Reflecting back on the relics pilgrimage

Three weeks ago today I woke up in Tijuana… nervous about bringing the relics of Don Bosco across the border into the USA to begin our phase of the pilgrimage… After the final mass in the Oratory in Castillo area of Tijuana (Fr Tim Ploch, provincial of California, concelebrated with Padre Cleofás Murgüia, provincial of Guadalajara), and a brief visit to the breakfast kitchen, Mexico Guadalajara's latest work in TJ, still under construction but fabulously operative, we boarded the vans and the trucks to cross into the USA. 

Final blessing at final mass in Mexico (Castillo, Tijuana)

Breakfast Kitchen for TJ's poor celebrates Don Bosco's coming

Three weeks ago today… we reached the Mexico-USA border crossing at Otai. It seems that the agent from Argentina that was supposed to clear the exit from Mexico had not fully understood one of the Mexican protocols. In spite of this problem, the border authorities on the Mexican side did all to see us through. Then there was the difficulty with the American side: the drivers did not have the proper entry visas. Again, the American officials were very good to us and did everything to speed our crossing. All in all, it took us four hours to cross the border at Otai. 

Provincials Cleofás and Tim on the phone in no-mans land

Once we had crossed from Baja into Alta California, we a quick stop for fuel at the Otai Mesa Chevron, where a delegation of young people gave us a colorful welcome and greeting Don Bosco on his first stop in the United States. 

Province youth meet  us at the Chevron station

From Otai, it took us eight hours to drive from to San Francisco and SS Peter and Paul. With our arrival at 2:00 am, three weeks ago today, after 14 months of preparation that involved so many people in very strenuous ways, our journey began. 

Fr Tim Ploch at the festive Sunday mass in SS Peter and Paul Church when Salesian Jubilarians renewed their vows

Two weeks ago today, I woke up in Bellflower, not know what to expect on the final two days in California with Don Bosco… Savio had organized so many possibilities, and the people of the parish and beyond responded. An estimated 8,000 people took part in the prayers and festivities of that Saturday, when we also stood by our brother Steve Standard making his perpetual profession. 

Families at St Dominic Savio venerate Don Bosco's relics

Don Bosco's Relics in Savio in preparation for evening mass

The next morning, a church-full of parishioners and pilgrims at St Dominic Savio accompanied us as we loaded the relics on the truck for the last time. A few minutes later our little committee headed for Long Beach Airport … only to be redirected to the Ontario Airport because a heavy fog had settled in at Long Beach. Ontario Airport was ready to welcome us, but they did not have the proper equipment and so loading the relics on the cargo jet became a major task that took almost two hours to accomplish. 

  

Loading our precious cargo on tarmac at Ontario California airport

Here I am, flying with Don Bosco's relics from Southern California to Louisiana

The flight took nearly 4 hours from Ontario to New Orleans, but we arrived to officially hand over the relics to the Salesians in Louisiana and the New Rochelle Province. The journey was finally over for us.

Meeting the Salesian Sisters from Texas upon my arrival in New Orleans

One week ago today, I arrived in Rome for the new semester… with the experiences of the relics of Don Bosco still very front and center in my mind and heart. Every night this week I have dreamed about the relics-journey: reliving the joy and also the anxieties (like, will we find diesel at the next stop? will we be able to get up those steps? will we be able to load this tiny cargo jet?)

In just two days, Don Bosco in his relics will complete his journey in the United States. The last stop is Chicago, on 4 October, and from there the crossing will be made into Canada. 

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.

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.

Don Bosco Relics - What we are seeing

Following up on what was said yesterday, here are photos of the box that contains the relics of Don Bosco, which is placed within the chest cavity of the statue of Saint John Bosco.

This box contains the relics of Don Bosco's right hand. It is sealed and labeled with an official notice by the Archbishop of Torino.

This photo documents the sealing of the relics in the silver box, with the official seals of the Archdiocese of Torino.

Don Bosco Relics - What we are seeing

Pilgrim relics of St John Bosco venerated by the faithful

The word has been out for a long time, and published in many devotional magazines and websites, that Don Bosco is one of the "incorruptibles". This report is not entirely accurate. We can say that Don Bosco was one of the incorruptibles - but science made a few mistakes. 

