St. John Bosco Today September-November 2017

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September-November 2017 | St. John Bosco Today

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Contents St. John Bosco Today Volume 47 I Number 2 September-November 2017

a Magazine of Information and Religious Culture of the Salesian Family in the Philippines

Message of the Rector Major ......................... 3 Editor’s Note.................................................. 5 SALESIANITY 101 To the Peripheries ..................................... 6

EDITORIAL TEAM Owner Salesian Society of St. John Bosco Printer Don Bosco Press, Inc. 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. Fidel Ma. Orendain, SDB (FIS) Sr. Rachel Flor, FMA & FMA Past Pupils, Sr. Sophia Akiko Oshita, SCG, Imelda Benitez-Domitita 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 ) 'RQ %RVFR 3URYLQFLDO 2IĂ€ FH 'RQ %RVFR 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 Visit us at www.sdb.org.ph All rights reserved Š 2017 by Don Bosco Press, Inc. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission from the publisher.

FEATURES Peripheries in our Midst ............................ 9 What Lies Ahead ...................................... 13 FMA and VIDES Volunteers: Missionaries of Joy and Hope in the Peripheries ............ 17 The Social Action Programs of DBTI-Makati ......................................... 21 SPECIAL FEATURE Appreciating and Celebrating My 60 Years as a Salesian ...........................................23 “I Shall Come Out Like Gold�.....................26 Fr. Mac ....................................................29 Fifty Grace-Filled Years as Salesians Of Don Bosco...........................................32 Silver Jubilarians As Salesian Priests........35 Following the Footsteps of Christ ..............36 MHC CORNER Spared from Many Operations ..................38 SPECIAL NEW Titus Zeman: Salesian Priest and Martyr ....39

I dream of a Salesian Family whose members carry the poorest in their hearts.

Message of the RECTOR MAJOR

Dear Brothers And Sisters Of Our Family And Friends Of St. John Bosco,

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once again express to you my conviction that “the poorest are the reason for our existence as Salesian Family in the Church and that our dedication to them is the reason for our lives.” I am convinced of how precious is the witness of so many Salesian confrères who offer their lives every day with true educative and evangelizing passion on behalf of the young. Likewise, I am convinced that many are the Salesian presences that look with predilection at the poor. I give thanks to the Lord for this and I repeat: “Dear brothers and sisters, we must move further on, we must go beyond.” We must all have a heart like that of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and like that of St. John Bosco and of the many holy men and women of our Salesian family. As members of this family, we aim to give the best of ourselves for the young. Finally, we must unite this commitment of ours with that of all persons of good will. Pope Francis, in his message to consecrated persons, says: “Wake up the world, illuminate it with your prophetic and countercultural witness!” I truly think that our Salesian method of illuminating the world in a prophetic and countercultural way is well rooted in all of us and in all our houses. Do not have the least doubt that by living and working in the spirit of St. John Bosco, even without any words, we bring a message that arouses questions

In Evangelii Gaudium, the Pope quotes St. John Chrysostom, one of the Church fathers, who said: “Not to share one’s wealth with the poor is to steal from them and to take away their livelihood. It is not our own goods that we hold, but theirs.�

and carries a great witnessing power. Do not have any doubt that by living in this way we will not lack the means to reach out to the poorest. Let us remember the solid trust that St. John Bosco had in Divine Providence. And so, what else is there to do? Let us continue this journey of growth until every Salesian Father or Brother, every Daughter of Mary Help of Christians, every lay person, and every member of each of the thirty groups that form this vast tree sprouting from the charism of St. John Bosco, feel in the depth of their souls a sense of regret when they are not able to help a poor boy or girl in need. If our heart has such a IHHOLQJ ZH ZLOO DOZD\V Ă€ QG ZD\V WR EH WUXO\ faithful to our preferential option for the poorest youth. In Evangelii Gaudium, the Pope quotes St. John Chrysostom, one of the Church fathers, who said: “Not to share one’s wealth with the poor is to steal from them and to take away their livelihood. It is not our own goods that we hold, but theirs.â€? The Pope reminds us of the globalization of indifference that makes us incapable of feeling compassion at the outcry of the poor, in a culture of prosperity that deadens us. (See Evangelii Gaudium, 54.) With great force he calls our attention to the “throw-awayâ€? culture, which we have socially created and in which “the excluded are not the ‘exploited’ but the outcast, the ‘leftovers’.â€? (EG, 53) In the light of this expression that is just as fundamental and essential in our Salesian charism, I tell you, dear friends, that moving in this direction, we need not worry about the identity of RXU PLVVLRQ QRU DERXW RXU Ă€ GHOLW\ :H DUH on the right path! I bless you all that the Lord may FRQWLQXH WR Ă€ OO \RXU OLYHV ZLWK WKDW IXOOQHVV that COMES ONLY FROM HIM. „

