Frs. Comini, Capelli, and Marchioni Beatified

The Mass of Beatification for Frs. Elijah Comini, Martin Capelli, and Ubald Marchioni

(ANS – Bologna, Italy – September 28, 2026) – On Sunday, September 27, in the basilica of St. Petronius in Bologna, Frs. Elijah Comini, a Salesian, Ubald Marchioni, a diocesan priest, slain by Nazi soldiers in the Monte Sole massacres, were beatified. The beatification ceremony took place during a solemn Mass presided over by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, in the presence of around 350 concelebrants. Among them were Cardinal Archbishop Matteo Zuppi of Bologna, Cardinal Angel Fernandez Artime, SDB, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life, Fr. Fabio Attard, SDB, rector major, and Fr. Carlos Luis Suarez Codorniu, superior general of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Dehonians).

It was with great emotion and a sense of profound excitement that representatives of the archdiocese of Bologna and of the 2 religious families concerned witnessed the rite of beatification, which took place at the beginning of Mass.

Profiles of the 3 priests: shepherds who did not abandon their flock

Following Cardinal Zuppi’s request for the beatification of these venerable servants of God, the postulators profiled the 3 priests: Fr. Simone Nannetti for Fr. Ubald Marchioni; Fr. Pierluigi Cameroni for Fr. Elijah Comini; and Fr. Ramon Dominguez Fraile for Fr. Martin Capelli. Cardinal Semeraro then read, on behalf of the Pope, the apostolic letter enrolling the 3 in the register of the blessed and establishing their liturgical memorial for October 13. At the foot of the altar lay the relics of the 3 priests: a Bible and a pen for Fr. Marchioni; a personal diary for Fr. Comini; and a personal writing entrusting himself to the Mother of God for Fr. Capelli.

The 3 new blesseds were presented as shepherds who, out of love for Christ and their community, chose not to abandon their flock, even when they could have saved themselves. They were not heroes, but defenseless men, deeply in love with God and their neighbor, capable of giving themselves completely to the very end.

Cardinal Semeraro then emphasized that their martyrdom sprang from a love that empties itself. It was precisely that emptiness that became the place where charity blossomed. Their witness remains an example for a wounded world yet thirsting for hope, and calls upon us to build a civilization of love and communities founded on fraternity.

Lives brought to fulfilment by love

In outlining the profiles of the new blesseds, the cardinal went on to recall that “their lives were not cut short by evil, but brought to fulfillment by love. For this reason, their blood does not cry out for vengeance but proclaims Christ.”

“Fr. Ubald chose to remain with his people,” said Cardinal Semeraro, “and fell on the steps of the altar, almost as if offering his own life together with the Eucharistic sacrifice.” As a lasting memorial to his martyrdom, the monastic community of Dossetti preserves a ciborium riddled with bullet holes, found amid the rubble of the church in Casaglia. Fr. Ubald’s father was among the few who did not oppose the plea for clemency put forward by Walter Reder, the SS major who had coordinated the Monte Sole massacre.

Fr. Elijah Comini, explained the cardinal prefect, “after celebrating what would be the last Mass of his life, truly allowed himself to be broken, like the Eucharistic bread, for the salvation of his people.” A Salesian, he was killed on October 1, 1944, at the Canapiera reservoir in Pioppe di Salvaro, after being captured while accompanying Fr. Martin Capelli to administer the last rites to the dying victims of the Creda massacre.

The latter, a Dehonian, “remained present as a shepherd,” explained the cardinal, “as a brother and as a man of God.” “His priestly fidelity became a testimony to the Open Heart of Christ.” Before becoming a priest, Fr. Martin asked the Virgin of Guadalupe for the grace to be a martyr. He died, imploring forgiveness, alongside Fr. Elijah after their arrest by the German SS and their execution by firing squad. Subsequently, their bodies were desecrated by hand grenades thrown by the soldiers. Their blood, Cardinal Semeraro concluded, is “the fragrance of a Church that does not flee, that does not abandon, that stands in solidarity alongside those who suffer.”

Pope Leo has set October 13 as their memorial day on the liturgical calendar, together with Blessed John Remy Fornasini, another priest of the Bologna region who was killed by the S.S.--on October 13, 1944.  He was beatified in 2021.

Homily for 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Homily for the
26th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Sept. 27, 2026
Matt 21: 28-32
Ezek 18: 25-28
Ps 25: 4-9
The Fountains, Tuckahoe
Our Lady of the Assumption, Bronx
St. Francis Xavier, Bronx

“Which of the two did his father’s will?” (Matt 21: 31).

I suppose most parents have had to deal with a willful child at one time or another.  Probably most of us have at one time or another been that willful child.  In Jesus’ short parable, one son turns from his willfulness to obedience, and one pays lip service to obedience but practices willfulness.

Jesus was a willful child for one instance, the time when he stayed behind in the Temple in Jerusalem while Mary and Joseph started for home.  When they finally found him, he seemed a startled that they were upset, asking, “Why were you looking for me?  Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” Nevertheless, he turned from his own desire and, St. Luke tells us, “went down with them to Nazareth and was obedient to them” (2:43-51).

Thruout his public ministry, Jesus met all kinds of people.  By his preaching, his kindness, and his miracles, he invited everyone into his Father’s vineyard.  We heard a parable about that last Sunday (Matt 20:1-16), altho that parable raised a different issue than today’s tale of the two sons.  Today one son chooses to go to the vineyard and work as his father asked, and one son doesn’t.

