Some delays but no problem

Today I left Detroit and made my return to the Bay Area -- United Airlines to San Francisco International (SFO), and then the BART to Berkeley. United took me from Detroit to Chicago, but there we were delayed departing from Chicago due to complications in loading cargo on to the jet. We were 50 minutes late arriving at SFO. That did not bother me. I had no deadlines to meet.

As happened to me last week on my return from Dublin, the BART experienced delay due to debris on the tracks somewhere around the Mission district stations. Well, I had a book to read and so got two extra chapters in, thanks to the delays.

The hike up the hill from the BART was interesting: Berkeley is starting to repopulate with summer students. There were guitar players at the BART entrance and in different street corners, and a lot of youthful excitement in the air. I watched and listened as I walked, and I was rather smiling as I made it to the last climb up Leconte Avenue.

Home again… and now I look forward to a July without heavy commitments!

Hmm… well, one can always wish.

Detroit with the Oblates of St Francis de Sales

So I am in Detroit for a few days with the Oblates of Francis de Sales. The purpose of my time here is to help them with the province assembly. This is the Western Province (or the Toledo-Detroit Province). They have men and works across the USA from Niagara Falls to Oakland. The Eastern province, with whom I stayed last year around this time, is mainly centered between Philadelphia, Wilmington Delaware, Childs Maryland, Washington, and the Carolinas.

The Oblates have asked me to present some spiritual reflections on St Francis de Sales, and my first instinct was to give something similar to what I delivered last year. However, I received early instructions to concentrate on themes of priestly vocation. I was also given examples of contemporary USA theologians and pastoralists that the group seems to be using for their pastoral planning.

All this has put me at a bit of a loss as to how to proceed, but last week in a telephone call, Fr John Graden, of DeSales Resources and Ministries, told me that I should just go about delivering what I usually do with the Salesian Family and not worry about the references to contemporary theologians. "Give them a taste of the life and experience of Francis de Sales. We know him as a spiritual director; you Salesians know him as a missionary and pastor. We know the writings," he continued, "but you know the stories. And it is stories that our guys need to hear at about right now."

Well, okay. Let me hope that I can deliver something useful here. It is still an hour before breakfast and I am a bit nervous about what I can present to them, but my script is ready, the materials photocopied, and in less that three hours I'll be in front of the group to launch their province convocation. Wooooo! However did I agree to this?

Dear St Francis de Sales, you will have to make your presence felt through me… okay? Just for these three days. :-)

Anniversary

Arrived in Detroit last night and have been spending much of the day preparing for my presentations to the Oblates of Francis de Sales for their yearly assembly or convocation. The more I prepare this, the less I know what to say… at least for the opening talk. The second and third interventions are all in good shape.

And today is 29 years - my anniversary of ordination. I have not had too much time to think of it since I have been on the road, but I have received a few e-mails of good wishes from friends, principally from classmates of mine of the Crocetta.

The day of ordination was a Saturday, feast of St Joseph Cafasso. My province companions for ordination were Jesús Montes, Michael Gergen and Robert Delis. They had decided the venue (St Bibiana Cathedral in L.A.) and left to me the date, since I had to travel from Torino. I opted for 23rd because it was a Salesian feast (St Joseph Cafasso was Don Bosco's friend and spiritual director)…

My second motive was that ordination on that date would allow me to celebrate my first mass on 24 June, feast of St John the Baptist. John the Baptist is my father's patron saint, as well as the saint celebrated by Torino and Don Bosco with his young people. It also meant the ordination was early enough in the summer so the others could move forward. They had all finished school in April at Berkeley and were surely becoming anxious. I had only finished a week earlier in Torino and, if I can admit it, I was very sad to leave that wonderful place that was the Crocetta, the oratorio there, the city of Don Bosco. Strange as it may seem, when I returned to my native Los Angeles, I was terribly homesick for Torino. But that's the feeling that I had, even through the days of ordination and first mass… and perhaps for the entire year.

But today I am in Detroit: the city where my mother grew up. Nobody here is aware of this anniversary and I am not telling them. It allows me to quietly dwell with it. I reflect and remember all the people that have been important in my life. I recall numerous events. I sit with gratitude for undeserved blessings. This is not the time for parties; it is the time for rememberings.

Swallows sing and dance in flight

The end of the day and I'm sitting at my computer in my "other office", watching the swallows fly their dance in the sunset outside my window. Beyond them are the Sabine mountains… yes, I'm in Rome for a couple of days. I had to receive the examinations of some of my students, including three defenses of theses (licentiates) this afternoon. Now I'm ready to pack it all up and go to sleep.