Fr. Angel Fernandez Artime, SDB Rector Major

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St. John Bosco Today | September-November 2017

EDITOR'S NOTE

Dear Readers, This September-November Issue of St. John Bosco Today focuses on the priority given by the Salesian Family to the commitment of bringing the love of the Lord Jesus to the peripheries of our society, or, to what is commonly referred to as our less-fortunate brothers and sisters. However, the peripheries are not only those far-flung places that are difficult to reach. There are also peripheries that are not geographical but rather are spiritual and moral and are caused by material as well as social poverty. The Salesian Family, after the example of St. John Bosco (See pages 6—8.), continues to find ways and means to help our less-fortunate brothers and sisters build their lives in hope through various Salesian educative-pastoral endeavors (See pages 9—22). We also share with joy and gratitude the fidelity of the Salesian priests and brothers who are celebrating their silver, golden, and diamond anniversaries of Salesian life (See pages 23—35). Here are inspiring stories about these faithful sons of St. John Bosco. May God who is ever faithful be praised. And may we all be inspired by their example in living faithfully the call we received from God. VIVA DON BOSCO!

By Fr. Bernard P. Nolasco, SDB Editor

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To the

Peripheries By Fr. Caesar Dizon, SDB

Taking up once more and with vigor what St. John Bosco himself did to the youth who are most in need.

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SALESIANITY 101 | Family SALESIANITY 101 | IN SEARCH FOR THEMinistry LOST SHEEP

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n terse but elegant language, Jorge Mario Bergoglio offered an unusual narrative of the Church’s place in our time. ‘Reference has been made to evangelization‌.This is the Church’s reason for being‌.The Church is called to come out from itself and to go to the peripheries, not just the geographical but also the existential peripheries: those of the mystery of sin, of suffering, of injustice, of ignorance and lack of religion, those of thought and those of every kind of misery.’â€? (Randy David, 2017) Pope Francis repeated the same challenge to the members of the 27th Salesian General Chapter. The Act of the Chapter recorded the words of the Pope, who invited us “to place ourselves at the frontiers, on the margins, on the peripheries of the world, in the existential deserts where there are many like sheep without a shepherd and who have nothing to eat.â€? On the part of the Salesians, accepting the challenge of the Pope to go to the peripheries would not be taking a new direction. In fact, it is rather taking up once more and with vigor what St. John Bosco himself did DQG ZKDW WKH 6DOHVLDQV RI WKH Ă€ UVW hour did in imitation of our Father and Founder.

VALDOCCO The motherhouse of the Salesian Congregation developed in Valdocco, which in those days was at the peripheries of Turin. Through the Salesian Fr. Arthur Lenti, SDB, we get a description of the Valdocco of those years. Valdocco lies immediately west of Borgo Dora, with the Martinetto district further to the west. The area was undergoing initial development in the 1830s and 1840s. Up until the 1830s it had remained practically vacant. The old city walls and other ancient structures had been demolished (in Napoleon’s time) and the rubble dumped in this low-lying, partly marshy area sloping toward the Dora River. To encourage settlement and the city’s expansion to the north, King Charles Felix (1821—1831) had approved the gratuitous disposal of these public lands to private individuals. Later, in the 1860s,Valdocco would rival Borgo Dora as a slum. But in the 1840s the

