Mary Domenica Mazzarello: Simplicity Blossoms into Holiness

Mary Domenica Mazzarello: Simplicity That Blossomed into Salesian Holiness

(ANS – Rome – May 13, 2026) - There are lives that don’t make noise, yet leave behind a light that continues to shine across generations. St. Mary Domenica Mazzarello lived such a life. Born in Mornese on May 9, 1837, into a hardworking Christian farming family, Mary grew up among the vineyards, the silence of prayer, the discipline of daily labor, and the quiet wisdom of a home where faith was not merely taught but lived.

Her simplicity was never emptiness. It was transparency. She didn’t possess the privileges of refined education, yet she possessed something deeper: a heart open to God, an intelligence shaped by life, and a soul trained by catechism, spiritual reading, and the guidance of Fr. Dominic Pestarino. In her, holiness did not arrive dressed in extraordinary signs. It grew in the ordinary soil of work, prayer, sacrifice, service, joy, and constant fidelity.

The Lord led her thru the path of fragility. In 1860, during an outbreak of typhus, Mary accepted the request to care for sick relatives and became gravely ill herself, losing the physical strength that had made her so capable in the fields. What seemed like a defeat became a new beginning. No longer able to return to her former work, she learned sewing with her friend Petronilla and opened a workshop for poor girls, so that they might learn both a skill for life and the love of God. In that humble workshop, the Salesian spirit was already taking flesh: education thru presence, prevention thru affection, salvation thru work, faith, and joy.

When Don Bosco came to Mornese in 1864, Mary Domenica immediately recognized in him a man of God: “Don Bosco is a saint, and I feel it.” But her relationship with Don Bosco was not a mere imitation of external forms. She received his charism, allowed it to pass thru her own womanly genius, and gave it the face of a mother, a sister, an educator, and a guide. Salesian scholarship rightly speaks of her “creative fidelity”: she was not a passive instrument, but a responsible collaborator who embodied Don Bosco’s spirit thru austerity, simplicity, and the continuous gift of herself.

On August 5, 1872, with the profession of the first Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Don Bosco’s dream received a feminine and maternal expression. The Institute itself recognizes that it was born from the heart of Don Bosco and from the creative fidelity of Mary Domenica Mazzarello, for the human, Christian, and Salesian education of young people, especially girls and young women. In her, the Salesian charism appeared in its fullness: pastoral charity, family spirit, joy, work, prayer, devotion to Mary Help of Christians, and a burning educational love for the poorest.

Mother Mazzarello led without dominating. She called herself the “vicar,” because for her the true superior was our Lady. This humility did not make her weak; it made her strong with the strength of God. She knew how to correct with firmness and tenderness, to accompany with delicacy, and to preserve joy even in hardship. In her letters, the heart appears as a garden to be cultivated daily, clearing away whatever might choke grace and allowing charity, peace, and good will to grow. For her, cheerfulness was the sign of a heart that truly loves the Lord, and sanctity was the patient transformation of life by the love of Jesus.

Her motherhood knew no borders. In 1877, the first FMA missionaries left for Uruguay, soon followed by foundations in Argentina. Though oceans separated her from her daughters, she remained close thru prayer, letters, and offering, assuring them that they were always present in her heart and among the first in her prayers. The simplicity of Mornese opened itself to the world, because a heart that belongs entirely to God becomes wide enough to embrace everyone.

Mary Domenica Mazzarello died at Nizza Monferrato on May 14, 1881, only 44 years old, yet her brief life had already become a springtime for the Salesian Family. In her, Don Bosco’s “Da mihi animas, caetera tolle” took the face of a mother: humble in service, strong in guidance, joyful in love, and holy in the everyday. She still reminds us that the greatness of a charism is not measured by noise, success, or visibility, but by the fruitfulness of a simple heart where God is free to dwell and from which He can reach the young, the Church, and the world.

Homily for Tuesday, Week 6 of Easter

Homily for Tuesday
6th Week of Easter

May 12, 2026
Acts 16: 22-34
Christian Bros., St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

https://www.ourtruelegacy.com/resources/studies/
book-of-acts/acts-16-that-was-no-coincidence

“What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16: 30).

Commentators, some of them at least, hold that the jailer thought Paul and Silas were sorcerers of some kind.  They’d been attacked, beaten, and jailed because they’d exorcised a slave girl, and now an earthquake has released them from their chains.  So the jailer is afraid of their power and asks what he has to do to be safe from it.

Regardless of what induced him to ask how to be safe or be saved, Paul points him right to the Gospel.  Jesus saves us.  Paul and Silas explain that, succinctly summarized by Luke:  “They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house” (16:32).

The jailer and his household believe, are baptized, and respond with an act of charity—a meal for the 2 apostles—and with rejoicing (16:33-34).

