Statistics and character traits

So here I am, back in Rome… for another semester. I arrived on Saturday, the 25th… and the jet lag continues, which is why I am awake so early today, showered, dressed and at my keyboard before the rest of the house comes to life.

Roman dawn

As I have done in previous years, I am living at the Salesian University, where I will be teaching during the Autumn Semester that will begin next week. Actually, ours is a pontifical university, but we are off the beaten track from historic, imperial, medieval, renaissance, risorgimental, and art deco Rome. We are in the northern sector, in district 4, which is totally blue collar (or proletarian, as it is said here). The advantage is that we are situated among the real folks, the immigrants, the workers, families with children, the workshops. Our university is open to the people of our district and the three that surround ours, in the sense that they can access our university library and make use of services that we offer.

Our student body is over 70% laity (which is by far the largest ratio of any of the pontifical universities and academies), and 95% of these are Romans (who are among the most pragmatic, blunt, down-to-earth, no-nonsense, life-loving people on the planet). The 30% religious come from 83 different nations, from every continent (oh yes! Italians count the continents as five: Europe, Asia, Africa, America, Oceania), and from at least 100 different religious communities.

There are some here who are aware of the politics (ecclesial and civil). In fact, one of the professors here has just been named bishop (and he's not the first of our faculty). Yet, most of the people that I know here follow the lead of the true Romans who are never too impressed by a show of power or brilliance. "What do you expect?" one Roman friend likes to tell me. "We've seen it all: Hannibal and his elephants, the Caesars, the lions, the barbarians, the Normans and the Saracens, the French and the Austrians, the Nazis and the Americans, the popes and the pagans. They all came, they all left, and we go onward."

The bulk of our students and instructors take care of cultivating relationships while working hard in the business of studies, out of the limelight but building for the future. And I must say that I appreciate this approach more than any other.

The sun is up and I need to get moving if I'm to join the community for morning prayers and mass.

Don Bosco at Corpus Christi Parish

Fr Tim Ploch celebrates Eucharist at Corpus Christi Parish

The move from SS Peter and Paul to Corpus Christi was both nerve-wracking and moving. Nerve-wracking because we did not have the proper equipment that would allow us to take the huge and heavy urn out of the church. Moving and inspiring because many many took the morning off work to help us with the job, and the police officers who accompanied us in that work and then led the motorcade across the city of San Francisco were past pupils of the Club, and fiercely loyal to Don Bosco.

We arrived in the late morning at Corpus Christi. The children of the school were all dressed in their red-sweaters of the uniforms and lined the street with color and enthusiasm. The parish jumped into gear: music, singing, drums, movement and they welcomed Don Bosco. All we had to do was to roll the urn into the church and into position, and then get out of their way.

Parishioners at Corpus Christi venerate the relics of the saint

People had told me to expect that the Californians would not really be too impressed by the relics. This is not Latin America, they told me. Yet, I have to say that the devotion of the people, young and old, both at SS Peter and Paul and at Corpus Christi, was intense. We are well on our way in this pilgrimage with Don Bosco!

Twelve strong men needed

At 2:00am Sunday morning we arrived in San Francisco - what we learned is that there are too many steps. Only with the help of twelve big men were we able to get the Urn into the church by lifting and pushing up the last five steps that the ramp could not cover. At this point I do not know how we will manage to get the urn out of the church on Monday: we will need 12 to 16 men to help us: strong guys. Also, it is possible to turn the cart, but very difficult if the space allowed is small. It took us a long time to get the urn in place on the sanctuary of SS Peter and Paul’s because there is too little space due to the remnants of an altar rail and steps in front of the lectern.

Don Bosco's relics are in place, with honor guard of Knights of Columbus

Sunday morning gleam at SS Peter and Paul on Relics Day! 

Our drivers Mauro and Tino managed, but it was very difficult to complete that task. Six strong men were needed to help them to move the urn into that tight spot. Help will be needed to get the relics out of that position on Monday. This is not to complain about SS Peter and Paul’s. The committee at SS. Peter and Paul has been meticulous in its planning. Furthermore, the information that we received last March was that the spaces were correct and the steps were doable. But the reality is different from the projection.

Since I have seen how the urn can be moved, I just want to ask everyone  who will receive the relics to check for the space, entrance and exit. If you have steps (read, more than one), it would be helpful for us if you had some sort of ramp built that can take the weight of the urn on its cart (total 800 kilos). If you are in doubt, please contact me. Thanks so much… our problems so far are only technical ones.

Everyone has been more than supportive, including the customs officials of both Mexico and USA through our four-hour border crossing. They too did everything that they could to help us. I know that all are trying their best to foresee all the circumstances, and am very grateful. I will continue to speak of dificulties as I see them arise to help us all to resolve them better.

Crossing into California

The morning activities in Tijuana included a procession, a final mass, and a visit to a Breakfast House for the homeless. Then the relics were transferred to Fr Tim Ploch and to myself, to be brought into California. All we had to do was to cross the boarder.

