Two Salesians Make First Profession
Bros. Paul Hotovy and Francis Nguyen made
their first profession of vows as Salesians of Don Bosco on Sunday, Aug. 15, at
the Marian Shrine in Haverstraw, N.Y.
Fr. Tim Zak, provincial, received their vows, made for one year in accordance with the Salesian rule. They are members of the Salesians’ New Rochelle Province.
25 priests, mostly Salesians,
concelebrated. Also taking part were Deacon Ky Nguyen, 5 non-celebrating
priests (including your humble blogger, who was trying to take photos), 9
brothers, and 1 FMA. Many members of the families of the 2 newly professed were
present, members of the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth, and Salesian Lay
Missioners. Total attendance was about 150.
The Music Ministry Team of Don Bosco
Prep High School, Ramsey, N.J., and some members of Bro. Francis’s family
provided music.
The 2 new brothers made their year of
novitiate (2020-2021) at the Salesian house in Richmond, Calif., under the
guidance of Fr. Joseph Thinh Nguyen (no relation), master of novices, and Fr.
John Puntino, socius. A third novice, Reegen Ledet of the San Francisco
Province, professed vows separately in San Francisco, also on Aug. 15.
All 3 of the newly professed brothers
will join the Salesian formation community in Orange, N.J., to further their
Salesian formation and continue academic studies (philosophy and theology) at
Seton Hall University in South Orange.
At the Profession Mass 3 other young
Salesians renewed their temporary vows. Bro. John Castonguay and Bro. Kevin
White each renewed for 1 year in accordance with the Salesian practice of
annual vows for 3 years. Bro. Daniel Glass, having completed 3 years of annual
vows, renewed for 3 years.
Bro. Paul Augustine Hotovy was born in 1989. His hometown is
Omaha, Neb., and his home parish is St. Leo the Great in that city. His
parents, Steven Hotovy and Marguerite Miller, also belong to St. Leo. He has 4
brothers and a sister.
Paul became acquainted with the SDBs through the province vocation director, Fr. Dominic Tran, who was taking spirituality courses at Creighton University in Omaha. He spent a summer with the SDBs in Chicago, helping with day camp. Working with the young sparked his desire to become a Salesian; that was reinforced by his experience as a teacher. He also felt a calling to become a priest. Several priests and SDBs have inspired him.
When
he was accepted as a candidate in 2018, he was assigned to Don Bosco Prep in
Ramsey, N.J., where he provided various forms of assistance during both his
year of candidacy and his prenovitiate year; he also taught catechism at St.
John Bosco Parish in Port Chester, N.Y.
Bro.
Paul says that the best part of his novitiate year was the time he had for
prayer and reflection. Now he looks forward to “living the vows with integrity,
being a supportive confrere, and laboring in the field of evangelization.” He
would like to be a teacher, in particular.
He adds: “I feel that God has blessed me with numerous graces in my life. There have been many people who have changed my life and helped me along the path of holiness – whether through a word of encouragement (or challenge), through a witness of fidelity to God, by showing me how to live out a virtue, or by making me laugh when I needed it most. I hope that God will use me to have a similar effect on others.”
Bro.
Francis An Nguyen, born
in 1993, claims Annandale, Va., as his hometown, and Holy Martyrs of Vietnam
Church in Arlington, Va., as his home parish. His father Vong Nguyen and his
mother Vinhsinh Bui also are parishioners. He has two brothers and two sisters.
He met the SDBs by attending a cousin’s ordination and then speaking with Fr. Tran as well as with SDBs of the Don Bosco Cristo Rey community nearby in Maryland. He found inspiration in several priests and religious. He writes: “I wanted to become a Salesian because at the time I was discerning, I was involved with my parish youth group, which I found great joy in being a part of. I felt called to live a life dedicated to youth, and felt the Salesians were the place for me, especially after coming and seeing community life.”
On
acceptance as a candidate, he joined the formation community in Orange in
August 2018. The following year, his moved to Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey as a
prenovice. He also assisted with youth ministry (recreation and catechism) at
St. John Bosco Parish in Port Chester.
For
Bro. Francis the best part of his novitiate year was “being with the students
[of Salesian College Prep on the same Richmond campus] whenever they returned
to in-person classes. Those were moments when I was able to get to know them
one-on-one or just play volleyball with a group of them.”
For the immediate future as a Salesian, his “aspirations are to deepen my motivations and continue to be open to the formation process. I aspire to make what ‘Salesian’ means to me a truly personal one.”
Bro.
Francis has a particular interest in nutrition, through which he believes he
could be an asset to his confreres and to their apostolic mission.
Fr.
Tim Zak began his homily by quoting the entrance antiphon for the day’s Mass of
the Assumption of the Virgin Mary: “Let us rejoice in the Lord as we
celebrate….” He credited the musicians with lifting the congregation’s hearts
to God and noted our reasons for rejoicing: Mary’s Assumption, the first religious
profession of two Salesians, and the renewal of vows of three men.
Fr.
Tim described the Assumption as the completion of Mary’s journey and the
fulfillment of God’s promises to her. Her journey began in the heart of God,
proceeding to her immaculate conception, to her birth and on through her life
of mothering Jesus. All of God’s plan for her was completed in her Assumption
into heaven.
Fr.
Tim cited St. Paul’s words that God will bring his work in Christians to
completion; the two men professing today aspire to have God complete his plan
in their lives, as he has already done for Mary.
We
don’t know what heaven is like, said the preacher. Mary’s Assumption, he
asserted, gives us a glimpse. The Preface of the Mass acclaims her as an image
and “a sign of sure hope and comfort” for the Church. The newly professed
Salesians also are a sign of hope. They will live out radically their baptismal
calling; they will be prophets for the faithful, demonstrating that nothing
satisfies our human hearts except God. They will be witnesses of fraternity and
community in a world often focused on individualism. They will fulfill a
mission of service and not live for themselves. In their lives they will leave
space for God’s grace. Their lives testify to the world to come, thus giving us
a little view of heaven upon this earth.
The
Virgin Mary gave herself to God without reservation, Fr. Tim stated. These two
young Salesians will try to do the same.
After
the profession Mass, Bro. Paul told the province’s communications director,
Julia St. Clair, “I’m very excited and grateful that my family and friends can
be here. I’m looking forward to the future and whatever God has planned for me
these next couple of years.”
Chris
Holcomb, a friend of Bro. Paul, told Miss St. Clair, “I’ve known Paul for 10
years and walked with him in all the steps he’s taken. It’s been great! I’m
also a seminarian in the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, and Paul inspired me
to make this next jump and commitment.”
Bro.
Francis stated, “I feel grateful for this and am entrusting all things this
day, especially to Mary. I’m excited to be back with my family, begin my
consecrated life, and see what God has planned for me.”
His
best friend, Patrick Nguyen (no relation), told Miss St. Clair: “We’ve been
together since we were 5 and have known each other longer than that. It’s very
emotional for me since we’ve seen him go and grow through everything. We also
haven’t seen Francis in so long due to the pandemic.”
A
catered buffet followed the Mass in the Marian Shrine’s outdoor pavilion.
No comments:
Post a Comment