fr. Eric Mairura. All these organizations work closely with the local Salesian authorities, from whom they receive funding for their projects. How? In each Salesian circumscription, a planning and development office and a structure for mission animation are responsible for developing and ensuring the sustainability – particularly the financial sustainability – of Don Bosco’s educational mission at a local level.

Furthermore, in order to ensure transparency and ethical standards in the use of donations collected by these NGOs, the Don Bosco Network has developed tools such as a database of supported projects, as well as guides and manuals on the sound management of a supported project, from the initial stages thru to the post-project phase.

Learning

At the meeting in Samoëns, members had invited representatives from the Don Bosco Tech programs of Africa, India, ASEAN, and Europe, which develop and promote quality formation thru learning in their respective areas of focus. These large-scale organizations operate in the spirit of St. John Bosco – who sought to provide every young person with formation and a trade to foster his dignity and holistic development – and their programs are in many cases funded thru support from these NGOs and major industrial groups.

Emergency aid

The Don Bosco Network is also able to mobilize substantial resources at very short notice for its emergency programs: earthquakes, tsunamis, wars, etc. The large sums raised in this way pass thru the Congregation’s central offices in Rome, which thus ensures the proper and ethical use of the donations.

Finally, during the meeting in Samoëns, all those present had the opportunity to be re-energized in the truest Salesian spirit, at the foot of the Savoie mountains of St. Francis de Sales, and in the company of numerous local Salesians, including the FRB provincial, Fr. Xavier Ernst, and the provincial treasurer, Bro. Sebastien Robert, SDB.

Salesian Missions in New Rochelle was represented by Fr. Mike Conway, director, and Fr. Krzys Nizniak, assistant director.

Source: Don Bosco Aujourd’hui

Salesian Missions Supports Vulnerable Sierra Leone Boys

Salesian Missions Supports 131 Vulnerable Boys at Sierra Leone Child Care Center

(ANS – Freetown, Sierra Leone – June 17, 2026) – Salesian missionaries had donor funding to support 131 boys in the Child Care Center in Sierra Leone. The center is part of Don Bosco Fambul’s temporary shelter and rehabilitation facility for vulnerable boys aged 5-16 who have suffered severe violations of their fundamental rights or endured harmful conditions on the streets. Don Bosco Fambul, located in Freetown, is one of Sierra Leone’s leading child-welfare organizations. The donor funding came from Salesian Missions of New Rochelle.

The funding supported 131 boys with residential care services. In addition, 88 families and caregivers had access to reunification, counseling, and follow-up support; 17 highly vulnerable households received targeted financial assistance; and 128 youths were able to access education.

The center provides immediate protection and structured care for youths who have suffered abuse, neglect, trafficking, family rejection, forced labor, substance misuse, and other forms of exploitation. Referrals come through established national child protection pathways, including the ChildLine 525, Don Bosco Mobil outreach teams, the Ministry of Social Welfare, the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, the Family Support Unit of the Sierra Leone Police, partner organizations, community leaders, and concerned citizens.

 The center operates 24 hours a day and delivers comprehensive services aimed at stabilizing, rehabilitating, and reintegrating each child back with his family or caregiver. Salesians provide safe accommodation, nutritious meals, medical and psychosocial care, trauma counseling, spiritual support, structured educational and recreational activities, legal and protection services, and a family tracing and reunification program. The goal is to prepare each youth for reintegration into a safe and nurturing family environment — whether biological, extended or foster-based. For boys whose home situation remains unsafe or unviable, the center refers them to the Don Bosco Group Home for long-term residential care and skills development.

 John, aged 13, is one of the youths who benefited from the center. Before accessing the center’s services, John’s life was disappearing under the weight of poverty. He said: “My life stopped being about a future and started being a daily, exhausting struggle just to stay alive. My dreams were slipping away, hidden under the weight of hunger and the constant ‘hustle’ of the streets.”

John said that the turning point was not just the outreach, but his own decision to trust the process provided by Don Bosco Fambul. He explained: “When I first walked through their doors, I was a mix of fear, uncertainty, and a very fragile kind of hope. But I chose to stay. And that choice changed everything. In that nurturing environment, I started to remember who I was. I stopped just surviving and started participating. I went from a boy struggling to survive alone on the streets to a young man preparing for a life filled with possibility.”

