Homily for Thursday, Week 30 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Thursday
30th Week of Ordinary Time

Oct. 30, 2025
Rom 8: 31-39
St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

“Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones?” (Rom 8: 33).

Satan is the fearsome adversary of the human race.  In some biblical literature, e.g., the book of Job, he stands ready to act as the prosecutor when a man or woman comes to judgment.

Satan and Job
The William Blake Archive, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/

That seems to be what Paul pictures in Romans 8.  Our sins have given the prosecutor plenty of ammo to fire against us and to condemn us.  But, Paul says, we have an unbeatable defender:  “Christ Jesus who died, was raised, and intercedes for us” (8:34).  Nothing can overwhelm our cause when Jesus stands with us:  no earthly power, no demonic power.  In Christ, God acquits us (8:33), and nothing can tear us away from his love, the love that gave himself completely to us, for us.  He vanquishes our sins, and so vanquishes our adversary (cf. 8:37).

The Triumph of Christianity
(Gustave Dore')

When Christ claims us, “no other creature can separate us from the love of God” (8:39), and we shall be saved at judgment.

Homily for Feast of Sts. Simon and Jude

Homily for the Feast of
Sts. Simon and Jude

October 28, 2025
Eph 2: 19-22
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

The March of Abraham
(Jozsef Molnar)

“You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God” (Eph 2: 19).

In Eph 2, Paul has been speaking to Gentile believers about their belonging to Christ just as much as Jewish believers.  “You who once were far off have become near by the blood of Christ” (2:13).  Bound together by Christ—like the capstone binding a building—all are members of God’s house.

We may also see in this passage an allusion to our ancestors in faith, the patriarchs.  They were nomadic herders, living in tents in a land not their own.  They were strangers and sojourners, not citizens of any towns in Canaan, not worshipers of any of the local gods.  That was true during all the Hebrews’ wandering in the Sinai wilderness, too, until God led them into a homeland where they settled.

Those who belong to Christ, based on the apostolic preaching, have settled into a permanent, fixed home.  They don’t have to journey to God’s house in Jerusalem.  Instead, they worship the one God as part of a dwelling place raised by the Spirit of God within themselves (2:22).

The collect notes that “the blessed apostles have brought us to acknowledge” God’s holy name.  We adhere to the Gospel received from Jesus thru his apostles.  We are citizens of heaven with the apostles and all the saints, even now while we’re sojourning in an alien world, journeying toward our true homeland.  Strangers and sojourners, we strive now to belong more fully to Christ and to grow into the “temple sacred in the Lord” (2:21).  We rely for that growth on the intercession of Simon and Jude, all the apostles, all God’s holy ones.

Sts. Simon & Jude Thaddeus
(Ugolino di Nerio)

Camping Again at Fingerboard Shelter

Lake Tiorati to Fingerboard Shelter via the A.T.

I took advantage of some fine autumn weather on October 21-22 to take a day off and go camping in Harriman State Park.  I’d invited a confrere to join me, but he wasn’t free.

Given the cool temperatures, I wanted to use a shelter with a fireplace, and given the forecast for rain overnite, I eliminated 2 possible choices (because they’ve had leaks)—Bald Rocks and Tom Jones shelters.  That left Big Hill, Fingerboard, and Stockbridge as options.  I chose Fingerboard because it’s a very good shelter, I’ve used it often, it’s not a long hike, there would be firewood fairly close by, Big Hill is likely to have more visitors, and Stockbridge’s elevation makes getting wood up to it more difficult.

I left New Rochelle at 1:15 p.m. and reached the Tiorati parking lot at 2:20.  There were about a dozen cars there already, and some people were picnicking, some day hikers returning.  A connecting trail of .3 mile, gradually going uphill, brings one up to the Appalachian Trail, which for this stretch runs together with the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail.  The AT-RD ascends more steeply up to a ridge that overlooks the lake. 

Up there I met another group of day hikers heading back to the parking lot and passed a middle-aged gent catching his breath.  He, too, was heading to the Fingerboard shelter—which takes its name from Fingerboard Mountain, the ridge that the trail follows.  So I’d have company.

From the connecting trail to the shelter is just over a mile. 

The shelter is maybe 50' down the eastern slope of the ridge (down in elevation, but a longer hike of several hundred feet where one has to step carefully over rocks that could be slippery and tree roots).  I reached the shelter at 3:20 and found it clean and empty—and with no firewood left behind by previous users.  A new sign posted on a rafter inside records the elevation as 1,312'; the ridge elevation, of course, is higher.  The elevation in the parking lot is 1,122'.

