Salesian School in Odessa Expands

Salesian School in Odessa Expands

by Fr. Adam Nyk, SDB

(ANS – Odessa, Ukraine – July 14, 2025) – Despite the war in Ukraine, the Salesian community in Odessa continues its work. Taking advantage of the school’s summer break, work has begun on the construction of a new floor for classrooms and the re-roofing of the entire building.

The old roof was badly weathered and the school needed new space. In fact, given the growing demand from the population – which has increased because of the presence of war refugees from occupied areas – the Salesians decided to open a high school in addition to the elementary and middle schools, which have already existed for many years.

At the end of the works, there will be a large Salesian school center located in the middle of Odessa’s working-class neighborhoods, populated by numerous young people eager to study in a serene and peaceful atmosphere, permeated by Christian and human values in the style of Don Bosco.

This purely Salesian project was largely financed by Salesian headquarters, for whom everyone expressed great gratitude. “However,” they explain from Odessa, “we remain concerned about how to settle the finances to cover [all this], given the constant increase in the cost of building work in Ukraine. Here the Salesian community trusts in Divine Providence, which acts, as always, through people of goodwill.”

Once the works are completed and the war is over, all the faithful and friends of the Salesian Family will be invited to come and see not only the Salesian educational and pastoral activities but, it is hoped, also to spend a holiday period in a renovated and welcoming Odessa on the shores of the Black Sea.

Homily for Tuesday, Week 15 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Tuesday
Week 15 of Ordinary Time

July 15, 2025
Ex 2: 1-15
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

The Finding of Moses (Alta-Tadema, 1904)

“She took a papyrus basket … and placed it among the reeds on the river bank” (Ex 2: 3).

From the start of the story, the destiny of the child of this mother to rescue Israel is evident.  At least one commentator notes that he’s placed in a basket, tebah in Hebrew, the same word used in Gen 6-9 for the vessel that saved Noah and his family amid the waters of the flood, and the same word still used for the cabinet where the sacred scrolls are kept in a synagog.[1]  We’re speaking, then, of God’s action to preserve his people and carry out his saving will and the people’s action to preserve the memory of it.

The child’s mother places this “ark” among the reeds of the river bank.  Foreshadowing here:  Moses will lead God’s people across the Reed Sea—a more accurate rendering of the Hebrew yam suph than “Red Sea.”[2]  The child is saved in the reeds, and Israel will be saved thru what happens at the Sea of Reeds (Ex 13:18).

Finally, Pharaoh’s daughter names the child Moses because she “drew him out of the water” (2:10).  Later, he will draw or lead Israel thru the water.  The name’s Hebrew root means “rescue.”  That’s his destiny, by God’s grace.

Your name and mine isn’t related to our destiny until we’re named “Christian,” one who’s related to or belongs to Christ.  That’s the name by which we’re saved, rescued, drawn out of the water of rebirth.  So God places us in the ark of his Church and leads us thru or over the waters of death toward Mt. Sinai, toward his covenant relationship with us.

God appointed a destiny for Moses and slowly guided him to it.  He has appointed a destiny likewise for each of us and has been guiding us toward it for a very long time, ultimately toward the fulfillment of the covenant he sealed with us at Baptism.

---

[1] William T. Miller, The Book of Exodus Question by Question (NY: Paulist, 2009), p. 18.

[2] Ibid., pp. 18, 75.

The Most Famous Salesian Parishioner

The Most Famous Salesian Parishioner

Pope Leo XIV Celebrates Mass in Castel Gandolfo’s Parish

Foto ©: Vatican Media

(ANS – Castel Gandolfo, Italy – July 14, 2025) – On Sunday, July 13, the parish of St. Thomas of Villanova in Castel Gandolfo experienced a historic moment when Pope Leo XIV presided over Mass there. He was the first Pope to do so in 13 years. The entire parish community—entrusted to the pastoral care of the Salesians of Don Bosco—was filled with joy and emotion.

At the Eucharist were Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development, Bishop Vincenzo Viva of Albano, the rector major, Fr. Fabio Attard, his vicar, Fr. Stefano Martoglio, the pastor, Fr. Tadeusz Rozmus, the Salesians involved in the parish, the youth of the Salesian oratory, the faithful of the community, and numerous civil and religious authorities.

The presence of the Holy Father in this “small pontifical parish,” a treasure trove of spiritual and artistic history designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, was indeed a moment of grace. The visit served as an invitation to rediscover the value of communion and to strengthen solidarity in the hearts of all present.

An Invitation to the “Revolution of Love”

During his homily, Pope Leo offered a profound meditation on the parable of the Good Samaritan, emphasizing the importance of a “gaze” that comes from the heart. He explained how there are different ways of seeing: one that is “distracted and hurried,” another that “pretends not to see,” and then invited everyone to choose the “gaze of the heart,” capable of empathy and compassion. “The first gaze is the one God had toward us,” affirmed the Holy Father, recalling the figure of the Good Samaritan as an image of Jesus Christ, who came to heal humanity’s wounds with the oil of his love and mercy.