If we believe that the Lord Jesus is our Savior, we respond in the same way—with charity and with joy.  “A sad saint is a sorry saint” has been attributed to several saints, especially to St. Francis de Sales.  If Jesus lives in our hearts,[1] how can we be sad?  We must be joyful if we believe Jesus forgives our sins and makes us friends of God.  We ought to radiate happiness, and of course charity as well:  kindness, patience, and forgiveness, those down-to-earth virtues of daily living, easy to speak of, harder to practice.

That’s why Jesus provides us with an Advocate to help us (John 16:7).  May he help us love one another joyfully.

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[1] An allusion to the invocation the Brothers make at the end of every Mass:  “Live Jesus in our hearts—forever.”

6th World Congress of Salesian Cooperators

6th World Congress of Salesian Cooperators

By Daniela Pettinao

(ANS – Sacrofano, Italy – May 11, 2026) – The 6th World Congress of the Association of Salesian Cooperators drew to a close on Sunday, May 10. Held at Sacrofano, near Rome, the congress not only provided a snapshot of the Association, which has just celebrated its 150th anniversary, but building on the journey already undertaken, reflected on the relevance of its presence within the Salesian Family and on its future.

In his closing address, the new world coordinator, Borja Perez, began with the analysis presented by the Association’s 11 Regions, all of which were present at the Congress. It reveals a wounded, polarized, unequal world—a world in which many young people experience uncertainty, loneliness, and a lack of reference points. It also reveals a Church in transition, seeking new languages, new structures, and new paths of synodality. In this context, the Association is at a decisive juncture, with major strengths represented by a charism that is both contemporary and necessary; a vibrant presence on the peripheries; an Association that is a community, which supports and accompanies, and possesses an admirable capacity for resilience.

These strengths, however, are counterbalanced by certain elements of fragility, such as an aging membership; a lack of generational renewal; a vocational identity that is sometimes unclear; formation that is still too uneven; weak communication; and a limited socio-political presence.

Drawing on the numerous insights from the various contributions, both from the rector major and from the group work carried out over the previous 3 days, Mr. Perez outlined the initial program guidelines for the next 6-year term.

The 1st is the creation of two regions on the African continent, which currently forms a single region. The proposal, submitted for consideration by the world council, reveals, alongside its positive and appropriate aspects, certain weaknesses as well; for this very reason, a study commission will be established to carry out the necessary assessments.

Similarly, the 2d working proposal is not a ready-made text for approval, but the start of a process that involves setting up a technical-advisory team to assist the world council in amending the Project of Apostolic Life. The Project of Apostolic Life is not a static document, but a genuine charter that evolves with the Association. The aim of the working group is precisely to keep it ever relevant and vibrant, giving shape and response to the many requests received over the last 8 years by the world executive secretariat.

All the hard work that accompanied the Congress, the joy, the dreams, and the hopes were brought to the closing Mass presided over by the rector major. The symbolism that accompanied the celebration was very rich, from the hymns to the offertory. During the offertory, in addition to the bread and wine, some building materials were also brought to the altar, notably a trowel and some bricks. Both represented the desire and determination of the Congress participants to build an Association that is a place of genuine welcome, care, and integral growth, so that every young person, instead of ending up on the streets, may find a HOME within the Salesian Family.

Next, a lamp and some salt were brought forward to bear witness to how, enriched by the light of the Spirit, the Lord makes us aware that we have been chosen, called, and sent together on mission.

At the end of Mass, Fr. Fabio Attard invited all the participants to perform one final gesture. Each person present thus received a piece of a jigsaw puzzle which is not merely a memento, but a task: to bring a fragment of this plan of God that is the Association into their own contexts, knowing that it finds its full meaning only in the coming together of many small, diverse, and unique fragments that are united. For, as Don Bosco taught: three pieces of string alone break, but combined they are strong and no one can break them!

Church Embraces Science to Find God in Creation

Pope to Vatican Observatory: Church embraces science to find God in Creation

As he meets with the Vatican Observatory Foundation, Pope Leo XIV upholds the Catholic Church’s desire to seek God in His creation through rigorous, honest science.

By Devin Watkins (Vatican News)

Pope Leo met with the board of the Vatican Observatory (Vatican Media)

Pope Leo XIV held an audience on Monday, May 11, with the board of the Vatican Observatory Foundation.

In his address, the Pope recalled that Pope Leo XIII re-founded the Vatican Observatory in 1891, at a time when science was being presented as a rival source of truth to religion.

The 19th-century Pope said he was re-founding the institution so that, “everyone might see clearly that the Church and her pastors are not opposed to true and solid science, whether human or divine, but that they embrace it, encourage it, and promote it with the fullest possible devotion.”