1st task was to email confreres and others of my safe arrival.  Then Daytime Prayer.  My fellow hiker arrived, and we both settled in on opposite sides.  His name is Chris, and he’s from Ewing, N.J.  He’s a veteran hiker, and on this jaunt he was going from the Bear Mt. summit to the N.J. border.  He’d spent the previous nite at the Brien Memorial shelter above Silvermine Lake—6½ miles from his start, 5½ miles to Fingerboard.  His next stop would be the Wildcat shelter west of Rte 17, 14 miles from Fingerboard.  We talked a little bit about hiking and gear.

I trudged up to the ridge about 5 times to hunt up firewood and haul it back to the shelter.  Some of it required cutting, and both Chris and I did some of that with my folding Sven saw (very handy and easy to carry in my pack).  We finished with more than enuf wood for the nite’s fire (and for morning, too, if desired).  I did some spiritual reading and some Smithsonian.

Meanwhile, several more hikers showed up, all doing parts of the AT.  (So much for being concerned about the number of visitors that Big Hill might have.)  A couple of them were smokers, and we didn’t invite them to share the shelter.  One had a friendly dog with him.  These folks pitched tents and made nice campsites in the vicinity. 

One older gent, trail name Sunny Jim, pitched about 20' behind the shelter and popped in to visit with us.  He was doing the entire AT, having hiked from Georgia to Harpers Ferry, then gone up to Maine to hike south—“just 366 miles more” from Fingerboard to Harpers Ferry.  He records his trek on YouTube, briefly mentioning his visit to Fingerboard.  Both hikers talked about water supply, which has been scarce.  Of course I advised them that they’d find plenty of water at Island Pond (2¾ miles).

Sunny Jim and Chris

I prepared supper around 5:00 p.m.—ramen noodles with canned chicken breast, Crystal Lite, and dried apricots.  Then Evening Prayer.  Chris went up to the ridge to look at the sunset (which was about 6:00) and take pictures.  I went up a little later to do the same.  Both of us had hung our food on the bear bag cables near the top of the ridge.  Our neighbors didn’t use the bear bag cables but hung their food the old-fashioned way, slinging a rope over tree limbs.  Then I made nice fire, which some of our neighbors came to admire.  A little fire enhances the camping atmosphere as well as taking some of the chill out of the air.

Not that it got really cold.  The forecast was for a low of about 44º overnite.  I was warm and snug in my sleeping bag, which I got into at 8:45 after reading and tending the fire for awhile.  But I never got comfortable on the hard wood floor, despite having 2 sleeping pads under me.  I tossed and turned all nite.  (Snoring indicated that Chris slept well.)

Rain began around midnite and lasted for a couple of hours—not that I looked at a watch, specifically.  Sure was good to have a roof overhead and not to be concerned about having a wet tent in the morning!  And it was good to know that the rain stopped well before dawn and the forecast was for sunshine.

Chris got up at dawn, having a long hike ahead of him.  Not that he left quickly.  I got up at 6:50, which still was before the sun appeared.  We ate our breakfasts—granola, coffee, mixed nuts, and apricots in my case.  I had dried strawberries to mix with the granola but forgot to use them.  It was a little chilly, but not enuf that I wanted to make a new fire.  (We left a nice stash of wood for the next campers.)  The sun came out brightly, but there was a cold wind blowing.

The view from inside the shelter

Sunny Jim wasn’t in a hurry either, partly because he hoped his tent would dry out a little (he also was heading to Wildcat shelter); he stopped in and was very chatty.  I forewarned both men about Agony Grind.  When “Jim” asked my occupation, I told him I’m a priest, and he asked what I thought of Pope Leo and went on to talk about priests he’s known in some parishes.  He seemed to think it was cool that a priest would go out camping.  He and Chris shared more hiking stories.

Chris got going about 8:30; Sunny Jim lingered till 9:15, still talkative (and not bad company by any means).  The other hikers stayed quite a bit longer. 

I said Mass on the stone table adjacent to the shelter; that was set up, apparently, by the crew who did a major repair of the shelter roof about 8 years ago.  Then Readings and Morning Prayer and a big cup of hot tea.  I read Smithsonian for awhile, then rested atop my 2 pads and sleeping bag.  Around 11:00 I started packing up and ate lunch (PB & J sandwich, trail mix, Crystal Lite).  I had quite a bit of water left over; I packed more than a gallon.  If I’d had to douse fire embers, I guess what was left would’ve been useful.