A certain quiet is descending upon the Eternal City, with the cheerfulness of the dancing swallows who send the sun to set in the distant west after a long day. May we all hear the gentle cooing of the dove in our heart of hearts, and the cheerful shouts of the swallows who build their nests in the joy of God's presence.

Cross country crisis management

The retreat came to a close last evening, and while many left for their homes after the festive supper, others stayed on at Milford until this morning. The Salesian sisters who made the retreat asked if I would visit their community.

Thanks to Sr Anne Collins, I did pay a visit to Caherdavin on Thursday, in fact, although it was a very quick one. I was able to meet Sr Finola, whom I met 11 years ago. Sr Anne told me that Sr Finola had a painting of St Francis de Sales that was absolutely lovely… and so when we got to the house, Sr Anne asked Sr Finola to bring out the painting, and she did. Instead of a painting, it is a charcoal sketch - but beautiful. It is of a smiling Francis de Sales, to be sure.

As I say, the visit was rushed. There was only a short break in the afternoon and I needed to be back at Milford house to prepare the next retreat talk presentation. I was using PowerPoint, and that presentation on was totally new. In short, I did not have the leisure for a long visit. But I did have tea with the sisters of the community, and we chatted for 40 pleasant minutes. I remembered all these women from the retreats that I had preached 11 years ago for the Salesian Sisters. All of these women were active in their communities then; now they are all in the extended care community. Still, they are all alert and doing their part. I was most impressed and very happy to see old friends again.

That was Thursday. Today all my visiting took place among the Salesians, and a good deal of it in transit. Yes, another drive coast to coast, from Milford to Celbridge - well, it is three hours driving time. Pat Egan drove me across the land so that I could get to Dublin airport tomorrow morning for my trip to Italy and the UPS.

More on the UPS later… For now, let me say something about this day in Ireland.

Pat Egan wanted to get an early start, so he asked if I could meet him at 7.30 (half seven). We grabbed a bit of breakfast with Fr Robbie, who is assigned to the Milford house on the parish team. Then we got our start, at about 8.30. This did not sound at all early to my ears, but in fact, the town was still sleeping as we drove out of the parish grounds and made our way to the main road.

It was a great opportunity -- this trip, I mean. I have known Pat Egan since the 1980s, and worked together with him in the early 1990s when he was in charge of social communications at the Salesian headquarters in Rome (via della Pisana) and I was studying at the UPS. Yes, I used to resource and do some translation work both for the dicastery of Youth Pastoral and for Social Communications. Now Pat continues on the path of Social Communications as he edits the Irish Salesian Bulletin, works in the area of web communications and so forth.

Well, the coast-to-coast drive afforded us time to catch up on each other's lives since the mid-1990s. Halfway across we stopped for coffee, and Pat told me how Fr Juan Vecchi had asked him to take up a formation course in Ethiopia around 1999, but that with his heart condition, his doctors had counseled against it. The concern already at that point was that, as the Salesian Society in Africa grows rapidly, there be people who can work with the young people in initial formation to instill a sense of Don Bosco's spirit and tradition. During my last experience in Rome I discovered how much is needed in this sector right now. We have grown in Africa, East-Asian, Eastern Europe, and the Pacific Islands, but it has been difficult to transmit the Salesian spirit in these contexts. Youth work, yes; Francis de Sales and Don Bosco's apostolic spirit? well, that has been very difficult. Many young Salesians in these continents consider Don Bosco a European priest from the remote past with little to do with their own lives.

This has been my experience of the young Salesians from new territories, and Pat Egan has experienced much of the same with young Salesians from Eastern Europe who come to help with the schools apostolate in Ireland during their practical training. We have no solutions to this crisis, but it made for a stimulating conversation during the second half of our journey. Or maybe it was the coffee.

Sparkling children

Today there has been soft sunshine in Limerick and the teachers at the elementary school beside the retreat center where I am staying brought out earth-balls, parachutes, and a number of interesting devices for non-competitive games for the children. It was obviously planned. The children did not wear uniforms and some of the play equipment were the massive, inflatable play corals.

The air was filled with the delighted voices of children, and they sparkled in the sun to enjoy the games in which everyone won and nobody lost.