The Pontiff issued an appeal for a “revolution of love” in a world often marked by indifference and individualism. He invited everyone to care for those who suffer, without distinctions of nationality, religion, or affiliation. “Healed and loved by Christ, we too become a sign of his love and compassion in the world,” he concluded.

The Gestures of the Holy Father and Salesian Joy

At the conclusion of the celebration, the Pope presented Fr. Rozmus with a paten and chalice, symbols of communion and fraternity. “These liturgical instruments are an invitation to live in communion and to promote the fraternity we find in Jesus Christ,” explained the Pontiff.

A particularly joyful moment was the tribute from the youths of the Salesian oratory, who gifted the Pope a basketball, joking about a possible game with him, as signs of affection and gratitude.

The Reflections of the rector major

After the celebration, the rector major spoke to the confreres at the Salesian headquarters in Rome, sharing his reflections of the day. He emphasized that his presence, along with that of his Fr. Martoglio, at Castel Gandolfo for Mass with the Holy Father represented the closeness of the Salesian Congregation to the Pope and the Church.

Fr. Fabio recalled that during the singing of the Salve Regina at the end of the Mass, as he gazed at the statue of Mary Help of Christians, he noticed a significant detail: the Child Jesus in the statue bore the image of the Eucharist on his chest. He interpreted this as a powerful sign that recalls the pillars of Salesian spirituality: devotion to the Pope, to Mary Help of Christians, and to the Eucharist.

In his conversation with Pope Leo, the rector major assured the Holy Father of the fidelity, prayers, and support of the Salesian Congregation, as Don Bosco himself would have desired.

Finally, Fr. Fabio shared a thought he had while observing the Holy Father during the celebration of Mass: “Looking at the Pope, I could perceive the weight of the universal Church and the world that Pope Leo carries as the successor of St. Peter. It is an invitation for us Salesians to renew our fidelity to the Pope and to the Church.”

Concluding his reflection, Fr. Fabio recalled the message of the Good Samaritan shared by the Holy Father: “We are called to see, to stop, and to act with compassion. This symbolizes the essence of a meaningful and compassionate life.”

An unforgettable day for Castel Gandolfo and the Salesians

The visit of Pope Leo XIV to Castel Gandolfo will remain an indelible moment in the memory of the parish community and the Salesian Family of Castel Gandolfo. The celebration of Mass, the moments of prayer and fraternity, and the gestures of affection between the Holy Father and the youths of the oratory were a unique and grace-filled experience.

For the Salesians, this event represents a call to live Don Bosco’s mission with renewed zeal: to serve the young, the Church, and the world, with their gaze always fixed on Christ, with eyes of mercy and love.

Homily for 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Homily for the
15th Sunday of Ordinary Time

July 13, 2025
Deut 30: 10-14
Collect
Luke 10: 25-37
St. Francis Xavier, Bronx
Our Lady of the Assumption, Bronx

Moses (Library of Congress)

In the 1st reading today, Moses urged the Israelites to “heed the voice of the Lord and keep his commandments”; to “return to the Lord” their God (Deut 30:10).  We prayed in the collect that the light of God’s truth help us who’ve gone astray “return to the right path.”  Those thoughts are linked, as Ps 119 reminds us:  “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (v. 105).

Our path is the one that leads us to heaven, to our eternal home in our Father’s house.  That’s why Christians are a pilgrim people; we’re on a long journey.  It’s easy to get sidetracked by some curiosity or some whim, as travelers often do when they leave the highway; or to lose one’s trail entirely like a hiker in the woods (I can testify to that).  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus cautions us to be careful what gate we enter, what road we follow:  “the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter thru it are many.  How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life.  And those who find it are few” (Matt 7:13-14).

Like the unfortunate traveler on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho in Jesus’ parable, we might even be assaulted on our pilgrimage toward heaven—not by highway robbers but by our own passions for wealth, fame, power, or pleasure, or by the bad example of others who don’t care about God’s truth or his commandments, or give no thought to where life is taking all of us:  which, we know in our hearts, is toward what classic Christian teaching calls the 4 last things:  death, judgment, heaven, or hell.

So Christ’s followers on this pilgrimage need guidance and protection.  “The faith [we] profess” is such guidance, the collect observes.  “The light of [God’s] truth” helps keep us on the right path, pointing out the boundaries of the roadway or obstacles that might trip us.  Jesus’ teaching is our GPS, always pointing us in the right direction.