When the tomb of Don Bosco was opened in 1929 just before the beatification, according to the prescribed procedures of canon law for the beatification process, the body was found to be intact. However, 41 years after the servant of God's death, the skin had darkened somewhat. The plan was to bring the body of the Blessed, carried in a glass urn from Valsalice to Valdocco, for the festivities at the time of the beatification.

At the time, scientists and doctors discussed doing something to lighten the skin. When they applied the chemical formula that they had devised, there was a reaction that they did not anticipate. The body corrupted almost before their eyes. 

The body was then covered with a wax image so that the festivities might take place, and the Blessed's remains could be placed within the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Turin (Maria Ausliatrice).

The image was cracked open again at the time of the canonization in 1934, and the corruption was considerable. A new casing was created, and the remains were encased within them.

In 2006 a major renovation project took place on the Basilica. Don Bosco's altar was dismantled for the renovations. This time two identical replicas of the saint's body were made in fiberglass. Each item of bone and tissue was identified and placed within the first replica, that was placed within the glass urn above Don Bosco's altar. It was determined that inside the second replica, the right hand and arm should be placed for the pilgrim journey. However, very quickly it became obvious that in some countries (notably India), the depiction of a saint in death would create more consternation than devotion. Thus, a third reliquary was designed. This is an image of Don Bosco who is standing and surrounded by young people. 

Reliquary of Don Bosco prepared for the pilgrimage in the West

With these reliquaries complete, the relics of the right hand and right forearm were identified, certified, and put inside two silver plated boxes that were in turn sealed according to the norms of the Church regarding relics. This sealed box with the hand was placed inside the chest cavity of the fiberglass statue of the saint in repose; the sealed box with the right forearm was placed with the statue of Don Bosco standing among his boys. The latter image and relics are bound for India and Australia; the former image and relics have already begun the journey in the West. 

The statue of Don Bosco in repose, then, is itself a reliquary. This is the image that concerns us because this is the reliquary that will soon arrive in California. It is dressed in authentic vestments, with a chasuble of the era. The cassock shoes and other garments were newly made, but according to the patterns that were in use at the time of Don Bosco's death. 

There have been some talk in the Catholic Press in the USA that what is coming is a wax replica of Don Bosco’s relics. This information is not correct. The relics are actually being brought and they are within the statue… again, the right hand and arm were designated for the pilgrim journey, since this is the hand of blessing, the hand of baptizing, the hand of absolution, the hand of giving communion… and the hand that Don Bosco favored when he wrote, when he taught tailoring, and carpentry, and shoemaking and bricklaying. 

All the rest of the remains of the saint are encased within the first statue, in a glass urn above the altar of Don Bosco in the basilica of Maria Ausiliatrice, as they have been since 1934 - but carefully catalogued in a reliquary that is refurbished, in a church that is restored. 

Hopefully this clarifies some of the issues surround this event. God willing I shall accompany the relics throughout the journey in California. I will be very glad to meet with anyone who may have questions in any of the places where the celebrations for the youth and for Don Bosco will be held.

Don Bosco's Relics in California - Itinerary

• Saturday, 11 September 2010 – San Francisco: The relics cross the border into the USA and California from Baja California in Mexico, leaving the Salesian Center at 12:00 noon.

A delegation that will meet the relics and accompany them on the road, from Tijuana to San Francisco. 


Projected arrival time for the relics at SS Peter & Paul is for between midnight on Saturday and 2:00 am on the following morning. Parish youth are planning to spend the night for the eventuality of a late arrival.

• Saturday, 11 September 2010 – San Francisco: SS Peter & Paul hosts a reception celebration for St John Bosco. This culminates a triduum of parish celebrations that include invitations to religious and parish priests of San Francisco, Marian societies and cultural communities of North Beach. The triduum will feature ecumenical and youth celebrations. Archbishop George Niederauer will profile Don Bosco in celebrations on Thursday, 9 September; other speakers include Russ Gumina and Fr John Itzaina. Today’s celebrations will have a strong youth dimension, leading up to the welcome of the relics at midnight (or at the moment that they will arrive).