However, in our own times, both faith and science face a more insidious threat from those who deny the very existence of objective truth, said Pope Leo XIV.

“Too many in our world refuse to acknowledge what both science and the Church plainly teach,” he said, “that we bear a solemn responsibility for the stewardship of our planet and for the welfare of those who dwell upon it, especially the most vulnerable, whose lives are imperiled by the reckless exploitation of both people and the natural world.”

The Church’s desire to study the heavens through astronomy, he added, shows that she embraces “rigorous, honest science” as an essential aspect of her identity.

Human beings enjoy the God-given gift to gaze with wonder at the sun, moon, and stars, said Pope Leo.

As we gaze at the night sky, we enjoy a treasury of beauty open to rich and poor alike, which the Pope noted remains one of the last truly universal sources of joy in our divided world.

“Contemplating the heavens invites us to see our fears and failings in the light of God’s immensity,” he said.

Pope Leo XIV went on to lament that man-made light has blinded us to the lights God has placed in the heavens, which he said makes the work of the Vatican Observatory more important than ever.

The work of the Vatican Observatory Foundation, he said, helps students study astronomy through summer schools and workshops.

In this way, the Foundation allows the Vatican Observatory’s telescopes to remain “places where the glory of God’s Creation is encountered with reverence, depth, and joy.”

In conclusion, Pope Leo XIV urged the faithful to never lose sight that the Christian religion is based on the Incarnation, since God made Himself known through His Creation and sent His only Son to redeem it.

“The hunger to understand Creation more fully,” he said, “is nothing less than a reflection of that restless longing for God, which lies at the heart of every human soul.”

Fr. Jan Swierc & His Companions

Fr. Jan Swierc & His Companion Martyrs

Who were they?

(ANS – Krakow – May 11, 2026) – As we look forward to the beatification ceremony of the 9 Salesian educator-martyrs of World War II, we can see in them witnesses to the faith, persevering and faithful shepherds to the very end, despite the difficult trials they faced. The recognition of their holiness will preserve their memory even more for the benefit of . today’s younger generations, who need exemplars.

John Paul II, in a letter addressed to Fr. Tadeusz Szaniawski, then pastor of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish in Krakow, wrote on October 2, 1996: “I remember the Salesian priests, of whom only the elderly pastor and the provincial remained during the war, while all the others were deported to Auschwitz.”

During the beatification process, several witnesses highlighted their priestly and pastoral zeal and recognized them as outstanding priests, worthy of remembrance and veneration.

The witnesses also recounted that during the cold, dark nights in the concentration camp alongside other prisoners, often condemned to death, the Salesians, despite the ban imposed on them, celebrated the Eucharist, administered the sacrament of Penance, and prepared many souls deprived of their identity and human dignity for death. The fire of their love, which burned most intensely during the most dramatic hours, echoes in the accounts of the witnesses who, among the many victims of the concentration camps, recognized in the 9 Servants of God an exceptional and unique witness.

A witness to the sufferings endured in the concentration camp by the future Blessed Fr. Ludwik Mroczek, SDB, recounts: “ In the evenings I would go to visit Fr. Mroczek. Conversations with him brought comfort. With his simple faith and his frank words, he knew how to win people over and reassure them. In everything he knew how to point out God’s purpose. His simplicity and kindness had a calming effect on people in that sea of anger, hatred, resentment, and suffering that surrounded the venerable priest. We loved him. He was a titan of suffering.”

In the heart of the hell of the concentration camp, what is most astonishing are 2 attitudes: unshakeable faith and the capacity to forgive. In the accounts of Fr. Jan Swierc’s martyrdom, we read how he prayed at the moment of death: “O Jesus, O Jesus, have mercy on us.” His prayer provoked the anger of one of the kapos, who said to him: “Wait, in a moment I will show you Jesus; there is no God here; he will not help you. He will not snatch you from my hands.” The cruelty of the executioner did not interrupt Fr. Jan’s trusting dialog with the Lord, to whose will he had entrusted everything. From the lips of the Servant of God, who implored his Savior unceasingly, came only a plea for mercy.

Another noteworthy testimony concerns Fr. Karol Golda. The concentration camp became for him a place of apostolate: “Fr. Karol had a serene disposition; he was an optimist and knew how to convey to others a calmness of spirit and self-control. He spent his free time with his fellow prisoners. The Servant of God comforted them, supported them, heard their confessions, and accompanied them on their final journey. No one is able to describe the immensity of his priestly work, carried out in secret. He did all this with joy and zeal, because he knew that the Lord had sent him there precisely for this purpose”

Saint John Paul II wrote: “Martyrdom is, in the end, a shining sign of the Church’s holiness: fidelity to God’s holy law, witnessed to thru death, is a solemn proclamation and a missionary commitment usque ad sanguinem [to the point of blood] so that the splendor of moral truth may not be obscured in the customs and mindset of individuals and society” (Veritatis Splendor, 93).