Similarly, Jesus’ invitations to all kinds of people met with different responses.  Many weren’t leading good lives.  Jesus references “tax collectors and prostitutes” (21:31) because the chief priests and elders often objected to his speaking with them and eating with them.  But he welcomed those, like Matthew the tax collector, who wanted to be his disciples.  They accepted John the Baptist’s and Jesus’ own calls to repentance—to change their minds and their behavior, like the 1st son in the parable.  So the “kingdom of God” was opened to them.

Jesus doesn’t tell the chief priests, the elders, and others who refused to believe John or himself that they’re doomed.  He says only, “tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you” (21:31).  There’s still a chance for them to change their minds (21:32).

When sinners change their minds and begin to believe and follow Jesus in obedience to God, then the kingdom of God opens up for them.  Six centuries earlier, the prophet Ezekiel had preached the same thing:  “If someone turns from the wickedness he has committed, and does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life, since he has turned away from all the sins he has committed” (18:27).  The door to God’s kingdom remains open to all who decides to enter by repenting their sins and trying to live virtuously.

For Jesus, that includes chief priests and elders, scribes and Pharisees.  It included the criminal crucified next to him on Calvary (Luke 23:39-43).  Now it includes you and me; Jesus risen and alive stands ready to forgive, to wipe our slates clean of anything we’ve done, said, or failed to do.  The responsorial psalm reminded us:  “Your compassion, O Lord, and your love are from of old.  The sins of my youth and my frailties remember not; in your kindness remember me, because of your goodness, O Lord” (Ps 25:6-7).

“Remember me” is exactly what that crucified criminal pleaded to Jesus.  And Jesus promised him paradise that very day.

We must be mindful of our sins.  But the moment we hand them over to our Lord Jesus with a repentant heart, with an intention of changing our minds and our behavior like the first son in the parable—in our case, by making a sacramental confession—then Jesus wipes out those sins, ceases to remember them, and rejoices to have us in his company.  “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who don’t need to repent,” (Luke 15:7) Jesus told the Pharisees and scribes when they complained that “tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to him” (15:1).  That’s when he told the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son—“the prodigal son.”  That last story ends, “We must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found” (15:32).

The Reliquary of Fr. Elijah Comini

The Reliquary of Fr. Elijah Comini

(ANS – Bologna, Italy – September 25, 2026) – The small notebook belonging to the Salesian priest who was killed in Pioppe di Salvaro during the Monte Sole massacre is kept in a reliquary that combines the palm of martyrdom with the face of Don Bosco.

There are relics that speak thru the silence of the bones, and others that speak with the very voice of those who left them behind. The new reliquary dedicated to Blessed Elijah Comini, who is to be beatified on Sunday, September 27, in Bologna alongside Fr. Ubald Marchioni and Fr. Martin Capelli, belongs to this second category. It holds his diary, a small notebook filled, page after page, with dense, minute handwriting from December 31, 1927, to July 22, 1944. Seventeen years of inner life condensed into a few dozen sheets of paper are presented for the veneration of the faithful on the occasion of the beatification.

A diary in place of a body

Because the priest martyr’s body was never recovered, the diary takes on a unique significance. It is the most intimate thing Fr. Elijah left us: not an object touched by chance, but the daily record of his faith, his resolutions, his struggles, and his fidelity. The first page is dated December 31, 1927, the last day of the year, the day on which the Church sings the Te Deum in thanksgiving. Young Elijah, 17, a Salesian professed for just over a year, began writing right on the threshold of a new year, at a time for taking stock and making resolutions: as if he had wanted to place his life, right from the start, under the sign of gratitude and surrender to God. The last page, July 22, 1944, falls in the midst of the wartime summer in Salvaro, just over 2 months before his martyrdom.

The language of the reliquary

On the glass protecting the notebook is an image of the palm of martyrdom, an ancient Christian symbol of victory over death. In the Book of Revelation, the saved stand before the Lamb holding palms in their hands. Placed above the written pages, the palm seems almost to seal them, as if to say that this life, recorded day by day, found its fulfillment in the blood shed at Pioppe. Set within the glass is a medal bearing the face of St. John Bosco and the coat of arms of the Salesian Congregation, featuring the anchor, the burning heart, the star, the figure of St. Francis de Sales, and the motto Da mihi animas, cetera tolle: “Give me souls; take all the rest.” It would be hard to find a more faithful summary of Fr. Elijah’s life, for he truly allowed everything to be taken from him, even his life, so as not to abandon the souls entrusted to him.

The image of Don Bosco, alongside the diary of his martyred son, reminds us that Salesian holiness is a family story, passed down from master to disciple. This charismatic sonship is lived out in the docility that Don Bosco demanded of his Salesians, exemplified by the handkerchief held in his hands – symbolized in the reliquary by a red cloth – a sign of obedience even unto martyrdom. Just as a handkerchief allows itself to be folded, put away, or moved by the hands of the one who holds it without offering any resistance, so Fr. Elijah showed total and trusting docility in the hands of God. Standing before this reliquary, pilgrims will find more than just a memento. They will find a voice: that of a young man who, in 1927, began to write about God and his own vocation, and who, in 1944, wrote that vocation with his very life.

The display case was designed by Corrado Bianchi and crafted by Massimo Rossi.

Homily for Friday, Week 25 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Friday
Week 25 of Ordinary Time

Sept. 25, 2026
Eccl 3: 1-11
Salesian HS, New Rochelle

“There’s an appointed time for everything” (Eccl 3: 1).

The sacred reading from Ecclesiastes catalogs a lot of ordinary and extraordinary activities of human life.  Circumstances and one’s place in life determine what’s the right time, e.g., for joy or sorrow, for work or rest.