And we finished the retreat today. I gave two presentations in the morning. The first was on the Salesian motto "Da mihi animas, cetera tolle". The second was on Marian Aspects of Salesians spirituality. The presentations were well received, and the retreat ended with a community Eucharist celebrating the Golden Jubilee of Fr John Fagan, who had served for 38 years as a missionary in the Amazon. John Horan, the provincial, gave the homily at that much participated mass.

After the mass we found out that the votes counted in the referendum yesterday showed that the Lisbon treaty had been defeated. No strong opinions were expressed either way… and anyway, it was time for appetizers and mixing and visiting with each other in a way that never happened during the retreat itself, when all were a little restrained. The dining room was set with colorful tablecloths and everything was inviting and sparkling (hmm: I've used this word already about this day).

At 17.00 there was the final meal, formal and festive. Hugh O'Donnell, who sang one of his own compositions at the mass, spoke on behalf of all to re-echo some of the themes of the retreat. And to John Horan's good wishes to me, I responded. I took advantage of the theme of Jubilee to congratulate the four participants celebrating jubilees, and reminding all of the Catholic practice that this is not an anniversary but a year of grace… and all of us are part of this jubilee grace since we have been touched by these four Salesians in their own jubilee year. I said this to encourage a sense of connectedness, for we have become too used to letting important traditions pass us by. We live in a state of forgetfulness.

But if we were going back to Don Bosco, and back to our sources, then we need to live in the perspective of grace alive and transforming.

Ah well, it was something I felt that I needed to share with them as my farewell to the retreat and to the group. And as I concluded, it seemed to me that the whole group was sparkling! Just as much as the children I saw this morning dancing in the sun and sparking in joy. Francis de Sales tells us that our openness to God allows us to bask in God's mighty sunlight, so why not? Of course we should all be sparking!

Lisbon treaty and Limerick retreat

A number of Salesians from Dublin left yesterday afternoon (after my evening talk was anticipated somewhat) to drive back across Ireland so that they could vote first thing in the morning. The polls opened at 7.00 am - and by 10.30, they were entering the chapel for my first morning talk today. Yes, coast to coast in 3 hours! But then, Ireland also wakes late, so they got a good head start on traffic.

The Lisbon Treaty -- this is what it is all about. This treaty is supposed to replace the rejected European constitution, but all other of the 27 countries in the European Union are deciding through their legislatures. Ireland's constitution calls for the ratification of treaties through a referendum. Yes means acceptance of the treaty/constitution, No means rejection. I've heard arguments for and against and it seemed to me that the people are rather hotly divided… but perhaps that is only the Salesians who are divided. The last news I heard tonight after the polls closed is that the voter turn-out had been low in the morning but picked up in the evening after people returned from work. In fact, after supper I stood in front of the Salesian house with Mariusz, and we greeted over 100 people on their way to and from the urns in the Milford School which borders the parish.

A strong Europe! or a strong Ireland? That is how the elections posters are phrasing it. Some are worried that a strong EU would mean that Ireland would be forced to abdicate its own hard-fought liberties as a democracy? Some worry that after years of domination by Britain, Ireland would now let itself be dominated by Europe. Others instead say that it is not the same: this is not about domination but about participation.

In terms of religious heritage: some worry that Ireland would have to let go of its own values as a Christian society, since the last constitution attempt neglected to mention 2000 years of Christianity in its listing of European heritage. But that constitution never made it for economic reasons rather than religious reasons. Still, what does it mean to endorse separation of Church and State. Does it mean ignoring Church? Does post-modern necessarily mean post-christian?

In terms of economy and living conditions, can Ireland survive if it is detached from Europe? Can anyone in Europe afford not to think as a continent?

These are the questions many ask, at least in Ireland in these days. Then again, many do not ask this at all. They just get on with it.

And we just got on with the retreat. It helps to have a non-European doing the preaching at a time like this, I suppose.

Father of Europe

Monday we celebrated St Columban here at Milford… and really, I have never known too much about him. Until now, I had only heard the general drift of how Columban had suffered for the faith, and how he had gone on to found a monastery at Iona and worked to evangelize Europe. Very nice. But to hear the Irish themselves talk of Columban: Wooooh! Controversies, religious wars, bloodshed and thousands of deaths. Columban is pictured by them as less zealous and more rash in his youth. His evangelizing mission seems more the result of a deep conversion of heart and a response born of repentance and compassion. The stories were fascinating -- a surprising, swash-buckling saga even! I never expected to hear what I was hearing.

