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Contents COVER STORY
To be broken for a Broken World
SPECIAL FEATURE
The Rector Major in the Philippines
REGULAR
Message from the Rector Major Editor’s Note Salesianity 101
FEATURE
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Hope Generating Visit
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Volume 46 I Number 1 June-August 2016
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Don Bosco and the Holy Eucharist
Don Bosco’s Salesian Family is for the Poor Youth
ST. JOHN BOSCO TODAY
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The Heart of Salesian Education
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The Devotion to the Holy Eucharist in the Home
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Welcoming Jesus with a Child-Like Heart
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FIN-FIS NEWS Our Lady’s Grand Homecoming
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Priestly Ordination
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FMA Perpetual Profession FMA Jubilarians First Profession Fr. Arokiam Kanaga, SDB ends his Extraordinary Canonical Visitation Gone to the Father Fr. Jonil Lalap, SDB and Fr. Adolf Faroni, SDB
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a Magazine of Information and Religious Culture of the Salesian Family in the Philippines OWNER Salesian Society of St. John Bosco PRINTER Don Bosco Press, Inc.
EDITORIAL TEAM
PUBLISHER Don Bosco Press, Inc. EDITOR Fr. Bernard P. Nolasco, SDB ASSOCIATE EDITOR Fr. Joel Camaya, SDB COPY EDITOR Fr. Mario Baclig, SDB COORDINATORS Fr. Randy Figuracion, SDB FIS Sr. Mariel Demata, FMA & FMA Past Pupils Sr. Sophia Akiko Oshita, SCG SCG Brenda Ramirez ASC Dr. Victor B. Endriga DBAPNF Maria Junifer Maliglig ADMA Evangeline Dolliente FADS ART DIRECTOR Early Macabales GRAPHICS & DESIGN STUDIO DBPI-Multimedia Section CIRCULATION Commission on Social Communication For subscription, please contact Commission on Social Communication 3/F Don Bosco Provincial Office, Don Bosco Compound, C. Roces Ave. cor. A. Arnaiz Ave. Makati City, Philippines Tel (02) 893-8227 loc. 114 Telefax (02) 892-8174 Annual subscription (4 issues) P300.00 Send your comments and suggestions to salesianbulletinphilippines@gmail.com All rights reserved © 2016 by Don Bosco Press, Inc. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission from the publisher.
ABOUT THE COVER
Photo taken by Jan Odivilas during the Rector Major’s visit to the FIS Province.
MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
I Dream of a Salesian Family Filled With Faith And With God
S
ome months ago I wrote to my Salesian priests and brothers that one of the delicate matters to which we must give our attention is that in many places, in many of the countries where we are working with such dedication and generosity, we are known for the generous work we do, but people do not know why we do what we do or what motivates us deep within. We are admired for our work with young people; our educational system is highly esteemed, including our technical and vocational centers that prepare youths for work. Our commitment to street children is greatly respected and appreciated. Our dedication and creativity in many of our youth centers are praised. Our boys’
homes that meet the needs of today’s poor kids draw a lot of attention. However, people often cannot describe who we are and still less why we do what we do and why we live as we do. This is my dream, dearly beloved members of the Salesian Family, friends and supporters of Don Bosco and his charism: that all those who meet us, or come in contact with one of our communities or with any group or branch of our vast Salesian Family would feel touched by the simple presence of women and men of faith. Faith that is deep and tested, that almost without our wishing it, through the simplicity of their lives and activity, radiates who we are and reveals to whom we belong. For we are, above
Faith that is deep and tested, that almost without our wishing it, through the simplicity of their lives and activity, radiates who we are and reveals to whom we belong.
PHOTO BY DBPI-MULTIMEDIA
all, believers in God, happy to be such, knowing “how much good it does us when he once more touches our lives and impels us to share his new life! What then happens is that ‘we speak of what we have seen and heard’ (1 John 1:3)” (Evangelii Gaudium, no. 264). I am firmly convinced, sisters and brothers, that this is the path that we must take today and that our world absolutely needs. It is the path of caring for, nourishing, and deepening our faith, of becoming women and men of faith, communicating that we do all that we do because we feel drawn to and fascinated by Jesus and we have freely felt the profound joy of saying Yes to God the Father, who now sends us as his witnesses in the midst of the human race. If we are women and men filled with God, we can radiate him to those we meet in our daily lives. This world needs a Salesian Family whose members are capable of remaining, loving, and bearing fruit. These three verbs, in the context of the Gospel icon of the Vine and the Branches (John 15:1—11), invite us to pay attention to the necessity of being deeply rooted in Jesus so that we may remain strongly attached to him, and through him live a loving fellowship that truly attracts people, and bear fruit as we serve the young and all the people to whom the diverse charismatic traits of our Family bring us. At the end of this message, I want to remind everyone that we are the Salesian Family and we share the tremendous charism of Don Bosco not in order to focus on ourselves but to give — and to give ourselves — and be the human gesture and expression of God’s mercy.
Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime, SDB Fr. Ángel Fernández Artimé, SDB with the youth from Tondo, Manila, Philippines
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EDITOR’S NOTE
“Our Devotion to the Holy Eucharist”
T FR. BERNARD P. NOLASCO, SDB Editor-in-Chief
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he Catholic Church in the Philippines opened the year 2016 with a very sacred event: the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) that was held in Cebu City from January 24 to 31. This is the second time that our country has hosted this big event (the first was in 1937). And it was a tremendous success! Kudos to all the members of the Salesian Family who were directly involved in the planning, preparation, and execution of the programs of the IEC! In this issue of St. John Bosco Today, we want you, our dear readers, to see how the devotion to the Holy Eucharist is deeply embedded in the nature of the Salesian Family. St. John Bosco instilled in the hearts of his young people and of his collaborators a love for the Lord Jesus who is truly present in the Holy Eucharist. The life of every member of the Salesian Family must always be centered in the Holy Eucharist. Simply put: Being Salesian means being Eucharistic. We hold such a treasure in our Salesian Family. But we also have a moral responsibility to share this treasure and not let it remain only for us. St. John Bosco challenges us to be living witnesses of the Holy Eucharist. This issue also shares another blessing that happened in the first quarter of this year – the Visit of the Rector Major, Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime, SDB to the North and South Philippine Provinces last March 4 to 12. These days were indeed blessing-filled days for the Salesian Family here inasmuch as the Rector Major’s presence is St. John Bosco’s presence. May this visit of the Rector Major help us renew our commitment to be at the service of the Church, particularly in living our lives according to the charism of Don Bosco – to be bearers of God’s love to the young, especially to those most in need.