I headed back up to the AT a little after noon and was back at the car just after 1:00 p.m.  I met only one day hiker along the trail.  At the parking lot there were a few cars, a few picnickers, and a park maintenance truck.  Pretty quiet for a bright, sunny day, a wonderful day for hiking.

Photos: https://link.shutterfly.com/f1DoG3gkIXb

 

Homily 2 for 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Homily 2 for the
30th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Oct. 26, 2025
Sir 35: 12-14, 16-18
Our Lady of the Assumption, Bronx
St. Francis Xavier, Bronx

A refugee camp in Eritrea

“The Lord is a God of justice, who knows no favorites.  Tho not unduly partial toward the weak, yet he hears the cry of the oppressed” (Sir 35: 12-13).

Had I been thinking along those lines, I might have acted differently that morning in the supermarket parking lot in Silver Spring, Md., where I lived in the Salesian community 7 years ago.  I’d just picked up some groceries—fresh fruit and maybe a couple of other things.  A youngish fellow followed me to the car, and as I got in, begged for some help because he was very hungry.  I didn’t even look at him, much less speak to him.  I thought to myself, “He could go into the store and ask for a job.”  After a few moments, he walked away, and I drove home.

And a few more moments later, I was ashamed of myself.  I still am.  That was Jesus, and I offered him nothing.

I can say that on other occasions I’ve done much better than that, with cash, credit card, or a listening ear.

If God hears the cry of the oppressed; if “the prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds” (35:17)—should our country not be ashamed of what our government is doing to the oppressed and the lowly at this time?  Afghans whose lives are in danger because they stood with us during war are denied the asylum they were promised when the Taliban returned to power.  Haitians fleeing criminal gangs are denied refuge.  Venezuelans fleeing a dictatorial government are denied refuge.  People of many nationalities fleeing religious persecution, gang violence, and dictators are denied entry, or they’re here, rounded up and shipped back to persecution, violence, and oppression.  A page 1 story in yesterday’s NYT reported on the devastation of hunger and illness in Somalia after U.S. food and medical assistance was cut off.  That story is replicated in dozens of countries, and it concerns access to education as well.

(By Jon Tyson via Unsplash)

This is what Pope Leo said in a speech 3 days ago:  “The abuse of vulnerable migrants is not the legitimate exercise of national sovereignty, but rather it represents a serious crime being committed or tolerated by the government.  ‘Ever more inhuman measures are being adopted—even celebrated politically—that treat these “undesirables” as if they were garbage and not human beings.’  ‘States have the right and the duty to protect their borders, but this should be balanced by the moral obligation to provide refuge.’  For Christians, God is love, and he ‘creates us and calls us to live as brothers and sisters.’”[1]

(Vatican Media)

If “the Most High judges justly and affirms [what is] right,” as Sirach states (35:18), then I have to be kinder to beggars, and all of us have to be more receptive to migrants, refugees, and the needs of people who are far worse off economically and socially than we are.

______________

[1] A mix of paraphrases and direct quotes from an address to the 5th World Meeting of Popular Movements at the Vatican, as reported by CNS, 10/24/25.

I considered inserting here another paragraph but decided it’d be too much for a preached homily; not, however, for readers:  “Thomas Jefferson wrote in the 1780s:  ‘I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep forever.’  He was speaking about slavery, the principal moral question of the United States until the Civil War.  We ought to tremble now about God’s justice in view of how we kill unborn human beings and how we treat foreigners.”

Homily 1 for 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Homily 1 for the
30th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Oct. 26, 2025
2 Tim 4: 6-8, 16-18
Villa Maria, Bronx

Paul in Prison (Rembrandt)

“I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith” (2 Tim 4: 7).

We’ve been reading selections from Paul’s letters to Timothy for about 2 months, including 4 weeks with passages from 2 Timothy.  This evening we conclude all that with Paul’s conclusion to that letter as the conclusion to his life nears:  “the time of my departure is at hand” (4:6).

Paul’s writing from prison, suffering not only what that implies but also from lack of support from the Christians of Rome:  “everyone deserted me” (4:16).  That combination of sufferings, he thinks, amounts to a sacrifice he offers to the Lord:  “I’m already being poured out like a libation” (4:6), his energy, his strength, his spirits being sapped.

