Province Celebrates 20 Jubilarians

Province Celebrates 20 Jubilarians

Jubilarians with Fr. Hugo Orozco: l-r, Frs. Nazzaro, Heuser, Blanco,
and Orozco; Bro. Pasaik; Frs. Twardzik and Ryan; Bro. Van der Velden

On Saturday, October 12, the New Rochelle Province celebrated 20 priest and brother jubilarians.  This year 11 Salesians celebrated a major anniversary of their religious profession, 7 celebrated a major ordination anniversary, and 2 celebrated both profession and priestly anniversaries. 

The double jubilarians are Fr. Georges Parent of Montreal, 70 years professed and 60 years ordained, and Fr. Drago Gacnik of Hamilton, Ont., 50 years professed and 40 years ordained.

SDBs celebrating profession anniversaries:
Bros. Henry Van der Velden and Richard Pasaik;
Frs. Frank Twardzik, Steve Ryan, and John Nazzaro

Celebrating a marvelous 70 years of profession also are Bros. Henry Van der Velden of Haverstraw, Marcel Gauthier of Sherbrooke, Que., and Jim Wiegand of Ramsey, N.J.

Fr. Frank Kelly of Etobicoke, Ont., Bro. Richard Pasaik of Haverstraw, and Fr. Frank Twardzik of Haverstraw have reached 65 years as professed Salesians.

Professed for 60 years is Fr. Tom Gwozdz of Tampa, and for 50 years Frs. Mario Villaraza of Edmonton, Alta., and John Nazzaro of Orange, N.J. Fr. Steve Ryan of Marrero, La., is professed 40 years.  Fr. Chinnapparaj Desam at Edmonton has been professed 25 years.

Ordination jubilarians:
Fr. John Blanco, 60 years, and Fr. Jim Heuser, 40 years

The ordination jubilarians include Fr. John Blanco of Ramsey, 60 years; Frs. Bruce Craig and Bill Keane of Tampa, 50 years; Frs. Larry Gilmore of Lungi, Sierra Leone, Jim Heuser of New Rochelle, and Luc Lantagne of Montreal, 40 years; and Fr. Mike Pace of the motherhouse in Turin, 25 years.

The 13 profession jubilarians have accumulated among them 750 years of Salesian life; the 9 ordination jubilarians, 405 years of priesthood.

Fr. Jim Heuser reflects:  “I consider my life a story of undeserved grace, of a genuine experience of the saving love of God that continues to unfold for me one day at a time.  The call to serve others through Word and sacrament has been a thread running through my various assignments to vocation and formation work, high school animation, and community and province leadership.  I can only be grateful as I renew my ordination motto:  ‘Father, not my will but yours be done.’ (Mark 14:36)”

Fr. John Nazzaro recalls: “After meeting the Salesians at the Salesian Boys Club in East Boston, I saw their kindness, faith, and just wanting to be present with us young people.  I fell in love with the spirit of St. John Bosco, which was and has been the discerning factor in my life.  It’s a blessed gift to be an instrument in young people’s lives, bringing them closer to Jesus and Mary.”

Fr. Steve Ryan considers himself blessed because “being called to the religious life in Don Bosco’s family has been a great thing.  I still have great energy and enthusiasm for the education and evangelization of young people.  I feel very blessed to be able to celebrate the sacraments with the young, teach theology class, give Good Mornings, play sports with the boys, and just be with them daily.  The older I get, the more grateful I am for friends who have supported me and our mission for all these years.”

Fr. Mario Villaraza has found that “being a Salesian for 50 years means being joyful: having a deep relationship with Christ and spreading that same joy that comes from him.  I witnessed that joy in the many holy Salesians I encountered since childhood. I now realize and understand beneath those smiles were many sufferings—the reality of life; yet they persevered.  Their joy was because of Christ.  My dream is to be like them, like Don Bosco—joyful in the midst of trials.”

Of his Salesian life Fr. Frank Twardzik writes: “The vow of obedience has been my peace and joy and my love of Jesus crucified—[who is] obedience perfected.  This crown of obedience has sent me to serve in the beautiful, holy Byzantine Rite to people I have loved forever—young, old, sick and suffering and our dear deceased and all the several bishops—all of whom I remember daily in my Divine Liturgies!  The truly wonderful parishioners and our beloved young people are what I treasure in my old age.”

Only Bros. Van der Velden and Pasaik and Frs. Twardzik, Blanco, Nazzaro, Ryan, and Heuser were able to take part in the celebration at the Marian Shrine in Haverstraw and Town & Country Caterers in Congers.  The other jubilarians were impeded by age, distance, weekend duties, or Hurricane Milton.

Fr. Hugo Orozco, regional councilor for Interamerica, presided at Mass.  The 5 priest jubilarians and another 30 Salesians concelebrated.  Also participating were 14 other Salesians and candidates, 1 Salesian sister, numerous Cooperators, and families and friends of the jubilarians.  Catherine Ramirez provided sacred music.

Fr. Dominic Tran, provincial, preached a 3-point homily on the theme of covenant.  His 1st point was that God takes the initiative in making a covenant with humans.  His 2d, that God always keeps his side of the covenant.  He promises to save us from our sins, and he’s done that through Jesus Christ.  As the responsorial psalm acknowledged, he remembers his covenant forever.

Fr. Dominic’s 3d point was that we aren’t perfect in keeping our part of the covenant.  Nevertheless, in his faithfulness God gives us saints as examples of how we can respond to him.

Then he pointed to St. John Bosco, noting his dream at age nine but zeroing in on the 1847 dream of the roses, with its crowd of boys and of helpers—many of whom he didn’t recognize.  Don Bosco believed in God’s promise that helpers would come.

On this Saturday, we’ve celebrated Mary as a disciple of the Lord, Fr. Dominic continued.  He cited several gospel passages relating to her faithfulness in keeping her covenant with God.

Our jubilarians also have heard God’s promise, Fr. Dominic stated, and they’ve joined Don Bosco’s helpers by responding “yes” to God.  The preacher made particular note of the four 70-year jubilarians: Bros. Gauthier, Van der Velden, and Wiegand and Fr. Parent.  He affirmed that God has made an individual covenant with each jubilarian.  For that, we’re grateful to God and to them.

At the end of the jubilee Mass, Fr. Dominic made a significant announcement:  the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has granted formal recognition to the Marian Shrine as a national shrine of Our Lady Help of Christians.  He presented the certificate of recognition to Fr. Manny Gallo, director of the Shrine community.

Photos: https://link.shutterfly.com/L9gxHEL7GNb

Bro. Travis Gunther also took almost 100 photos at Mass and dinner:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.936891881806859&type=3 or 1OO3KUDagxTFdsaN_QWcEhFox6kFPMqBP.htm