Accepting the Pope’s call to go to the peripheries is not something altogether new for Salesians. The Salesians are actually continuing what St. John Bosco had already been doing. settling of Valdocco was still in progress. Looking from the higher ground northward toward the Dora River, one could see a scattering of houses and small factories along the canals. The only “high riseâ€? buildings were the Marchioness of Barolo’s Rifugio and connected buildings, and Fr. Joseph Cottolengo’s Little House of Divine Providence. Valdocco is situated in the northern districts that spread out toward the Dora River, from the great square and market place popularly called “Porta Palazzo.â€? This market place teemed with a great number of young people and children, who were described as “poor and abandoned.â€? Don Bosco Ă€ UVW FDPH LQWR contact with them when

he enrolled at the Convitto Ecclesiastico (Pastoral Institute). Since the place was situated in the northern outskirts of the city in the sparsely populated district of Valdocco, the Oratory would not be connected with any parish church. Thus, even from the point of view of the ecclesiastical structure of Turin, the Oratory was truly at the margins. Reading the report of Fr. Lenti about the work of the Cooperators in those early days, we get another glimpse of how Valdocco looked and the kind of young people St. John Bosco and the Cooperators served. All these cooperators came down WR WKH Ă€ HOGV RI 9DOGRFFR WR ZRUN 7KH district is now completely built up, but at the time it was fairly deserted. They came and spent time, money, and their best efforts on behalf of young people at risk—to gather them together in order to instruct them in the truths of faith and return them to society as good, productive citizens. Some of our pupils were nothing but GLUW\ XQNHPSW UDJDPXIĂ€ QV. No one could stand them, and no employer wanted them in his workshop. A number of charitable ladies came to the rescue. They washed. They sewed. They patched. They even provided new clothes and linen for these boys, as need demanded. (YHU\RQH VHHPHG Ă€ UHG ZLWK enthusiasm in this work of mercy, which was very much like “clothing the naked.â€? The youngsters,

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Not only was his work geographically at the periphery. The recipients of his eorts were also the marginalized youth. WRR JUDWHIXO IRU WKH EHQHĂ€ WV UHFHLYHG offered themselves willingly for singing and for serving as altar boys in those institutes. They also expressed their gratitude by praying, morning and evening, for their benefactors. In the face of protests from the parish priests of Turin, St. John Bosco defended his ministry among the Oratory boys of Valdocco. He said: “For the most part, these youngsters are foreigners who spend only a part of the year in Turin.They don’t have any idea what parishes they belong to. Many of them are badly off, speaking dialects hard to understand, so that they understand little and are little understood by others. Some are already grown up and don’t like associating in classes with little boys.â€? Not only was his work geographically at the periphery. The recipients of his efforts were also the marginalized youth.

LA BOCA (BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA). In the early morning of December 14, 1875, the Savoie entered the harbor of Buenos Aires. 7KH Ă€ UVW JURXS RI 6DOHVLDQ PLVVLRQDULHV under the leadership of Fr. John Cagliero Ă€ QDOO\ DUULYHG DIWHU D YR\DJH RI WKLUW\ GD\V 7KH IXOĂ€ OOPHQW RI 'RQ %RVFR¡V missionary dream was unfolding. Fr. Ceccarelli from San Nicolas was on hand to welcome them. He escorted the missionaries to the pier where a group of Italian immigrants were waiting. Among them were several former Oratory pupils! The missionaries were under the 8

impression that San Nicolas would be WKHLU À QDO GHVWLQDWLRQ DQG %XHQRV $LUHV only a stopover. But Archbishop Aneyros decided that some of them would stay on at the capital to take care of the Italian immigrants. He assigned Fathers Cagliero and Baccino and Brother Belmonte to the Church of Our Lady of Mercy. A couple of days after their arrival the Salesians lost no time in performing pastoral ministry. Fr. Cagliero preached the Christmas novena. And the three Salesians, full of zeal and creativity, made VXUH WKDW À UVW UHOLJLRXV FHOHEUDWLRQ RI Christmas was something the people would remember for a long time to come. A few months afterward they began an oratory for boys with the help of the Conferences of St.Vincent de Paul. This was soon followed by a vocational VFKRRO KRXVLQJ À IW\ RUSKDQV DQG SRRU boys. Now the time had come for Fr. Cagliero to make a courageous move for La Boca. It was an Italian enclave under the control of anti-clericals. Priests were not welcome there and no religious services were ever held in that place. Archbishop Anyeros had already warned Fr. Cagliero not to attempt to set foot in La Boca ,W H[HPSOLÀ HG WKH existential periphery about which Pope Francis speaks today. %XW VHW IRRW KH GLG 2Q WKH À UVW visit he scattered medals far and wide. Then in subsequent visits he stopped to talk to youngsters. He also promised to set up a playground for them. Having made inroads into La Boca, the Salesians