John has made significant strides in his education. He has taken the West African Senior School Certificate Examination. John noted: “It is a milestone that reflects more than just my grades. It reflects my resilience and the fact that someone believed in me when I couldn’t believe in myself.”

Homily for 12th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Homily for the
12th Sunday of Ordinary Time

June 21, 2026
Rom 5: 12-15
St. Francis Xavier, Bronx

Adam & Eve expelled
from Paradise (Masaccio)

“Thru one man sin entered the world, and thru sin, death (Rom 5: 12).

The one man of whom St. Paul speaks is Adam, the one father of the human race according to the creation stories of the book of Genesis.

We don’t have to read those stories as literal history in order to understand their theology, the truth they convey as divine revelation, just as we don’t read the parable of the Good Samaritan as something that actually happened.

The truth of the 1st chapters of Genesis is that God made the world good and full of life.  Human choices—like the arrogance and disobedience displayed by the man and the woman in the Garden of Eden—marked a turning away from God, from goodness, beauty, and harmony.  Sin isn’t God’s doing, but ours.  Death and disorder in the universe aren’t from God but from rejecting God.  “Thru a human being sin entered the world, and thru sin, death.”

God is able to deal with that.  He has put into operation Plan B, as it were, the recovery operation of his own Son:  “the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflows for the many” (5:15).  Jesus of Nazareth, crucified because he was faithful to God his Father, rose from the grave.  He conquered death, and thru his risen life offers to all men and women a free and complete pardon from sin and from the penalty of sin, viz., damnation and death.

The Last Supper (detail)
by Dagnan-Bouveret

St. Paul teaches that this “gracious gift” of God “overflows for the many.”  It overflows without limit, and it’s “for many,” the phrase Jesus used at the Last Supper when he gave to his disciples the cup of his blood of the new covenant, poured out for the redemption of sinners.  “For many,” not for a limited few.  Not only for those who followed Jesus there and then; not for the apostles or our Blessed Mother only.  Not for the Jewish people only.  But for as many as would follow him and put their faith in him, “from the rising of the sun to its setting,” as the 3d Eucharistic Prayer says—without a limit of time or space.  God’s grace is boundless when we turn away from sin and turn toward him.

We can join Jeremiah in praising the Lord for rescuing the lives of the poor, us poor sinners; for rescuing us from the power of the wicked (20:13), i.e., from Satan and his gang of fallen angels.

Bro. Richard Pasaik, SDB (1938-2026)

BRO. RICHARD PASAIK, SDB (1938-2026)

Bro. Richard Pasaik lived very quietly as a Salesian brother for almost 67 years, and he passed away very quietly on the morning of June 14, 2026, in his room at the Marian Shrine in Haverstraw, N.Y. He was 88 years old.

Bro. Rich had concluded his annual retreat just the day before, renewing his religious profession along with his confreres. At least one of the retreatants had noticed that he wasn’t looking well, though Brother said he was fine.

Richard Pasaik was born on February 12, 1938, in Oswego, N.Y., a small city on the shore of Lake Ontario founded as a British trading post in 1722. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Polish immigrants came to the city to work in its factories or its shipping businesses. Richard’s parents, Joseph and Mary Bogdziewicz Pasaik, worshiped at the city’s Polish parish, St. Stephen the King Church, and Richard was baptized there about two months after his birth. He was confirmed at another Oswego parish, St. John the Evangelist, in 1951.

Richard enrolled as a Son of Mary at Don Bosco Seminary in Newton, N.J., in September 1957. A year later he began his novitiate in Newton under the guidance of Fr. Aloysius Bianchi. When the elenco was published early in 1959, the class numbered 44, including the future Fr. Joseph Davie, Bro. Joseph Ferrari, Fr. Jack Gibson, Fr. Frank Kelly, Fr. Gerry Pellegrino, Fr. Dave Purdy, Fr. Jeremiah Reen, Fr. Floyd Rotunno, Fr. Frank Twardzik, and Bro. Gerald Warner. They made their first religious profession on September 8, 1959, at Newton.