And I heard two sermons and three dinner conversations about St Columban that day and the next… But as it often happens, once you have become aware of someone, you begin to hear of him all the time. In today's general audience, Pope Benedict centered his talk on the figure of Columba. He had this to say:

St Columban's message is concentrated in a firm appeal to conversion and detachment from earthly goods, with a view to the eternal inheritance. With his ascetic life and conduct free from compromises when he faced the corruption of the powerful, he is reminiscent of the severe figure of St John the Baptist. His austerity, however, was never an end in itself but merely the means with which to open himself freely to God's love and to correspond with his whole being to the gifts received from him, thereby restoring in himself the image of God, while at the same time cultivating the earth and renewing human society. I quote from his Instructiones: "If man makes a correct use of those faculties that God has conceded to his soul, he will be likened to God. Let us remember that we must restore to him all those gifts which he deposited in us when we were in our original condition. "He has taught us the way with his Commandments. The first of them tells us to love the Lord with all our heart, because he loved us first, from the beginning of time, even before we came into the light of this world" (cf. Instructiones XI).

The Irish Saint truly incarnated these words in his own life. A man of great culture - he also wrote poetry in Latin and a grammar book - he proved rich in gifts of grace. He was a tireless builder of monasteries as well as an intransigent penitential preacher who spent every ounce of his energy on nurturing the Christian roots of Europe which was coming into existence. With his spiritual energy, with his faith, with his love for God and neighbour, he truly became one of the Fathers of Europe. He shows us even today the roots from which our Europe can be reborn.

Europe. Of course, Pope Benedict spends a lot of time speaking about Europe, inviting leaders and peoples not to turn their back on their Christian heritage. Does post-modern necessarily mean "post-christian"?

It was an interesting general audience from what I have seen on the internet at the Vatican website. More on this later. It is getting late.

Salesians gathered for retreat week

These thought come from Milford, on the outskirts of Limerick on the west of Ireland. Last night I began facilitating a retreat for Salesian men and women from across Ireland… My access to the internet these days is spotty and my timetable is rather full… but yes, we can get things started, even if we do so slowly.

The retreat starts on the feast of St Columba, who is one of the patrons of Ireland. I heard two homilies on the saint today, and some of the stories were quite surprising to me. I'll repeat them later.

As for the retreat itself, there are about 25 Salesian men and women here for the experience. Some who are listed did not come and some arrived who are not listed, so I not sure of the exact number. They are a happy and cordial group, and include some who have made the ISS in Berkeley in years past: Hugh O'Donnell (1987-1988), Val Collier (1991) and Anne Collins (2006-2007). There are a few younger Salesians who are working in the province temporarily: Mariuz from Poland and Bernhard from Austria.

My input today included some scriptural considerations on Faith in the morning, and a presentation on foundational concepts of Salesian spirituality from Francis de Sales and Don Bosco in the evening. They seem to have been appreciated.

However, what is more interesting to me is what I am hearing from this group than what I may be giving to them. The big concern in Catholic Ireland at the moment is the dramatic shift in culture. No one here wants to turn back the clock, but they do want to find ways to be of service to young people and the marginalized in the actual socio-cultural circumstances in which they find themselves. Hopefully I will learn more in the coming days.

I'm posting this at 13.14 - but add 8 hours to bring this to the Irish timezone: it is 21.14.

Overland journey

With Paddy Hennesey, I traveled to Milford at Castletroy to begin the summer retreat with the Salesians of the Irish province. Our trip was very enjoyable and chatty. Paddy is one of the youngest in the province and vice-provincial. He was appointed to this after the sudden death of Joe Lucey (who is intensely missed by all the Salesians, from what I can understand). Paddy has his hands full as he continues his ministry in the school and his directorship of the community even as he carries out the ministry of the provincial vicar. This become even more intense when the provincial John Horan is away (as happens during these days). Still, Paddy is philosophical about it all and has many hopes and dreams to match his enthusiasm.

The retreat started tonight, very simply: evening meal, prayer, opening talk that was more as a summary in the style of "comming attractions" than a conference.

Martin Loftus is coordinating the retreat together with Kathleen Ahern, who runs the student house at Milford. There are 26 Salesians and 3 Salesian Sisters making the spiritual exercises. I'll offer the conferences and reflections; Martin and others will handle the prayer sessions and liturgies. Among the sisters is Anne Collins, who spent a year (2006-2007) with us in Berkeley.

There is no stress whatever in all this. Everyone seems very glad to see each other and to help out as the week will unfold. It is a happy way to enter into retreat.