St. John Bosco Today | September-November 2017

were entrusted a quasi-parish under the patronage of St. John the Evangelist which the Archbishop established especially for them. There were three reasons why the Salesians managed to penetrate and establish themselves in La Boca in spite of the odds. First, the Salesians directed their efforts toward the youth. This immediately earned the sympathy of the Italian community. Second, the educational and intellectual preparation of the Salesians was on par with the highest in the community. And this enabled them to withstand any move RI WKH DQWL FOHULFDOV $QG Ă€ QDOO\ WKH Salesians also worked closely with the secular elite, through associations (especially for mutual aid), the press, and HGXFDWLRQ 7KH LQFUHDVLQJ LQĂ XHQFH RI the Salesians also saw the beginning of WKH HQG RI WKH LQĂ XHQFH RI UDGLFDOLVP and anticlericalism in that enclave. What St. John Bosco did at Valdocco, the Salesian missionaries did at La Boca. CONCLUSION Glady Ramos wrote about St. John Bosco’s work today in the peripheries of Calauan, Laguna. Around 8,000 urban poor families affected by Typhoon Ondoy and those living along the Pasig River were relocated here by the government in 2010. When the Salesians RI 'RQ %RVFR 6'% Ă€ UVW FDPH WR Calauan in May 2010, there was no water, no electricity, and the people had no work. Fr. Boy Pablo, SDB, explains the situation of people uprooted from an urban area to live in a rural area like Calauan: “Nawalan sila ng self-identity and sense of belongingness. Na-Ondoy na nga sila, at may trauma pa.Tapos dito sila dinala.â€? Accepting the Pope’s call to go to the peripheries is not something altogether new for Salesians. The Salesians are actually continuing what St. John Bosco had already been doing. But today, the Salesians are being asked to make tough decisions. It is a matter of taking “another look at where we must remain, where we should go and where we can leave....â€? In doing so, the Salesians can respond more effectively to the call of “needy young people (who) challenge us with their groans and their cries of pain.â€? „ (Acts of the 27th General Chapter)

FEATURE | TO THE PERIPERIES

Peripheries

Don Bosco - Ca lauan

in our

Midst

Tondo Don Bosco -

FRONTIERS IN THE SDB-FIN PROVINCE By Fr. Anthony Paul Bicomong, SDB PROVINCIAL SUPERIOR | Philippine – North Province (FIN)

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hen we talk about peripheries we tend to look far toward our geographical boundaries. For the Salesian Philippine-North Province, the frontiers extend into rural settings, such as those in the provinces of Tarlac and Nueva Ecija in the north and Camarines Sur and Albay in the south.Very soon we shall even go beyond to new mission area in Kuching, Malaysia.

Tuloy sa Don Bo sc

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However, we do have peripheries also in our Salesian houses in the urban centers. We would like to focus on these works, for they span the decades of Salesian presence in the Philippines. From the old to the new: Don Bosco Tondo, Tuloy sa Don Bosco, and Don Bosco Calauan.

The visit of the Rector Major to these places proclaims their relevance and signals the renewed focus of the Congregation on the poor. September-November 2017 | St. John Bosco Today