And on another occasion, returning to the subject of the martyrs of the 20th century, he recalled that martyrs are a light for the Church and for humanity: “Christians in Europe and thruout the world, bowing in prayer at the gates of concentration camps and prisons, must be grateful for that light of Christ which they have made shine forth in the darkness” (“Address by John Paul II during his visit to the Church of the Basilian Fathers,” 7th Apostolic Journey to Poland, June 11, 1999).

“We believe that the martyr’s death of our Salesian martyrs will be a source of inspiration for future generations, particularly for young followers of Christ, who, looking to their example, will find in them wonderful models of how to follow Christ in today’s world, remaining faithful to him until the end”—this is the emotional comment from the Salesians in Poland.

Homily for 6th Sunday of Easter

Homily for the
6th Sunday of Easter

May 10, 2026
Acts 8: 5-8, 14-17
1 Pet 3: 15-18
John 14: 15-21
St. Francis Xavier, Bronx
Our Lady of the Assumption, Bronx

Philip preaching the Good News in Samaria
https-goodnewsshared.wordpress.com2023-04-26

“The crowds paid attention to what Philip said when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing” (Acts 8: 6).

Philip was one of the deacons appointed by the apostles along with Stephen and 5 other men (Acts 6:5).  After Stephen’s martyrdom, he proclaimed Christ to the people of Samaria, and they listened, in part because of what he did as well as what he said.

How do we get people to pay attention to the Gospel?  Polls tells us that only about 25% of Catholics come to Sunday Mass regularly.  When we look at what goes on in the world around us—whether here in New York or in the wider world—we might well wonder how Catholics can be so indifferent about Christ and so much evil can be around us.  G.K. Chesterton wrote that the only Christian doctrine for which there is demonstrable evidence is original sin.[1]  We see its evidence every day in the headlines, in our neighborhoods, and in ourselves.

Philip preached in Samaria with words and signs.  People paid attention and were converted.  I don’t know personally anyone who’s driven demons out of possessed people or cured cripples (8:7); I’ve only heard about it.  Most of us aren’t going to win people for Christ that way.

What we can do is to have a very clear idea of what we believe—not only about original sin but also about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection; about the forgiveness of sins; about death, judgment, heaven, and hell; about the Holy Spirit’s abiding presence in the Catholic Church—which Jesus speaks of in today’s gospel:  “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16-17).

More important than our knowledge of our faith is that we take all that knowledge to heart and put it into practice.  These are the signs that we can do:  living out what Jesus teaches us, being faithful in our deeds and not only in our words.  If Jesus tells us to keep his commandments, do we actually do that?  If the Spirit of truth is with us, are we truthful, honest, upright people—in our families, in our workplaces, in our leisure time?  If Jesus tells us to love one another, do we sincerely try to do that, especially when it’s a challenge, when we’re tired, when we get impatient, when our plans go sideways?  If Jesus tells us to forgive offenses—as we pray all the time in the Our Father—do we actually forgive, or at least try to forgive, want to forgive altho we’re hurting?

It’s been said more than once that you may be the only Gospel that someone else may read.  St. Peter tells us, “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope” (I, 3:15).  That implies that people observe our way of living and our manner of speech, that they see a reflection of Jesus in us.  That’s a sign—as in the signs that we can do to make the Gospel known and believable.  It’s an opening to say a few words, then, about what we believe and why—to make Jesus real and believable, to give evidence to the world that Jesus is alive, he lives in us (John 14:30), he loves us, and he’s worth listening to and following.  He is the “reason for our hope”; he leads us to God (1 Pet 3:18).

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[1] “Certain new theologians dispute original sin, which is the only part of Christian theology which can really be proved.” Orthodoxy, “The Maniac,” p. 1

John Paul II on the Polish Salesian Martyrs

The Testimony of Pope John Paul II on the Polish Salesian Martyrs

Fr. Jan Swierc and his companions

Photo ©: Archivio PLS (Fr. Andrzej Golebiowski, SDB, and G. Galazka)

(ANS – Krakow – May 8, 2026) – As spiritual preparations continue for the beatification ceremony of the Salesian martyrs of World War II, we cannot overlook the testimony of Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, the future Pope John Paul II, who grew up in the parish of Debniki in Krakow, where the Salesians have been present since 1918.

