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.

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.

Tresphord defends his MA thesis

Today Tresphord Chisanga successfully defended his thesis. He wrote on Pope John Paul II, World Youth Day, and the effect of this movement on the youth of Zambia. He did a masterful job. Now all that his left for him to do is complete his courses, and his graduation is a shoe in at DSPT.

Fr Tresphord Chisanga, Salesian of the Zambia Province

On Tresphord's thesis committee were Sr Marianne Farina, Fr John Roche as readers, and myself as coordinator. I might add that he passed with honors.

Tresphord's stay at Don Bosco Hall has been a good one for all of us. He gently reminds us always of the African perspective in all that we undertake. Hopefully his last two months with us will be useful and enjoyable for him as well.

Symposium on the Filotea

This morning at the UPS we celebrated the 400th Anniversary of the publishing of the Introduction to the Devout Life by St Francis de Sales (summer 1609) with a symposium.

Speakers at today's seminar: Eunan McDonnell, Valentín Viguera, Anne-Marie Baud, Joseph Boenzi, Eugenio Albuquerque, Moran Wirth, Aldo Giraudo

 It is almost two years ago that Aldo Giraudo and I began to speak of this and to plan for it. Originally my suggestion was for a scholars seminar, similar to what takes place in Stella Niagara every second year. Aldo and I contacted Salesians who study Francis de Sales and invited them to take part. We got a good response.

When the word reached the Formation Department at the Salesian General Headquarters, the formation councilor, don Francesco Cereda, invited all the formation houses of the Salesian family in Rome to attend. Thus, instead of a three day scholars' seminar, we were slated to give a one-day formation workshop with the scholars making their contributions.

And then… to complicate things a bit, the outgoing rector of the Salesian Pontifical University, don Mario Toso, was appointed secretary of the Vatican Commission on Justice and Peace, and named Archbishop. This afternoon is his ordination at St Peter's. This meant that we had to cut the seminar down to the morning.

Eight interventions in four hours? We did it, with over 300 people in attendance. It was all received very well, but of course we are all reeling from the intensity of it. At this point, most are hurrying off to St Peter's for an episcopal ordination. Aldo and I have just caucused to discuss publishing the Acts of this seminar… but we also intend just to bring some of the speakers into Rome this evening for a little tourist relaxation and a thank you supper in the old city.

Since it is all about the Introduction to the Devout Life, we will have to order something that is made with honey.

Duty to pray for the dead - visit to Genzano

Even though I have four courses to teach this semester, and these take a lion's share of my time, I've decided that I'm going to do what I can and then relax. Today I went with a group of professors to visit the "holy ground" (campo santo - cemetery) in the hill town of Genzano outside Rome. Over 30 deceased members from our university community are buried. My schoolmate from theology, Mario Toso, recently named archbishop for the Pontifical Commission of Peace and Justice, presided at the Eucharist and gave the homily (Italian cemeteries usually have a chapel on the grounds, and it is very common that people gather there for masses on the anniversary of the death of their loved ones, and in particular during the month of November). The liturgy was simple and heartfelt and quite moving really.

Following the mass, we went to the actual mausoleum where the Salesians are buried. There we were led in a prayer for our brothers and a blessing of their resting place. We then spent some time visiting tombs of some of the family members of Salesians. A group of townspeople joined us, as with 40 priests in albs and purple stoles, we could not be missed.

From the campo santo, we went down the road and into the heart of the town where we stopped on via Fratelli Cervi 33, at Ristorante Pizzeria Bernoni, owned by a Salesian past pupil from Genzano. There we gathered for a meal together and to enjoy the company of one another. The organizers of the day called this a merenda (a light snack), but it had all the makings of a dinner of appetizers, with prosciutto, salami, roasted zucchini and egg plant, mortadella, chestnuts (traditional for All Souls Day and commemorations in November) and two incredible wines from the Roman hills.

Professors and University Staff enjoy All Souls Day Merenda

Another banquet feature were the words of welcome at the beginning from the organizers and the restaurant owner, who told of his boyhood days with the Salesians in Genzano and how he and his school mates used to celebrate All Souls Day with a hike to the cemetery and a meal of cold cuts and chestnuts. At the end there were words of thanks by the provinical superior and the applause of allthe participants. In fact, we were gathered from five different communities of professors and student-priests and normally we do not have a lot of community time together. So this was a great moment of fellowship.

Rains begin on All Souls Day

They told me that there was rain before my arrival last week, but since I set foot in Rome, the skies have been a limpid blue, the air very fresh and at times icy, the sun bright. Today, however, there was a big change in the weather. The skies remained dark all morning, and by early afternoon we were treated to a storm. The rain continued to pour for the rest of the day, until well after nightfall.

This is All Souls Day. The day is observed with great seriousness each year, and at the University all the communities came together to pray for the dead in the evening at 19.15.

The prayer service consisted in a reading from Sacred Scripture and from the Constitutions of the Salesian Society, followed by a decade of the rosary with the Glorious Mysteries. A powerpoint gave the words for a hymn, and then with each Ave Maria, there was a slide with a photograph of a Salesian of the university who had died, beginning with don Ugo Gallizia, who died on 5 September 1963 while preparing to defend his doctoral thesis. He was to head up the Latin School at the UPS, but died before the university buildings were completed. After don Ugo, the names were presented one at a time, moving forward in time. This was repeated for each decade: Scripture, Constitutions, Hymn, decade of the rosary with the photographs of the deceased.