The reading tells us, “I have considered the task that God has appointed for people to be busied about” (3:10).  At any point in our lives, at any point in our day, what does God expect of us?  Knowing that and doing that is holiness.

We speak of Salesian as a home, school, parish, and playground.  There’s a time for each of those.  We act as brothers, as family when it’s time for that; sometimes in combination.  This Sunday there will be a family Mass; that’s a time for us to be both family and parish, to come together to praise God, to thank him, to ask for blessings.  At other times, we’re in school, in a classroom; it’s time to listen to a teacher, to discuss or solve problems, to take notes, to study.  There’s also a time for homework.  We have plenty of time for play:  recess after lunch, the end of the school day, sports, hanging out with friends.

St. Dominic Savio, one of St. John Bosco’s best pupils, knew and did all that:  making friends with his schoolmates, helping them with schoolwork and chores, praying at Mass and other times of the day, receiving Communion, taking part in games at recreation time, studying his school lessons.

Whenever we do what’s right for the moment, what we’re supposed to be doing, then we’re doing the task God has appointed for us, and we’re on a path of holiness.

Homily for Thursday, Week 25 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Thursday
Week 25 of Ordinary Time

Sept. 25, 2026
Ps 90: 3-6, 12-14, 17
Eccl 1: 2-11
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

“You turn man back to dust” (Ps 90: 3).

Psalm 90 reminds us, if we need the reminder, that our days are limited, and their meaning depends on our “wisdom of heart” (90:12) and the kindness of the Lord (90:14).

Wisdom of heart helps us to see the world around us in perspective.  It seems unchanging and permanent, and our labor has little impact on it, dust that we are.  What we do and what we say vanishes quickly.  Even the great—or those who think they’re great, like Herod Antipas—are perplexed (Luke 9:7-9) if they ground themselves on the world around us.  All of it is vanity; our lives are short.

The kindness of the Lord, however, enables us to “number our days aright” (Ps 90:12), to number them not by counting them out but by using them profitably.  Qoheleth asks skeptically, “What profit has man from all the labor which he toils at under the sun?” (Eccl 1:3).  That depends on what we labor at, for whom we labor.  If for ourselves, if aiming at being remembered (1:11) as great in fame or fortune, then yes, “All things are vanity!” (1:2).

If, however, our aim is to be remembered by the Lord, then “the work of our hands” prospers because we work for him; human labor, toiling under the sun, draws a profit (1:3).  The Lord advises us, “Store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroy, nor thieves break in and steal” (Matt 6:20).  In heaven our eyes will be fully satisfied, with seeing, our ears with hearing (cf. Eccl 1:8) because we’ll see and hear him who made us to be happy with him, with him who is “the way, the truth, and the life” of the human race (Gospel verse).

Homily for Tuesday, Week 25 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Tuesday
Week 25 of Ordinary Time

Sept. 22, 2025
Prov 21: 1-6, 10-13
Luke 8: 19-21
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

Jesus teaching (Rembrandt)

After a long series of readings from 1 Corinthians, this week we take up some of the Bible’s wisdom literature, moving rapidly thru Proverbs and Ecclesiastes before jumping into Job next week.

Much of Proverbs is ordinary wisdom about good, prudent behavior, such as you can find in Aesop or Poor Richard’s Almanac.  But there’s divine wisdom in the mix, like the verse, “To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice” (Prov 21:3).

That resembles some of Jesus’ teaching.  Just yesterday, on the feast of St. Matthew, he told the Pharisees, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” (Matt 9:13).  Today he teaches that those closest to him, those who belong to his family, are those who act on God’s word (Luke 8:21), those who do what is right and just.  That’s wisdom in action, wisdom inspired by God, wisdom that keeps us close to our Lord.

Thinking of New Paths in Formation

“Thinking of new paths that until now may have seemed impossible”

Interamerica Region Salesian Formation Meeting Concludes

(ANS – Lima, Peru – September 21, 2026) – With the participation of 18 Salesians involved in formation in the Interamerica Region, a meeting held at the Salesian Sisters’ Laura Vicuña Retreat House in Chaclacayo, Lima, concluded on September 18. Over the course of 4 days, the participants explored the challenges of Salesian formation and, in particular, the implementation of the new Ratio Fundamentalis.

The meeting was coordinated by Fr. Jorge Arley Escobar Arias, regional representative for formation, and was attended by Fr. Silvio Roggia, general councilor for formation, who led the reflection on the new Ratio, presented as “the voice and path of the Congregation.”

One of the key points was understanding that the new Ratio is not merely a regulatory document. Its development was the result of a long process within the Congregation involving listening, consultation, study, and discernment. The process gathered thousands of contributions from communities, groups, and individuals from different parts of the world, culminating in its final draft.

At the end of the meeting, Fr. Roggia encouraged everyone to tackle the new formation challenges creatively: “Anything is possible. Trying something new is positive, provided you use a bit of common sense,” he emphasized, while also inviting everyone “to consider new paths that might previously have seemed impossible, given the profound changes that young people, society, and the Congregation itself are currently experiencing.”

During the closing Mass, the general councilor highlighted one of the cornerstones of the new edition: recognizing and firmly upholding the Preventive System as the guiding principle of all Salesian formation.

“Principle” means a starting point. From this perspective, the Preventive System is not merely a method for educating young people, but also the Salesian way of relating to one another, accompanying one another, and forming one another. Reason, religion, and loving kindness thus permeate the formative experience and help to build communities capable of living with “one heart and one soul.”