• Sunday, 12 September 2010 – San Francisco: SS Peter & Paul hosts veneration of the relics through the night and early morning hours with six honor guards (SFPD, SFFD, Knights of Columbus, Knight of Malta, Knights of the Holy Sepulcher) and the participation of the youth and young adults, Chinese community, Italian community and Marian societies. Regular parish masses all take a theme: Community Service (7:30), Don Bosco, Apostle of the Young (8:45), Don Bosco, Missionary to the World (10:15), Don Bosco, Model of Holiness (12:00). Bishop Ignatius Wang, Auxiliary of San Francisco, will celebrate the 10:15 mass. The evening celebration (5:00 pm), with the theme Don Bosco, Faithful for the Kingdom, will honor Salesians who celebrate Jubilees and Anniversaries during 2010.

• Monday, 13 September 2010 – San Francisco: SS Peter & Paul celebrations for the children of the school, with a festive assembly and mass of Don Bosco and Mary Help of Christians (9:00 am). Send-off of relics from SSPP at 10:30 am, arriving at Corpus Christi at 12:00 noon. Afternoon functions with school children of Corpus Christi. Evening vigil at Corpus Christi with parishioners and Salesian Family, with prayer and celebrative functions. Relics repose at Corpus Christi over night.

• Tuesday, 14 September 2010 – Richmond/Berkeley/Watsonville: Journey from San Francisco to East Bay: depart Corpus Christi at 6:30 am, arrive Richmond Salesian High School at 8:00 am. Student delegations receive the relics at gate and accompany them into Salesian campus as part of Triduum celebration and school picnic. Journey to Berkeley: depart Salesian High at 11:30 am, arrive Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology at 12:15. Journey to Watsonville: depart Berkeley at 2:15 pm, arrive by solemn procession through Watsonville at Our Lady Help of Christians Valley Church towards 5:30 pm.

• Wednesday, 15 September 2010 – Watsonville/Los Angeles: St Francis School, Watsonville (mass and reception for students of St Francis, Salesian Sisters, friends of St Francis); departure (11:30) from Watsonville for Los Angeles (St Mary’s Parish, Boyle Heights); estimated travel time: 7 hours. Evening vigil services with parishioners and Salesian Family and alum at St Mary’s Church.

• Thursday, 16 September 2010 – Los Angeles/Rosemead: St Mary’s Church: following early morning mass, relics are brought to Salesian High School for student rally and prayer service for the students of Salesian High and their feeder school (6:30 am); journey from Boyle Heights to St Brigit’s Chinese: receiving relics and veneration by Chinese community (11:00), with particular participation of the elders of the Chinese Catholic community; journey from Los Angeles to Rosemead: receiving of relics and veneration at Don Bosco Tech (1:00 pm) as part of the student triduum, with student and alum participation; celebrations at Bosco Tech conclude with a procession of the relics, from the school to St Joseph Salesian Center.

• Thursday, 16 September 2010 – St Joseph Salesian Youth Renewal Center: receiving the relics that arrive from Bosco Tech in procession (5:00 pm), veneration with religious and socio-cultural celebrations by a succession of groups. These celebrations include: a children’s program with catechesis, cultural dance, games, exhibits, youth performances, clowns, jugglers, live music (5:45-7:45); Family Rally (8:00); Night Prayer and Good Night (8:30); All Night Vigil (beginning at 9:30 pm) that includes storytelling, labyrinth walk, Taizé Prayer, Rosary, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Film Festival, praise and worship.

• Friday, 17 September 2010 – Rosemead/Bellflower: All night vigil at St Joseph Salesian Center ends with mañanitas and Morning Prayer (6:30), Eucharist (7:00), and a Farewell gesture to Don Bosco with the departure of the Relics for Bellflower (8:00). The journey continues by road from Rosemead to Bellflower. Receiving the relics and veneration at St John Bosco High School (9:30 am) becomes the concluding exercises of a student triduum, with mass, artistic and athletic celebrations. The students of St John Bosco accompany the relics to St Dominic Savio School with a procession along Bellflower Boulevard. The children at St Dominic Savio School receive the relics (1:30 pm) and accompany then into the parish church for veneration. After school, there are parish and Salesian Family observances that will include evening and night vigil services.