Both the collect and Moses’ words note that we may go astray and need to return to the Lord our God.  Going astray means sin, choosing to wander off the path God lays out for us.  But returning is always possible; in fact, Christ’s whole purpose was to lead us back to God, to encourage us to repent and get back to “loving the Lord our God with all our heart, all our strength, and all our mind,” to “loving our neighbor as ourselves” (cf. Luke 10:27).  Jesus assures us that if we do that we will live (10:28), i.e., we’ll come safely to the end of our pilgrimage and join him in his Father’s house.

We need to look at the question posed to Jesus:  “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29).  Who is it I’m supposed to love like myself?  Jesus’ answer is the famous parable of the Good Samaritan.  Jews hated Samaritans, and vice versa.  Yet in this parable the Samaritan traveler, not the Jewish priest, not the Jewish levite (a non-priestly temple assistant), proves himself the neighbor to the robbers’ victim, the one who actually does what God’s law commands.  In short, before God everyone is my neighbor.

(by Jan Wijnants)

The homeless person in the subway is my neighbor.  The slow person in front of me in the grocery check-out line is my neighbor.  The jerk who cut me off on the highway is my neighbor.  The store clerk who barely speaks English is my neighbor.  The person who helped our soldiers in Afghanistan and now needs refuge here is my neighbor.  The Ukrainian orphan is my neighbor.  The Haitian who fled his homeland overrun by murderous gangs is my neighbor.  The Asian girl who wants to escape traffickers is my neighbor.  The Central American threatened by narcos is my neighbor.  The Jew contending with anti-Semitism is my neighbor, and so is the Palestinian bombed out of her home in Gaza.  The Sudanese starving because of civil war is my neighbor.  The indigenous Brazilian whose rivers are polluted by illegal miners is my neighbor.

How am I to act as their neighbor?  How am I to walk the right path toward eternal life?

Message of the Rector Major for July-August

THE MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR  MAJOR

Fr. Fabio Attard, SDB

PHILIP’S AND ANDREW’S SYNDROMES

In St. John’s Gospel (6:4-14), which recounts the multiplication of the loaves, there are some details that I dwell on at length whenever I meditate on or comment on this passage.

Distributing the loaves and fish (James Tissot)

It all begins when, in front of the “huge,” hungry crowd, Jesus invites his disciples to take responsibility for feeding them.

The details I am referring to are, first, when Philip says that it’s impossible to take on this task because of the number of people present (v. 7). Then, second, Andrew points out: “There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish,” but then underestimates this possibility with a simple remark: “But what’s that among so many people?” (v. 9).

I simply wish to share with you, dear readers, how we Christians, who are called to share the joy of our faith, can sometimes, without realizing it, be infected by Philip’s syndrome or Andrew’s syndrome. Sometimes perhaps even by both!

In the life of the Church, as in the life of the Congregation and the Salesian Family, there are and always will be challenges. Ours isn’t a call to form a group of people who seek only to feel good, without disturbing or being disturbed. It’s not an experience made up of prefabricated certainties. Being part of the Body of Christ shouldn’t distract us or remove us from the reality of the world as it is. On the contrary, it urges us to be fully involved in the events of human history. This means, first, to look at reality not only with human eyes, but also, and above all, with the eyes of Jesus. We’re invited to respond, guided by the love that finds its source in the Heart of Jesus; i.e., to live for others as Jesus teaches and shows us.

Philip’s Syndrome

Philip’s syndrome is subtle and, because of this, very dangerous. Philip’s analysis was right and correct. His response to Jesus’ invitation wasn’t wrong. His reasoning followed a very linear and flawless human logic. He looked at reality with his human eyes, with a rational mind and, having considered all things, saw it wasn’t feasible. When faced with this “reasonable” way of proceeding, the hungry man stops asking me for help; the problem is his, not mine. To be more precise in light of what we experience daily: the refugee could have stayed at home; he shouldn’t bother me. The poor and the sick can sort it all out by themselves; it isn’t up to me to be part of their problem, let alone find a solution for them. This is Philip’s syndrome. He’s a follower of Jesus, but his way of seeing and interpreting reality is still fixed, unchallenged, and light-years away from that of his Master.

Andrew’s syndrome

Next comes Andrew’s syndrome. I’m not saying it’s worse than Philip’s syndrome, but it’s not far off from being more tragic. It’s a subtle and cynical syndrome: it sees some possible opportunity, but it doesn’t go any further. There’s a tiny glimmer of hope, but humanly speaking, it’s not feasible. So we end up disqualifying both the gift and the giver. And the giver who is “unlucky” in this case is a young man who’s simply ready to share what he has!

These two syndromes are still with us, in the Church and also among us pastors and educators. It is easier to crush a small hope than to give space to God’s surprises, surprises that can generate hope, even if but a small one. It’s a constant temptation to allow ourselves to be conditioned by dominant clichés so as not to explore opportunities that challenge reductionist readings and interpretations. If we’re not careful, we become prophets and executors of our own ruin. By remaining closed in a human logic that’s “academically” refined and “intellectually” qualified, the space for a Gospel reading becomes increasingly limited and ends up vanishing.