Six years later, Bro. Richard made his perpetual profession, also at Newton. In the meantime, he continued his formation at Don Bosco Tech in Paterson, N.J., learning electromechanics for two years. In 1961 he was assigned to Don Bosco Technical Institute in Haverstraw, the aspirantate for boys aspiring to become coadjutor brothers. For the next 15 years, he undertook the general maintenance of the school building (which was eventually transformed into part of the Don Bosco Retreat House), the Marian Shrine, the residence, and the extensive property—at that time still over 200 acres. He did his work and participated in the community’s life with competence and unfailing good cheer, always present and punctual.

In 1976 Bro. Rich was assigned to Don Bosco College in Newton to take care of the extensive maintenance there—grounds, plumbing, electricity, machinery, etc. Fr. Richard Alejunas remembers Bro. Rich’s trying to teach some of the young brothers how to mow the lawns with the tractor, and being told he’d been selected because “I know you won’t run it into the lake,” as some other trainees had done. Bro. Rich carried on at the College for 15 years.

Then in 1991 he returned to the Marian Shrine, carrying on steadily but eventually slowing down with age. When his 60th anniversary rolled around in 2019, he still described his role as “maintenance team,” and stated that the most significant aspect of his Salesian vocation was “availability in serving the needs of my brothers in community.”

Bro. Rich, 3d from right, with regional councilor Fr. Hugo Orozco (center)
and other confreres celebrating profession jubilees in 2024.

Bro. Bernie Dubé surely isn’t alone in remembering Bro. Rich “for his kindness and gentleness and [as a] hard-working Salesian brother.” Fr. John Nazzaro confirms that: “[He] was always a very kind gentleman who was a great example of service and commitment as a good Salesian.”

Fr. Ken Shaw, who lived with Bro. Rich at the Marian Shrine for many years, goes into more detail: “What comes to mind when thinking of Bro. Richard is his availability and willingness to help others confreres, doing whatever task that was asked of him.” For example, if you needed something, you did well to ask him first—“he was a renowned collector”—and often already had the item on hand or could offer a good substitute.

Fr. Ken also testifies that Bro. Richard showed concern regularly for confreres in a nursing home, visiting and bringing snacks. He was jovial and loved to repeat jokes as well as to visit the Dollar Store, Wendy’s, Carvel, and Shop Rite.

As a Salesian brother, his dress was simple and presentable, in keeping with Reg. 55 of our Rule. One of his favorite hymns was “Morning has broken,” and often someone in the community would quip, “Bro. Richard will fix it!”

Bro. Rich was waked in the Marian Shrine chapel on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 17, the funeral Mass following at 7:00 p.m. Fr. Dominic Tran, provincial, presided, and Fr. Tom Ruekert preached the homily. Brother was buried on Thursday morning in the province cemetery at Goshen, N.Y.

Salesian Missions Funds Comprehensive Care for Youths

Salesian Missions Funds Comprehensive Care for Youths at the Casa Hogar

(ANS – Colima, Mexico – June 12, 2026) – Thanks to funding from Salesian Missions of New Rochelle, the Salesians in Mexico have been able to support 62 young people in vulnerable situations at the Casa Hogar in Colima. The young people at the center have faced situations of vulnerability due to abandonment, physical and psychological violence, or an unsafe family environment. Some joined the program after living on the streets. A Salesian working at the center explained: “One of the most significant outcomes of this period has been the ability to retain the entire interdisciplinary team, meaning the young people have had the same support staff, which has fostered their emotional stability, bonds of trust, and the effectiveness of therapeutic and educational processes.” Having received continuous support, the Salesians noted that these young people experienced a reduction in severe behavioral crises, improved emotional regulation, and strengthened bonds with the educational team. As for their education, 85% of the young people maintained or improved their academic performance.

World Day Against Child Labor

World Day Against Child Labor

Educational investments from Salesian Missions help keep youths in school, safe from child labor

(ANS – New Rochelle, N.Y. – June 12, 2026) – Salesian Missions of New Rochelle joins humanitarian organizations and the international community in honoring World Day Against Child Labor. The day has been celebrated on June 12 since 2002, and it brings attention to the global extent of child labor and the action and efforts needed to eliminate it.