Brú na Bóinne and Chinese food

The morning was so quiet at Celbridge and I had some time to look over my materials for the retreat to begin on Sunday night. After a deli lunch with the Salesians at the house, I was treated to a cultural heritage tour by Padraig.

Padraig drove me out to Brú na Boinne (or Bhrú na Bóinne) at about 40 minutes out. This is an ancient burial mound that was only discovered in the 1960s. Archeologists uncovered the amazing effects of how the burial ground is lit up once a year, on the day of the winter solstice… as the tunnel to the center of the burial ground is aligned perfectly so that the sun on that day illuminates the chamber. I had heard of this before and was glad to have a look for myself. The Visitor Centre is outstanding.

On the return to Celbridge we visited the Salesians at Warrenstown, where for years there had been two schools: one agricultural, the other horticultural. Now the land has just been sold from the agricultural school, and only the horticultural school will continue. Long story, really. However, the overriding question is how to serve the needs of the new Ireland with laity inspired by the Salesian charism? I'm sure I'll hear more during the week, since the Salesians from Warrenstown will join us on the retreat.

Dinner with Padraig and Paddy at Maynooth, in a fashionable Chinese restaurant. The conversation continued about the need to address contemporary needs in postmodern, postclerical Ireland… Oh, and the squid was excellent.

Celbridge

Arrived in Dublin yesterday afternoon. The trip from San Francisco was filled with delays; both flights had late take-offs, the first due to maintenance issues on the 747 itself, and the second because of a breakdown in the radar system at Dublin, which meant that flights were delayed taking off. However, it was not an unpleasant journey, all things considered.

Bro. Padraig McDonald, chaplain at the Salesian school in Celbridge, met me as I came out of immigration and customs, and brought me to the Salesian community. After a shave and a bit of a cleanup, I joined the community for dinner at 18.00, and then for evening prayer.

Members of the community include Pat Egan, whom I have known for many years since the days when I used to help those in the office of social communications in Rome (early 1990s) and who edits the Irish Salesian Bulletin. Padraig McDonald had joined us last year for the Da mihi animas seminar at Berkeley, and he is school chaplain. The rector Paddy Hennessy lectures in religious education at Maynooth and who is now vice-provincial since the death of Joe Lucey earlier this year. But not everyone is called Patrick in this house. There are Michael Brown, chaplain in a local hospital, Dan Carroll, celebrating his silver jubilee of ordination and teacher at Salesian College, PJ Nyland also teaches at Salesian College (although he may well be a Patrick Joseph, now that I think of it) … and two polish clerics, Szymon and Dominik, who have spent one year here for some experience in teaching; they return to Poland next week.

By 20.00 I was in bed … and woke up today at 12.30… Wow, a 16 hour sleep!

So just catching up in this afternoon, getting some things ready for the retreat that I'll facilitate with the Salesians in Milford come Sunday evening.

Meeting deadlines

The last couple of days I have been striving to clear up my backlog of e-mails, correction of papers, and cleaning of my office and room… On Wednesday I will go to Europe for two weeks, 10 days in Ireland and 3 in Rome. The Irish portion is for the facilitation of a retreat for the Salesians, and the Roman portion for three Licentiate exams. I thought there were only two, but now I found that I am third reader in another discussion.

Well, I'm both happy to get back to Europe but not so happy to be traveling right now. The academic year has been more full than I would have imagined 9 months ago when I agreed to go to Ireland… Still, it will be great to see some old friends that I have among the Salesians there.

The last time I visited Ireland was in 1997, to facilitate the retreats of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. We were in the first year of the triduum for the Great Jubilee, and I used the themes of Faith and Salesian renewal for that experience. Actually, I facilitated two retreats that year in Ireland: in Cahracon and in Maynooth. I also facilitated the province Easter retreat at San Juan Bautista, two retreats for the FMA in Corralitos and San Antonio, and two retreats for the SDBs of the eastern province, in Florida and in New England. It was a full summer that 1997, but things have become deeper for me since then, and more intense in terms of content and preparation… So we'll see how all this goes…

The Salesian world has changed significantly since 1997… It had hard for me to tell since I had been working at Berkeley all these years. Not until I went to Rome in 2005-2006 did I see the new face of the congregation. Even then, however, I was seeing a more vintage part of the community: students for the licentiate from all over the world, but who had at least 12 years of membership in the Salesians. During the past winter term in Rome I taught first-level students for the first time at the UPS. It was my contact with them that helped me to understand how different the congregation has become. These are all young people with about 5 or 6 years of profession by the time they start theology. They come from countries where the Salesian presence only began in the 1980s… For them Don Bosco is a figure of European history rather than a vital presence.