COVER STORY
TO BE SALESIAN, TO BE EUCHARISTIC
To be
Broken Bread PHOTO BY MR. ALEXANDER AMORA
for a
Broken World Responding to the Challenges of the 51 International Eucharistic Congress 2016 st
By MARIA DIVINA Solano
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P
ilgrims flocked to Cebu last January to take part in the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC). With thousands of people from 73 countries gathered together, the event was truly an experience of being Church. Laity, religious, and ordained ministers were well-represented. Moments for communion, prayer and worship, breaking of the bread, catechesis, fellowship, making friends, sharing, and sacrifice were abundant. This extraordinary experience was more than a respite and break in the journey of life. It meant leaving everything behind and ascending the mountain, as it were, to celebrate and savor the beauty of the Lord present in the Eucharist. But it also meant descending from the mountain when the privileged time of resting with the Lord was over. It meant returning to everyday life to respond to the challenges of the Congress and live more fully as disciples of the Eucharistic Lord. Taking our cue from the IEC 2016 Congress Statement, let us look at four points that can shed light on our postCongress path.
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Both recommendations are ways for us not only to be more Eucharistic but also more Salesian. Don Bosco, after all, lived with the poor youth in Turin and did not abandon them. He educated them, teaching them the values and skills they needed to realize their hopes and dreams for the future. We are challenged to do the same—to foster the values of endurance and commitment, especially in this age when things are automatic and disposable, and to continue to be present among the young, especially in a time when technology is rendering communication increasingly impersonal. To be Eucharistic and Salesian is to become earthen vessels of God’s treasures, messengers of hope to the poor and the young. BREAD FOR THE POOR After the Eucharist and the sacraments, the poor is our privileged place of
encounter with Christ. It is only right that receiving Christ in the Eucharist would lead us to greater commitment and love for the needy and less fortunate. In the Congress, the challenge to love the poor was addressed to everyone, but in a particular way, to priests. Fr. Luciano Ariel Felloni, a missionary from Argentina who was formerly in Payatas, reflected on the poor and the Eucharist, and identified the priesthood as the connection between the two. He said that Jesus must be present in the life of priests, particularly through prayer, so that Jesus can touch the priests, and the priests can in turn give Jesus to the people. Priests must bring Jesus especially to the peripheries. Which parish, or which place for that matter, does not have a periphery? And if priests do not go to the poor and the marginalized, who will go?
PHOTOS BY MR. ALEXANDER AMORA
BREAD OF HOPE The Eucharist is the fullness of hope because through this bread Jesus Christ our Hope (cf. 1 Tim 1) comes to us. In turn, we become the bearers of hope. In the midst of the many problems that we endure, we believe and hope that Christ’s glory, his victory over sin and death, will also be ours. This Christian hope shines forth, not because life is perfect, but precisely because the realities of life are harsh. During the Theological Symposium that preceded the Congress, Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, OP, Director of the Las Casas Institute of Black Friars in Oxford, spoke of Christian communities in Iraq that suffer persecution but continue to hold on to their hope in the Lord. He suggested two ways to promote Christian hope: we stand our ground and stay where we are even if there is suffering, and we educate the youth as a concrete way of building a better future in seemingly hopeless places and situations.
TO BE SALESIAN, TO BE EUCHARISTIC
COVER STORY
To be Eucharistic is to be earthen vessels of a Godgiven treasure, to be messengers of hope, especially to the poor and the young with us and around us.
Preferential love for the poor was a defining characteristic in Don Bosco, who was born poor and died poor even if a large amount of funds passed through his hands. He poured out his whole life in the service of God and the Church, but with a clear option for poor youth whom he loved the most. To be more Eucharistic and more Salesian, we must develop a similar love for the poor, the wounded, the weak, the lost, and the disadvantaged. BREAD OF DIALOGUE In the gospel of St. Luke, we read how Jesus initiated a dialogue with his two disciples along the road to Emmaus. Their eyes were opened and their hearts were set on fire, so much so that they were moved to return to Jerusalem to continue the dialogue with the other disciples there. The Congress recognized the Emmaus story as the model for us today. With whom are we called to engage in june-august 2016 st. john bosco today
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COVER STORY TO BE SALESIAN, TO BE EUCHARISTICY
dialogue? Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil SDB, DD, said: “Christian concern must be all-embracing… it must embrace all humanity, all cosmic reality.” Dialogue with the young and the poor is a priority in our different Salesian settings. Aware of the many barriers that stand in the way of dialogue, we must commit ourselves to seek just as many ways to deal with the young, armed with Don Bosco’s multi-disciplinary and creative approach. At the same time, we must reflect on how well we embrace one another and celebrate, in the words of the Congress, “the gift each one brings.” For our dialogue with those we seek to reach is affected by our dialogue with the different partners in the mission.
BREAD FOR MISSION “The Eucharist is not just a gift but also a task and mission that can change the world,” so goes the Congress Statement. Archbishop Menamparampil said it beautifully: “The Eucharist does not remain in the sacristy; it goes out to the frontlines for action.” Indeed, the Eucharist is unrivaled in its power to change lives and convert hearts because Jesus comes not forcefully, not lording it over us, but as the saving victim who not only dies on the cross but also gives himself as spiritual food. He redeems our hearts by loving us and enabling us to do the same. Communion bears fruit in mission, for love begets love. As we embark on our mission, we experience the power of love and the joy of giving. In his dream when he was nine years old, St. John Bosco was taught by the Virgin Mary to win over the unruly boys not with blows, but with gentleness and kindness. Today, we can save the young and change the world if we continue to bring love and kindness in our many Salesian parishes, schools, training centers, youth centers, and presences. The Congress is over but the Eucharist continues. It is ever the source and summit of our Christian life. Let us frequent the font of Christ’s love and mercy, receive the bread of angels, and—strengthened by him—become “broken bread for a broken world.”
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF DON BOSCO TECHICAL INSTITUTE OF MAKATI
Today, we are challenged to remember that continuing the works of Don Bosco, carrying out our mission in the parishes, schools, Voc-Tech centers, youth centers, etc. is precisely our way to love one another as Jesus loved us.
DEVOTION TO THE EUCHARIST SALESIANITY 101
Don Bosco and the Holy Eucharist The Devotion to the Holy Eucharist, One of the Three Loves of Don Bosco By FR. CAESAR Dizon, SDB
A
t a spiritual retreat in 1938, Fr. Albert Caviglia said: “I am old. As one last present, I want to leave you a Salesian ‘sign of the cross.’ Do this: On the forehead, work and temperance; on the chest, goodness; on the left shoulder, the sacraments; on the right shoulder, Mary.” Fr. Caviglia was referring in particular to the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist. For St. John Bosco these sacraments were the two wings in the flight up to heaven. They were part of his system of education and essential elements in his Salesian spirituality. In this article I will focus on the sacrament of the Eucharist, specifically, on the teaching and practice of St. John Bosco regarding this sacrament. THE EUCHARIST IN A DREAM OF DON BOSCO The Monster and the Boys One night while Don Bosco was staying as a guest at the house of the bishop of Cuneo, he had a dream. He was so frightened that he woke up screaming. His scream woke everybody, from the bishop to the last servant. Later he related the dream to his boys at the Oratory. “Trembling for your safety, I looked down from the window to see if anything had happened to you.The whole playground was full of monsters like the one in my waiting room.You, my boys, had been forced back against the walls and porticoes, but many of you were lying on the ground, seemingly dead.This piteous sight so frightened me that I woke screaming.” There was a lesson in that dream. “That monster may well be the devil who is ever trying to ruin us. Shall I show you how not to fear him and successfully withstand him? Listen.There are two things the devil is deadly afraid of: fervent Holy Communion and frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament. Do you want our Lord to grant you many graces? Visit him often. Do you want him to grant you only a few? Visit him but seldom. Do you want the devil to attack you? Rarely visit the Blessed Sacrament. Do you want the devil to flee from you? Visit Jesus often. Do you want to be overcome by the devil? Give up visiting Jesus.Visiting the Blessed Sacrament, my dear boys, is essential if you want to overcome the devil.Therefore, make frequent visits to Jesus. If you do that, the devil will never prevail against you.”