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DON BOSCO TONDO

DON BOSCO TONDO LV D VLJQLÀ FDQW SUHVHQFH LQ RXU

Salesian history. From the beginning to the present time, the ZRUN KDV DOZD\V EHHQ LGHQWLÀ HG ZLWK WKH SRRUHVW VHFWLRQV RI WKH city of Manila. Through the years, it has served countless people, particularly the young, and has raised the level of their life and faith. This too is the Salesian house that has been visited by Blessed Pope Paul VI and by different Rector Majors. The Salesian house teems with a lot of activities. There are always people, from early morning to late evening. The Salesian community animates the work, supporting one another as they infuse its different sectors with a vibrant family spirit. Committed lay mission partners abound. So also young people—those from Tondo itself and migrant youth who come for training. Noteworthy is the Salesian engagement in campus ministry around the area. There are four major settings: the Youth Center, the TVET Center, the Parish, and the Boarding House for migrant boys and girls. The Don Bosco Youth Center abounds with activities: sports, music, catechesis, personality development, theater, and many more. Undoubtedly, oung people are present all throughout the day. This has always been the banner-presence of Don Bosco Tondo. 7KH 'RQ %RVFR 79(7 &HQWHU PDNHV D VLJQLÀ FDQW contribution in the area. The course offerings may have changed through the years but have always remained relevant. The Center WUDLQV PRUH WKDQ À YH KXQGUHG \RXQJ SHRSOH DW DQ\ JLYHQ WLPH Like other TVET centers, the ministry assures poor youth of good jobs after their training and a better life. Besides technical skills training, value-based education and even medical care are given them—holistic formation at its best! The St. John Bosco Parish, made up of 18,000 households— large by any standard—is busy with numerous activities. The Salesian priests are few, for such a huge population. But the parish is well organized with basic ecclesial communities (BECs), as well as various groups and associations taking up the different ministries such as liturgy, catechesis, and care for the sick. Lay SHRSOH SOD\ D VLJQLÀ FDQW UROH LQ WKH SDULVK DGPLQLVWUDWLRQ 3RSXODU piety is vibrant. This is a Salesian setting that has produced numerous Salesian vocations.

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St. John Bosco Today | September-November 2017

TULOY SA DON BOSCO TULOY SA DON BOSCO in

Alabang, Muntinlupa, has gone a long way from the early stages of its growth as a ministry for street children of Saint John Bosco Parish in Makati. The tagline runs: “a home for street children.â€? This is a unique type of Salesian presence for marginalized youth, even LI LW FDQ EH FODVVLĂ€ HG DV D ZRUN IRU youth-at-risk. It is owned and operated by a private foundation whose assets do not belong to the Salesians.Yet the Salesian identity is not wanting, for the pastoral care has always been handled by Salesians, right from the moment Fr. Rocky Evangelista, SDB, started it. The fact that the Salesian Congregation does not own it has not been a hindrance to the ministry for youth-atrisk. Many Salesians, young and old, have worked in Tuloy; even young confreres in initial formation. Today, a canonically established Salesian community is the animating nucleus of the work. One of the treasures of Tuloy sa Don Bosco are the numerous lay people involved in the work. Fr. Rocky is assiduous in following them up, and instilling in them a Salesian sense of mission for poor youth. They guarantee the growth and sustainability of the institution. The major activities of the center are diverse: residential care, Alternative Learning System, technical and vocational training, human and spiritual formation, sports, arts, dance, music, youth center for neighborhood, agricultural production, outstation centers. There is also collaboration with other religious groups and the mutual enrichment of charisms. Divine Providence and the gift of countless benefactors, partners, and volunteers, as well as the dedication of the 6DOHVLDQV VWUHQJWKHQ LWV Ă€ QDQFLDO KHDOWK The foundation in turn assures the continuity and viability of the work. The fruits are evident: success stories of young people re-discovering themselves DQG Ă€ QGLQJ JRRG HPSOR\PHQW

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DON BOSCO CALAUAN DON BOSCO CALAUAN is

among the newest works in the Northern Province. It is still in the pioneering stage, but growth can already be felt. It is indeed in the periphery of society. The people are re-located and disenfranchised families, a strikingly new form of poverty. Hence, the Salesians live simple and frugal lives—a poor community among the poor! Young Salesians in formation who come for immersion and ministry cannot but be inspired. Recently, the Rector Major of the Salesians, Fr. Angel Fernandez, SDB, visited the place and stirred even greater enthusiasm among the people. The work is sustained by the generosity of benefactors and the availability of funds coming from NGOs. Among the numerous projects are the feeding program for 1,500 people daily and the livelihood projects. A group of religious sisters collaborate in some projects and take care of the girls. The TVET Center is still in its beginning stages but already operational, thanks to the support of the German government through Salesian Procure in Bonn, and of local groups. There is the constant presence of Salesians among the young trainees and of dedicated lay mission partners. One can feel the very Salesian ambiance. The chapel is the center of prayer and of the community gatherings. Special attention is given to the Eucharist and catechism. Even the roads are transformed into basketball courts for the \RXWK FHQWHU 6SLULWXDOLW\ RYHUÁ RZV LQWR neighboring chapels and parishes.