The first one that I knew was Signor Francesco Milani (†10 September 1991). His name came with the second Ave of the third decade. The Salesian from the first Ave of that decade — Bernardus Van Hagens — died on 25 September 1990 and was buried the day that I arrived as a graduate student in Rome, 27 September 1990.

When I was young, these All Souls Day prayer services, even back in my parish at Savio in Bellflower, were poignant, but more a curiousity for me. Now that I know 34 Salesians of this university who have died and whose photos I saw presented as we prayed… well, it takes on a more personal tone. And of course I thought of the Salesians of my own province, all of whom I know either from personal contact since I was 4 years old, or from the stories told to me by my teachers and pastors during my boyhood years. I pictured them as well as my deceased family members and friends in my mind as the university community prayed and sang tonight.

Sigh. But if we have all of November to remember those who have died, tonight's service was a beatiful motivator to do just that.

Don Bosco coming to California in 2010

The committee for the pilgrimage of Don Bosco's relics to California is now up and running… well, maybe not running. Today I met with Frank Lavin and Al Baccari at Capurro's Restaurant at Fisherman's Warf. It was a dinner meeting, and quite productive. We have now a general outline of what can take place in California. We need a similar committee in Los Angeles, and we will get one going.

Details of what arrival and departure dates are about all we have at this point. The relics will be delivered to us on Saturday, 11 September 2010; we must make sure that they are delivered to the New Rochelle province on Sunday, 19 September 2010. At this point there would be a lot to say, but I just put down in point-form what we discussed today at noon.

A view of the kitchen of the Bosco family home at the Becchi (Castelnuovo Don Bosco) dressed up as it would have appeared during Don Bosco's boyhood (Photo by Teresio Chiesa, Elledici, Leumann-Torino)

Goals:

1. Evangelization, Catholic faith: gospel, family, justice, especially for God’s “little people.”
2. Acquaint all Christians with Don Bosco
3. Celebrate the last 150 yrs.; look towards the next 150 yrs.
4. Vocations

• extend an invitation to all SF Arch pastors
• invite religious congregations
• invite other Christians, and non-Christians
• invite local civic officials
• promote education
• story-telling- the Salesian story
• build a festival around it
• SSPP ground zero
• vocations
• selling Catholicism
• sports, arts, academia, history to be celebrated
• Kevin Starr
• demonstrate the Salesian movement within the church, especially as it applies towards families and young people
• we need an extraordinary writing team
• educators
• Salesian speakers
• civilian (laity) committee as well as Salesian religious committee needs to be formed
• same structure for LA
• make it a civic event
• relic as a rallying point
• answer- “How did he become a saint,” What was his relationship w/the Lord nad how did it get manifested in his life?”
• evangelization and education
• university radio: life of DB; Arthur Lenti interview
• Catholic SF paper, Italian Hour Radio and secular press
• what is a relic and why do we venerate it?
• church bulletins- DB Story as a Man of Action
• adoration before arrival; tied to the Eucharist.
• Blessed Mother sodalities- rosaries prayed
• Joe Lockwood, SDB, will be LA point man

Guwahati

Arrived in Guwahati today with the provincial Fr Joe Almeida and the provincial secretary and the director of the new Don Bosco University. The trip took four hours from Shillong.

Guwahati is very different from Shillong. I am told it is an ancient city and the gateway to Northeast India, but its downtown has a contemporary business feel. The racial makeup is decidedly more mixed than Shillong, with more people from south India and Bangladesh than what I saw in Shillong. Then again, Guwahati has a population of 1.5 million and hosts the capital of the newer state of Assam, which is more industrialized than the state of Meghalaya.

It is also much warmer and more humid.

I visited three Salesian centers today in addition to the provincial house: the Tepesia Tea Gardens that are the site of the new Don Bosco University at Guwahati; Snehalaya (a recovering project and home for street children) with the founder and director Fr Lukose Cheruvalei; Don Bosco Institute, on the banks of the mighty and majesty Brahmaputra River where I met the director Fr V. M. Thomas and my own community companion from Don Rua Rome 1990, Fr Francis Fernandez.

Some of the boys of Snehalaya

Each of these works is radically forward looking and prophetic. I am deeply impressed by the initiative of the Salesians and the spirit among the young people that I met in the various centers… but then that has been my feeling in every place of this province that I have visited.

On the Road to Shillong

Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise…

Oh, you know that little proverb popularized by Benjamin Frankin and Poor Richard, do you? Yes, well I don't know about wealth or wisdom, but I severely doubt that getting up so early helps ones health. Here we are at the eastern edge of the Indian time zone and so the sun rises at 4.10 am. We were up before then. Anthony Valluran decided last night that we should celebrate mass at 5.00 am and get an early start. I could barely believe it, but everyone got up. The young people from the girls boarding and the boys boarding joined the Salesians for prayers and Eucharist, as they did yesterday. But it was all an hour earlier. Yesterday I merely concelebrated; today I was main celebrant. How do you preach at 5.00 in the morning? What is astounding to me is that all the young people prayed with us and knew all the responses for the mass, even though more than half are Hindus and Moslems.

"There is no hesitation to join in prayer here", Anthony pointed out to me. "India's tribal people are all very religious. The conflict between Hindus and Catholics, or between Moslems and Christians -- or even among the different Christian churches is something dreamed up by the politicians. The people overwhelmingly accept one another".

By 7:00 we had said goodbye to all the young people and to the Salesian staff of Don Bosco Conference Centre. We were on the road north to Shillong.

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.