• Saturday, 18 September 2010 – Bellflower: St Dominic Savio, Bellflower: religious services, literary-musical events, educational contests and socio-cultural celebrations by a succession of groups: Religious Education, Damas Salesianas, Adma, Alum (Filipino Bosconians; Vietnamese Past Pupils; Ex-alumnas latinoamericanas; Ex-alumnos de Don Bosco; alum of St Dominic Savio; Awakening 68 Don Bosco Makati), ADMA, Don Bosco Volunteers; Young Adult Volunteers; SYLC – Salesian Youth Movement, parishioners, Cooperator Salesians, FMA, SDB. In the evening Liturgy (5:30 pm), the Mass of Perpetual Profession.

• Sunday, 19 September 2010 – departure: travel from Bellflower to Long Beach Airport (LGB) for transport by cargo plane to New Orleans.

Don Bosco’s relics arrive first in San Francisco – the city where Don Bosco’s sons began their first work in the United States in 1897. From San Francisco, the relics will be transported gradually through the state, arriving in Los Angeles County, where the Salesian presence is particularly significant. Local committees will coordinate celebrations.

Central committee: Joseph Lockwood, Elisabeth Gamarra, Duoc Le, Frank Lavin, Marc Rougeau, Joe Boenzi. 

Don Bosco's relics - creating enthusiasm

Flavio Insinna as Don Bosco in 2004 TV series by LuxVide

Elizabeth Gamarra, Cooperator Salesian and member of our central planning committee for Don Bosco's Relics, sent out a note this evening to local site coordinators. It is a very interesting and practical proposal, and I quote Liz verbatim:

I do not know if any of your sites have thought about showing the movie of the life of Don Bosco (maybe to your parishioners if they haven't seen it...maybe to the parents of your students, etc etc.), but thought you may like to see an attractive flyer that Chin / Quejada put together for the Dominic Savio Spanish speaking Cooperators.  You could use it as a sample... 

Always a good idea to provide background info to the communities that may not know much about Don Bosco. They will be more eager to participate in the welcoming of the Relics.

Have a great day,
Liz

Our pilgrimage with Don Bosco is taking shape.

Don Bosco Centre in Silchar - a decade of efforts for the poor.

Now in Silchar, I need to say something about this center.

Anthony Valluran is the founder of this school and center. It is amazing really to see all he has done. I will post some photos and try to describe the work with them. This will make it easier.

In the year 2000 this area was nothing but swamp and field. The Salesians were interested in developing a presence for youth here for several reasons. One is that they had become aware that Silchar and the villages surround it were beginning to grow, thanks to an influx of immigrants from Bangladesh. Secondly, the province of Guwahati had outposts with missions in Misoram state and in Tripura and in the hills of Meghalaya, but these were very distant from one another. Silchar was between them. Having centers there could help the communication and travel between the mission stations and Salesian schools.

For this reason, Anthony Valluran, who had been instrumental in developing the Salesian works in Misoram, was asked to set up some new presence in the area of Silchar.

The work that Anthony developed is quite complex, as I hinted yesterday: a center for training teachers that can also serve as a retreat and conference center; a trade-training center for young men and for young women, specializing in the kinds of trades that are both needed and marketable; a school for local children that begins with elementary and continues into secondary; a boarding or youth hostel for young men (ages 17 to 22); a boarding or youth hostel for young women (ages 18 to 22). Both hostels cater to youth who come to learn trades, or English, or both. There are plans to transform the main building of the center to include accommodations for young teachers in the very near future.

Don Bosco School

Don Bosco School

Don Bosco School (or St John's School) begins with the primary grades and continue until grade 10, which is the last year of mandatory schooling according to Indian law. In the near future the Salesians plan to expand to include grades 11 and 12, which are a pre-university type of structure and, in many places, can stand alone. Years 11 and 12 do not receive the full government funding that years 1-10 do, and until now, very few in the area of Silchar ever dreamt of university education for their children. Don Bosco School is changing all that.

Inner patio of Don Bosco School, where the younger children play; older children play in the field behind the school building.

As soon as years 11-12 are functioning, the school will add a kindergarten and pre-K program. As it is now, the school functions in levels. The primary and elementary grades operate on the ground level; the middle and superior grades operate on the upper levels. A library is being developed that will serve all levels of the school, as well as a computer learning lab for the older children.