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SALESIANITY 101 DEVOTION TO THE EUCHARIST THE EUCHARIST IN DON BOSCO’S WRITINGS In The Life of Dominic Savio “Death but not sin” – this is the most known quote of St. Dominic. It was one of his four resolutions for his First Communion at the age of seven. An extraordinary age for First Communion in those days, but he considered it the happiest and most wonderful day of his life. Perhaps because Don Bosco believed in the importance of First Communion, he concluded the chapter on Dominic’s First Communion with these words: “Be assured that the First Communion very well made is a solid moral foundation for the rest of the child’s life.” He ended with this warning: “I would not hesitate to say that the trouble began with the little or no real preparation for the First Communion. It is better to delay making it, or not to make it at all, than to make it badly.” In the Memoirs of the Oratory Don Bosco made his First Communion at the age of eleven. Twelve was the norm in those days. He remembered vividly Mamma Margaret’s words to him: “My dear son, this is a great day for you. I am convinced that God has really taken possession of your heart. Now promise him to be good as long as you live. Go to communion frequently in
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the future, but beware of sacrilege (going to communion with mortal sin).” His First Communion was not a one-time event detached from his life. Rather, it was a turning point for him. He wrote: “I treasured my mother’s advice and tried to carry it out. I think that from that day on there was some improvement in my life.” In the Companion of Youth Fr. Pietro Stella studied how Don Bosco presented holiness to young people in his book, Companion of Youth, which many mistakenly think was merely a devotional book. In fact, it was a handbook on how to live the Christian life. In that book Don Bosco expressed his belief that youthful sanctity consisted in the practice of religion, that is, giving oneself to God (darsi a Dio). But we know that we should give ourselves to God early in life because we ordinarily become what we were when young. Here we see why Don Bosco insisted in allowing children to receive First Communion once they were able to distinguish between ordinary bread and the Eucharistic bread. In First Communion children give themselves to Jesus (darsi a Dio) and Jesus takes possession of their hearts. The sacraments of confession and the Eucharist were among the means
that he enumerated to achieve youthful sanctity. These were some thoughts regarding the Eucharist. • Daily Mass is the source of every blessing. • The Eucharist is the spiritual Bread that nourishes the soul. • Receiving communion infrequently is a cause of lack of taste for spiritual things. Moreover, he favored daily Communion and quoted St. Augustine: “If we ask God everyday for bodily bread, why can we not ask to eat everyday of the Spiritual Bread of Holy Communion?” He inculcated the teaching on the Real Presence of Jesus, the Son of God made man, under the appearance of bread. Consequently, he promoted the practice of making frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament. “In the visit we find Jesus who is rich in graces which he willingly gives to those who ask him.” He was convinced that God’s promise of joy reached its apex in Holy Communion because it was here that one objectively attained maximum communion with Jesus, the source of joy. His mention of Dominic’s First Communion resolution (“My friends shall be Jesus and Mary.”) in the biography he wrote was significant. For he believed that Communion could be the beginning of a true education towards friendship with Jesus.
Don Bosco was convinced that God’s promise of joy reached its apex in Holy Communion because it was here that one objectively attained maximum communion with Jesus, the source of joy.
THE EUCHARIST IN DON BOSCO’S PRACTICE In his Memoirs of the Oratory Don Bosco narrated how, as students at Chieri, they had to go to Confession once a month and had to present a card to prove it. In a footnote regarding this practice, we read: “Although Don Bosco notes the apparent good results of the practice at Chieri, he never instituted it in his own schools. Not only was he afraid that boys might be pressured into committing sacrilege, but he wanted an atmosphere of freedom. For this reason, for example, he refused to have the students go to communion row by row—a very orderly way to proceed—because it would be too obvious who did or did not approach the Lord’s table; rather, at communion time the boys were to leave their places if they wish. During his retreat in preparation for his first Mass as a newly ordained priest, Don Bosco drew up a set of resolutions. His eighth resolution was: “During the day I shall pay a brief visit to the Blessed Sacrament, or at least raise my heart in prayer. I shall spend at least a quarter of an hour in preparation for Mass and another quarter of an hour in thanksgiving.” This was not an idle promise. In his first encounter with Bartholomew Garelli, we read: “Once I had celebrated my Mass and made due thanksgiving, I took my candidate (Garelli) into a side chapel.Trying to allay any fear he might have of another beating, I started questioning him cheerfully….” His spiritual sons learned this practice from him. One day a prince with his cohort arrived at the Oratory. In Don Bosco’s absence, it was up to Fr. Rua to receive him. At that very moment he was celebrating Mass. The visitor was informed, but he chose to wait in the sacristy with one of his entourage. After some twenty minutes Fr. Rua came in from the altar. People told him to hurry up, but, as if he had not heard anything, he slowly took off his vestments. When he turned around, the prince made a move to approach him. But Fr. Rua made a sign to wait, and then went to his kneeler. He buried
The sacraments of Confession and the Eucharist were among the means that he enumerated to achieve youthful sanctity. his face in his hands and remained there absorbed in prayer for twenty minutes. Finally, he got up and, with an angelic smile and arms opened wide, he approached the royal visitors, excusing himself for not being able to be immediately available. They understood, were very courteous about it, and later remarked how edified they were by his lengthy thanksgiving. Still, we must keep in mind that the liturgical reform of Vatican II allows for thanksgiving to be done during the Mass itself. The faithful may do this with a period of silence, with a hymn, psalm, or other song of praise. In the Biographical Memoirs (volume IV, chapter 39), Don Lemoyne dealt at length with the Eucharistic piety of Don Bosco. He wrote: “Often, when giving the ‘Good Night’ to the boys, Don Bosco urged them to say a prayer and if possible to receive Communion on the following day with great faith because he needed special graces on behalf of the Oratory. Many times, too, on the following evening, he would tell them that the Lord had heard their prayers. He used to say that all the good he and his coworkers accomplished, the favors Our Lady granted him, and the financial assistance his benefactors gave him were due to the prayers and Communions of his boys.”