CONCLUSION These are the peripheries in our midst. Here, God has been always at work through our Salesian Congregation. The visit of the Rector Major to these places proclaims their relevance and signals the renewed focus of the Congregation on the poor. We cannot but be grateful to God. We are invited to work even harder in our own places, to pray more, to be united in our efforts, and to love the poor by being constantly present among them. We are challenged to be more joyful in simple lifestyles and more enthusiastic even in the hardships of such presences where success stories do not come as easy as in established structures. We are called to return to the basic strategies of sustainable development and the conscientization and empowerment of people rather than grandiose welfare projects. We are disciples of the Risen Lord who entrusts us with these responsibilities. His triumph is ours as we re-format St. John Bosco’s charism in the empowerment of the marginalized youth in the peripheries. 12

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FEATURE | FIS MOVING FORWARD

What Lies Ahead FIS 25 Years and Onwards By Fr. Godofredo Atienza, SDB PROVINCIAL SUPERIOR | Philippine – South Province (FIS)

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et me begin with a quote from the book “Meditations in Wall Street.” The author lends us his wisdom meant for businesses and businessmen: “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” For the Salesian Philippine South Province (FIS), what lies within is St. John Bosco‘s mission on behalf of poor youth. Ever conscious of this mission, LW KDV EHFRPH VLJQLÀ FDQWO\ SUHVHQW in the regions of the Visayas and 0LQGDQDR LQ WKHVH WZHQW\ À YH \HDUV of existence. It has also established

itself in the distant cities of Lahore and Quetta in Pakistan, reaching out to young people, Christians and Muslims alike. It continues to carry out its mission in these different cultural contexts, manifesting God’s message of love in various ways. The youth centers, technicalvocational training centers, parishes, schools, retreat houses, boys homes, DIWHUFDUH KRPH IRU FKLOGUHQ LQ FRQÁ LFW with the law, novitiate, and seminary are the conventional ways that the Salesians in the FIS deliver on their time-honored mission of integral development of

persons. Sixty-six priests, thirteen brothers, and twenty-four post-novices and theologians, beefed up by dedicated lay mission partners who belong to the wide network of the Salesian Family, work with an unequivocal preference for the youth, especially the marginalized. Just like many provinces across vast continents and countries, the FIS remains attuned to the demand of the Salesian Preventive System to go “where the young in need are and take up the work where they are found.” (AGC 394, 11) This duty necessitates

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an ever-dynamic reading of the signs of the times and a careful consideration of what could be attendant actions to these signs. Concretely for the FIS, the modern-day realities challenge the Salesians to more decisive action against compelling issues facing modern societies. In particular, there is the country’s alarming situation as regards HIV/AIDS among pre-adolescents and youth. In response, the FIS recently formed a task force to look into possible programs on HIV prevention and education, and the prevention of drug-abuse and other forms of addiction. Exploratory talks and visits to Philippine health agencies and Philippine-based NGOs doing HIV/ AIDS work have been done to grasp the full extent of the work for the infected and affected population. The task force just concluded an exposurevisit to two Salesian works in South Africa engaged in HIV education and

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prevention in schools and communities. The data-gathering and knowledge absorption were done in view of developing a comprehensive valuesbased, age-appropriate, education and prevention program on HIV/AIDS. On another front, the FIS aftercare ZRUN ZLWK FKLOGUHQ LQ FRQÁLFW ZLWK WKH law (CICL), called the Magone Home Program, in Cebu continues to address the vulnerabilities of young recipients and ensure their rehabilitation and integration into their communities. It has wrapped up its pilot stage, from the 2010 to 2016, with client cases ranging from the simple to the complex and heinous. From the multi-year program implementation, it can be established with certainty that the comprehensive and intense case management services did provide the CICL clients experiences of healing, empowerment, and integration. These three elements led the clients into the path of growth, productivity, and responsible citizenship. In the course of time, it also mitigated