So now I go to Ireland, where the youngest Salesian is 43 years old. How do we talk of new challenges? It will be interesting I think.

But for now, I need to clean my room a little more.

Visitation of Holy Mary

Today is the feast of the Visitation of Holy Mary, and the final day for the community at Don Bosco Hall this year.

It is also the ordination day for four young Dominican friars of the Western province, two of whom have been my students. Dismas Sayre and Dominic DeMaio have been my students; the other two I know as well: James Moor and Augustine Hilander. They were ordained at St Dominic Church on Bush Street in the City by the bishop of Oakland, Allen Vigneron. Thien Nguyen attended the ordination and represented our community at the mass.

Since the Dominicans spend between 6 and 8 years at DSPT, and since now I am teaching core subjects in theology each semester, I am getting to know more and more of them. Dominic I have known for a few years, because I had dealings with him as he planned his pastoral formation itinerary. Last Fall he enrolled in my Church History course. He did a brilliant job of it, really. His pastoral sense has increased after spending one year in Mexico. Besides learning Spanish, he began to see other aspects of Church, or culture, of justice issues. His growth has been something wonderful to see.

Dismas too I have seen over the years, as he has taken several courses from me. While Dominic was born in an Italian-Catholic (Brooklyn) family, Dismas was not raised Catholic. He discovered Catholicism while a University student. He participated in some religious activities then and then went through the RCIA process. He knows the Church from his own experience and doctrinally, but he is not familiar with all the customs and the unspoken aspects of the Catholic culture. His time at DSPT has opened some of these aspects to him. He has had to decide what he would embrace and what he would let slide. Again, the process has been both interesting and growthful for me to witness.

James Junipero Moore is from California's central valley. His mother's family is Portuguese, and his parents grew up in Artesia. He has an aunt at Dominic Savio Parish, and his grandfather is a past pupil of the Salesians in Portugal. He tells me that his grandfather and the whole family have been staunchly anticlerical and that they did not approve of his entering the Dominicans. On the other hand, they love Don Bosco and the Salesians. I have met his mother, an educator, and have had a wonderful conversation with her about learning skills, adolescents, and all that school talk. She also told me that the family loves the Salesians, and that they were happy to hear that the Dominicans in Berkeley have made opportunities for us to participate in GTU. Sadly, James and his father were in a car accident last summer; his father died, but James walked away. It was a terrible shock to him, naturally. The support of the Dominicans and of the school community was a great consolation to him.

Augustine Hilander is a philosophy student, and quite brilliant. I have never taught him, but we have had numerous conversations over the years. He seems to be one of those who will go on for higher studies to teach at the university or graduate level… perhaps even at DSPT.

So, on this their ordination day, I have sentiments of joy and wishes for many blessings for these young Dominicans -- for their province, their order and for their families too.

The student members of our community are preparing to leave for their holidays or for the return to their provinces. Things will become busy for the summer seminars very soon. So we prepare for a change of occupation.

Feast of Mary Help of Christians

24 May is always the big day for Salesians: feast of Mary under the title of Auxilium Christianorum. Popularly in Italian the name is Maria Ausiliatrice (Mary the Helper), but in English we have used the formal translation of the Latin: Mary, Help of Christians.

The feast was rather low-key at Don Bosco Hall this year. We had the mass at 8:00 followed by a festive breakfast (it was a little too early for brunch, after all). I was asked to preside at the liturgy, and Fr Arthur Lenti presided at the cooking of the breakfast.

As it happened, I presided at the mass on 15 May, first day of the novena of Mary Help. There has been a special intention for this feast set by the rector major, Pascual Chávez: the Church in China. Throughout the nine days of preparation for the feast, every Salesian community and gathering prayed for the people of this great country. In the rector major's words, we were to be like the apostolic community, gathered around the Mother of Jesus in prayer. "That is how I like the think of the Salesian Family," he said, "made up of apostles gathered around Mary, skilled in the Spirit, who teaches us how to wait for Him, welcome Him, and allow ourselves to be guided by Him."

Each day we had a particular group to remember and for whom to pray, and today it all came together in an entrustment of ourselves to the Virgin in praying for the Chinese. Using the prayer composed by Fr Chávez, we called on God through Mary to "fill all [the Chinese people and ourselves] with the desire to know the Father’s loving plan, the courage to accept Christ’s Gospel, the willingness to grow in the Holy Spirit."