Don Bosco Technical Training Centre

Don Bosco Technical Training Centre

Don Bosco Technical Training Centre is more than a trade school: DBTTC includes a youth hostel for boys, shops for carpentry and welding, training in building contracting, language laboratory for English, a kitchen and dining facility for day students and hostel youth. The young men staying there showed us around the facility, beginning with their dormitory, where their bunks are clustered together in an airy upper storey room. They proudly explained their programs and told us of their hopes of future job opportunities, speaking to us in English as best they could. Some have only begun to learn English in the last two months, and we were impressed by their progress.

Don Bosco School and Training Centre seen side by side

There is a long pond between the school and the training center. This is not by design, but because one of the landowners refused to sell the parcel. He is not developing it. Everyone thinks that he sees the opportunity to let his land increase in value to sell it later to the Salesians… Little does he realize what a hand-to-mouth operation Don Bosco really is.

Don Bosco Conference Centre

The main building of the campus is Don Bosco Conference Centre. The Salesians live here in this building, although I am told that this is a temporary arrangement. On the ground floor there are dining rooms and a central kitchen, a library/resource center and a computer lab. Upstairs there is another dining room for the Salesians, a community chapel, a meeting room, laundry and residents for the Salesians. The plan is to amplify this facility so that it can house visiting teachers. The Salesians will be housed in a different structure.

Don Bosco Conference Centre (soon to expand to Teacher Training Centre)

Immediately adjacent to Don Bosco Conference Centre is what is now called the Girls Boarding. This residence can accomodate young women who sleep four or six to a room, and is similar to the boys' boarding across the campus. Since many of the primary teachers are women, the hope is that, as the Conference Centre develops, this facility may serve as housing for women who will frequent the short courses that will be put on offer. For the time being, however, the Girls Boarding welcomes young women (teens and early twenties) who enroll in computer, music and courses in Spoken English.

Don Bosco Girls Boarding, with girls participating in English-language courses this summer. Fr Anthony Valluran poses with the group.

View of the Girls Boarding as seen from the Teacher Training Centre

All in all, Don Bosco Silchar center is both complex and totally amazing.

Traveling eastward

Salesian Provincial Headquarters on Choudhury Road in Kolkata

It is Sunday and my time in Calcutta has come to an end. After joining the provincial community for mass this morning at 7:00 am (evidently sleeping in on a Sunday is not a tradition here), I repacked my things and spent some time visiting with the Salesians of the house.

The Salesian Provincial Headquarters are interesting. Besides a large residence for the Salesians and administrative offices, the compound hosts a huge center with services for Youth Counseling. Immediately adjacent to the Salesian compound is a school run by the Loretto Sisters. This is the group of religious to which Mother Teresa of Calcutta belonged when she first first arrived in India, and it was by working with the girls of this same school that she became aware of the horrendous poverty of the area — the realization that prompted her to leave Loretto and form a new community: the Missionaries of Charity. The Salesians bought the property for their Calcutta provincial center from the Loretto Sisters. In fact, this is the first of the Salesian provinces in India and goes back to 1926 (the same year that the San Francisco province was formed). The Salesian moved their headquarters to the present site in 1973.

I quickly understood that Salesian action in this quarter is extensive, but I did not have much time to explore. After an early lunch, Thomas and his driver took Anthony, George and me to the airport. We had to catch a 1:05 pm flight on Indian Air to Silchar.

The 60-minute flight took us over Bangladesh to land us in India’s northeast region. Anthony explained to me that the name Silchar means "field of rocks" and the city is nestled among the rocky hills in the southern part of the state of Assam. Until recently Silchar was not much more than a village. Recent development is due to the town's central location so that it has become a trading center for agriculture and light industries.

The Salesians have only been in Shilchar a few short years. Anthony Valluran is the founder of the work here. He arrived alone in the year 2000. In 2003 the first phase of the complex opened and two other Salesians moved in with Anthony. In 2005 Don Bosco at Ramnagar became a canonical community, with an elementary school, non-formal trade school, teacher training center and hostels for young women and young men who arrive for professional training and language study.

Extensive ponds and rice paddies: view from the Salesians' dining room at Don Bosco Shilchar

On the drive over from the airport, Bro. Regy Cherukunnel explained to me that the Don Bosco center has really been a boon to the area. In fact, what was only swamp a decade ago is now becoming populated as people establish their homes and shops close to the Salesian complex. What is more, interest in the Catholic faith is growing, thanks to the presence of the Salesians here. There is talk of creating a diocese soon for this region.