St. John Bosco Today | September-November 2017

re-offense and the recurrence of their anti-social behavior. Likewise, a good number of CICL clients and their families were healed from injurious experiences in the past, including loss, injustice, shame, and guilt. They were enabled to discover and re-discover latent or unrecognized strengths and capacities within them to battle future hardships. And, to cap it all, numerous &,&/ FOLHQWV ZHUH ÀQDOO\ DEOH WR successfully reintegrate themselves into their communities as socially able and productive individuals. However, side by side with the gains of the Magone Home aftercare framework is a setback that seriously affects its full triumph. The atrocity done by the CICL clients to their victims remains a dark and haunting reality that gnaws at the program’s work and limits the clients’ transformation. The accompanying hatred, guilt, and hurt weaken the clients and perpetuate their view of themselves as incapable of positive

change and of overcoming adversities. The threat of early program drop-out is real for the clients who are in a state of misery and turmoil and feel trapped in a vicious cycle of re-offending. After deep discernment and thorough discussion, and guided by the belief in restorative justice, the FIS is considering a Victim Work Program within the overall CICL aftercare framework to promote, where realistic and possible, holistic healing and integration among the Magone Home CICL clients. The Victim Work 3URJUDP VLJQLÀ FDQWO\ UHPHGLHV WKH KDUP GRQH RQ YLFWLPV DQG WKHLU IDPLOLHV WKURXJK restorative sessions in order that they eventually come to terms with the grave wrong done to them. Where viable, sessions with the CICL clients can even be facilitated.Victim work alleviates the torment among the clients because they realize that something positive is being done to those they have victimized even if it would never repair the wrecked situation and even if resolution with the victim may never be achieved. Still on another front, the FIS continues to actualize the recommendations of the last General Chapter to venture into the world of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) and the digital environment (GC27 #25). It has been exploring various cultural, social, and pastoral possibilities for Salesians to use these new media tools as educators and evangelizers. The FIS has formed linkages with like-minded organizations, including the Episcopal Commission on Youth (ECY), the Catholic Education Association of the Philippines (CEAP), the Philippine Pediatrics Society (PPS), Children’s Protection Network (CPN), and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) to raise awareness on the proper use of

Just like many provinces across vast continents and countries, the FIS remains attuned to the demand of the Salesian Preventive System to go “where the young in need are and take up the work where they are found.”

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The FIS, on its 25th year and onward, has set its sights on hard issues that require Salesians to step out of their comfort zones and confront troubling realities that beset the youth and prey upon their vulnerabilities.

social media, including the prevention of unnecessary online risks of young people and assistance to those harmed or abused via cyberspace. The FIS, on its 25th year and onward, has set its sights on hard issues that require Salesians to step out of their comfort zones and confront troubling realities that beset the youth and prey upon their vulnerabilities. With these progressive initiatives, the FIS aspires to actualize the precept in the Salesian Constitutions that reads: “We reject everything that encourages deprivation, injustice, and violence.We cooperate with

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St. John Bosco Today | September-November 2017

all who are trying to build a society more worthy of man’s dignity.” (No. 33) Let me paraphrase my opening quotation to emphasize the importance of the Salesian identity in relation to what has been achieved and what is being planned: “What is behind us and what is within us must enlighten what is before us.” Ever conscious of its rich past, the FIS continues on its journey as a religious province, as it seeks greater relevance in a society that continues to hope despite the odds.

FEATURE | AT HOME WITH GOD

FMA and VIDES Volunteers: Missionaries of Joy and Hope in the Peripheries Hg# BV# ?dhZÂ cV 8VggVhXd! ;B6

The Acts of the General Chapter XXIII of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA) call all of us to be missionaries of joy and hope in the peripheries. This is also the constant challenge of Pope Francis to the religious, to go out of their comfort zones and spread the joy of the Gospel in word and action. September-November 2017 | St. John Bosco Today

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Under the mobile education project, children and youth are given opportunities for development in the ďŹ eld of education, culture, arts, music, and sports.