The reflections over these days also served as a reminder that formation is lifelong: it doesn’t end with the novitiate, postnovitiate, practical training, or theological studies, but accompanies the entire life of a Salesian of Don Bosco.

A significant part of the meeting took place through group work, bringing the guidelines of the Ratio into dialog with the reality of the provinces of Interamerica. The regional assessment highlighted that there is extensive experience of interprovincial collaboration, particularly in novitiates, postnovitiates, and theological colleges, but that this wealth of experience requires greater coordination, continuity, and shared criteria.

Among the challenges identified as priorities were the preparation of formators, directors, and mentors; the structure and unity of formation processes; psychological fragility and human, emotional, and sexual maturity; and formation in the digital and virtual world, social media, and artificial intelligence, among others.

The work was not limited to diagnosis alone. The groups began to define objectives, processes, and concrete measures, including regional programs for formators and directors, a culture of accompaniment and discernment, meaningful pastoral experiences with poor and vulnerable young people, greater intercultural integration, and systematic proposals for ongoing formation.

At the conclusion of the proceedings, a fundamental task was set: to know the Ratio, to make it one’s own, to disseminate it and, above all, to live it out. As Fr. Roggia emphasized, the real challenge begins now, and he reiterated: “It’s important to ensure that the Ratio ceases to be merely a book and becomes a way of life and a formation journey for every Salesian and every community.”

The meeting proved to be a valuable experience of unity and cross-cutting collaboration. On the final day, alongside in-depth discussions on the topics presented by Fr. Jorge Escobar, regional formation coordinator, and the general councilor for formation, the proposals from the formation centers in Berkeley and Quito were also outlined.

Fr. Alejandro Rodriguez from Berkeley presented the various formation initiatives they’re developing, the results achieved in recent years, and the services they offer to both Salesians and lay people, thereby contributing to ongoing formation processes.

Fr. Walter Jara from the Salesian center in Quito, presented the initiatives and programs developed in recent years, as well as the guiding principles and working criteria that underpin his formation program. Both presentations provided a better understanding of the resources available to the region and the opportunities for collaboration to support Salesian formation.

Bro. Travis Gunther (3d from left in photo), delegate for formation of the New Rochelle Province, took part in the meeting.

International Day of Peace and the Salesians

On International Day of Peace, Salesian Missions Highlights Educational and Sports Programs for Youngsters

Photo ©: Salesian Missions

(ANS – New Rochelle – September 21, 2026) – Salesian Missions in New Rochelle joins humanitarian organizations and countries around the globe in recognizing the International Day of Peace, observed on Sept. 21 each year. The United Nations General Assembly declared the International Day of Peace as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples. 

This year’s theme “Invest in Peace – For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day” honors the everyday architects of peace who drive local action, lay the groundwork for stability, and build a lasting peace from the ground up. The U.N. has noted, “Peace is more than the absence of war; it is the foundation necessary to collectively tackle humanity’s challenges. It is the lived experience of safety, dignity, opportunities, and cooperation in our daily lives.” 

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement about the day: “Peace is not just made at conference tables, but in classrooms, neighborhoods, and everywhere people meet with open minds and open hearts. Together, day by day, we can build a more just world, with compassion, equality, and dignity for all.” 

The Salesians of Don Bosco (and the Salesian Sisters) provide social development and educational programs to youths and families in poverty regardless of gender, race, or religion. They work to level the playing field for youths so that they have the support needed to gain an education and the skills for future employment. Programs teach life skills like collaboration and communication to help youths develop confidence and contribute to peaceful environments. 

“Salesians are on the front lines working to ensure that youths have access to education and social development programs that help bring stable and peaceful environments,” said Fr. Michael Conway, director of Salesian Missions. “We are working to change the lives of youths who are poor and disenfranchised and put them on a path to becoming full members of their communities while encouraging a life filled with peace and meaningful contribution.”

In honor of the International Day of Peace, Salesian Missions highlights Salesian educational and sports programs that are positively impacting youth around the globe.

BURMA (MYANMAR)

Don Bosco Youth Center in Kalay, Burma*, was able to update and expand classrooms to create more spaces for education. With donor funding from Salesian Missions, Salesians were able to add 5 classrooms, which will enable them to admit more students.

Kalay is located at the gate to the northern Chin State and is one of the business border towns adjacent to India. In 2021, the military took over the town, destroying everything. Salesians report that fighting happens on the outskirts of town, houses are burned down, roads are blocked, and youths run away from the town for their safety. Life has become more difficult with people living well below the poverty line. With the economy down, many people are engaged in smuggling goods or enter early marriages without hope for the future.

One Salesian reported: “Don Bosco Youth Center is the only boarding school for youths. Many come seek our care for education and spiritual growth. The expansion of these classrooms allows us to serve many more vulnerable and at-risk youths who have little opportunity for education.”

A resident in the community, Ko Khai No, explained: “I know many youths who are taking classes at the center. Don Bosco, with its Preventive System, brings positive changes for youths and their families. I am quite impressed and grateful for the Salesians for all they are doing in our community.” 

* The military junta that overthrew the civilian government calls the country Myanmar.

SIERRA LEONE

The Salesians operate the Don Bosco Socio-Sports School in Lungi, Sierra Leone, thanks to support from the Salesian Mission Office in Madrid and the Real Madrid Foundation.

As part of the Real Madrid Foundation’s “They Play, We Educate” program, participants receive nutrition, family and psychological support, regular health checkups, the opportunity to participate in social and educational workshops, gymnastics, crafts, reading, and citizenship activities. Training sessions on topics such as health, hygiene, values, and the prevention of alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse are also provided. 