When this human and horizontal logic is challenged, one of the marks it provokes in its defense is “ridicule.” Those who dare to challenge human logic because they let in the fresh air of the Gospel will be ridiculed, attacked, and mocked. When this is the case, oddly enough, we can say that we stand before a prophetic path. The waters are stirring.

Jesus and the two syndromes

Jesus overcomes the two syndromes by “taking” the loaves that are considered few and therefore irrelevant. Jesus opens the door to that prophetic and faith-filled space that we’re asked to inhabit. Standing before the crowd, we can’t be content with self-referential readings and interpretations. Following Jesus means going beyond human reasoning. We’re called to look at challenges through his eyes. When Jesus calls us, he doesn’t ask us for solutions but for the gift of our whole selves, with what we are and what we have. Yet the risk is that when faced with his call, we remain stuck in, and consequently slaves to, our own thinking, greedy for what we believe we possess.

Only in generosity based on abandonment to his Word can we reap the abundance of Jesus’ providential action. “So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten” (v. 13): the boy’s small gift bears fruit in a surprising way only because the two syndromes didn’t have the last word.

Pope Benedict comments on the boy’s gesture as follows: “In the scene of the multiplication, the presence of a boy is also noted, who, faced with the difficulty of feeding so many people, shares what little he has: five loaves and two fish. The miracle doesn’t take place in a void, but from a modest sharing of what a simple boy had with him. Jesus doesn’t ask us for what we don’t have, but shows us that if each one of us offers what little he has, the miracle can always happen anew: God is able to multiply our small gesture of love and make us participants in his gift” (Angelus, July 29, 2012).

Faced with the pastoral challenges we have, faced with the thirst and hunger for spirituality that young people express, let’s try not to be afraid, not to remain attached to our things, to our ways of thinking. Let’s offer what little we have to him, let’s entrust ourselves to the Light of his Word, and may this and only this be the permanent criterion for our choices and the light that guides our actions.

Homily for Saturday, Week 14 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Saturday
14th Week of Ordinary Time

July 12, 2025
Gen 49: 29-32; 50: 15-26
Matt 10: 24-33
Provincial House, New Rochelle, N.Y.

Joseph in Egypt
(Jacopo da Pontormo)

“Even tho you meant harm to me, God meant it for good, to achieve his present end, the survival of many people” (Gen 50: 20).

The few passages in the lectionary this week hardly do justice to Joseph’s dramatic story.  We can be sure that he suffered greatly when he was betrayed by his brothers, when he was enslaved, when he was cast into prison on a false charge, when he was forgotten by a released fellow prisoner, when he wondered for years about his father’s well-being.  Only at the end of the story can he see how God has turned so much tragedy into salvation, how God has overcome evil intentions and evil deeds and used them to serve his own purpose.  In fact, that’s a theme in the great Easter proclamation:  “O truly necessary sin of Adam, destroyed completely by the death of Christ!  O happy fault that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer!” (Exsultet).

Most of us would hesitate to call sin necessary or happy.  Yet we can see a necessity and glory in God’s redemptive work.  What wonders God can do—does do!—in spite of us.

We could read the entire Joseph saga as a prelude to the salvation that God will work for the descendants of Joseph and his brothers.  Their salvation by their going down to Egypt only begins the story that will lead, centuries later, to God’s great work of deliverance, leading Israel out of Egypt by signs and wonders and his confirmation of a permanent relationship with Israel.  What Joseph tells his brothers could be put into God’s mouth, as well:  “Have no fear.  I will provide for you and for your children” (50:21).  In lifting up Joseph for the sake of Jacob’s other sons, God’s just getting started.  The author of Genesis knows this:  “God will surely take care of you and lead you out of this land to the land that he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (50:24).  He’s pointing us toward Moses and Exodus, which we’ll begin reading on Monday.

The story of Jacob’s family is a story of Divine Providence.  God provided for Jacob in his wanderings and struggles.  He provided for Joseph in spite of his brothers’ malice and the mistreatment he suffered from the Egyptians.  He will provide for the children of Israel to get them back to the Promised Land.

Jesus assures us, too, of his Father’s providence.  He cares for even the sparrows (Matt 10:29,31).  How much more will the Father care for the followers of Jesus even when they’re maligned, harassed, and killed.  The martyrs trust in Divine Providence, without fear “of those who kill the body but can’t kill the soul” (10:28):  Christians who remain in Iraq and Syria in spite of ISIS threats; Christians who persevere amid jihadist violence in northern Nigeria; Pakistani Christians who risk being accused of “blasphemy” by neighbors with a grudge; Catholics in China who hold out against the official church.  It’s been said somewhere that the most dangerous job in the world is being a priest in Mexico.