But not entirely.  “The Lord stood by me and gave me strength,” and even in his trial he finds the opportunity to proclaim the Gospel (4:17).  He tells Timothy that he’s been “rescued from the lion’s mouth” (4:17), which could mean deliverance, for the moment, from an imperial desire that he be condemned or deliverance from the Devil’s grasp because he “has kept the faith” rather than save his life by forsaking Christ.  He retains his confidence that the Lord will continue to save him—not necessarily from bodily harm but from “every evil threat” to his salvation—and will finally see him into the Lord’s “heavenly kingdom” (4:18).

We’re not in prison or on trial for the Faith, happily.  But we all know that “the time of our departure is at hand” simply because of our age and our physical conditions.  With Paul we can say that so far we’ve competed well in our struggles to follow Jesus; we’ve kept the faith; we’ve continued to put our trust in our Savior’s ultimate protection.  We trust that he won’t allow us to fear what lies ahead of us as, sooner or later, we make the passage from here to hereafter; that he won’t “lead us into temptation” to despair of God’s care for us, but rather to know “the Lord stands by” us and strengthens us to cling confidently to him.

As we’ve tried to give God glory thruout our lives and to help others do so, we trust that the Lord will mercifully bestow on us a “crown of righteousness” (4:8) in spite of our weaknesses.  We may be tempted to tremble at the thought of Christ’s judgment.  But the faith we keep encourages us to “long for his appearance” (4:8).  We know he loves us and desires us.  We know he “hears the cry of the poor” (Resp Psalm).  Like the publican in Jesus’ parable,  we poor sinners cry to him (Luke 18:9-14) to “deliver us from evil,” “from every evil threat and bring [us] safely to his heavenly kingdom.  To him be glory forever and ever.  Amen” (4:18).

9 Salesians Recognized as Martyrs

Salesians Fr. Jan Swierc and 8 Companions Recognized as Martyrs

(ANS – Rome – October 24, 2025) — On October 24, 2025, Pope Leo XIV received in audience Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. During the audience, the Holy Father authorized the dicastery to promulgate the decree concerning:

- the martyrdom of the Servants of God Jan Swierc and eight companions, professed priests of the Salesian Society of St. John Bosco, killed between 1941 and 1942, in hatred of the faith, in the concentration camps of Auschwitz (Poland) and Dachau (Germany).

This represents the recognition of the martyrdom of 9 Servants of God, Polish priests of the Society of St. Francis de Sales (Salesians), who died between June 27, 1941, and September 7, 1942. During the Nazi period, all carried out their ministry in Poland, devoted to pastoral or teaching activities. Eight of them belonged to the Salesian Krakow Province and were arrested, tortured, and killed in Auschwitz; Fr. Franciszek Miska belonged to the Pila Province and died in Dachau.

They are listed in the order proposed by the Positio:

1. Fr. Ignacy Antonowicz, aged 51, professor and rector of the Salesian Theological Studentate in Krakow, died in Auschwitz on July 21, 1941, following ill-treatment.
2. Fr. Karol Golda, 27, the youngest of the group, theology teacher at the Salesian Institute of Oswiecim, shot on May 14, 1942, in Auschwitz for having heard the confessions of two German soldiers.
3. Fr. Wlodzimierz Szembek, 59, who entered religious life as a mature man and was ordained at 51, assistant parish priest in Skawa, died in Auschwitz on September 7, 1942, after being tortured.
4. Fr. Franciszek Harazim, 56, principal of the high school in Oswiecim and theology professor at the Salesian major seminary in Krakow, killed in Auschwitz on June 27, 1941.
5. Fr. Ludwig Mroczek, 36, who worked in various parishes, the last being Czestochowa, died in Auschwitz on January 5, 1942, after suffering torture.
6. Fr. Jan Swierc, 64, the oldest and leader of the group, director of the Salesian Theological Studentate and pastor in Krakow, killed on July 21, 1941, in Auschwitz.
7. Fr. Ignacy Dobiasz, 61, confessor and parish collaborator in Krakow, died in Auschwitz on June 27, 1941, due to abuse and inhuman labor.
8. Fr. Kazimierz Wojciechowski, 37, music and mathematics teacher, director of the oratory and of the Catholic Youth Association in Krakow, killed on June 27, 1941, in Auschwitz.
9. Fr. Franciszek Miska, 43, native of Upper Silesia, parish priest and director of the Salesian Institute of Lad, which the Gestapo transformed into a prison for priests from the dioceses of Wloclawek and Gniezno-Poznan, died of exhaustion on May 30, 1941, in the Dachau concentration camp.