The Don Bosco School has 4 soccer teams, 2 basketball teams, and 3 volleyball teams, involving 70, 45, and 98 students, respectively. The school has been renovated for this season, and youth have access to all the equipment they need to learn and practice the sports. Students will also engage in competitions. 

Ansuma, one of the youths involved in the school, said, “The school taught me much more than soccer. I have learned to control my temperament, and now I also help at home and in school activities.”

UKRAINE

Salesians with the Salesian Lyceum in Lviv, Ukraine, were able to use donor funding to install a volleyball court thanks to funding from Salesian Missions. 

More than 400 students were impacted by the donation and now have been able to play volleyball during their physical education classes and afterschool activities. UNICEF reports that since the start of the conflict with Russia, more than 1,600 schools have been impacted by the bombing. Education has been interrupted for many students, and they are no longer able to access coursework or have leisure activities with their friends. 

The Salesian Lyceum has been meeting these needs for many students, many of whom have been internally displaced in the country. Some of the students are orphaned and in the care of relatives or the Salesians.

Fr. Taras Bayovskiy, headmaster of the Salesian Lyceum, said, “I am grateful that we now have a volleyball court. What we have available for students is limited, and promoting a healthy lifestyle thru sports activities without adequate sports infrastructure has always been a challenge for us. We now have a soccer field, a volleyball court, and modular locker rooms. These facilities enable us to participate in 3 student sports leagues including soccer, volleyball, and rugby.” 

WEST AFRICA

Salesians were able to provide scholarships to 325 youths thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. The youths came from 18 communities in 5 countries in West Africa, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea Conakry, Mali, and the Gambia. The Antonio Cesar scholarships covered schooling, supplies, and support for transportation. 

Salesians also held awareness days to promote the importance of education for these youths, to encourage them in their studies, and to prepare them for the future. These activities supported parents and Salesian confreres as well as helped schools address challenges in getting these youths to remain in school. 

One of the youths supported thru the program was 16-year-old Nathan. He’s a student at St. Jean Bosco in Cotonou, Benin. Nathan lost his father when he was young and lives with his mother, who has few resources. 

Nathan said: “For a long time, I thought that my school journey would stop due to a lack of resources. I didn’t believe I’d be able to continue my studies, let alone be able to attend professional training. But everything changed thanks to the scholarship that I received. I was able to complete my secondary education and obtain my baccalaureate. I am now pursuing professional training with the firm desire to succeed, learn a profession, and one day be able to support my family as they have supported me.” 

He added: “This scholarship transformed my life. It gave me hope, confidence, and a real direction to follow. I would like to express my deep gratitude to the school and to all partners and benefactors who make this project possible. Thanks to you, young people like me can dream again and especially believe in a better future.”

Homily for 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Homily for the
25th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Sept. 20, 2026
Is 55: 6-9
Matt 20: 1-16
Villa Maria, Bronx
St. Francis Xavier, Bronx
Our Lady of the Assumption, Bronx

A medieval depiction of vineyard workers

“So high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts” (Is 55: 9).

The prophet Isaiah announces redemption to Israel.  Israel had been devastated by war, defeat, exile, and the destruction of Jerusalem because they had abandoned the Lord.

Thru the prophet, the Lord calls them back; he “is generous in forgiving.”  Most people are not.  But the Lord is:  “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord” (55:8).  If a wicked person will forsake his wickedness, the Lord is near, ready to redeem, ready to save (55:7).

Jesus tells us a parable today about God’s generosity, his unimaginable mercy, his thinking very differently than we do.

The owner of a vineyard needs some day laborers, probably because it’s vintage time.  At dawn he goes to the village market, hires those he expects to need, and agrees with them for what our text calls “the usual daily wage” (Matt 20:2) for a laborer—a Roman denarius.  By our 21st-century American standards, that’s a pittance.  By a 3d-world standard, even today, it would suffice for a man to get his day’s bread and wine, maybe something also for his family.

The landowner goes out several times more.  Either his foreman has miscalculated the number of workers needed for the day, or the owner is prepared to hire more men than he needs because he knows they are in need.  He promises them only “what is just” (20:4).  He does this even at the last hour of the day, when the fellows in the marketplace must have despaired of getting a few cents for a bite to eat that day.

If the landowner is taking on men he doesn’t really need, he’s being generous and gracious.  He’s offering a little saving grace to the dignity of these men who are so dependent on day-to-day work, like those you’d have found at Home Depot before ICE made that a perilous gathering point.

But there’s more, as we hear when the foreman begins to pay everyone at the end of the day.  Altho the owner had promised to pay “what is just,” he doesn’t.  He gives all the laborers a full day’s pay, even tho only the 1st crew has earned it.  He surpasses justice by a wide margin.  Naturally, the earliest hires squawk, as most of us would.

But who can argue with the owner’s freedom to do as he wishes with his money?  Who of us can argue with the Lord’s ways not being like our ways, with his dispensing undeserved grace and mercy?  The 1st workers grumble, “You’ve made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat” (20:12).

Yes, he has.  Jesus introduced the parable, “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers” (20:1).  God our Father is ready to pay the same heavenly reward to everyone who comes to his vineyard, to everyone who strives to live the Gospel.  Whether one has been a faithful Christian his or her entire life or has led a horrible life until a late-in-the-day conversion, our Father has a rich reward at hand and is generous in dispensing it.  “Let the scoundrel forsake his way, and the wicked his thoughts; let him turn to the Lord for mercy, to our God, who is generous in forgiving” (Is 55:7).