For the rest, the Eucharist was simple. We sang a few more of hymns as well as the parts of the mass. At the end there was a solemn blessing.

Certainly, the breakfast will have been more memorable. It was a little too early for brunch, so Arthur prepared a champagne breakfast, with mimosa, French-roast coffee, six styles of eggs (quiche Lorraine, seafood quiche, omelette, fried, poached in a tomato sauce) and all manner of auxiliary dishes (bacon, salmon, muffins and scones). We spent a long time at table, visiting with one another, hearing plans for the coming months, and beginning to say our goodbyes.

And now?

The community will begin to disperse. Most of the work of the semester is complete, except for a few final papers and the registering of grades. Will there be a farewell party? Or did yesterday's celebration serve that function? It is hard to tell really.

Graduations and conclusions

The school year has come to a flying halt, with today the last day of the Spring 2008 semester at GTU, and graduation at DSPT. The mass was held at St Mary Magdalene's parish, which is about 6 blocks from the school, and a 25 minute walk from Don Bosco Hall. Instead, the graduation was held at the school itself, staged in the main lobby.

Besides the graduation of the students, Fr Michael Sweeney, president of DSPT, installed four Fellows to the school, conferring on each a Doctorate Honoris Causa. The four are Richard P. Gallagher (MD, Canadian, who has made important breakthroughs in cancer treatment), Peer M. Portner (cardiac surgeon and artificial heart pioneer), Prof. Velma B. Richmond (professor emerita of literature at Holy Names University, Oakland, and well-known for her studies on Shakespeare) and Dana Gioia (Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts). All four are goggleable; Dana Gioia (pictured here) gave the commencement address: Truth and Beauty.

Graduate Lawrence J. King delivered the student address: Amateur Teaching as a Profession.

Two from our community received the certification in theology: Fr Jorge Santiago and Bro Joselito de la Cruz. Afterwards we were joined at Don Bosco Hall by Salesians from San Francisco and Richmond, and the family members of Bro Joselito, for a farewell dinner that doubled as a birthday party. A quiet but happy conclusion to the academic year.

Opportunities for Salesian studies at Berkeley

With Gael Sullivan, Michael Sweeney and Al Vu, I met with the provincial council during their meetings at Richmond. Gael and Michael wanted to present some ideas to enhance the relationship between the ISS and DSPT, in line also with the expansion of programs that may well connect us with the Angelicum and the UPS in Rome. Key to this is the proposal for an aggregation of DSPT with UPS at the level of schools (faculties) of theology. This would not only mean that our degree programs would be recognized: they could actually integrate.

For the ISS/DSPT, students could frequent courses in Rome or Berkeley and these could work toward degrees in either faculty. The same would apply to UPS students.

Added, we could contemplate an exchange of professors for specific courses to be held during specific times. Thus, besides myself, other professors might be able to offer courses in both faculties. Much of this could take place during January or Summer Sessions; eventually, this could take place also through online courses and distance learning.

In the last month the Team at ISS, together with Michael Sweeney, has also gone through the courses of the the Department of Youth Pastoral of the UPS to ascertain what the requirements are for degrees in Youth Pastoral/Catechetics. We saw that many of the courses on offer there have similar courses on offer at DSPT and GTU. What needs to be added is the youth pastoral courses, which we believe that we can must Salesians to offer, either during the regular scholl year, or during the down season as a summer intensive.

We are at the preliminary stages of discussion, but Fr Michael Sweeney is very interested in launching a collaborative effort to bring a moral pastoral element into the school. We at the ISS are interested because this may make our own Salesian offerings more viable for the Salesian family members who may attend ISS, and who could use the experience as a way of launching graduate studies and ministry formation in the pastoral area so close to every Salesian's heart. The UPS shows itself to be interested, at least among the members of the Institute of Spiritual Theology and on the council of the Theology faculty. Preliminary stages, but in an area that offers great promise.

The provincial council listened to the presentation, took the materials, asked clarifying questions, and showed themselves favorable to the project.

Now for the next step.

Dedicated students

My last class was today. The evaluations for the courses have already been consigned to the dean's office, and I attempted (without much luck) to clean up all my working space.

The semester proved very full for me as well, with two lecture courses and one special reading course at DSPT to expedite. But it was fun, I must say. The students in each of my classes were dedicated and enthusiastic: this made it an easy semester for me. So, why am I exhausted?

Bookshelves and vote of confidence

The afternoon of Trinity Sunday!