For all the Servants of God, the evidence of their heroic acceptance of martyrdom is clear. Amid persecution against the Church, they were aware of the danger they faced. Other priests had already been arrested and killed. Despite being urged by relatives and friends to flee the country, they remained with the faithful—especially the young—whom they continued to guide with prudence and serenity. During imprisonment and even at the hour of death, after enduring all sorts of abuse, they preserved their faith, entrusting themselves to the Lord. None showed bitterness toward their tormentors, and in some cases, words of forgiveness were uttered in their regard. Their martyrdom was the culmination of virtuous lives lived in service to God and in fidelity to the Salesian charism.

“For the Salesian Congregation, for the whole Salesian Family, for the Church of God in Poland, this is news that fills hearts with joy in this Holy Year of Hope,” recalled the postulator general for the causes of the saints of the Salesian Family, Fr. Cameroni. “These Servants of God are shining examples of deep and compelling faith, to the point of shedding their blood, capable of inspiring today’s faithful toward an authentic Christian life.”

[Blogger's note: The Krakow Salesians were Karol Wojtyla's parish priests at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church.]

Wandering Around Ward Pound Ridge

Wandering Around Ward Pound Ridge

https://link.shutterfly.com/ilp8tywGBXb links you to a map and 25 photos I took during a 3-hour, 4.4.-mile hike on Saturday, Oct. 18, in Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, a Westchester County park almost an hour north of New Rochelle in the towns of Pound Ridge and Lewisboro.  I ate my lunch in the parking area before starting out and made a couple of short rest stops along my way.

It was a gorgeous autumn day, and a lot of people were outdoors to enjoy it.  By taking trails in the northern reaches of the park, apparently I was in less traveled territory; but I did cross paths with more than a dozen other hikers, mostly couples, some with dogs.  All the people and the pooches were having a grand time.  I’d been to WPR a half-dozen times but had never taken these northern trails.  Nothing especially strenuous there, but they provided a good workout. 

My starting point was in a large parking area off Michigan Road; that’s south of the area shown on the park map I include.  The posted map, at left (with hunter and bear advisories), is probably too small for you to make out much.  I followed 3 main trails (Fox Hill, Brown, and White) with little connecting segments of Deer Hollow and Orange, moving clockwise.  The foliage hasn’t peaked yet, but it was still lovely to behold and induced me to take most of the photos.  Stone walls seduced me to take more; they’re almost everywhere in the park, “souvenirs” of the area’s agricultural past.  The bridges are neat, and the stream flowing east to west was pretty.

No photo of the poor old chap in the parking lot when I got back to the car, who had a fallen-over motorcycle that he couldn’t get back upright.  I lent him a hand for that and then used my map to show him where to find the shelter (lean-to) he was looking for (poor park signage).  “Do a good turn daily,” the Scouts say.

Youth Rally Celebrates St. Carlo Acutis

Youth Rally Festival Celebrates
St. Carlo Acutis 

(ANS – Haverstraw, N.Y. – October 23, 2025) – On Saturday, October 11, the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Haverstraw-Stony Point hosted a youth rally honoring young saints, with a special focus on St. Carlo Acutis. Over 75 middle school students participated in a day filled with faith, fun, and inspiration. The event began with an introduction by Fr. Manny Gallo, director of the local Salesian community, followed by lively praise and worship through song. Fr. Pat Angelucci, Shrine coordinator, delivered a keynote address on the life and holiness of St. Carlo. Students engaged in various activities, including color war games, a Eucharistic Miracles Salesian presentation, and photo opportunities with a life-size cutout of St. Carlo. They also viewed a vestment and relic of the young saint. The day concluded with adoration, confession, a pilgrim Rosary, and a closing Mass.

Homily for Thursday, Week 29 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Thursday
29th Week of Ordinary Time

Oct. 23, 2025
Rom 6: 19-23
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

“You have been freed from sin and have become slaves of God” (Rom 6: 22).

A lot of people join 12-step programs because they realize that they’re addicted—to alcohol, gambling, pornography, gluttony, or other weaknesses.  They admit they’re slaves to something that greatly troubles them.  St. Paul calls that lawlessness (6:19) or sin (6:20).

From his own experience, Paul was aware of the weakness of human nature in both himself and others—members of his congregations in Asia Minor and Greece, other followers of Christ like those in Rome, and the world at large.

These addictions, these sins, if not faced and turned over to “a higher power,” as 12-step programs put it, produce shame (6:21) and finally death (6:21,23)—a dead conscience, a dead soul, miserable relationships, an unhappy eternity.