The Laborers in the Vineyard
(Jacob Willemsz de Wet)

Let not anyone else grumble about it; if the Lord paid us what is just, what our sins deserve, we’d be lost—“bearing the day’s heat” for eternity.  Rather, let’s rejoice that our Father “did not abandon [us] to the domain of death” but “came in mercy to the aid of all” (EP IV) thru his Son, who rose from the dead and thereby “destroyed death and restored life” (ibid.).  Therefore, “Every day will I bless [him], and I will praise [his] name forever and ever” (Ps 145:2).

Almost 90, Abp. Menamparampil Gives Pope Two New Books

Almost 90, Abp. Menamparampil Gives Pope Two New Books

by Fr. C. M. Paul, SDB

(ANS – Vatican City – September 17, 2026) – Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil, emeritus of Guwahati, recently met Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, presenting him with his latest books, I Came To Set Fire Upon The Earth and Exaggeration Invites Exaggeration.

As he approaches his 90th birthday on October 22, Archbishop Menamparampil remains a towering figure in the Indian Church and beyond. His writings and peace initiatives have earned him global recognition, particularly for his tireless efforts in Northeast India. 

Founder of the Joint Peace Mission, he played a decisive role in diffusing ethnic conflicts and mediating dialog between warring communities. In 2011, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his peace work in collaboration with the Northeast India Peace Forum.

A Prolific Author

Salesian Abp. Menamparampil’s literary journey began with his early pastoral work Jesus in the Villages, which established his grassroots approach to ministry in rural and tribal contexts. 

Over the decades, he went on to publish a wide range of influential works on missiology, culture, peace building, and spirituality. Among his most notable titles are A Path to Prayer (1992), The Challenge of Cultures: Cross-Cultural Relationships, Conflicts, Inculturation (1996), Thoughts on Evangelization (1997), and Cultures in the Context of Sharing the Gospel (2003), each exploring the intersection of Christian faith with cultural dynamics and Asian missiology.

Later works such as Towards a Sense of Responsibility (2010) and the widely translated Way of the Cross/Via Crucis with Pope Benedict XVI (2010), prepared for the Good Friday meditations at the Colosseum in Rome, further cemented his reputation as a global voice of reflection.

His most recent comprehensive contribution, Attempt the Impossible (2021), gathers decades of his thought on peace, culture, and spirituality, offering a lasting testament to his vision. His authentic works consistently reflect his commitment to intercultural dialog, peace building, and pastoral sensitivity, making them central to his profile as a missionary and intellectual.

Voices from Northeast India

Lay leaders and colleagues testify to his enduring impact. Allen Brooks, a senior lay leader from Guwahati, recalls: “In moments of deep ethnic tension, Abp. Menamparampil was the one who could bring people to the table. His calm presence and ability to listen gave communities the courage to trust again.”

A youth leader from Nagaland described him as “a shepherd who walked with us when no one else dared to enter the conflict zones.” 

A Khasi elder from Meghalaya added: “He taught us that peace is not imposed but nurtured through patience and respect.”

Legacy of Compassion

Abp. Menamparampil’s writings continue to inspire, advocating for cultural harmony and deep listening. His books, widely read across India and abroad, challenge readers to embrace compassion as a leadership style.

“Abp. Menamparampil has always believed that dialog is stronger than division, and listening is more powerful than confrontation,” noted a Vatican observer after his meeting with the Pope.

As he turns 90, Abp. Menamparampil’s legacy remains a living testimony: a man who has consistently placed dialog, compassion, and cultural sensitivity at the heart of his mission.

Homily for Thursday, Week 24 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Thursday
Week 24 of Ordinary Time

Sept. 17, 2026
1 Cor 15: 1-11
Luke 7: 1-10
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

After responding to the Corinthian Church’s questions on various topics and responding to some contention in the Church, Paul reminds his disciples of the most fundamental article of faith.  “Christ died for our sins; he was buried; he was raised on the 3d day….  His grace to me hasn’t been ineffective” (1 Cor 1: 3-4, 10).

Paul’s own life is evidence of the power of Christ’s resurrection and of our sins being forgiven, however grave those may be.

Luke narrates a specific story of the forgiveness of sins, the story of a woman well known as a sinner and of a judgmental Pharisee.  It’s likely the woman has already encountered Jesus’ mercy, and her response is what Luke tells us here. 

Simon the Pharisee reveals his own sinfulness without any awareness of it.  He’s been a rude host, omitting ordinary courtesies; then he condemns this woman in his thoughts.  He’s very much like 2 characters in Jesus’ parables, the Pharisee who went up to the Temple to pray—really, to boast of his ritual purity; and the elder brother of the wayward son.

Both Paul and this anonymous woman know they’re sinners, and thru their faith in Christ they receive an abundance of undeserved mercy and peace of soul.

Salesian Missions Funds New Chapel for Nigerian Catholics

Salesian Missions Funds New Chapel for Nigerian Catholics

(ANS – Imaweje, Nigeria – September 16, 2026) – The Salesians have been able to build a new Catholic chapel, dedicated to St. Joseph, in Imaweje, a rural community in Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State, Nigeria, thanks to funds donated by Salesian Missions of New Rochelle.

The new chapel will provide the growing Catholic community with a permanent place for worship, religious education, and other pastoral activities. The main structure of the chapel has already been completed, as have the roof and the plasterwork. Security doors and windows have been fitted, and electrical conduits and plumbing pipes have been laid in preparation for the installation of electrical systems, lighting, and sanitary facilities.