Anthony Valluran, famous for planting roses in Berkeley, poses in the flower garden that he planted at the boys hostel at Don Bosco Shilchar.

It got dark fairly soon after we took afternoon tea. I was able to see the boys' hostel and trade school. Anthony promises to show me more tomorrow.

75th and 25th Anniversary

Today is the 75th anniversary of the canonization of St John Bosco. Yes, that's right! 75 years ago today, on Easter Sunday, 1 April 1934, Pope Pius XI ended the Jubilee of the Resurrection with the solemn rite of canonization of St John Bosco. It was the only time in history that a canonization was held on Easter, but then, Pius XI wanted as big a gathering of bishops and dignitaries as possible for the day that he raised his own friend Don Bosco to the honors of the altar.

Don Bosco's beatification, on 2 June 1929, had been the first to take place after the reconciliation between Italy and the Holy See (Lateran Pacts: 11 February 1929). Pope Pius XI (Achille Ratti) was celebrating his golden jubilee of priesthood that year, and opened the celebration on 2 June with the beatification of the man who had saved his own vocation when, as a young priest, he was filled with fervor and doubt. As pope, Pius XI Ratti presented his friend Don Bosco as the icon of the priest who was active in promoting good citizenship, but who remained loyal to the pope and to the church.

The apostle of youth was to become a symbol for a new style of Catholic Action for young and old, for laity and the ordained, and so Pius XI timed his canonization for the conclusion of the special Jubilee Year of the Redemption (from Ash Wednesday 1933 to Easter Sunday 1934). A priest like Don Bosco, who was the father and teacher of young people… who was a son of the common people that rose to leadership in the Church and Society… offered the Church a strong example of the meaning of truth and freedom against the claims of the totalitarian regimes then gaining power. The Jubilee Year, in fact, concluded with Don Bosco's canonization: he was held up as the icon to seminarians and priests, for a new, apostolic style of priesthood.

That was Rome, 1 April 1934. But we are in Berkeley on 1 April 2009. We are not in the public eye, even though life here is not less complicated.

At Don Bosco Hall we proceed one step at a time, but it dawned on me during mass this morning that Autumn 2009 will be the 25th anniversary of the ISS. During breakfast I told Gael and Marc that we need to think about having a celebration. No, I don't mean a party. I mean a relaunch, an outreach, a fundraiser… in short, all those things that are part of such celebrations. And the fact of the matter is that we are expecting some very big changes as John Roche and Gael Sullivan and Marc Rougeau work as the new team and develop new programs, courses, concepts.

Yes, a 25th anniversary will be important.

Retreat day with Don Rua Community at Sacrofano

The new director of Don Rua Community, Fr Jose Chunkapura, invited me to facilitate the trimester retreat for his community today. The retreat day was held at Sacrofano, at the Fraterna Domus. This was my third trip to this center.

Fraterna Casa preserves the natural environment to offer a place for prayer, reflection, study and fellowship as an innovative retreat center

The Fraterna Domus is called a Casa dell’Accoglienza (a hospitality house) rather than a retreat center. In reality, it is like an entire village. As usually happens, we left the UPS at 8.30 and reached Sacrofano by 9.00. The director had asked me to give a conference in the morning on Don Bosco in the Salesian constitutions. I gave this talk in the morning. That was followed by quiet time, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at 11.30, dinner at 13.00, group sharing at 15.00, Mass at 17.00, followed by evening prayer.

Roman woods at Sacrofano

As I just said, I gave the morning talk. I also facilitated the group sharing, and presided and preached at the mass, which was the liturgy of the last Saturday of the liturgical year.

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: Don Rua Community at Prayer

In my talk I centered on Don Bosco’s efforts to give the Salesian Society the constitutions in accordance with the standards and demands of the Church during the years of the founding experience. The fact that he had to revise the constitutions repeatedly became a learning process for him. He began to realize that the norms were important, but that it was crucial to name the spirit that animated his emerging community. This experience was similar to that of all the great founders, and in a particular way, to that of Francis de Sales who gave the first community of the Visitation of Holy Mary not only the constitutions but also the directory.

Village of Sacrofano. In the distance you can see Roma. The minaret of the Great Mosque at Parioli and the cupola of St Peter’s Baslica stand out… okay, you need extremely good eyes!

