Five SDBs Renew Temporary Vows
Bros. Kevin White, Francis Nguyen, and Pascal Mukuye;
Fr. Dominic Tran; Bros. Paul Hotovy and John Taylor.
The province of St. Philip the Apostle celebrated religious professions during their annual retreat at the Don Bosco Retreat Center in Haverstraw on Thursday, August 15, solemnity of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.
Five young Salesians
renewed their temporary profession in the retreat house chapel. Bros. Paul Hotovy, Pascal Mukuye, Francis
Nguyen, John Taylor, and Kevin White each renewed their vows for one year, in
accord with the practice of the Salesian Society—Bro. Pascal on Aug. 17, after
his sister arrived at the retreat house, the other 4 men on Aug. 15. Fr. Dominic Tran, provincial, received their
vows in the name of the rector major.
At an afternoon Mass
on Aug. 15 at the Marian Shrine chapel, Bro. Thomas Junis made his perpetual
profession. (See separate
post.)
The renewals of
temporary profession took place within the celebration of Morning Prayer in the
presence of more than 35 SDB confreres, 8 Salesian Lay Missioners, and (on the 15th) Bro. Nguyen’s
family from Virginia.
Fr. Tran gave a brief homily after Thursday’s short Morning Prayer reading from Isaiah, taking his cue from “In my God is the joy of my soul” (61:10). That joy echoes in Mary’s Magnificat, he said: “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Lk 1:47). Fr. Tran finds that both verses reflect one of Fr. Pascual Chavez’s retreat themes, the absoluteness of God. (The rector major emeritus was the week’s retreat preacher.) We proclaim that God is the joy of our vocation. Our vocation isn’t an obligation or a burden even though it does involve the cross because we follow Christ. Fr. Tran stated that on Mary’s solemnity we invoke her help that God may be the joy of our souls, as he was for her. We pray especially for these young brothers of ours renewing their commitment to Christ.
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