CONCLUSION Fr. Aubrey observed: “Don Bosco’s view of the Eucharist was less ecclesial and more individual, less liturgical and more devotional…. (And) when he speaks of the Eucharist, nine times out of ten he does not think of the Mass but only of Communion…. He saw the Mass above all as the necessary means to make Christ present in the bread and wine for the purpose of Communion and presence in the tabernacle.” In the context of Vatican II, Don Bosco’s teachings and practice appear rather limited. But we must remember that Don Bosco was just being a man of his times. His teachings and practice on the Eucharist were largely drawn from the counterreformation theology of the era. Today, we are challenged to update and complete Don Bosco’s practice and teaching on the Eucharist by opening ourselves to the aggiornamento (bringing up-to-date) that began with Vatican II and still continues. Fr. Aubrey suggests one possible point of departure: “With the Church today, we should rediscover the fullness of the sacrament and the primary and principal character of the Mass,” that is, of the Eucharist as celebration of the Christian community around the table of the Word and the table of the Eucharist. june-august 2016 st. john bosco today
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Don Bosco’s
Salesian Family is for the Poor Youth
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SPECIAL FEATURE
THE RECTOR MAJOR IN THE PHILIPPINES
The Challenge of the Rector Major’s Visit to the Philippines By CL. JUVELAN PAUL N. Samia, SDB
PHOTOS BY FR. BERNARD NOLASCO, SDB
“It’s been a long while since I last saw so many brilliant smiles from the faces of young people. Wherever I go in the future, I promise to talk about the beautiful things that I have seen here.”
“O
ur Salesian Family must exude joy!” says Fr. Angel Fernandez Artime, the Rector Major and 10th successor of St. John Bosco in his meeting with the members of the Salesian Family in Makati. According to him, “We must radiate the evangelical joy that comes from our commitment to serve the youth, especially the poorest ones.” Fr. Angel came to The Philippines from thousands of miles away to remind us of our identity as sons and daughters and followers of Don Bosco, and to challenge us to be radical in our following of Our Lord Jesus. Fr. Angel arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 (NAIA2) on March 4, 2016 at
7:35 in the evening to visit both the Philippines-North (FIN) and Philippines-South (FIS) Provinces, and to attend the East-Asia Oceania (EAO) Region Provincials’ Meeting in Don Bosco-Batulao. He arrived with his secretary, Fr. Horacio Lopez, SDB, and the EAO Regional Superior, Fr.Vaclav Klement, SDB. The Rector Major proceeded to Don Bosco Technical Institute, Makati City where the Salesians (SDBs) were eagerly awaiting his arrival. Fr. Angel was visibly overjoyed to find himself in the company of confreres, a good number of them belonging to the initial formation stage, who just finished their FIN Salesian Sports League Championship games. In fact, the Rector Major took time to greet
and embrace each and every confrere present at the Bosco Hall. The following day, March 5, at 10:00 in the morning, Fr. Angel spoke “from his heart” to the Salesians in the FIN Province who gathered at the Joy Center of Don Bosco Technical Institute - Makati, including those from other Salesian Provinces who are here for study or work. “Speaking from the heart” meant for the Rector Major addressing the confreres spontaneously and familiarly for more than an hour, touching on topics that matter to Salesians and the Salesian Family. He opened his conference by saying, “I want you to know that what we have is a very beautiful congregation! And, we, Salesians need to develop
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a healthy pride in being called one.” He explained, however, that this does preclude the reality of challenges for the Congregation. “We were born for young people who are most in need!” Fr Angel passionately reminded his confreres. He also called on them to be, above all, “men of God,” explaining that the greatest challenge facing the Congregation does not involve “our works” but the “radical living of the Salesian consecrated life.” In the afternoon, he celebrated the Holy Mass for the Salesian Family, and spent time talking to them, urging them to be credible and joyful witnesses of the Gospel to the world but especially to the poor youth. In the evening, Fr. Angel visited the boys and girls from “difficult situations” cared for at the Tuloy sa Don BoscoAlabang. Amidst the children and the youth, the Rector Major again appeared noticeably moved not so much by pity for their woundedness, but by a sense of delight in seeing the wonderful transformation that has happened to them through the efforts of Salesians and lay volunteers. Speaking to those present, he said “It’s been a long while since I last saw so many brilliant smiles from the faces of young people. Wherever I go in the future, I promise to talk about the beautiful things that I have seen here.” On the third day of the Rector Major’s stay in the Philippines, he visited two Salesian presences that work directly with and for the poorest youth namely, Don Bosco-Tondo and Don Bosco-Calauan. At around 7:00 in the morning, Fr. Angel arrived in Don BoscoTondo. After eating breakfast with the confreres, Fr. Angel decided to greet the children and youth who were having their Sunday catechism classes.
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SPECIAL FEATURE
“Don Bosco’s Salesian Family was raised up by God to be evangelizers of the young, especially the poor.
PHOTOS BY FR. BERNARD NOLASCO, SDB, CL. JUVELAN SAMIA, SDB, CL. JEROME QUINTO, SDB
At 8:30 am, the Rector Major concelebrated the Holy Eucharist with Fr. Anthony Paul Bicomong, SDB and the other Salesian priests. He was delighted to see the Rondalla play songs in the Mass because it brought back memories of himself organizing one such group when he was in Argentina. Fr. Angel travelled 81 kilometers south of Manila to Don Bosco-Calauan in the province of Laguna at around 10:00 in the morning. Throughout his visit, he had been insisting that the Salesian Family go to the peripheries, and by going to Calauan, he gifted them with an excellent example. Under the scorching heat of the noontime sun, Fr. Angel walked the narrow street of Calauan to personally greet the poor who have gathered in great anticipation to welcome him. Speaking to the Salesian community, he said, “Corragio! The Lord has sent you here for these people! Do your best to support one another because you have a great mission here.” He ate lunch with the Salesians, the Bishop of San Pablo Mons. Famadico Buenaventura, D.D., and the local government leaders of the province and the municipality. Afterwards, he visited the different projects of the Don Bosco-Calauan community. Having wrapped-up his visit, he proceeded to Don BoscoBatulao to attend the EAO Provincials’ Meeting. The visit of the Rector Major, Don Bosco’s successor, communicated to the Salesian Family a powerful and clear message: “Don Bosco’s Salesian Family was raised up by God to be evangelizers of the young, especially the poor.” The example left behind by Fr. Angel impels the Salesian Family in the Philippines to be faithful to who they are and who they are supposed to serve according to the heart of Don Bosco.