It is expected that the chapel will facilitate preparation for the sacraments and youth ministry, while also providing pastoral support to young people and Catholic students living in the area, including those attending the Tai Solarin University of Education. Imaweje is a small community where Christians and Muslims live peacefully side by side, and where most people make a living from subsistence farming.

For some time, Catholics in the area had been hoping to have a suitable place of worship. Therefore, parishioners say this new building “means so much to us, as the Catholic family of Imaweje.”

Beatification of Fr. Elijah Comini

Beatification of Fr. Elijah Comini

The Rule of Priestly Life: “Everything for the Sacred Heart”

(ANS – Rome – September 16, 2026) – The path to holiness of Fr. Elijah Comini (1910–1944), a Salesian and martyr of Monte Sole, who is to be beatified in Bologna on Sunday, September 27, is rooted in rigorous daily asceticism and an intimate striving toward God.

Fr. Ubald Marchioni, a diocesan priest, and Fr. Martin Capelli, a Dehonian, will be beatified alongside Fr. Comini.

One of the most significant milestones on Fr. Comini’s journey is the Rule of Priestly Life, drawn up on March 13, 1935, in Montodine (Cremona), at the conclusion of the retreat undertaken in preparation for his ordination to the priesthood, which he was to receive on March 16 in the cathedral of Brescia. This text served as a true spiritual compass for his priestly and educational ministry.

At the forefront of his intentions, Fr. Comini placed the constant pursuit of holiness and perfection. To nourish his drive toward his own sanctification, he committed himself to meditating frequently on his own insignificance in the face of the infinite grace of the priesthood. The regulations identify 3 key virtues to be practiced consistently and sought for daily in prayer: humility, purity, and charity.

In Fr. Comini’s spiritual program, the Holy Mass forms the absolute center of the day. Following Don Bosco’s example, the rules set out precise times and procedures: care taken in preparation and in giving thanks; putting on and taking off liturgical vestments while accompanying the gesture with the appropriate pious, attentive, and devout prayers; a well-ordered style of celebration, devoid of any affectation, with a brisk pace that allows for intimate moments to spend time with Jesus.

Alongside the Eucharist, the Breviary is described as the “most beautiful, the most important” prayer, to be said, if possible, before the Blessed Sacrament. During the dramatic days of his captivity and right up to the final moments before his execution by firing squad, Fr. Comini would hold his Breviary close to him, using it to guide prayer and offer spiritual comfort to the other hostages condemned to death. As the prisoners were being led toward the Canapiera reservoir at Pioppe di Salvaro to be killed, a German soldier struck Father Comini’s hands with extreme violence to force him to let go of the Breviary, which then fell into the water of the reservoir.

Fr. Elijah’s priestly identity is inseparable from the Salesian charism

 In his rule of life, souls represent his primary concern, care, and responsibility: whoever approaches him must encounter not the man, but the priest, the minister, and the servant of Jesus; young people are regarded as the “beloved portion” of his heart; prayer, the good word, and good example constitute his commitment to the good of all souls.

His program of life: “Per Ipsum et cum Ipso et in Ipso”

All of Fr. Comini’s work must be carried out “in the shadow of Jesus” and for his most lovable Heart. This total Christ-centered orientation is reflected in an outward composure and seriousness befitting one who lives united to the Lord, summarizing his commitment with the invocation: “Everything and always for the Sacred Heart and in the Sacred Heart.”

The Rule also summarizes the intellectual commitment and spiritual references of the candidate for ordination: the commitment to return to sacred studies, devoting himself in particular to sacred Scripture, the catechism, and moral theology; devotion to the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus and to Mary Immaculate, Help of Christians; and St. John Bosco, guide and model for his entire Salesian priesthood.

Drawn up when Fr. Comini was 25, the Rule of Priestly Life did not remain a theoretical declaration of intent, but became the conceptual and existential blueprint by which he lived out his mission among young people and faced the ordeal of the war in Salvaro, right up to the fulfilment of his own sacrifice in October 1944.

Part of Fr. Comini's Rule of Life

Formation Is Always Ongoing

“Formation is always ongoing”
Interamerica Salesians reflect on the new Ratio Fundamentalis

(ANS – Lima, Peru – September 16, 2026) – From September 15 to 18, members of the Interamerica Regional Formation Commission (RFC) are meeting at the Laura Vicuña Retreat Centre in Chaclacayo, Lima, to explore the new Ratio Fundamentalis and, in particular, the spirit of renewal it proposes for the formation of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

“Formation is always and only ongoing formation. If we can already grasp this, we have already taken a great step forward.” With these words, Fr. Silvio Roggia, the Salesian Congregation’s general councilor for formation, outlined the scope of the RFC meeting.

The meeting brings together 18 participants from various countries in the Interamerica Region, coordinated by Fr. Jorge Escobar, regional director and liaison for formation, and prepared and organized by Fr. José Kamza, delegate for formation of the province of Peru. The participants have been brought together to reflect on the challenges posed by the revised Ratio Fundamentalis, the document that guides Salesian formation.

The challenge goes far beyond the study of a text. “We want this group of Salesians of Don Bosco to generate an energy that helps to spread not only the text of the Ratio, but what lies behind it: the spirit of renewal,” said Fr. Roggia.

His words place a crucial issue at the heart of the reflection for the future of the Congregation: formation cannot, in fact, be reduced solely to the initial stages of Salesian life. It is an ongoing process that accompanies one’s entire life and involves every Salesian, the communities, and the provinces.

The new Ratio is not merely a document to be known and disseminated, but an opportunity to renew the way we understand and live the Salesian vocation in today’s world.