Children of Proyecto Don Bosco in Tijuana venerate the relics

Final blessing at the final mass in Mexico, after 40 days of pilgrimage

 Everyone told me that I should not be concerned, and that we would cross with no problems. But there were a few hitches.

Border crossing at Otay

 After a four hour process to cross in from Tijuana, I arrived with the truck carrying the relics. The drivers are Mauro and Tino.

Cleofás Murgüia, provincial of Guadalajara, and Tim Ploch, provincial of California, talk on cellphones while we are held up in the noman's land between Mexican and USA customs.

A group of young people from Rosemead and Orange County met us at the Chevron gas station on Medina Avenue in Otay Mesa. After filling up with diesel, Mauro and Tino brought the relics out on to the parking lot there: Don Bosco's first glimpse of California -- land that developed the freeway and non-leaded gasoline -- was a refueling station. Very appropriate.

Tino and Mauro lower Don Bosco's relics on to California soil for the first time at the Chevron Station in Otay Mesa

The boys were dressed in the bright colors of the Don Bosco Relics Tshirts that Duoc Le had designed…

Fr Tim Ploch speaks enthusiastically of the meaning of Don Bosco's arrival in USA

The boys sang a couple of welcome songs, including one which they had composed.

Southern California youths sing a song that they composed for Don Bosco

California sun touches Don Bosco for the first time

Following this little reception, the boys and the photography crew got into their vans to drive to San Francisco to meet us there. I got lunch for Mauro and Tino, who had not eaten since 6:00 this morning. The journey will continue after we finish our submarine sandwiches.

With Don Bosco in Tijuana

This morning I arrived in Tijuana together with Fr Tim Ploch, provincial of the USA-West province, Roberto Bertoli, who works on the Don Bosco pilgrimage from Torino, and Fr Bruce Craig of Miami. We went to the Salesian volunteer house in Castillo, and later to participate in a celebration of the relics in the zone of Sanchez Tavara.

The experience was very moving and very enthusiastic as Don Bosco visited the neighborhood and the Oratorio San Domingo Savio.

 Truck to transport relics

Rather than talk about it, I include some photos that I took of the relics being unloaded from the truck and mounted for a procession through the neighborhood.

Men guide the urn out of the truck and ready it for the procession

All through the procession people shouted cheers and sang. It was a festive demonstration. In no way was it solemn, but it was very reverent.

There were women in colorful indigenous dress who danced ahead of the urn… youth in Don Bosco Tshirts, children in school uniforms.

There was even a mother and child dressed up like Mamma Margherita and Don Bosco. The poor boy did not smile much, but his mother smiled the entire time.

And in the Oratory church, after a short prayer service and a lot of songs, first the children and then the people were able to venerate the relics of Don Bosco. Many were moved to tears. All were joyful. At the end there was a lunch provided in the oratory playground… and more music and time for visiting quietly with Don Bosco.

On of the cheers that took over all of Mexico and was repeated many times this morning sums up the whole experience "¡Si, si, si! Don Bosco es aquí! -- Yay, yay, yay! Don Bosco came today!"

Don Bosco's relics in California - Otay is the port of entry

Yesterday I had contact with the Mexican authorities through Cleofás Murgüia, provincial of Guadalajara… and today, with our agent Milo Ott, of Mid-America Overseas, spoke with Officer Roble of US Customs and Immigration at Otay

WE HAVE PRE-CLEARANCE! 

Now we must simple attend to the last details.

Last Monday Duoc Le designed some prayer cards. Duoc worked on the graphics and asked me to prepare a prayer, which I did. We worked by telephone and internet and then Duoc placed an order immediately with a firm in nearby Emeryville. The prayer cards arrived on Friday. Between yesterday and today I have already distributed 5,000 prayer cards with the image of Don Bosco to houses in the Bay Areas. That has exhausted my supply, but I called Duoc and have ordered a further 30,000 cards.  My plan is to bring the cards around to all the places that Don Bosco will visit.

The above is the image of Don Bosco on the prayer cards designed by Duoc Le.

Don Bosco's relics in California - One week to go

At noon I could hear the Campanile of Berkeley chiming the mid-day hour as I hurried back on foot from Shattuck to make sure my cell phone account can take international calls in view of the relics arriving…

One week from now, Don Bosco's relics will be at the gate at Tijuana, seeking to enter the USA. Some of us know that experience, on a busy Saturday at mid-day, but also on a date that raises borders from code Orange to code Red...

Duoc Le and I have designed some prayer cards and I will bring a lot with me to every place as freebies. I'm very happy with the results, and thank Duoc Le with all my heart for the energy that he has put into this project of the relics, not just with the cards, but from the beginning. We have posters with the same image, and I'll bring those around with us as well. I encourage those who are looking for TShirts or kerchiefs to get in touch with Al Vu at St Joseph's Salesian Center in Rosemead and see what's available.

Province Poster with Itinerary

One week from now, it all begins.

A group is planning to meet the relics on the American side of the border crossing. I have to say that Friday the question of the port of entry was brought up by the American consul general in Milano: Main Gate or Otay. This is a new twist which has to be resolved.