(Haverstraw, N.Y. – August 17) – This year’s crop of
Salesian Lay Missioners was unusually small; but we all know that it’s quality
that counts. Fr. Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, and Adam Rudin,
director of the SLM program, are confident that the 7 missioners commissioned
on August 17 are of top quality.
 |
| One
recreational activity of the SLMs’ retreat week is a day hike in Harriman State
Park or Bear Mountain. This year the schedule allowed the hike only on Monday,
which was the only day of the week it rained—but not until your humble
blogger/veteran Harriman hiker got them to the Stockbridge shelter, where they
celebrated Mass and ate lunch. They got
pretty wet on the hike back to the bus. |
The Salesian Lay Missioners Program has been a missionary project of the New Rochelle Province for more than 30 years.
As usual,
the candidates had a long discernment process that included weekend visits to
New Rochelle and a general introduction to the program. Those who eventually
applied were evaluated, and those who were accepted were invited to the 3-week
orientation program that began in late July and culminated in their
commissioning during Evening Prayer on August 17.
 |
During the commissioning rite, in the presence
of some 40 SDBs in the retreat house chapel,
Fr. Tim Zak prayed over the SLMs
first and later blessed them.
|
The
candidates received lots of information and visited some Salesian works in the
first week of orientation, did service work at St. John Bosco Parish in Port
Chester in their second week, and made a retreat (with paperwork to do and more
information thrown at them) in the final week. The retreat, as usual, coincided
with the SDBs’ August retreat at Don Bosco Retreat Center in Haverstraw, so
that they were able to meet and get to know more than 30 SDBs by praying,
eating, and recreating with them. They also witnessed six temporary professed
confreres renew vows during Mass on the solemnity of the Assumption and Bros.
Dan Glass and Tom Junis make their the first profession of vows on August
16—two rites that duly impressed them.
 |
| Fr. Tim places the missionary cross over the
head of Steve Stafstrom. |
Finally, on the 17th Fr. Tim Zak
presided at their commissioning during Evening Prayer, blessing them and their
crosses and bestowing the crosses upon them. This year each SLM read a personal
statement of commitment, hope, and/or prayer concerning her or his
mission—rather than a formal commitment read by the entire group.
The new SLMs are Katie Braun from
Florida, going to Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Katie Church from Indiana, to Phnom Penh;
Eden Gordon from Florida, to Montero, Bolivia; Alaina Mikulcik
from Kentucky, to Montero; Matthew Nguyen from Washington state, to East New
Britain Province, Papua New Guinea; Stephen Stafstrom from Florida, to East New
Britain; and Eamon Webb from Florida, to Da Lat, Vietnam. We’re pleased to note
that Katie Church is an alumna of Mary Help of Christians Academy in North
Haledon, N.J.
 |
| After the first profession of Bro. Dan Glass,
who was an SLM in South Sudan in 2012-2013, the new SLMs demanded a group photo
with him. The women (l-r): Clare Pressimone, returned SLM (Cambodia)-member of
the orientation team; Katie Braun; Alaina Mikulcik; Katie Church; Eden Gordon.
The men (l-r): Steve Stafstrom; Bro. Dan; Adam Rudin, SLM director; Bro. Craig
Spence, former home missioner (Paterson, NYC)-member of the orientation team;
Matt Nguyen; and Eamon Webb. |
No comments:
Post a Comment