But the Christian has begun a conversion by which he’s liberated from the burdens of sin.  Forgiveness brings relief, hope, a start to a better way of living.  This, Christ offers us, the possibility of living in a right and healthy relationship with God and with others, a sharing in God’s holiness.

We can live—act and speak—as servants of Christ rather than living as slaves to addictive behaviors; live as servants of Christ, practicing his patience, kindness, generosity, chastity, and other forms of restraint.  “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord” (Resp. Psalm), who look to him for pardon and the power to live uprightly.

Homily for Tuesday, Week 29 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Tuesday
29th Week of Ordinary Time

Oct. 21, 2025
Luke 12: 35-38
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

“The master will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them” (Luke 12:37).

3 Sundays back, we heard a different parable about a master and “unprofitable servants,” sometimes called “unworthy servants” or “worthless” or “useless.”  Luke’s Greek could also be translated as “slaves” rather than “servants.”

In that parable, the servant or slave works all day in the fields; when he returns to the house, his master orders him to get his supper and wait on him, after which he may eat.  All the slave’s work advantages his master, and he has nothing due him.

What a different picture in today’s parable!  It’s the master who comes home, and he’s so pleased to find his slaves alert and waiting to receive him that he serves them dinner at once.

It’s an image of Jesus bringing us to his table after we’ve watched eagerly for his arrival, and of Jesus serving us—1st in the Eucharist, later at the banquet of eternal life:  “Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb”—the supper that brings us back to the Last Supper and the passion of the Lord, and forward to the feast we hope to share with the Lord forever as guests of his grace—unworthy servants, blessed guests.

Sister Maria Troncatti's Communication Skills

Sister Maria Troncatti, FMA
Communication that generates dialog, listening, and reconciliation

by Sr. Marcia Koffermann, FMA

(ANS – Rome – October 16, 2025) – The life of Sister Maria Troncatti, Daughter of Mary Help of Christians, canonized on October 19, is marked by a profound gift of communication that transcended words and became gesture, presence, and offering of life. The mission of Sister Maria Troncatti, FMA, among the Shuar people and settlers in Ecuador was not limited to assistance or evangelization in the strict sense, but was essentially a work of mediation, dialog, and bridge-building in a context permeated by cultural tensions, conflicts, and mutual distrust.

Communication as encounter

From her first contact with the Amazonian peoples, Sister Maria Troncatti became close to them, learning to listen to their cries. By treating the wounded daughter of a Shuar chief, under threat of death if she failed, she not only saved a life but also won the respect of an entire community.

This initial gesture expresses a form of communication that arises from listening to the concrete needs of others and translates into solidarity in action. Her authority among the indigenous peoples did not come from imposing discourse, but from the credibility she gained thru her care, compassion, and constant presence. Sister Maria Troncatti understood that dialog is not imposed but is built on trust.

The fact that she was called “mamacita” by the indigenous people expresses this recognition: she had become a maternal figure, someone who interceded and cared, regardless of ethnicity, culture, or tradition. Her communication was deeply embodied, marked by consistency between words and actions.

Listening that pacifies and transforms

The high point of her communication mission came during the years of greatest tension between settlers and the Shuar. When the climate of hostility threatened to explode into violence, Sister Troncatti became a mediator, literally placing herself between the two sides. Her famous phrase, “If you really love me, lay down your weapons at my feet!” was the result of attentive listening to the historical wounds of each group and a sensitive reading of the moment. It was not just a moral appeal, but an invitation to break the spiral of violence and embrace the logic of peace.

When she asked God that, if necessary, she would be the victim so that reconciliation could become possible, Sister Troncatti communicated in a radical way that peace has a price: the surrender and renunciation of one’s own interests in favor of the common good. Her testimony had concrete effects: weapons were laid down, hearts were disarmed, and a process of reconciliation began that, according to reports, lasted for decades.

Reconciliation as the fruit of evangelical communication

Sister Maria Troncatti’s ability to reconcile opposites was rooted in communication inspired by the Gospel. For her, speaking of God meant conveying, thru her life, that every human being has a unique dignity and that recognizing the value of others is the first step toward peace. Her communication was not neutral: it was engaged, committed to justice and the promotion of life.

Testimonies about her life highlight that, more than her words, it was her actions that drew people in and inspired them. She was able to create spaces for dialog because she positioned herself as a “bridge” – someone who belonged equally to everyone, without taking sides, but always favoring reconciliation. When mediating conflicts she did not simply seek an agreement, but an inner transformation of relationships, so that peace would be lasting.