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THE RECTOR MAJOR IN THE PHILIPPINES
Hope Generating
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SPECIAL FEATURE
Visit
Making Every Salesian Setting the Valdocco of Today By Fr. RANDY Figuracion, SDB
“I
realize that life is like a rosary. It is full of mysteries. Even though I face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream that someday I will become a good mechanical engineer.” This was Reynante’s testimony in front of the Rector Major, Fr. Angel Fernandez
PHOTO BY JAN ODIVILAS
The Rector Major’s first visit to the Philippine South Province was one that generated hope and enthusiasm to the Salesians, their Lay Mission Partners and the many young people touched by Don Bosco’s Mission. Artime, SDB during his encounter with youth at risk in Don Bosco Boys’ Home, Liloan, Cebu. He was one of the three sharers who testified about their life’s struggles but the presence and the help of the Salesians made a big impact
in their life towards becoming better citizens in society. Before coming to Don Bosco Boys’ Home (DBBH), Reynante’s life was miserable. Coming from a broken home, his father left him and his siblings for another woman. With no income to support the children, her mother turned to prostitution. He himself had to sell scrap metal to junk shops to survive from poverty. When he arrived in DBBH in 2007 his life gradually change. With lots of positive experiences, he is now on a journey towards a better life. With the boys’ surprising welcome still fresh the night before, the Rector Major was moved even more after hearing these challenging realities the Salesians are facing daily in this apostolate. In his message to them, he assured them of the Salesians’ commitment to make every Salesian Setting the Valdocco of today; Don Bosco Boys’ Home included. He encouraged them to reach and fulfill their dreams in spite of all the difficulties in life. As he challenged them to have hope and never give up to reach their goals, they are also to be people who desire to do much good in the world. And when they have achieved their dreams, they must come back and give thanks to the Salesians for the great work of assisting them in having a better life. The Rector Major’s first visit to the Philippine South Province from March 9 – 11, 2016 was one that generated hope and enthusiasm to the
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THE RECTOR MAJOR IN THE PHILIPPINES
Salesians, their Lay Mission Partners and the many young people touched by Don Bosco’s Mission. The aim of his visit was two-fold: to meet the Salesians personally; and to witness the Salesian works for the poor. He first set foot in Don Bosco Technical Institute in Victorias City, the first Salesian School in the country built in 1951. The warm welcome immediately made him feel at home. Representatives from St. John Institute’s Board of Trustees were among the well-wishers indicating that the Salesian work continues to expand to meet new challenges for the youth in Negros. Fr. Angel then travelled to Cebu where he encountered the majority of the Salesians of the FIS during a fraternal conference at Don Bosco Formation Center in Lawaan, Talisay City. A closed-door meeting with the Provincial and his Council gave him a bigger picture of the impact of the Salesian Presence in the FIS. He also showed concern for the candidates in formation, namely the Novices, Postulants and Aspirants by interacting with them. Day Two concluded with
(On this page, top to bottom - clockwise): The Rector Major (RM) concluding the program with a song, at Lourdes Parish; RM being welcomed by some graders at DB Victorias; RM accepting a mass offering at Lourdes Parish; and RM giving a Good Afternoon Talk at DBTC.
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SPECIAL FEATURE
The visit of the Rector Major may have been short but for the Salesian Communities and the young people who encountered him, it was unforgettable and intimate.
PHOTOS BY JAN ODIVILAS
the Rector Major’s visit to Don Bosco Technology Center and the Mass with the Salesian Family at the Our Lady of Lourdes Archdiocesan Shrine in Punta Princesa. His third and final day was spent in visiting DB Boys’ Home in Liloan and DB Youth Center in Pasil. Upon entering one of the poorest areas in Cebu, the Rector Major had also a pleasant surprise because it turned out to be one of the most festive welcome sinulog-style which only the youth and children from Pasil can do. This coastal community has so much to offer to the youth exposed to different kinds of evil influences. The visit of the Rector Major may have been short but for the Salesian Communities and the young people who encountered him, it was unforgettable and intimate. He showed so much simplicity and warmth. He valued personal contact and was willing to have selfies and groufies with those who requested him. He promised to speak English when he returns. Indeed, that visit generated hope that Don Bosco lives on through the Rector Major.
(On this page, top photo): RM enjoying a “selfie” with the DB Pasil youth; (Center photo) RM posing with some DB boys of the Home Drum and Bugle Center; (Bottom photo) RM’s photo op with the Salesians-FIS.
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The Heart of
Salesian Education The Salesian Preventive System, Rooted in the Holy Eucharist By FR. RANDY Figuracion, SDB
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RELIGION AND EDUCATION FEATURE
M
y classmate, Fr.Vester Casaclang, shared a very touching videoclip a few days after the death of Fr. Jonil Lalap, SDB. It contained Fr. Jonil’s words of goodbye written from his notebook with Noel Cabangon’s song “Ang Buhay nga Naman” in the background. I knew Fr. Jonil since our college days in Canlubang. He was intelligent, a good organizer, and popular. He had a good sense of humor and a quick wit. As a priest, he was kind-hearted and friendly. He could make you feel really special. That was why he had so many friends. He was diagnosed with lung cancer a few years ago, rather ironically for he never smoked. He battled with the sickness for almost three years. Many of us prayed that he could beat the odds and fully recover. But it was not meant to be. On January 31 at 4:30 am, his heart finally stopped beating. We lost a friend. Rather, we lost a wonderful priest who was a channel of God’s mystery. His death coincided with the Statio Orbis in Cebu, the conclusion of the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC). It was also the 128th anniversary of St. John Bosco’s death. Many who had the privilege of being served by him felt the loss. After all, every priest has the unique role as a keeper of God’s mystery. Through his ministry, he makes available to everyone this great treasure of the Church. In a Holy Thursday letter to priests, John Paul II wrote that the Eucharist is the principal reason of the priesthood. The
two are so profoundly interconnected that “there can be no Eucharist without the priesthood, just as there can be no priesthood without the Eucharist.” The Eucharistic Congress last January gave me a deeper understanding of God’s tremendous love in the Eucharist. It made me realize that the Eucharist is indeed the very heart of the Church. Through it, Jesus continues to live. His redeeming heart continues to beat for the whole world, giving us a glimpse of God’s heart: humble, hidden, and huge. Pope Benedict XVI even declared: “Without the Eucharist, the Church simply does not exist.”
tirelessly promoted friendship with Jesus and a simple yet profound prayer life. One late afternoon, I was standing outside the Prayer Room in Lourdes Parish (Cebu City). A former student approached me on his way for a visit to the Blessed Sacrament. He was happy to see me and we talked about the days when he was a student. Then the conversation turned serious as he shared his difficulties as a young man trying to build his family. He attested that when things would get heavy, he would visit Jesus for strength and for the ability to bounce back. He learned this in the school of Don Bosco. Cardinal Tagle of Manila spoke of a culture of individualism rampant today, like a virus affecting the world globally and locally. The digital age promotes self-centeredness and the “throwaway culture” leads to indifference. For him, only the Eucharist can be the strong antidote to thwart these influences. Only the Eucharist can assure the solid formation and education of our children and youth. This is the power of the Eucharist, emerging right at the heart of Salesian education. The presence of Jesus is strength-renewing and hope-generating. Since the Eucharist is a memorial of Jesus, it fosters fellowship, teamwork, and inclusion. It has the power to build the community of family, school, center, and parish. It creates an attitude that sees others as a “gift” rather than a burden. Allowing Jesus to be the heartthrob of our lives, we guarantee the transformation of persons and communities.