“We hope that with the enthusiasm, desire, and positive reception we have encountered in the provinces too, this may become a reality,” Fr. Roggia concluded.

Over these 4 days of work, the members of the RFC are sharing experiences, exploring the guidelines of the Ratio in greater depth, and seeking practical ways to ensure that its spirit can then reach all the Salesian communities in the region.

Bro. Travis Gunther, formation delegate for the New Rochelle Province, is taking part in the meeting.

Homily for Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows

Homily for the Memorial of
Our Lady of Sorrows

Sept. 15, 2026
Collect
Heb 5: 7-9
John 19: 25-27
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

The Virgin of Seven Sorrows
(Absolon Stumme)

When Christ our Lord “was lifted high on the cross … his mother [stood] close by and shared his suffering.”  We pray that our sorrows and sufferings may participate in the Lord’s passion alongside her, and thus we “share in his resurrection” (Collect).

According to the Letter to the Hebrews, Christ wished ardently—“with loud cries and tears”—to be spared from his passion.  But Hebrews affirms that he was “saved from death” because of his reverence and his obedience to his Father (5:7-8).

Being “saved from death” refers to his resurrection.  Passing from bodily death into eternal life, “he was made perfect” (5:9); his human nature was perfected, defeating death.  His perfected humanity “became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him” (5:9).

“All” includes his mother, who first appears in the Gospels as a model of obedient discipleship (Luke 1:26-38) and perfects her obedience by accompanying him to Calvary.  There she stands close by and suffers with him as only a mother can (Collect).

When we hear Jesus entrust his bereaved mother to the beloved disciple, we find it tender that, as he’s dying, he sees to her care, entrusting her to his most cherished follower.  St. Bernard has a different take, finding this entrustment another source of pain for her.  He addresses her in a sermon:

        Were not those words: Woman, behold your Son, not more than a sword to you, truly piercing your heart, cutting through to the division between soul and spirit? What an exchange! John is given to you in place of Jesus, the servant in place of the Lord, the disciple in place of the master; the son of Zebedee replaces the Son of God, a mere man replaces God himself. How could these words not pierce your most loving heart, when the mere remembrance of them breaks ours, hearts of stone and iron though they are![1]

Mary & St. John's Journey to Ephesus
(German Hernandez Amores)

But how fortunate for us that we, also Christ’s beloved disciples, have been given his mother, a mother who knows our sufferings as intimately as she knew his and is prepared to stand with us, to lend us courage and patience that we may join our sorrows and pain to hers and to his, and to guide us thru her Son’s passion toward his resurrection—a resurrection she already shares because of her lifelong and complete reverence and obedience.

---

[1] Sermo in dom. infra oct. Assumptionis, 14-15 (LOH 4:1402).

Evangelical Rest Interpreted by the Rector Major

Evangelical Rest as Interpreted by the Rector Major

(ANS – Turin – Sept. 14, 2026) – To set all the work on the right track, during the morning meditation on the first day of a meeting with 15 provincials, the Rector Major drew the attention of his confreres to the theme of gospel rest, in the light of the gospel passage in which Jesus invites his disciples, having returned from their mission, to withdraw to a quiet place with him to rest (Mark 6:30–32).

In analyzing this passage, Fr. Fabio Attard saw, first and foremost, an invitation to pause and recognize “a liberating truth: the work is His, not ours.” Faced with the suspicion, “never admitted, that if we stop everything will collapse,” rest is first and foremost an act of faith, which also reminds those in leadership roles within the Church that “the Lord is the true protagonist of the mission, and that we are servants, not masters, of the vineyard.”

Subsequently, the Rector Major emphasized Jesus’ invitation to withdraw “to a quiet place.” This movement, which is not so much physical as mental, serves to find that solitude which means having “the courage to be alone with oneself and with God, without the adrenaline of ministry, without the constant feedback from others which, more often than not, confirms us in our role and spares us from coming face to face with ourselves.”

Such solitude also entails risks, because in that silence, so often “hidden struggles, unhealed wounds, and the questions that our busyness allowed us to put off” emerge; but the danger of not having it is worse still: failing to hear God’s voice.

Continuing his reflection, Fr. Attard also noted the context of the gospel passage: the disciples were returning from their mission. This, too, is not merely a chronological detail, but an indication of a further point: “success, no less than hardship, can lead us away from what is essential.”

Jesus, therefore, invites the disciples to pause at the height of their human success: “not to dampen their enthusiasm, but to rediscover their center,” because the one thing that is necessary “is not one’s role, nor one’s projects, however good they may be: it is a living relationship with the Lord.”

Gospel-inspired rest is, then, that time in life when the seeds sown by man grow through the Lord’s work; it is the act by which one simultaneously challenges “the idol of productivity” and fulfills the prophetic surrender of those who know that “some fruits ripen only in silence and precisely when one has the courage to let God take over.”

The Rector Major’s analysis did not end with an examination of the characteristics and values of evangelical rest, but also looked at its effects: it “nourishes contemplation and strengthens discernment,” because it allows for the right detachment from worldly things and gives the courage for self-criticism, helping to recalibrate the compass of one’s actions, which at this point “knows where it comes from and toward Whom it is heading.”

The Rector Major concluded with a final remark delivered with clarifying certainty: “Gospel rest is not an escape from the mission, but a preparation for it.” The days at Valdocco will therefore not be an escape for the provincials, but a fruitful time of reflection, enabling them to return to their mission with greater heart and zeal, by virtue of “a purified gaze” – the fruit of the awareness that every human being, in God’s eyes, “before any role or title,” is His beloved child, “not because of their abilities, but by pure grace.”