Child labor is associated with lower educational attainment and later with jobs that fail to meet basic decent work criteria. Those who leave school early are less likely to secure stable jobs and are at greater risk of chronic unemployment and poverty. Many of those who leave school early, particularly youths between the ages of 15-17, are engaged in work that is hazardous and classified as the worst forms of child labor.

Father Michael Conway, SDB, director of Salesian Missions, said, “Salesian programs rescue children from labor and ensure they have their basic needs met and are enrolled in school. Children need hope for the future and the skills to find and retain stable, safe employment later. We support those efforts by providing scholarship funding and ensuring Salesian schools have what they need to provide high-quality education for youth.”

In honor of World Day Against Child Labor 2026, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight educational investments that help youths remain in school instead of being forced into child labor.

INDIA

Don Bosco Nava Nirman, located in Muniguda, India, provided scholarships for 32 girls thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. The school was developed in 2010 after the Kandhamal violence in the region in 2008. One of the greatest contributions Salesians make in the region is through their education, especially for youths who are poor and marginalized.

A Salesian noted, “We have been concentrating on the education of girls and young women, which is an urgent need in this area. Generally, girls are marginalized by the parents as well as the society at large as they are not seen as potential earners in the workplace. Our entry into the education of the girls is in a way an attempt to transform this general perception. Today, through support provided to us, we are able to educate many girls through our scholarship program.”

Donor funding helped to offset the cost for hostel fees, as well as academic fees and book purchases. Although the school received funds for 26 scholarships, it was able to make scholarships available for additional children. In total, 32 children received financial support for their education.

ISRAEL

Salesians in Nazareth, Israel, were able to provide scholarships and psychosocial support for youths thanks in part to donor funding from Salesian Missions. The project was funded through the Don Bosco Network with support given by several Salesian organizations including Salesian Missions.

Through the project, Salesians provide scholarships to 106 students who are enrolled at the Salesian School in Nazareth. They were also able to provide 78 hours of psychosocial support to 50 staff and around 170 young students (grades 1-6) affected by war and unrest in the area.

The scholarships were provided to students, including 39 females, in the form of school fee deductions. The students are from families severely impacted by the broader socio-economic challenges affecting the Arab community in Israel, many of whom experienced job loss, business closures, and reduced income as a result of the conflict.

SOUTH SUDAN

Youth attending the St. Vincent de Paul School, run by the Salesian Sisters in Gumbo, South Sudan (outside Juba, the capital), have improved sanitation and access to workshops, along with a new equality club, thanks to donor funding. The funding was provided by Salesian Missions. Donor funding helped with the construction of new bathroom facilities for girls, strengthening gender equality in the school community.

While construction was happening, teachers implemented regular hygiene and gender equality awareness sessions. From March to September 2025, the sessions were delivered during daily school assemblies. In total, 24 awareness sessions were conducted, covering topics such as personal hygiene, hand-washing practices, oral hygiene, safe use and maintenance of toilets, menstrual health, body changes, and maintaining a clean environment at school and at home. More than 1,100 students participated in these sessions.

In addition, an equality club was established and became active during the academic year. The club reached 53 students from grade 3 until grade 7. The club promoted equal participation among boys and girls in the school and strengthened gender-sensitive practices. A total of 14 leaders were appointed to motivate their peers and support the implementation of the planned program. Under the guidance of teachers, the club organized mixed sports tournaments, gender-themed debates, and shared responsibilities for school duties. These activities fostered collaboration, encouraged balanced participation, and promoted positive gender roles across the school community.

Charity Poni Lino, one of the teachers at the school, said, “Life in Gumbo is challenging, and it is not easy as a teacher. I see that most people struggle even to pay school fees, but we know that education can change our future. My wish is to study hard and become a doctor so that I can help others girls and my community.”

WEST AFRICA

Salesians were able to provide scholarships to 325 youths thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. The youths came from 18 communities in countries in West Africa, including Benin, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Guinea Conakry, and Mali. The Antonio Cesar scholarships covered schooling, supplies, and support for transportation.

One youth supported through the program was 16-year-old Nathan. He is a student at St. Jean Bosco in Cotonou, Benin. Nathan lost his father when he was young and lives with his mother, who has few resources.