The Eucharist is the beating heart of the community. It is one of the strong pillars of education. Every Eucharistic celebration is life-giving and community-forming, not just theoretically but truly. It is also through the Eucharist that Jesus journeys with us through time. Its great message is presence, the presence of Jesus! Through it, Jesus declares: “I am here and I love you!” He walks with us and accompanies us. He calls us to renewal and to a return to the Eucharistic culture of self-giving and outgoing love for the least and less privileged. No wonder the Eucharist is a vital aspect in St. John Bosco’s Preventive System. The Eucharist is the beating heart of the community. It is one of the strong pillars of education. Every Eucharistic celebration is lifegiving and community-forming, not just theoretically but truly. In every Salesian house, the chapel is central and accessible. St. John Bosco, an apostle of frequent visits to the Eucharist,
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The Devotion to the
Holy Eucharist
in the Home By ROSE Pabalan, Familia ADS
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THE CHURCH IN THE HOME FEATURE
Allowing Jesus to be at the center of the family
P
salm 77:13-14, Your ways O God are Holy. What God is so great as our God? You are the one who performs miracles;You display your power among the people. Falling in love is really a manysplendored-thing as the song goes, especially when the object of your love is JESUS! It is a love that you want to shout
What went wrong? Did we not serve God through the Legion of Mary for thirteen years, and had our closed retreat, a week, before we got married to seek the will of God for us? God talked to us personally through the Holy Eucharist. He told us that he understood our sorrows for he had undergone that in the Garden of Gethsemane. He even died for us, he gently reminded us. And that He would always be with us accompanying us through the Holy Eucharist, all the way, till He meets us with Mama Mary in heaven. This was just one of the many challenges we
leadership trainings, and others. With ERDA, we were able to get 200 scholarships for the children in the mission areas. Our six children, in the meantime were busy being members of the Legion of Mary and the Charismatic Youth Movement as organizers and sharers. The boys joined the Knights of the Altar, and the Savio Friends Club, The youngest, Noel studied at the Salesians Juniorate in Pampanga. Our children joined me in the Familia Asociacion Damas Salesianas. Buddy, as a Cooperator, was ahead in joining the Salesian Family before the FADS came to the Philippines.
“I am truly blessed and thankful to the Lord, for making my parents instruments of God’s love, for they mold me and nurtured me to be a good Christian.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MS. ROSE PABALAN, FAMILIA ADS
and share to the whole world, unlike the love between a man and a woman who wants to possess for oneself only. I promised myself to pick my future husband from the communion rail. And God sent me Salvador or Buddy as he is fondly called, seeing him everyday attending Mass and receiving Communion, in Our Lady of Loreto Parish in Sampaloc. God performed the miracle of letting us meet, of all places, in Pampanga. Got married and had seven children: Maria Araceli, Maria Rosa, Jose Marie, Salvador Jr., Maria Lourdes, Maria Catalina, and Noel JM. The girls had Maria before their names and the boys had Jose Maria attached to their names. Our eldest died, after my giving birth to Maria Araceli, after twenty seven days. It was a heart-breaking experience for us with our dreams falling into pieces.
faced. God prepared us for more. Because of our love for the Holy Eucharist, Salvador volunteered in our parish, the Resurrection of Our Lord, as an Extraordinary Lay Minister, during the daily Masses. On Sundays, he gave communion to ten sick members of the parish in their homes. Since the sick people had different schedules of waking up in the morning, and the Host cannot be taken from the Church because of the ongoing masses, I borrowed a tabernacle from a friendpriest, where the Hosts were kept in the meantime. I volunteered to minister in our mission areas where Jesus resides in every person, though at times Jesus seemed to be hiding. Evangelize the marketplace. In our Social Action Committee, we coordinated with Caritas Manila, for their livelihood projects and other works of mercy, like rice distribution, medical mission,
On January 3, 2013, Buddy followed Maria Araceli to the Great Beyond. It is a great privilege to talk to Jesus during Holy Communion. Imagine, My Lord and my God, having an audience with Him. I will never trade this moment with any kings, queens, or even presidents to savor this moment. I asked my Lord where Buddy is. He showed me in my dream, Buddy dressed in white, looking young, smiling, with his two arms spread on both sides, and his hands pointing upwards toward to two white blank sheets floating in the air. After a while, he disappeared. I sensed he was Buddy though he looked younger. In a Breakfast meeting of the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals which I attended, the couple sharer is Jojo, our third child, and his wife Donna, who live in the Philippines. They have two children, Justine at the San Carlos Seminary and june-august 2016 st. john bosco today
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Joanne, 22 years old, who is finishing her Master in Sacred Theology, as a scholar, at the De la Salle University. They serve in the parish as Lectors and Commentator. Jojo shares: “I am truly blessed and thankful to the Lord, for making my parents instruments of God’s love, for they mold me and nurtured me to be a good Christian. At an early age in life, they showed me the way to Christ thru the Holy Eucharist. As in Proverbs 1:8-9 “Son pay attention to what your father and mother tell you. Their teaching will improve your character as a handsome turban or a necklace improve your appearance”. It was in 1969, when we transferred to BF Homes Paranaque, I was four (4) years old then and this is
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where I grew up. I still remember when I was in Elementary that my parents encouraged us their children to join the Legion of Mary in our Parish. We regularly attend every Sunday morning before our family mass. We pray the rosary and our facilitator teaches us catechism. The Salesian brothers and priests serving in our parish invited all of us altar boys to join the Savio Friends Club, from St. Dominic Savio, a very young Saint with close association with St John Bosco, whose motto in life was “Death rather than Sin”. They emphasized the value of the Mass. God loves me so much and really takes good care of me, because after serving as an Altar boy, I became a choir member of different religious group and organization. I also attended
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MS. ROSE PABALAN, FAMILIA ADS
The Eucharist gives me strength to face the challenges that come my way. I do not have more questions to ask the Lord, for He is the answer.
the Life in the Spirit Seminar and joined the Catholic Charismatic Youth Ministry together with my parents as parent coordinators. I was also a member of the Lector / Commentator Ministry of the Parish of the Resurrection in BF Homes and becoming head of the Parish Youth Council of the said parish. I was invited to join a group of young men, the Brotherhood of the Cross under the Christian Youth in Action of Ligaya ng Panginoon. It was a support group. We had our assemblies every Wednesday during our lunch breaks, we praise and worship our Lord Jesus in our regular Wednesday Action Group Meeting, where we also share the goodness and blessings of the Lord. Donna, Jojo’s wife shares, “ As in Proverbs 3: 11-12 my child, when the Lord corrects, pay attention and take it as a warning. The Lord corrects those he loves, as parents correct a child of whom they are proud.” We all know that we cannot choose our parents and they cannot choose us, God is good because my parents are living witnesses of God’s love to us their children. Their attention is always in us. They instill in us that the most important in our life is God. We grew up on my mom’s favorite admonition : “ Huwag mong sayangin ang oras mo sa di-gaanong importanteng bagay , lahat ay lumilipas, habang malakas ang katawan mo at kaya mo, MAGSIMBA kayo! Walang sayang na dasal. Prayers can move mountains”. Our family attended the mass together every Sunday. We bear in mind and in our hearts that only God is the first priority, everything will just follow and will always be in place. I attend the Mass everyday since high school. The Eucharist gives me strength to face the challenges that come my way. I do not have more questions to ask the Lord, for HE is the answer. Love is really a many splendoured experience, because LOVE, Our Lord Jesus Christ Personified, envelopes our whole being.