We trust God’s providence to aid our school, our missions, our province, our work for justice and human development.

“It’s enuf for the disciple that he become like his teacher” (10:25).  Our teacher lives, and so will the disciple who faithfully acknowledges the Lord before others (10:32), the disciple who “proclaims on the housetops” (10:27) that Jesus is Lord, the disciple who lives his faith in word and deed, the disciple who lives by the charge given to deacons:  “Believe what you read, teach what you believe, practice what you teach.”  God will provide not an easy life; he will provide redemption.

Ven. Fr. Carlo Crespi Returns to His Parish

Venerable Fr. Carlo Crespi Returns to His Parish

(ANS – Cuenca, Ecuador – July 11, 2025) – With deep joy and gratitude, the Salesian community of Ecuador has informed the Catholic faithful and all those in Cuenca who keep alive the memory of Venerable Fr. Carlo Crespi Croci, SDB (1891-1982), that his mortal remains have been transferred to Mary Help of Christians Parish, which was his home for over 60 years.

This transfer, approved by the Holy See’s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, takes place as part of the process of beatification and canonization of Fr. Crespi, whom Pope Francis declared Venerable on March 23, 2023.

At the request of the Salesian provinces of Ecuador and with the approval of Archbishop Marcos Perez of Cuenca, a chapel has been built adjacent to the shrine of Mary Help of Christians where the mortal remains of Venerable Carlo Crespi will rest. This decision will allow the faithful to visit him more closely and to continue to express their faith and gratitude. Fr. Crespi will certainly be able to continue to accompany spiritually those he so loved and served.

Young Fr. Crespi

From his arrival in Ecuador in 1923, this Salesian missionary dedicated his life to the disadvantaged with inexhaustible passion. He was an educator of young people, an inquisitive scientist, a talented musician, but above all a tireless apostle of the poorest. Cuenca was his home and his family. More than a transfer, therefore, it is a return: Fr. Crespi returns home, to the house of his mother, Mary Help of Christians. For over 40 years, his remains rested in the Monumental Cemetery in Cuenca, where thousands of people went to pray, give thanks, and ask for his intercession.

The date of the opening of the chapel where his remains will rest will be announced shortly. In the meantime, the entire Salesian Family, Father Crespi’s devotees, the people of Cuenca, and all of Ecuador are invited to join in prayer, to participate with faith and hope in this moment of grace that the Lord has bestowed.

“We sincerely thank the commission for the beatification of Fr. Carlo Crespi, which is promoting this cause, which belongs to the whole Church,” wrote Fr. Marcelo Farfan, Salesian provincial of Ecuador, in a statement. “Let us pray that, through the intercession of Venerable Father Crespi, we may soon see him on the altars and that his example may continue to kindle God’s love in our hearts.”

Aged Fr. Crespi with kids

Homily for Thursday, Week 14 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Thursday
14th Week of Ordinary Time

July 10, 2025
Gen 44: 18-29; 45: 1-5
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

Joseph selling grain in Egypt
(Bartholomeus Breenbergh)

“It was really for the sake of saving lives that God sent me here ahead of you” (Gen 45: 5).

The few passages in the lectionary this week hardly do justice to Joseph’s dramatic story.  We can be sure that he suffered greatly when he was betrayed by his brothers, when he was enslaved, when he was cast into prison on a false charge, when he was forgotten by a released fellow prisoner, when he wondered for years about his father’s well-being.  Only at the end of the story can he see how God has turned so much tragedy into salvation.

So it is for the saints.  John Bosco wasn’t 2 years old when his father suddenly fell ill and died.  Growing up fatherless was part of his inspiration to become a father to countless boys at risk on the streets of Turin, enabling him to carry out God’s work.  If Edmund Rice hadn’t tragically lost his young wife, would he have been inspired to found a religious family for the benefit of countless young people in need around the world?

When we review our lives, we may see some drama and loss; or perhaps only years of humdrum teaching or frustrating administration—surely not as much drama and tragedy as Joseph, John, or Edmund met.  Can we see God’s hand working, nonetheless, in our weaknesses, failures, and frustrations, or working in spite of them?  In our losses or the injustices we may have felt?  Even in our sins, i.e., in surmounting them or working around them?

“Remember the marvels the Lord has done” (psalm response).  Look for what God has done in your life and marvel at it.  Give him thanks.