St. Maria Troncatti teaches us that true communication is born of listening and of gestures that pacify hearts and rebuild relationships.

The life of Sister Maria Troncatti reveals that the communications aspect of mission is not limited to conveying messages, but implies a profound ability to listen, understand, translate, and bring different worlds together. Her experience shows that true dialog is born of empathy, presence, and commitment to the life of the other. In times of polarization and hate speech, her story illuminates paths to communication that not only informs but transforms.

A communication legacy for today

By being canonized, St. Maria Troncatti becomes for all of us today a model of evangelical communication: a woman who builds bridges where there are walls, who speaks less with words and more with gestures, and who believes in the power of dialog to bring about reconciliation. Her life challenges us to strengthen the culture of dialog and non-violence, making communication an instrument of peace, capable of creating new possibilities for fraternal coexistence.

For more information, visit the website created especially for the canonization of Sr. Maria Troncatti: https://www.mariatroncatti.org/ 

Homily for Mission Sunday

Homily for Mission Sunday

Oct. 19, 2025
Matt 28: 16-20[1]
2 Tim 3: 14—4: 2[2]
St. Francis Xavier, Bronx
Our Lady of the Assumption, Bronx

“Jesus said to them, ‘Go and make disciples of all nations’” (Matt 28: 19).

Since today is Mission Sunday thruout the Catholic world, it’s fitting that we consider the mandate that Jesus gives us to preach his Good News everywhere, to everyone.

God the Father sent his Son into the world in order to share divine love with men and women.  The Son was a missionary.  It was his mission to restore the divine image in us by cleansing us of sin, which mars that image like a big smudge on a mirror.

The Son, our Lord Jesus, established the Church, the assembly of his disciples, to carry on his mission of cleansing and restoration.  So Jesus, as he left this world physically after his resurrection, gave his apostles the great commission:  Go into the whole world and make disciples.  Go and teach everyone until the end of time that God loves them and wants them to live with him for eternity, sharing in his own life.  The Church is commissioned to make disciples by sharing God’s life and love.

Today Pope Leo canonized 3 women and 4 men who had already been approved for that by Pope Francis, declaring them saints, images of God’s love for humanity and models of holiness for us to admire, imitate, and pray to.  The group includes with 2 martyrs, 3 laypeople, 3 nuns, a bishop, and 2 missionaries.

I’ll present to you the missionaries, a man and a woman who carried out Jesus’ great commission to make disciples in 2 of the many nations whom God loves and wants to save thru Jesus Christ.

The man is St. Peter To Rot, a native of the country we now call Papua New Guinea.  He’s the 1st canonized saint from that part of the world.  Born into a Catholic family in 1912, he married and had children.  He became a catechist, helping missionaries instruct the faithful in various villages and practicing charity, humility, and care for the poor.

During World War II, the Japanese occupied most of New Guinea and interred the missionaries.  That left pastoral care to the catechists even tho the Japanese forbade it.  Peter continued to catechize, bring the Eucharist to people, and prepare couples for marriage.  Polygamy was commonly practiced, and when Peter told his brother he couldn’t take a 2d wife, his brother betrayed him to the Japanese.  He was arrested, imprisoned, and then executed by lethal injection in 1945.  St. John Paul II beatified him in Papua New Guinea in 1995 as a martyr for the faith.  He had lived what St. Paul told Timothy in today’s 2d reading:  “Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed. . . .  Proclaim the word, be persistent whether it’s convenient or inconvenient, convince, reprimand, and encourage thru all patience and teaching” (2 Tim 3:14, 4:2).

The woman I present is St. Maria Troncatti, who isn’t a martyr, strictly speaking, but who did give her long life totally to the people where she lived as a missionary.  Like St. Peter To Rot and like St. Paul the Apostle, she “proclaimed the word, was persistent whether it was convenient or inconvenient, convinced, and encouraged thru all patience and teaching.”

St. Maria was born in northern Italy in 1883 and became a Salesian sister in 1908. During World War I, she served as a nurse.  In 1922 her Salesian superiors sent her to Ecuador as a missionary in the country’s eastern region, in the Amazon jungle.  She never returned to her homeland but bestowed all her love and care upon the native people of her new home, and on the European-descended settlers who came there seeking land and resources.  She was catechist, nurse, dentist, doctor, even surgeon.  She promoted the dignity of women and of family life.  She visited the villages by horseback or canoe.  Everyone knew her as madrecita, “little mother.”