Nathan said: “For a long time, I thought that my school journey would stop due to a lack of resources. I didn’t believe I’d be able to continue my studies, let alone be able to attend professional training. But everything changed thanks to the scholarship that I received. I was able to complete my secondary education and obtain my baccalaureate. I am now pursuing professional training with the firm desire to succeed and learn a profession and one day be able to support my family as they have supported me.”

He finally stated: “This scholarship transformed my life. It gave me hope, confidence, and a real direction to follow. I would like to express my deep gratitude to the school and to all partners and benefactors who make this project possible. Thanks to you, young people like me can dream again and especially believe in a better future.”

Homily for 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Homily for the
11th Sunday of Ordinary Time

June 14, 2026
Collect
Ex 19: 2-6
Ps 100: 1-3, 5
Rom 5: 6-11
Matt 9: 36—10: 8
Villa Maria, Bronx
St. Francis Xavier, Bronx
Our Lady of the Assumption, Bronx

Undoubtedly, you’re aware that our country is gearing up to celebrate the semiquincentennial of our Declaration of Independence.  That fancy word means “half of 500 years.”  Our recent history as a nation has laid plenty of emphasis on independence, on personal freedom, to do, say, and be whoever we want whenever we want wherever we want.  Not a few people have lamented that as destructive of social and political cohesion, of human solidarity; rather, as a tendency to factionalize, even atomize, who we are.

Today’s liturgy highlights dependence.  In the collect, we addressed God as the “strength of those who hope in you” and admitted “without you mortal frailty can do nothing.”  We prayed for “the help of your grace always” in order that we might follow “your commands” and thus “please you” in mind and action.

In other words, we acknowledge that God’s in charge, and we depend upon him to overcome our weakness of mind and heart, our sinful inclinations and misdeeds.  We may be independent from King George III and Great Britain, but we’re certainly not independent of God’s kingdom.  The Declaration of Independence itself acknowledges “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God” and that our “unalienable Rights” come from our Creator and not from ourselves or our government, and that our welfare relies “on the Protection of divine Providence.”

That, of course, is a political manifesto.  Our Scriptures make a moral and religious statement.  The Lord tells Moses at Mt. Sinai that if the Israelites “hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people,” and they will enjoy a royal, priestly, holy status in his presence.  Israel’s well-being depends on their closeness to God and obedience to his commands.

Writing to the Christians at Rome, St. Paul reminds them that we are helpless (5:6) sinners who depend upon God’s grace to “be saved thru Christ from the wrath” of God’s judgment (5:8-9).  Christ’s death is our life, “thru whom we have now received reconciliation” (5:11).  Forgiveness and eternal life are gifts from God, freely offered to us.  We depend on his mercy, on the love he has proved to us in Christ (5:8).  Without him, “mortal frailty can do nothing” (Collect).  Independence from his love would be our destruction.  Serving the Lord is cause for gladness and makes our hearts joyful (Ps 100:2).

The gospel observed that “Jesus’ heart was moved with pity” for the crowds who flocked to him, “troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matt 9:36).  We’re helpless and lost, sick and confused, until the Good Shepherd takes us in charge.  When he let him lead and direct us, then we find healing and security—not in a political sense but in a moral and spiritual sense, in the sense suggested by St. Augustine’s most famous line:  “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” (Confessions 1, 1)

The Psalmist assures us, “The Lord is good; his kindness endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations” (Ps 100:5).  You can depend on it.

Pope Leo XIV in Barcelona, "in Don Bosco's Company"

Pope Leo XIV in Barcelona, “in Don Bosco's Company”

(ANS – Barcelona - June 12, 2026) – Pope Leo XIV spent the 2d, extended stage of his apostolic journey in Spain in Barcelona, a city with deep ties to Don Bosco. Pope Leo’s messages and gestures as a true shepherd didn’t leave the faithful who had gathered there indifferent, just as Don Bosco’s visit to the Catalan city was not without fruit. With the help of an authoritative son of Don Bosco who is a native of Barcelona, Fr. Joan Lluis Playà, delegate of the Rector Major for the Salesian Family, let’s revisit some of the key moments of this Catalan leg of the papal journey through a Salesian lens.