In the book Gift and Mystery, John Paul II wrote: “I cannot, in fact, fail to mention an environment and, within it, a figure from whom I received so much during that period. The environment was my parish, dedicated to St. Stanislaus Kostka, in Debniki, Krakow. The parish was run by the Salesians, who were one day deported by the Nazis to a concentration camp. Only an elderly parish priest and the provincial superior remained; all the others were interned.”

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Salesian parish, too, as Pope he sent a very personal letter, in which he wrote, “It is the second parish, after Wadowice, in which I discovered and deepened my understanding of the mystery of the Church, that special community of the People of God which has its origin in the love of the Father.... There, too, within the community of the parish of Debniki, my priestly vocation matured fully and came to fruition.”

We have also received 2 further testimonies that highlight. the importance and significance of this place: “It is well known that I spent the decisive years of my life in a certain Salesian parish, the parish of St. Stanislaus Kostka in Krakow… I also saw with my own eyes 8 or 10 Salesians being taken to the camp. Most of them met their deaths ... in the camp, during the war. So all this is connected in some way, and by coming here, to the places where the Salesian movement was born, I relive the experience I had during my encounter with the Salesians, with Don Bosco, thru those priests who all went to the concentration camp. They wanted one of them [Blessed Joseph Kowalski] to throw the rosary on the ground and trample it; he did not obey, and so he was tortured to death.

“So, no matter who a person is—even if it is the Pope—he cannot free himself from personal relationships, from what he has experienced first-hand. I must say that a significant part, indeed the decisive part, of my life was spent alongside the Salesians in the parish they ran. And there I also found the environment and the people who helped me to be converted – not in the sense of a return to the faith, but of rediscovering my vocation.” (John Paul II, Private remarks addressed to the cardinals, the bishops of Piedmont and the Salesians, during his visit to Turin-Valdocco, Sept. 3, 1988)

The 2nd testimony is the homily delivered in the Salesian church of Debniki: “I shall never forget that day when you parishioners, especially we young people, gathered around our priests, learnt that all or almost all the priests of the parish of Debniki and of the Salesian province had been arrested and, shortly afterwards, deported to a concentration camp.

“Just like Fr. Maximilian Maria Kolbe. And most of them never returned from there. We keep their names in our memory and remembrance. Some left this world with a reputation for holiness.”

The sacrifice of life made by the Salesians at that time became the catalyst for 11 new vocations, born precisely from that environment. Among these was also the vocation of Karol Wojtyla. He himself spoke of it thus: “I remember those times in a very personal way, too. I am convinced that the prayers and sacrifices of my brothers, my sisters, and the pastors of that time contributed to the priestly vocation to which I came precisely during that period and here in this parish.... They paid not only with kind words, not only with the noble example of their lives, but also with the sacrifice of their martyred blood” (January 30, 1972, homily on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his ordination).

Altho it is difficult to establish with certainty whether Karol Wojtyla made the decision to become a priest when he witnessed the tragic events involving the Salesians who were arrested and deported to the camp, the preserved testimonies, especially the words regarding his vocational conversion, suggest that this decision, so significant for him, was made under the influence of that event.

He certainly had very close contact with the Salesians serving in Krakow. He lived in a house 500 yards from the church and every day, before going to work, he attended Mass and private prayer there. The Servant of God Fr. Ignacy Dobiasz celebrated his father’s funeral in February 1940.

Homily for Friday, Week 5 of Easter

Homily for Friday
Week 5 of Easter

May 8, 2026
Acts 15: 22-31
Salesian HS, New Rochelle

St. Paul, Christ, & St. James the Just
with Council of Jerusalem in lower right
By Jules & Jenny from Lincoln, UK - Norwich Cathedral, Stained glass window, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=81283991

The Church faced a crisis about 20 years after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.  The Gospel was preached 1st to the Jews, Jesus’ own people.  But before long, it was accepted and believed also by Gentiles, e.g., in Antioch, one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire, and in Syria and in St. Paul’s home province, Cilicia.  The crisis was whether the Gentiles had to convert to Judaism and accept the Law of Moses in order to become Christians.  Is the Gospel an add-on to Judaism?

So the apostles and elders met in Jerusalem to debate that, which you heard in yesterday’s 1st reading.  They decided, no, the Gentiles don’t have to become Jews.  They have only to follow some basic moral principles, which they outlined, as we heard today.

The 1st principle was no idolatry, no connection to pagan gods.  Nothing must come between us and God.  For us, that means, e.g., that on Sunday nothing must come between us and worshiping God in church:  not sports, not work, not sleeping in.

The 2d principle was abstaining from blood.  Blood represents life.  Only God has the power of life and death.  So we have to respect him as the Lord of life:  no murder, no assault, no abortion, no assisted suicide, nothing that disrespects the life and dignity of any person.