Another Hike-Campout Past Green Pond

Another Hike & Campout Past Green Pond

Photos from July 4-5 campout: https://link.shutterfly.com/A8Xy1RVILUb

On Friday, July 4, I left New Rochelle ca. 7:30 a.m. and reached the Kanawauke Rd parking lot where the White Bar Trail crosses (the westernmost of several lots on the road) about 8:40.  There were 2 other cars in the lot, and shortly a couple came down the trail after an early morning trip to Island Pond, and left in one of the cars. They were the only people I saw all day (besides cyclists on the roads).

above Green Pond

I took the WBT a short distance to Island Pond Rd, which took me to the Nurian Trail after 3/4 mile. I bore left (west) to Green Pond (3/10 mile), where I've camped many times with Fr. Jim M., and I reached that site at 9:30.  Some gavones left a big pile of trash there, some of which I picked up on my way back on Saturday.  Another 15 minutes and 2/10 mile (estimated) southward brought me thru a ravine and up to a little plateau where others have established a neat campsite (photos) and I've camped solo several times.

This hike doesn't entail a lot of elevation, unlike my last one.  In many places there were patches of wild blueberries, many of them ripe, and I sampled some.  But overall there weren't a lot of berries.  I got a fleeting view of one deer and heard lots of birds; otherwise, not much fauna this time.

As I unpacked, I realized I'd left my lunches at home in the refrigerator next to my backpack; so lunch (later) consisted of trail mix, nuts, and a granola bar.  But before lunch I celebrated Mass, not having done so before leaving NR; 

then set up my tent.  

I descended to the little creek that runs out of Green Pond to try to get some water--not that I really needed it, but I wanted to try out the new Katadyn water filter that I got with some Xmas gift funds.  That required some experimentation, but eventually I brought up enuf to fill my coffee pot with potable water (which I boiled, besides, for making supper).

The sun was comfortably warm, but other than a bit of exploring the area I sat in the shade to pray the Office and read most of the afternoon.  Having had a light lunch, I started supper at 4:30--freeze-dried chili with beef and some trail mix with Crystal Lite.  

After hanging the rest of my food in a bear bag,

I decided it had gotten cool enuf for a fire and made one easily in the established fire pit, then sat there and read till it got dark. 

Also because of the chill, I put the rainfly onto the tent.  I could hear but not see fireworks from the west (Sloatsburg, Tuxedo, Harriman, Woodbury)--and of course could also hear some traffic from the Thruway and Rte 17.

I retired at 9:30 and slept fitfully (as usual).  I'd erred in bringing just a sleeping bag liner (in view of the hot weather) and had to put on some extra clothes; but I was still uncomfortable.  It was 57 degrees when I got up at 5:30; by 6:00 I was celebrating Mass.  Breakfast was granola cereal with coffee.  After Readings and Morning Prayer, I decided to pack up and head home, not in any rush.  I left camp around 9:00 and, after picking up the trash at the "main camp" above Green Pond, was back at Island Pond Rd at 9:25 and at the parking lot by 10:00.  I met 2 guys hiking toward Island Pond; otherwise, saw no one.

Green Pond

But there were 2 cars parked at the Island Pond Rd trailhead and 10 more (besides mine) in the parking lot.  Obviously, there were hikers out there (some of the cars may also have belonged to bikers).  I snacked on what would've been my lunch if I'd remained in the woods, then headed home and reached NR at 11:00.  All in all, a good trip.

Homily for Tuesday, 14th Week of Ordinary Time

Homily for Tuesday
14th Week of Ordinary Time

July 8, 2025
Ps 17: 1-3, 6-8, 15
Gen 32: 23-33
Matt 9: 32-38
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

“In justice, I shall behold your face, O Lord” (Resp. Psalm).

The psalmist—perhaps David when he’s fleeing from the unjustified jealousy of Saul—pleads with God for justice and for deliverance from his foes.

Jesus provides justice and deliverance for a possessed man brought to him (Matt 9:32-33).

In biblical terms, justice means more than having one’s rights upheld, as the psalmist prays for.  It also means being in a right relationship with God.  It means holiness.  Thus Jesus establishes justice by overpowering the demoniac’s possessor and by caring for the “sheep without a shepherd” (Matt (9:36).  He delivers from their foes those who flee to him (Ps 17:7) and allows them to see the face of God (17:15).  It is in Christ that we see the face of God. 

Jacob contends with an unknown assailant.  It’s a rather strange story that, admittedly, puzzles commentators a little.  But Jacob, renamed Israel (one who contends with God), perceives that he has wrestled with God: “I have seen God face to face” (Gen 32:31).  Because God has been with him thru all the troubles of his journeys—which was his prayer in yesterday’s reading (Gen 28:20-21)—he has prevailed.  God has justified him, i.e., supported and delivered him.

Our deliverance, our protection from the enemies of our destiny as God’s children, thus our right relationship with God is the work of Jesus.  In Christ, we can have the confidence to say, “In justice I shall behold your face, O Lord”—note the future tense.  As St. John writes:  our full destiny “has not yet been revealed.  We know that when it is revealed, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).  The justice of God shall envelop us in the mercy and the holiness of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily for 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Homily for the
14th Sunday of Ordinary Time

July 6, 2025
Collect
Is 66: 10-14
Ps 66: 1-7, 16, 20
Luke 6: 39-45
Our Lady of the Assumption, Bronx
St. Francis Xavier, Bronx

“Fill your faithful with holy joy” (Collect).