On Wednesday, June 10, from the central balcony of the façade of the abbey of Montserrat, one of Catalonia’s great spiritual symbols, Pope Leo XIV delivered a message of unity and asked, before the thousands of faithful listening to him, that they live “all united as one family” – an image that became one of the key themes of his visit to this Autonomous Community of Spain.

Similarly, during the Mass he presided over on the centennial of Antoni Gaudí’s death, at his masterpiece the Sagrada Familia, Pope Leo XIV once again issued an appeal to the heart of every Christian, calling for peace and hospitality, emphasizing that those who believe can’t kill the innocent nor “abandon those who suffer, those who weep, those fleeing poverty.”

Indeed, Don Bosco was also present at both these Christian landmarks from which Pope Leo addressed his messages of unity and brotherhood. Fr. Playà explains: “The promoters of these works wanted them to feature saints born in Barcelona or those who had had a direct connection with the city. And Don Bosco is certainly one of them.”

The saint of youth visited Barcelona in the final phase of his life, in 1886, but still found time there to arouse great attention and zeal for the Lord, so much so that he received a donation of land on Mount Tibidabo and had the great shrine to the Sacred Heart of Jesus built there, which stands there today as an ideal continuation of the work in Rome to which he had dedicated the last years of his life. “Now that the church of the Sacred Heart in Rome is almost complete,” said Don Bosco upon receiving the unexpected donation in Barcelona, “we must consider how to promote devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus ever more. And an inner voice assured me that I would find the means to fulfill my desire. This voice kept repeating to me: Tibidabo, tibidabo (I will give, I will give – in Latin)” (MB XVIII,114).

DB at Monserrat

Returning to the two statues, the rector major’s delegate for the Salesian Family adds: “In the case of the abbey of Montserrat, the image of Don Bosco flanked by 2 children is situated directly in front of the basilica, as if to establish a direct dialog with the abbey and with our Lady venerated there. In the case of the Sagrada Família, it was Antoni Gaudí who, from the very start of construction, desired the presence of the saints as living symbols of the practice of virtue and examples for the world, so that their contemplation might foster remembrance and inspire imitation.”

Furthermore, the reference to Don Bosco in the Sagrada Família Basilica offers a natural link to the Salesian basilica of the Sacred Heart on Tibidabo.

DB at Sagrada Familia

 Fr. Playà concludes:

 “Just as the tower of the Sagrada Família is the highest point of the city’s buildings, so Tibidabo, presided over by the Sacred Heart, is the highest point of the mountain that surrounds the city. And Don Bosco, always depicted with young people by his side, invited us precisely to ‘Raise Our Eyes’ – the motto of this apostolic journey – to rekindle our faith, nourish our hope and practice charity.”

Venerable Constantine Vendrame, Apostle of the Sacred Heart

Venerable Constantine Vendrame
Apostle of the Sacred Heart

by Fr. Pierluigi Cameroni, Postulator General

(ANS – Rome - June 11, 2026) – On May 22, Pope Leo XIV authorized the promulgation of the decree of venerability for Fr. Constantine Vendrame (1893–1957), a Salesian missionary who brought the Gospel to northeastern India, finding the source of his heroic charity in the mystery of the Heart of Jesus.

A life dedicated to the mission

Born in San Martino di Colle Umberto (Treviso) in 1893, Fr. Vendrame arrived in Shillong in 1924. From the very beginning of his frontier apostolate, he distinguished himself through his total dedication to the local people, who felt loved by him with the heart of Christ. For Vendrame, the mission was not the imposition of rules, but the communication of a love that had changed his own life. In his missionary apostolate, we find the hallmarks of great heroism, not only in how he lived it, but also in the fruits of faith and adherence to the Gospel among the people he encountered. For him, God came before anything else. The words of Pope Francis in Dilexit Nos suit him perfectly: “Mission, as a radiation of the love of the heart of Christ, requires missionaries who are themselves in love and who, enthralled by Christ, feel bound to share this love that has changed their lives. They are impatient when time is wasted discussing secondary questions or concentrating on truths and rules, because their greatest concern is to share what they have experienced. They want others to perceive the goodness and beauty of the Beloved through their efforts, however inadequate they may be.” (no. 209).