The 3d principle concerned marriage, i.e., our sexual behavior.  God designed sex for transmitting life, for family life, and that must guide our behavior as followers of Christ.

That’s what the apostles decided, so that the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus, might come to everyone, and everyone could come to eternal life thru Jesus.

Homily for Thursday, Week 5 of Easter

Homily for Thursday
5th Week of Easter

May 7, 2026
John 15: 9-11
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph Residence, N.R.

The Holy Trinity (Hans Baldung)

“As the Father loves me, so I also love you” (John 15: 9).

Who can comprehend how much the Father loves the Son?  Who, then, can comprehend how much the Son loves us?

Jesus tells us that no one has greater love than to lay down his life for the ones he loves (15:13).  That’s a starting point for our understanding of the immeasurable extent of his love.

Jesus wants us to remain in his love (15:10).  He’s not going to stop loving us.  So remaining with him, staying in love with him, is our response, if we’ll accept his love and choose to be his.

Our response to his love, as between any lovers, is to please him.  He tells us that involves his commandments (15:10).  There’s always a kind of reaction to rules—kids pushing their parents’ buttons, students testing a teacher’s limits.  Even Jesus sets aside some of the rules and customs accepted as norms by the Jewish leaders.

But Jesus’ “rules” are how we express our love for him.  We know his basic commandment is to love God above everyone and everything else (Matt 22:37-38), and then that we should love one another (John 15:17).

If we didn’t love God and God’s Son, we wouldn’t be trying to please them.  In the council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:1-29), the apostles and elders determined that such love required them to avoid idolatry, which seems obvious; to respect God’s power over life and death—they put it as avoiding blood—and to respect marriage (15:20).  Those are concrete expressions of love.

We can be sure, as well, that our love for one another demands truthfulness and respect for persons and their property—keeping the rest of the 10 commandments.

The outcome of God’s love accepted and lived out is joy.  Jesus desires that our joy be complete (John 15:11).  If we remain in him, love him and love all who belong to him, our joy surely will be complete—eternally.

Salesian Vocation Animators and Formators Gather at Colle Don Bosco

Salesian Vocation Animators and Formators Gather at Colle Don Bosco

(ANS – Colle Don Bosco – May 4, 2026) – In the evocative setting of Colle Don Bosco, cradle of the Salesian charism, Fr. Silvio Roggia (back row, 2d from right), general councilor for formation, convoked an informal meeting of vocation animators and formators responsible for aspirantates and prenovitiates. The encounter brought together participants from 2 events currently taking place at Colle: the School of Accompaniment and the European “face-to-face” meeting of novices and prenovices.

The gathering provided a privileged space for dialog, listening, and fraternal exchange. In the spirit of sharing “joys and hopes, griefs and anxieties,” the participants reflected on the diverse realities of vocational animation and initial formation across the Salesian world. What quickly emerged was the richness and complexity of contexts in which the call to Salesian consecrated life is discerned and nurtured.

In the United States, a significant growth in “young adult vocations” is being observed, particularly among university students. Italy continues to move forward with steady commitment, building upon youth ministry initiatives and offering structured accompaniment to young people discerning a Salesian vocation.

Across the 2 regions of Africa, where many provinces are experiencing a notable boom in vocations, there is a pressing need for the preparation of well-trained formators and spiritual guides capable of offering authentic accompaniment and effectively transmitting the Salesian charism.

In South Asia, while traditional methods of vocation animation and aspirantates remain in place, there has also been a renewed engagement with the Congregation’s rich post-conciliar reflections. This effort has led to the publication of 2 booklets dedicated respectively to vocational guidance for young people and to the accompaniment of those interested in the Salesian vocation.

Vietnam, in recent years, has introduced “internal” or traditional aspirantates, while continuing the model of “external aspirantates,” accompanying university students who reside near Salesian communities. In Burma, despite the challenges posed by ongoing conflict, the aspirantate and prenovitiate have recently returned from Anisakan to Thibaw, raising important questions about how to strengthen further discernment processes in a fragile context.

Meanwhile, the Philippines, which maintains the traditional aspirantate structure, has benefited from solid accompaniment and vocational discernment processes established in recent years.

Beyond the sharing of data and experiences, the meeting at Colle Don Bosco was marked by a spirit of communion and hope. Encounters of this kind offer a precious opportunity to listen deeply, to learn from one another, and to recognize with gratitude what the Lord is accomplishing in different parts of the world.

Rooted in faith and sustained by hope, the participants left Colle encouraged to continue their mission with renewed courage, creativity, and fidelity to the Salesian vocation entrusted to them.

In the photo above are Bro. Travis Gunther, New Rochelle Province’s delegate for formation (back row, 3d from left), and Fr. Sean McEwen, the province’s vocation director (standing, 2d from right).