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION FEATURE
PHOTO COURTESY OF SR. JOSEPHINE C. PANOSO, FMA
Welcoming Jesus with A Child-Like Heart Preparing students for the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist By SR. JOSEPHINE C. Panoso, FMA
D
ecember 11, 2015 was the most-awaited day for the Third Graders of Mary Help of Christians School (Mabalacat, Pampanga). In the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, they received Jesus for the first time. What lessons can we learn from our experience of preparing students for the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist? THE EAGERNESS TO RECEIVE JESUS As in many other schools, children look forward to becoming third graders. A significant reason is the First Holy Communion. They are eager to receive Jesus for the first
time—indeed a moment of grace for all of them. We channel this eagerness, right from the start of the school year, and motivate the children to prepare for this most intimate encounter with Jesus. The Religion program is certainly an important component in their preparation. It is edifying to see the children attentively listening in class, trying to understand the meaning of the Eucharist. But aside from teaching, their educators, especially the class advisers, create the atmosphere of “preparation,” guiding the children to an awareness of God’s presence in the many daily choices they make. Every june-august 2016 st. john bosco today
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FEATURE
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION
Aside from teaching, their educators, especially the class advisers, create the atmosphere of “preparation,” guiding the children to an awareness of God’s presence in the many daily choices they make.
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(San Rafael Parish) on the Day of the First Communion. Much earlier, they gradually introduce the children to Jesus in the Eucharist by participating as a family in the Sunday Mass of their parish. They not only fulfill the requirements to make the event solemn and memorable; they also prepare themselves to give lifetime moral and spiritual support to their children’s Eucharistic life. THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION The children also prepare to approach the sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time. In their Christian Living classes, they learn the meaning
learn the prayers by heart, in particular, the Act of Contrition. God’s grace always works wonders. Thanks to the priests, the children encounter God’s loving mercy and forgiveness. It is a heavenly sight to see them return to their places after confession, beaming with much joy. In their First Communion celebration last December, our children promised to be loving sons and daughters of God. It is our hope that they, and many more children whom we shall prepare for the Eucharist, will continue to grow deeply in their relationship with Jesus. We pray that as young men and women, they will soar to holiness of life and to the
The parents are part of this preparation and strive to create a similar atmosphere at home. They receive appropriate formation and are strongly invited to be present for the Parents’ Recollection. and purpose of Confession in God’s plan of love. With the help of their teachers, they examine their lives and acknowledge their sinfulness. They also
bliss of heaven, powered by the wings that our father St. John Bosco himself recommended, the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SR. JOSEPHINE C. PANOSO, FMA
day is an occasion for them to open their hearts to God. They grow in their love for Jesus, and for Mary and the saints. They strive to be sincere, kind and forgiving to one another, faithful and responsible in their daily duties in school and at home, and generous in their care for others. Gradually the children become conscious of God’s presence in prayermoments and in the celebration of Holy Mass. They are given ample time to enter into silence, reflect, and encounter God in prayer. They learn to examine their behavior and acknowledge their wrongdoings, and to thank God for all the blessings they receive. Learning from the example of their educators, the children visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament every day. They are attentive and participative during the practices of songs and the liturgy, and in the regular Eucharistic celebrations of the school. A similar atmosphere at home The parents are part of this preparation and strive to create a similar atmosphere at home. They receive appropriate formation and are strongly invited to be present for the Parents’ Recollection. They not only help to decorate the parish church
VIVA MARIA FIN-FIS NEWS
Our Lady’s
Grand Homecoming Enthronement of the Image of Mary Help of Christians In the Manila Cathedral
PHOTO COURTESY OF MR. ALEXANDER AMORA
T
By MR. NOLAN Angeles
hey say that “discovery is seeing what everyone has seen and thinking of what nobody has thought of.” That may explain why I have been travelling here and there to discover different images of Mary Help of Christians in the Philippines. My interest stems from the desire to give our Lady, under such title, with a canonical coronation. Through this institutional act of the Pope, duly expressed in a Papal Bull, a Papal Legate or the Papal Nuncio designates a crown for the image of Mary under a specific devotional title being venerated in a particular place. Since the oldest image of Mary Help of Christians was brought to the Philippines in 1922, the coronation would be most fitting in 2022 and would spark greater devotion on the national level. It was June 26, 2015, an ordinary Friday. I went for my usual visit to the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, dropping by the nearby Sta. Cruz Church to pay homage to our Lady of the Pillar and making that long walk to the Binondo Church for a little prayer to our Lady of Prompt Succor (Biglang Awa). San Agustin Church would have been next, but an inner force seemed to be pushing me to go to the Manila Cathedral. I entered the cathedral and went through my usual devotion of “kneel, pray, meditate.” There was nothing new, nothing strange. As I made my way out, I bumped into this “information machine” just beside the main door. Out of curiosity I tinkered with it. Lo and behold, surprise of all surprises! On the first page was the “gallery map” of the cathedral. There I saw written: “Chapel of Mary Help of Christians.” I was astonished and excited. The map pointed to the first chapel on the right nave facing the main altar. Hurriedly I walked back, only to find a rather dark room, illuminated by the light coming from the image of our Lady of Antipolo. There were also the images of our Lady of the june-august 2016 st. john bosco today
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FIN-FIS NEWS VIVA MARIA Pillar, the Immaculate Conception, and a male saint. But there was no image of Mary Help of Christians. I wondered to myself. “Was I wrong?” I went to the other chapels and even crossed to the four others on the left side of the cathedral, hoping but not finding what I was looking for. So I returned to the machine and intently looked at the gallery map. “I cannot be wrong,” I thought as I read again “Chapel of Mary Help of Christians.” Undaunted, I walked back to the nave, and examined every corner, every stained glass window, and even the roof. I gave up. There was no image of Mary Help of Christians! I went through my history, and remembered that Monsignor William Piani, a Salesian and the Papal Nuncio to the Philippines, brought the image of Mary Help of Christians to the Manila Cathedral in the 1920’s. During the war, the image was transferred to
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give me the answers. I was at peace, for I knew she had miracles lined up for me. On June 29, I made my way to Sitio Mangumit in Canlubang, Laguna. There were stories that this image of Mary Help of Christians was one of the three brought in by Msgr. Piani. It was not easy to find the place, a small community hidden in a vast area of posh villages and communities in the recently developed Nuvali estates. There I was in front of a chapel, seemingly left behind by time. I was ecstatic, in front of the 100 year-old image, but sad for it was poorly kept. The colors were fading and termites were slowly eating the image. Many had attempted to transfer the image, but the people were not willing. More questions filled my mind. It was Wednesday, July 1, when I had a meeting with Fr. Remo Bati, SDB of the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Paranaque City. I presented to him my two discoveries in the Manila Cathedral and Sitio Mangumit. He was so accommodating and promised immediate action.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MR. ALEXANDER AMORA
the Loreto Church in Sampaloc for safekeeping. Eventually it was recovered and was enthroned in the National Shrine in Paranaque. I kept asking: “Why name a chapel inside Manila Cathedral after Mary Help of Christians when there is no such image?” That evening, I posted my
experience and questions on Facebook. There were many comments but no clear answers. What stuck in my mind was one comment pointing to an image of Mary Help of Christians inside the Arzobispado de Manila, the official residence of the cardinal. The following day was June 27, the feast of our Lady of Perpetual Help. After a visit to the Baclaran Church, I rushed back to Intramuros, to the Arzobispado de Manila. It was Saturday, a non-working day. I had to show all my ID cards and beg for permission to get in. In the Archives Division, I talked with a staff-member and leafed through a thick book about the Manila Cathedral, page after page, paragraph after paragraph, picture after picture. There were no answers to my questions. I kept wishing: “If only Msgr. Piani were alive…” I went on to Guagua, Pampanga, and found a beautiful image of Mary Help of Christians, owned by the Twano family. I returned to San Juan City; there in front of the cemetery was a small chapel with another image. As I ended my day, I asked Mary to guide me and
Finding fulfillment in every image I discovered, I realized that Mary Help of Christians had been around all along. “Hindi lang natin pinapansin o hindi lang natin napapansin.” She came long before we ever imagined. The churches and chapels were there. Devotion to her was widespread. Many Filipinos knew her and prayed to her. From the north to the south of the Philippines, from Ilocos Sur to the Islamic City of Marawi in Lanao, not just in Don Bosco schools and parishes, but also in places where there were no Salesians.