The Mawlai Shrine: a dream come true

The most tangible sign of his work is the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Mawlai, Shillong. To build it, he sought the help of Italian benefactors; yet, being a man of the utmost modesty, he wanted everything there to be beautiful, for a church to shine as a sign of Catholic truth and a visible center of unity. A touching detail concerns the choice of name: it was a child who suggested he dedicate it to the Sacred Heart, and the missionary listened to him. The opening on April 13, 1935, represented for Fr. Constantine the fulfilment of a prophetic dream: years earlier, a woman had described to him a great church on top of a hill surrounded by an immense crowd. On the walls of the altar, even today, stands the invitation that guided his entire inner life: “fili, praebe mihi cor tuum” (son, give me your heart).

To mark the culmination of those days, there was also “a solemn consecration of all the participants to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.” In just over 10 years of missionary life, they had succeeded in building that important center of faith and prayer, through which the Sacred Heart would reign in the hearts of so many.

It was the extension into souls of the Kingdom of that “King of Love” for whom Fr. Constantine had set out in 1924.

His spiritual legacy

Fr. Vendrame conceived of his own existence as a fragrant sacrifice for the Church and for the world, writing that “thus we break our life, it perfumes the mystical body of Jesus… and purifies the air.” Before leaving for India, he had sealed his commitment on the back of a small image dedicated to the Sacred Heart: “I have entrusted everything to you, I have hoped for everything from you, and I have not been disappointed.”

He passed away on January 30, 1957, on the eve of Don Bosco’s feastday, having expended every ounce of energy for his brothers. Today his remains rest in the Mawlai Shrine, next to the Salesian Theological College, remaining a “living stone” and a source of inspiration for the many vocations that continue to flourish on Indian soil.

Homily for Memorial of St. Barnabas

Homily for the Memorial of St. Barnabas

June 11, 2026
Acts 11: 21-26; 13: 1-3
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

St. Barnabas healing the sick
(Paolo Vernonese)

“The Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them’” (Acts 13: 2).

Jesus taught that no disciple is greater than his teacher, but when fully trained will be like his teacher (Luke 6:40).  St. Paul probably is an exception to that rule.  Barnabas, given name Joseph (Acts 4:36), nicknamed “son of encouragement,” proved to be a good patron and mentor for Paul, but by the end of their missionary journey thru Cyprus and part of Asia Minor, Paul had become the leader.

And not long after, they broke up.  Acts tells us “their disagreement was sharp” (15:39, over whether Barnabas’s cousin John Mark should come on their proposed 2d mission.  When they split, Paul returned to Asia Minor, accompanied by Silas, and Barnabas and Mark went to Cyprus.  That’s the last we hear of Barnabas, According to tradition, he was martyred on Cyprus.  Tertullian suggested that he authored the Letter to the Hebrews, and Pope Benedict commented that, being a Levite (4:36), “Barnabas may have been interested in the topic of the priesthood; and the Letter to the Hebrews interprets Jesus’ priesthood for us in an extraordinary way.”[1]

The Holy Father found it “very comforting” that “there are also disputes, disagreements, and controversies among saints … because we see that the saints have not ‘fallen from Heaven.’  They are people like us, who also have complicated problems.”

Benedict goes on:  “Holiness does not consist in never having erred or sinned.  Holiness increases the capacity for conversion, for repentance, for willingness to start again, and, especially, for reconciliation and forgiveness.”[2]

That reconciliation seems to have happened.  At the end of Paul’s life, thrice he refers to Mark as one of his fellow workers (Col 4:10; 2 Tim 4:11; Phlm 24), and both Colossians (4:10) and 1 Corinthians (9:6) speak mildly of Barnabas.

One hagiographer sums up:  “If it needed the intense fire of a Paul to set the Mediterranean world alight, it needed the quiet encouragement of a Barnabas to make that fire the light that would enlighten the world.”[3]  The Holy Spirit was at work in both of them.

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[1] Jesus, the Apostles, and the Early Church (SF: Ignatius, 2007), pp. 141-142.

[2] Ibid., p. 141.

[3] The Saints: A Concise Biographical Dictionary, ed. John Couson (NY: Guild Press, 1958), p. 99.