Jerusalem (Edward Lear)

Yes, today’s liturgy celebrates the joy that God desires for us and for which we pray.

Isaiah tells God’s people in Judea to “rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her” (66:10).  He has plans for the restoration of the holy city after the Jews’ years of defeat and exile:  “I will spread prosperity over Jerusalem like a river.  As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you” (66:12-13).  (How’s that for a feminine image of God!)

God’s plan for Jerusalem’s happiness is a foreshadowing of his plan for us; for we are meant to be the citizens of his New Jerusalem, the holy city on high where Christ reigns with the saints.  “The Lord’s power shall be known to his servants” (66:14).

We respond to God’s plan, “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy” (Responsorial Psalm).  God’s work, when we see it and correctly interpret it, gives joy to our hearts.  “Shout joyfully to God, all the earth.  Say to God, ‘How tremendous are your deeds!’” (Ps 66:1,3).  Israel witnessed his tremendous deeds at the Red Sea and in their crossing over the Jordan into the Promised Land:  “He has changed the sea into dry land; thru the river they passed on foot” (Ps 66:6).  But his saving work didn’t end there:  “Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare what he has done for me” (Ps 66:16).

The saving work of God our Father (and God our Mother, in Isaiah’s image) culminates in what Jesus Christ does for us.  72 of his disciples, after following his instructions, “returned rejoicing” because of what his power enabled them to do, most notably overcoming “even the demons” (Luke 10:17).  Christ defeats the power of hell as surely as God delivered Israel from the power of Egypt at the Red Sea.  His salvation is universal, and the reason for our joy is not that miracles are done (as in the 72 disciples’ ministry) but that “your names are written in heaven” (10:20).

Brothers and sisters, our names are written in heaven.  When we were baptized, our Lord Jesus stamped on our souls the mark of his possession.  We belong to him.  He has named us as his own.

That’s why we prayed in the collect for the gift of “holy joy.”  For God has “rescued [us] from slavery to sin” by the redemption Jesus wins for us, and on his holy ones, those who belong to Jesus, he “bestows eternal gladness.”

“Let all on earth worship and sing praise to [God], sing praise to [his] name!” (Ps 66:4).

 

Homily for Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle

Homily for the Feast of
St. Thomas the Apostle

July 3, 2025
John 20: 24-29
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

Jesus and Thomas
Via Lucis, Shrine of St. John Bosco at Colle Don Bosco
(Giovanni Dragoni)

“Jesus stood in their midst and said, ‘Peace be with you’” (John 20: 28).

In his 2d appearance to the apostles in the upper room, Risen Jesus again greets them with “Shalom!”  He wished them—we can say, granted them—peace twice in his 1st post-resurrection appearance (John 20:19-21).

That grant is noteworthy because it implies Jesus’ forgiveness of and reconciliation with those who had deserted him, even denied knowing him.  On this 2d appearance, that gift is extended also to Thomas.  If Judas had come back, we can be sure he, too, would have been received graciously.

We may wonder which was more convincing to Thomas:  touching Jesus’ wounds or being reconciled in spite of his having run away, his having (on the face of it) abandoned his fellow apostles too, for earlier “Thomas … was not with them” (20:24), and his skepticism of what his friends told him.

When we run from Jesus thru sin or thru reluctance to hear his voice, and when we bail on our friends in some fashion, Jesus still wants to grant us his peace, just as he did the 11, Thomas included.

In spite of our failings—even at this late stage of our lives—we “also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Eph 2:22).  Jesus doesn’t halt his construction project in each of us.  He remains confident in the power of his grace to save us as he did Thomas and the others.  He continues to greet us daily:  “Peace be with you.”

Directors of 4 Primary Salesian Mission Offices

Directors of the Four Primary Salesian Mission Offices

Congregation-level mission offices meet in Rome

(ANS – Rome – July 2, 2025) – From June 29 to July 1, the directors of the 4 main Salesian mission offices – Salesian Missions (New Rochelle, Fr. Mike Conway, front row, 3d from right), Missioni Don Bosco (Turin), Don Bosco Mission (Bonn), and Misiones Salesianas (Madrid) – gathered at the Salesian Generalate in Rome, for their annual meeting, marked by prayer, reflection, fraternity, and planning for the Congregation’s global missionary outreach.

Convened by Fr. George Crisafulli (back row, 2d from right), general councilor for the Missions, together with Fr. Gabriel Stawowy (back row at right), treasurer general, the meeting brought  these together to review progress, share experiences, and chart a united path forward. The sessions were moderated by Fr. Eric Mairura of the Missions Department.

The gathering began with a pilgrimage to St. Benedict’s Monastery at Subiaco guided by Fr. Francesco Marcoccio (director of the generalate), offering a moment of spiritual grounding and unity.