Don Bosco’s original purposes risked dissolving when the revision of Canon Law in 1917 meant a more juridical interpretation of religious documents such as constitutions and regulations. The call of Vatican II to religious and consecrated persons to “return to the spirit of the founder” offered the Salesians the opportunity to rethink the constitutions. The re-writing of these moved them away from language of dry demands to become an exhortation. In fact, there is more of Don Bosco to be found the constitutions today than in the official text between 1917 and 1971.

Roman pines and park within the grounds of Fraterna Domus

In my mind, these are all known facts. However, the bulk of the Salesian priests on this retreat were born in the 1970s. The only constitutions that they have ever known are those approved in 1984, which are the fruit of the long effort to renew religious life in the spirit of Vatican II. They did not know the history, and they did not know the stories of what Don Bosco went through to found the Salesian Family, and what the Salesians have gone through to faithfully bring the Salesian Family into changed times and new cultural realities.

Fraterna Domus is built as a series of buildings of various sizes, with rooms for hospitality, for group work, for conferences, and for worship. Each has its own character

At this point, I do not yet know how all this was received by the Don Rua community. They seemed happy and were certainly responsive. Yet, since the day was spent in silence, it is hard to tell what they really felt about it. On the other hand, I was happy to have the down time too. It rained off and on most of the day, but I wandered around the grounds of Fraterna Domus, through the woods and around the porticoes. I listened to podcasts from Vatican Radio, and let my imagination flow.

Don Albino Ronco, Paul Rabha (India) and Paolo Liu-Qing-Chun (China) in group sharing

Following the Eucharist we celebrated the Evening Prayer. We could not integrate them into the mass because we did the Saturday liturgy, but with Vespers we move to the opening of the next day… that is Sunday… and the first Sunday of Advent. The prayers were well done; the music helped involved everyone, and we ended the day with the sun down and hearts at peace. The return trip to Rome and the UPS went very well, in spite of the rain.

And at the evening meal with my Gesù Maestro community, I heard thay they enjoyed their retreat day at Salesianum, in via della Pisana. We can now turn our thoughts toward Advent and the Christmas season.

Padre Rafael Montenegro (Venezuela) chats with director Fr Jose Chunkapura (India) over a cup of coffee before leaving Sacrofano after the retreat day.

Oratorian heart of Don Bosco - model and criteria for Salesian apostolate

The theme of the Salesian Family Symposium at Sliema this year is Educating with the heart of Don Bosco. When Paul Formosa invited me to speak at the conference, he spoke about giving the audience some historical perspective on Don Bosco and his preventive system of education with some applications to the contemporary situation of young people, their families and educators.

At first I worried that I would not have anything to say, and that I should turn this down… but I had turned down other invitations to come to Malta in the past couple of years because of the costs of travel or the time ot the year. I did not want to tell the Salesians in Malta again that I was not able to come. So I thought of building my talk around recent teachings of Pascual Chavez as well as delving into the famous Oratory Criteria for Salesian spirit and mission as outlined in the Salesian constitutions.

And what are the Oratory criteria? Briefly we can speak of them with four phrases. The Salesian educative and pastoral environment, intentionally and charismatically, needs to become:

A home that welcomes

A school that educates

A church that evangelizes

An open space where friends can meet and grow together

The «oratory criteria», outlined in chapter 40 of the Salesian constitutions, are perhaps a more complete way that the traditional labels of «preventive system» with «reason, religion and kindness».

In article 40 of the Salesian constitutions we read:

Don Bosco lived a pastoral experience in his first Oratory which serves as a model; it was for the youngsters a home that welcomed, a parish that evangelized, a school that prepared them for life, and a playground where friends could meet and enjoy themselves.

As we carry out our mission today, the Valdocco experience is still the lasting criterion for discernment and renewal in all our activities and works.

These statement — the oratory model — formed the core of my thought in developing the presentation for the Salesian Family in Sliema yesterday.

Photos: 1) Zambia camping trip, 27 August 2006 [Swavek]; 2) Children missionaries to their peers, San Pedro Carchá, Guatemala, 13 September 2004 [ANS]; 3) Salesian Youth Movement prayer experience, Brazil, 7 September 2008 [ANS]; 4) Zambian youth dance by tradition, 9 December 2006 [Swavek].