Bro. Michael Touchstone spent the day here at Don Bosco Hall because he goes through the accounts… He is enjoying the low-key but cordial sense in the community.

What kind of good news can I tell you? Alphonse Vu, youth ministry delegate for the California province, returned on Friday from Brazil. He arrived here yesterday for a series of meetings that take place early in the next week. He is very excited by the experience of a world meeting, and begins to see how there are new and different ways of doing Salesian work. May his enthusiasm become contagious.

Gael Sullivan received a donation for upgrading elements of the house. The top floor in the Leconte building has been recarpeted, and new tables and chairs have been purchased. Yesterday, a whole crew of people worked in Arthur Lenti's bedroom, installing new and more robust bookshelves. What Arthur has had to date were inexpensive shelves, but they were bowing under the weight of his many large tomes. Not only was there limited space for his collection, but there have been safety issues as well.

The new shelves arrived on Friday morning morning. No sooner had Gael Sullivan signed for them with the shippers than John Roche and Lito de la Cruz and his cousin mounted the stairs to Arthur's room to begin the transformation. The three ripped out the old shelves, cleared the built-in cabinets in the kitchen, cleared, mounted, installed, safety-bolted, and re-stocked the new shelves in Arthur's room. They worked late into the night on Friday and all of Saturday as well…

And now?

The room is now furnished well. He has room to work and he can access all his books. It is quite lovely really, and a vote of appreciation for the man who continues to do so much for Salesian scholarship.

Cathedral tour in Oakland

Saturday of the 7th week of Easter. Tomorrow is Pentecost. I can say all things are going well for the small Salesian community of Don Bosco Hall in Berkeley, but them I am fairly dazed most of the time these days, so what do I know?

Today the chancellor of the diocese of Oakland is taking all the ISS people and most of the community around to see Oakland's new Christ Our Light Cathedral under construction. That is a fairly positive gesture on the part of the diocese. Salesians in California are going through some tribulation in other parts of the state at the moment. This too will pass.

But on to the cathedral project: this is the first cathedral to be built in the 21st century, according to local claims. Some other cathedrals in the USA, notably Los Angeles' Queen of Angels cathedral, were completed after the year 2000 but begun earlier… and I am not confident that no other cathedral has been built anywhere in the world. I'm sure wikipedia could tell us. Still, I'll let Oakland bask in the achievement.

The previous cathedral, St Francis de Sales, crumbled in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, and the diocese as been without a center for 19 years now. The project met numerous setbacks, and the first approved design had to be discarded when the arrangements for land use could not accommodate it. The diocese turned to a local architect, Craig W. Hartman, and ground-breaking took place on 25 May 2005 (I did not attend as I was in Rome at that moment).

There have been a lot of negative comments about the design and the cost, but then I remember that there were a lot of negative comments about the design and cost of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, and St Mary's in San Francisco. Come to think of it, Martin Luther complained about the cost of St Peter's when it was under construction (or was he just complaining about the capital campaign? or maybe just about the Dominicans? I forget which!). Yes, the cathedral is not gothic (which is newly fashionable in the last decades, at least in youth fashion) or romanesque. It is post-modern. And if it looks like an airport terminal, that is because Hartman's last project was the new international terminal at San Francisco International Airport. My feeling is that a cathedral built at the start of the 3rd millennium responds to the needs and the culture of the people of this time. Yes, I love St Peter's, but since no one in Oakland knows how to make gelato correctly according to the Roman norm, why should I wait for them to make a cathedral according to the European norm?

The new cathedral is long overdue. Construction, I am told, is ahead of schedule, and Bishop Allen Vigneron is slated to dedicate the new church on 25 September 2008. This new cathedral center will do much to help the local church to focus its energies and hone its ministries. Well done, Oakland!

When plans were discussed, all the priests working in the diocese were consulted, and that is when I heard that St Francis de Sales was being dumped as patron. The reason was that the liturgy committee of the diocese wanted to avoid sexist and non-inclusive names for churches. I thought then (and think now) that line of logic is absurd. How many churches are called St Mary's? Does that offend? Does it offend parishioners at St Francis of Assisi parish that the patron was a man? But I knew all the people on the committee, and they all tended toward creating uproars. I wrote a formal letter to the bishop and the committee at the time in favor of keeping St Francis de Sales as patron… I never received a reply. Did I expect one?

Aside for this element, I remain happy for the local church. I am sure our Salesian crowd, touring around in hard-hats at this very moment, will enjoy this visit.

Oh? Why didn't I go too?

Well somebody has to blog!