Amid constant tensions between the settlers and the Indians, she was a friend and helper to all and tried to keep the peace.  The tension got so bad that in July 1969 the settlers burned down the residence of the Salesian priests and brothers, and the natives were ready to retaliate violently.  Sr. Maria offered her life to God so that peace would be restored.

God accepted Sr. Maria’s offer the following month.  She boarded a plane for Quito for her annual retreat with about a dozen other people.  The plane crashed on takeoff, but everyone survived except Sr. Maria.  Amid the tears at her funeral, natives and whites made peace; that was called her 1st miracle.

Sr. Maria was beatified in Ecuador in 2012 with the approval of Pope Benedict.  Now she’s St. Maria, religious sister, missionary, and madrecita of everyone.

You and I aren’t missionaries to foreign lands or catechists roving from village to village (altho I rove between Westchester County and the Bronx).  But all disciples of Jesus are missionary disciples, Pope Francis said often.  We're all commissioned to preach the Gospel—by how we live among our families, friends, co-workers, and neighbors, and by praying for those who are actually out in the missions of Latin America, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and the Far East.  Perhaps we’re also in a position to offer some material assistance in today’s special collection.

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[1] Gospel for the Ascension, Year A.

[2] 2d reading for 29th Sunday, Year C.

Where War Destroys, Hope Still Builds

Where War Destroys, Hope Still Builds

Ukraine Salesian Superior Tells of His Province after 3 Years of War

(ANS – Turin – October 17, 2025) - Tormented Ukraine has the entire Salesian community among its good Samaritans. They take care of those who suffer most and reach even where flags cannot fly, where loneliness and abandonment create a dramatic silence. Recounting the circumstances of the Salesians and the Ukrainian population some 3½ years after the start of the Russian invasion is Fr. Mykhaylo Chaban, superior of the Salesian Vice Province of the Greek-Catholic Rite in Ukraine, who has recently been in Turin to participate in the first profession of a Ukrainian novice formed there in recent years.

Fr. Chaban told operators of Missioni Don Bosco of a daily life made up of hardship and fear, certainly, but above all of commitment, dedication, tenacity, resilience, dignity, and hope. That hope that was further renewed by the profession of the Ukrainian novice.

“It was a great celebration because the young novice became a Salesian. He is one of the young men who came to know the charism thru his involvement in the various youth activities we propose: courses for leaders, oratory, summer meetings. This event also gives hope that this commitment will continue, that it will be successful. Right now, we Salesians are trying to do all we can for education in schools, vocational and academic. We have after-school centers, a children’s home, sports activities for children and for people who have suffered amputations due to the ongoing war.

“We want to do as much as we can to give these young people moments of joy and happiness, even though the war limits us a lot, but we try to ensure safety for all our guests first and foremost. Russian attacks happen mostly at night, but they also happen during the day: the protection of the spaces where we welcome young people, therefore, is an important element of the service we render to them.”

Families from the eastern regions of Ukraine continue to arrive in Lviv, in the west of the country. Towns and countryside are being attacked by Russian forces and refugees are arriving and looking for safer places, says the Salesian superior.

“We also see everything through the eyes of our Fr. Andry Bodnar, who continues to stay with those families in the small center made up of modular houses that we have called Mariapolis: about 250 children, many elderly people, and many disabled people live there. And the number of guests never goes down, because for everyone who leaves, someone else arrives.”

The Salesians try to offer various activities, continually improving and expanding the service according to need: this year they have managed to give moments of joy to the elderly as well, and along with the children and minors who are usually taken for a few days’ holiday in the mountains, they have also brought the elderly, distancing them at least for a while from the daily anguish of war.

The Salesians continue to provide food for 350 people, the most vulnerable: the elderly, the sick, the disabled, and the poorest families with children. “If we end this assistance, it will be very, very difficult for them to go without even one hot meal a day. Since they cannot work, they cannot live solely on the small state economic support.”

The people want to return to normal life. They continue to work even in areas where the land may be mined, so the land is cleared and production is resumed. The Salesians, thanks to missionaries Fr. Oleh Ladnyuk and Fr. Gregory Shved, continue to bring foodstuffs every month to the border areas where families live who have lost their jobs, have nothing, and can barely survive.

In conclusion, Fr. Chaban mentions a not minor detail: in a significant effort of mutual solidarity among the needy, among the volunteers who prepare those parcels there are also the children who are guests of the Salesian family home in Lviv.

For more information, please visit: www.missionidonbosco.org