In his welcoming address, Fr. Crisafulli emphasized that the Salesian mission goes beyond mere action and must be rooted in a compassionate heart. Quoting Pope Leo XIV, he stressed that the mission is about building bridges rather than walls, highlighting the Salesians’ preferential option for the poor. This, he affirmed, is essential in order to bring hope to the young. Drawing from the African proverb, “If you want to walk fast, walk alone. If you want to walk far, walk together,” he underscored the importance of synergy and collaboration – particularly among the Salesian mission offices. Their coordinated efforts, he noted, are vital in sustaining the mission and ensuring its global impact.

A key moment was the personal encounter with the rector major. Fr. Fabio Attard (front row, 3d from left) offered a thought-provoking reflection rooted in the global perspective of the Congregation and the guiding themes of General Chapter 29. He highlighted 2 core challenges facing the Salesians today: deepening their identity and responding effectively to the needs of the young. He emphasized that identity is not merely about roles or actions, but about being passionately rooted in Christ. “Our identity must be inhabited, nurtured, and constantly renewed,” he said. In the current cultural shift—“Not an era of change, but a change of era” – Fr. Fabio stressed the urgency of authenticity. In a society where young people often lack external reference points, only authenticity can pierce indifference

He further reaffirmed the Congregation’s priority for the service of the poorest, especially in emerging and challenging contexts, and the formation of Salesians as a shared mission responsibility. He further emphasized on the necessity of animation, accountability, and unity in the Salesian mission.

The agenda also included updates on the mission strategy, funding policies, project coordination of the four offices, and collaboration with the Don Bosco Network. The conversation focused on transparency, impact, and coordinated service delivery to the missions most in need. This was followed by sharing on the upcoming Salesian Mission Day 2026. The directors of the mission offices then presented their best practices, innovative models, and success stories, reinforcing collaboration and common purpose

The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment to Don Bosco’s vision: serving the young and the poor with generosity and fidelity, while supporting the formation and sustainability of Salesian life and mission.

Homily for Wednesday, 13th Week of Ordinary Time

Homily for Wednesday
13th Week of Ordinary Time

July 2, 2025
Gen 21: 5, 8-20
Matt 8: 28-34
Salesian Missions, New Rochelle

“Sarah demanded of Abraham: ‘Drive out that slave and her son!’” (Gen 21: 10).

Hagar & Ishmael in the Desert
(Luigi Alois Gillarduzzi)

The author of Genesis is presenting a story on the origin of some of the tribes who lived on the borders of Israel, people also descended from Abraham, but by his son Ishmael, whereas the Jewish people are descended from Isaac, the son of God’s promise to Abraham.

In broad terms, then, we see that the Arab peoples around Israel are kinsmen of the Jews, all children of Abraham.  How tragic that so often they’re enemies!

That enmity is rooted mostly in jealousy and covetousness.  They all want the land where Abraham roamed as a nomad more than 3,500 years ago.  The story that Genesis tells today is more relevant to us because it, too, speaks of jealousy and covetousness, which are 2 of the 7 deadly sins.

Sarah demands that Abraham throw out of their home her slave Hagar and Hagar’s son Ishmael, whose father is Abraham.  Sarah’s afraid that Abraham will divide his wealth when he dies:  “No son of that slave is going to share the inheritance with my son Isaac!” (21:10).  She’s jealous and greedy for her son and cares not a bit about the dignity and welfare of her slave and the child, nor for her husband’s feelings for his older child.

How many problems arise in our families and neighborhoods from jealousy and covetousness, from envy and greed.  Families fight over inheritances.  People spread gossip about others who seem to be more talented, more successful, or wealthier.  Kids are jealous and mean to each other because they perceive someone gets better treatment from teachers or even parents.

Take that to another level, and you have gangs fighting over turf and nations invading other nations to control trade or territory, mineral wealth or access to water.  That kind of behavior, whether by gangs, nations, or individuals like us is demonic, arising from the Devil’s wish to alienate us from God and God’s goodness:  “Those who seek the Lord want for no good thing” (Ps 34:10).  Demonic behavior makes life intolerable.  Teens kill themselves because they’re bullied, and refugees flee their homes to escape war.  The demoniacs whom Jesus met “were so savage that no one could travel by that road” (Matt 8:28).

There are little demons of jealousy and greed in each of us that tempt us to be unkind or even nasty.  With our Lord’s help, those demons can be tamed and driven out, making our hearts more peaceful and our behavior kinder and more generous.  Our relationships with family and neighbors can become more Christ-like.  Being like Christ is, after all, the goal of our lives.  After communion, we’ll pray that Christ bind himself to us “in lasting charity” so that “we may bear fruit that lasts forever”—that we may live with our Lord Jesus in eternal life.