But my discoveries were not over. There was an antique image at the Saint John the Baptist Parish (Dambanang Kawayan) in Taguig City; another at the National Shrine of Saint Michael and the Archangels in Malacañang; also at the main altar of the Parokya ni San Marcos in Calumpit, Bulacan and at the
400 year-old Calumpit Church. There were two small chapels named after Mary Help of Christians in Nangka, Marikina. Finding fulfillment in every image I discovered, I realized that Mary Help of Christians had been around all along. “Hindi lang natin pinapansin o hindi lang
natin napapansin.” She came long before we ever imagined. The churches and chapels were there. Devotion to her was widespread. Many Filipinos knew her and prayed to her. From the north to the south of the Philippines, from Ilocos Sur to the Islamic City of Marawi in Lanao, not just in Don Bosco schools and parishes, but also in places where there were no Salesians.
It was January 1, 2016, the feast of Mary Mother of God at the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians that I received the good news from Fr. Bati. The image of Mary Help of Christians would be enthroned in the Manila Cathedral, in the Chapel named in her honor. The rest is history. We were there last February 20, 2016 for the historic “re-enthronement” of Mary’s image in the Manila Cathedral. We were there in full force to fill up the Cathedral as one big Salesian Family. We were there with our Salesian joy, with our songs and cheers, with the youth and the children. As the Salesians of Don Bosco through the hands of His Eminence Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle gifted me with a special award of recognition, I could not but rejoice. One of my many questions about Mary Help of Christians’ presence in the Philippines has been finally answered. More questions emerge as my discoveries continue. Shall all these lead to the crowning of Mary’s image in 2022? I am hopeful and getting truly excited! VIVA MARIA!!! june-august 2016 st. john bosco today
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FIN-FIS NE WS
FMA PERPETUAL PROFESSION & JUBILARIANS On May 24, 2016, the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians [FMA] celebrate the Perpetual Professions and the 25th anniversary of the Religious Profession at the St. John Bosco Parish, Makati. The Holy Eucharist was presided by His most Reverend Bishop Roberto Mallari, D.D. Bishop of San Jose, Chairman of CBCP – ECCCE and Bishop in-charge of YOUCAT Philippines.
Sisters who made their Perpetual Profession: Sr. Leila Montero, FMA (Left) from Mindoro and Sr. Mylene Sanchez, FMA (Right) from Pampanga
Sisters who celebrated the 25Th Anniversary of Religious Profession: (from left to right) Sr. Jessica Salvaña,FMA, Sr. Ma. Lourdes Virginia Fernando, FMA, Sr. Josefina Impelido, FMA, Sr. Maria Clara Alacapa, FMA, Sr. Ma. Elizabeth Marquez, FMA, Sr. Therese Yvonne Jance, FMA, Sr. Teresita Padron, FMA, Sr. Phebe Lacse, FMA
PRIESTLY ORDINATION
Parañaque City, May 14, 2016—Fr. Donnie Duchin Duya, SDB was ordained a Salesian Priest by Bishop Mylo Vergara, DD of the Diocese of Pasig, at the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians.
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Nasugbu, Batangas, Philippines, 18 April 2016—Today, Fr. Arokiam Kanaga, SDB, the South Asia Regional Superior, ends his Extraordinary Canonical Visitation to the FIN Province. He stayed in the FIN Province for two months as the Rector Major’s representative. He started his extraordinary visit last February 4 during the monthly assembly of the Rectors. He was able to visit all the twenty-six Salesian settings during these two months and listened to the Rendiconto of all the FIN confreres. During his stay in the FIN Province, he was able to witness the re-installation of the image of Mary Help of Christians at the Manila Cathedral last February 20 that was attended by the different members of the Salesian Family. He personally met the Archbishop of Manila, His Eminence Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, DD, who was the Main Celebrant of this historic event. Also during his stay in the Province, he was also able to give a Good Night Talk to the EAO Provincial Superiors and Delegate Superiors last March 8. During his talk, the Rector Major and some members of his Council and the EAO Regional Superior, Fr. Vaclav Klement were present, too. On this last day of his extraordinary visitation that was held in Don Bosco Batulao, he first met the FIN Provincial, Fr. Paul Bicomong, and his Council from 8:30am to 9:30am. At 10:00am, he met and talked to the confreres and shared with them his observations and recommendations. There was an open forum at around 11:30am where he listened to some of the confreres’ thoughts, reflections, and reactions. The confreres of the FIN Province are very grateful to him for his very friendly and brotherly presence. His observations and recommendations are rich materials for the FIN Province to consider seriously in living up to the challenges of General Chapter 27 and in becoming more faithful sons of Don Bosco. VIVA DON BOSCO!!!
Fr. Arokiam Kanaga, SDB
ends his Extraordinary
FIRST PROFESSION
Canonical Visitation
Gone to the
Father FR. JOSE NILO LALAP, SDB Talisay, Cebu, May 6, 2016—The newly professed Salesians of Don Bosco:
First Row (left to right): Cl. Reynaldo M. Durango, Jr., SDB-FIS, Cl. Edlazir Franz P. Lloren, SDB - FIS, Br. Eng Sarong, SDB-THA-CAM, Br. John Dominic M. Coral, SDB-FIN, Cl. John Jospeh S. Aguila, SDB - FIN, Cl. Francis Wang, SDB-CIN Second Row (left to right): Cl. Gerondio S. Trujello, Jr., SDB - FIS,Cl. Jojo Agar A. Villanueva, SDB - FIN, Cl. Lorenzo Gabiel T. Estrella, SDB - FIN, Cl. Joseph Wang Ping Hui, SDB - CIN
FR. ADOLF FARONI, SDB
Born: February 09, 1923 First Religious Profession: January 31, 1946 Priestly Ordination: June 15, 1957 Died: January 5, 2016
Born: October 21, 1966 First Religious Profession: April 01, 1986 Priestly Ordination: December 08, 1995 Died: January 31, 2016
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