Don Bosco and the Apprenticeship Contract

Don Bosco and the Apprenticeship Contract

Photo: salesianos.info

(ANS - Turin - May 3, 2026) - May began with the memorial of St. Joseph the Worker, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and patron of workers. Thru his life as an honest laborer, St. Joseph ennobles manual labor, by which he provides for his Holy Family and plays his part in the plan of salvation.

The theme of work was particularly dear to Don Bosco, who in his lifetime was a pioneer in devising an educational system that offered not only schooling but also vocational formation and the protection of young people’s rights.

In the 19th century, a period marked by profound economic and social transformations due to the Industrial Revolution, the living and working conditions of young workers were extremely harsh. Don Bosco realized that many young workers were exploited and deprived of their rights.

Thus, to offer greater protection, he drew up one of the first apprenticeship contracts in history. The first agreement dates back to November 1851 and was signed by a glassmaker, Carlo Aimino, and young Giuseppe Bordone. In this document, the glassmaker undertook to teach the young man his craft for 3 years, guaranteeing him adequate formation for the work, weekly rest, summer holidays, a progressive wage, and respect for his person.

A few months later, in 1852, Don Bosco drew up another document setting out the rights and duties of both the young apprentice and the employer. This “apprenticeship contract” was similar to the previous one, but was written on 4 pages of stamped paper. This time it concerned a carpenter’s apprentice, Giuseppe Odasso, hired for 2 years by Giuseppe Bertolino.

In a constantly changing world, the Salesian model remains, even today, an extraordinary example of how school and work can be tools for human and professional growth.

Homily for Memorial of Bl. Edmund Rice

Homily for the Memorial of
Bl. Edmund Rice

May 5, 2026
Is 42: 1-4, 6-7
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

O

Edmund Rice (S.R. Watson)

ur 1st reading prophesies of the Servant of the Lord:  “I have put my Spirit upon him.  He will bring forth justice to the nations” (Is 42: 1)

When we celebrate the saints, we’re celebrating the most exemplary servants of the Lord.  Each servant has his or her own gifts from the Lord and uses them as the Spirit of the Lord directs.

Bl. Edmund directed his gifts of faith, generosity, and leadership toward opening the eyes of the blind and bringing prisoners out of dungeons (42:7), not in a literal sense but metaphorically—thru education.  Education is liberating and empowering, elevating “those who sit in the darkness” (42:7) of ignorance and poverty.  Pope Leo reaffirmed that in his exhortation Dilexi te:  “Children have a right to knowledge as a fundamental requirement for the recognition of human dignity.  Teaching them affirms their value, giving them the tools to transform their reality. . . .  Christian education does not form only professionals, but also people open to goodness, beauty, and truth” (#72).  That letter was entirely about the Church’s service of the poor in Christ’s name and after his example.

I don’t suppose that Edmund envisioned a worldwide educational mission.  But the Spirit is powerful, and he enabled Edmund’s charism to “bring forth justice to the nations” (42:1), for the Christian Brothers and Presentation Brothers to be “lights to the nations” (42:6).  “By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit” (John 15:8).  Thanks be to God, glory be to God, for the fruit borne by Bl. Edmund Rice and his worldwide family.

Provincial Announces Directors for 2026-2029

Provincial Announces Directors for 2026-2029

Bro. Tom Dion

In a letter to the Salesians of the New Rochelle Province, on May 1 Fr. Dominic Tran, provincial, announced the appointments of 5 confreres to serve as directors for the next 3 years.

They are Bro. Thomas Dion, to lead the SDB community of Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J.

Fr. Adaikala Raja John, to lead the SDB community of St. Benedict's Parish in Etobicoke, Ont.

Fr. John Louis Mariapragasam, to continue leading the SDB community of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Surrey, B.C.

Fr. Louis Molinelli, to continue leading the SDB community that serves Don Bosco Cristo Rey HS in Takoma Park, Md., with residence in College Park, Md.

Fr. Ky Nguyen

Fr. Paul Trung Ky Nguyen, to guide the SDB formation community and the SDB pastors of Our Lady of the Valley Parish in Orange, N.J.

Bro. Tom's appointment is the 1st of a Salesian brother to direct a community in the U.S. or Canada, following a change in our Constitutions at the 29th General Chapter last year.  At least 3 brothers in other parts of the SDB world have been named directors in recent months.  Bro. Tom has spent the last several years assisting our novices in Richmond, Calif.  He was also province treasurer for 9 years earlier in this century.

Fr. Raja has been pastor of St. Benedict's Parish for the last year.  Prior to that, he was pastor of St. John Bosco Parish in Edmonton, Alta., for about 9 years.

Fr. Ky was ordained a priest in 2022 and has served as a priest at Abp. Shaw HS in Marrero, La., and St. James-St. John Bosco Parish in Chicago.

Both Fr. John Louis and Fr. Lou were re-appointed after a 3-year term as director in their present communities.

Bro. Travis Gunther

In the same letter, Fr. Tran announced the appointment of Bro. Travis Gunther as province delegate for youth ministry and his moving from Ramsey to New Rochelle.  Bro. Travis is already a member of the provincial council and has been serving as delegate for formation.

This announcement was Fr. Tran's 2d for the upcoming pastor year.  About a month ago, he announced that Fr. John Nazzaro, presently the director in Orange, would replace Fr. Richard Alejunas as province treasurer.

The new assignments generally take effect on July 1, "unless otherwise arranged."

Listening to Educate

Listening to Educate

Consecrated life at the service of the Church’s educational mission

(ANS – Vatican – May 4, 2026) – In the field of education, listening is an art that must be cultivated together in order to respond to the challenges of our time. This is the powerful and profound message that emerged from the international meeting, “A time for listening in the Church’s educational mission,” jointly promoted by the International Union of Superiors General (UISG), the Union of Superiors General (USG), and the Dicastery for Culture and Education. The event, hosted at the general curia of the Society of Jesus in Rome, represented a significant moment of fraternal and synodal dialog on the Church’s educational role in the contemporary global context.

Synodal listening for the educational mission

Over 100 people attended the meeting in person and around 150 joined online: superiors general, together with those responsible for education in numerous religious congregations.

The initiative forms part of the journey begun over a decade ago by the UISG and USG Commission for Education, in constant dialog with the Dicastery for Culture and Education. It was a genuine synodal exercise of listening and discernment, aimed at re-examining the educational mission of consecrated life in the light of current challenges.

The Salesian Congregation was represented by the Youth Ministry Department, thru the presence of the general councilor, Fr. Rafael Bejarano, and Fr. Jerry Matsoumbou, a member of the department and representative for Africa.

Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça’s message: a prophetic school

The keynote address of the meeting was delivered by Card. José Tolentino de Mendonça, prefect of the dicastery. In his address, he emphasized the urgency of listening to the culture of young people and of understanding consecrated life as a service to the Church’s universal educational mission.

The school – he stated – “must be a place of dialog in a secularized world. The Catholic school is a meeting place for everyone, for cultures, generations, and traditions; it’s a place of credibility and, above all, of prophecy.”

Hence the call to open a new season of prophetic transformation to rediscover the ethos of Catholic education. The prefect also urged the congregations not to betray their fundamental promises: the Gospel of Jesus, love and openness to all, and the acceptance of the person in their diversity. Listening, he reiterated, is a demanding process that requires time and commitment. Only by breaking free from stagnation and routine will it be possible to overcome the educational challenge.

The congregations are called to recognize themselves as a “plural constellation of hope”: diverse in charisms, yet united in mission. He concluded his address with an evocative image: to be “a sky full of stars for the new generations,” choosing the “mysticism of the whole” in the art of education.

Revisiting the Global Educational Pact

The cardinal invited the congregations engaged in education to make their own the 3 great syntheses of the Global Educational Pact, recently relaunched by Pope Leo XIV:

1. Cultivating the inner life. The sadness and restlessness of young people cannot be cured solely by technical or pharmacological solutions. Education must help to discover and nurture the inner dimension of the person.
2. Digital technology at the service of humanity. Technology can’t be an end in itself, but must remain a tool at the service of the dignity and integral growth of the person.
3. Educating for peace. Peace is not automatic: it’s a culture that must be nurtured. We must “disarm” schools and, above all, hearts, by forming young people into peacemakers.

Challenges and prospects for renewal

During the time devoted to communal discernment, some crucial questions emerged: How can we educate for interiority? How can we accompany the most vulnerable young people or those distant from the faith? How can we strengthen the identity of the Catholic school in dialog with the contemporary world? How can we promote more effective collaboration between congregations?

Among the priorities identified for the renewal of the educational commitment, the following were highlighted:

- strengthening networking between congregations and dioceses;

- investing in the formation of laypeople as educational leaders;

- promoting synodality and inter-congregational collaboration;

- creating stable spaces for listening and shared reflection;

- the active involvement of families and educational communities.

A shared mission

Set against the backdrop of the Jubilee of the World of Education, the meeting strongly reaffirmed that education today is a shared mission—a mission that demands collaboration, creativity, and fidelity to the Gospel and to one’s own charism.

Only in this way will it be possible to recognize and value the “immense good” that’s accomplished every day in educational works thruout the world, even in the most difficult contexts.

In this endeavor, consecrated life is called to be truly a “sky filled with stars for the new generations.”