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#MOBILE EDUCATION PROJECT In his encyclical, Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis calls on young people to go out to the peripheries and be “callejeros de la feâ€? or preachers of the faith on the streets. He writes: “How beautiful it is to see that young people are ‘street preachers,’ joyfully bringing Jesus to every street, every town square, and every corner of the earth!â€? 1R :KHQ WKH )0$ DQG 9,'(6 9ROXQWHHUV Ă€UVW KHDUG DERXW WKLV LQ RQH RI WKHLU IRUPDWLRQ VHVVLRQV WKH\ IHOW HODWHG DQG JUHDWO\ DIĂ€UPHG EHFDXVH WKH\ KDG been doing this in their community-based mobile education project known as the “Busina Mo, Dunong Koâ€? (BMDK) for more than ten years already, in six areas within three cities of Metro-Manila. In the project, every session begins with the gathering of children and youth whose ages range from four to eighteen years. (DFK YROXQWHHU KDQGOHV D VSHFLĂ€F DJH JURXS DQG FDUULHV RXW WKH GD\¡V DFWLYLWLHV which always include values formation and catechesis. Under the mobile education SURMHFW FKLOGUHQ DQG \RXWK DUH JLYHQ RSSRUWXQLWLHV IRU GHYHORSPHQW LQ WKH Ă€HOG RI education, culture, arts, music, and sports.Youth leaders undergo training programs and organize themselves per area and at the same time manage every BMDK session. The VIDES Volunteers are continually challenged and inspired to share themselves because the children and youth are always looking forward to new activities, ideas, and experiences. This has led to an ever increasing membership among the volunteers of VIDES Philippines.VIDES volunteers from other countries also participate in this mobile education project. Indeed, young people want to belong to a group that will enable them to do meaningful and lasting things for God and for others. #LIVELIHOOD AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER FOR WOMEN AND FAMILIES One of the communities in Pasay City where the VIDES Philippines volunteers used to conduct the mobile education project for almost ten years was Barangay 143. Since the people were informal settlers, they were eventually relocated to Trece Martires, Cavite, in 2013. After careful discernment and dialogue, the FMA and VIDES Volunteers decided to go to the peripheries and “pitch

St. John Bosco Today | September-November 2017

their tent” among them. Thus, the Livelihood and Development Center for Women and Families was inaugurated last 1RYHPEHU 7KLV FHQWHU VHUYHV DV DQ RIÀFH IRU 9,'(6 volunteers, a place for learning baking, sewing, microcredit, and entrepreneurship, a venue for youth leadership training, a welcome house for local and international volunteers, and a center for the formation of women and their families. Since its opening, the center has produced bread for thousands of children participating in the mobile education project in Trece Martires, with the VIDES volunteers themselves as bakers. This complements what other generous benefactors provide for the ongoing mobile education project in Quezon City, Pasay, and Manila. Apart from this, microcredit projects for women and their families have been launched, with the formation of basic ecclesial communities (BECs) as the starting point.

#PLANTING MANGROVES FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS “Planting rice is never fun,” goes the Filipino folk song, but planting mangroves has always been fun and exciting for all FMA and VIDES volunteers. Of course, you can never plant mangroves in the cities of Manila, so you have to go to the peripheries, such as Oriental and Occidental Mindoro. Before you reach the site, you have to hike and literally race with the low tide. Timing is very important because you can only plant when the dry land appears. This means leaving before daybreak to be at the mangrove site and traveling the day before by land and sea. You need teamwork. One carries the seedlings, another one digs, another plants, and still another ties the mangrove stem onto a bamboo stick to prevent it from being carried away when high tide comes. Most of all, you need to collaborate and coordinate with local government units and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). But why are mangroves so important? Environmentalists teach that mangroves provide a suitable habitat for birds and marine life. Their roots prevent erosion and lessen the impact of tsunamis and typhoons. Each mangrove seedling that we plant today will be of great use for the future generations.

#FARMING TOGETHER, RISING TOGETHER

It has been almost four years since typhoon Haiyan (local name “Yolanda”) struck, but the FMA and VIDES Volunteers still continue to mobilize the FMA Disaster Management Task Force based in Samar and Leyte. “Farming Together, Rising Together” is their ongoing project in Leyte, in the municipalities of Palo, Alang-Alang, and Sta. Fe, where the 6\VWHP RI 5LFH ,QWHQVLÀFDWLRQ 65, LV EHLQJ LPSOHPHQWHG Under the SRI, each hectare can produce more than the regular production of 140 cavans with conventional rice planting. In each of these three municipalities, the FMA and VIDES Volunteers have organized three cooperatives of farmers who have undergone ten consecutive sessions of training on the SRI and organic farming, in collaboration with WKH 6RFLDO $FWLRQ 2IÀFHV RI WKH 'LRFHVH RI &DOED\RJ DQG WKH Archdiocese of Palo. Agricultural experts from SRI Pilipinas, the Diocese of Calbayog, and the Visayas State College of Agriculture (VISCA, now known as Visayas State University or VSU) were involved in the training and consultancy. At the international level,VIDES Italy and Caritas Italiana also got engaged. There may be no FMA convent in Leyte, but this has not been an obstacle in reaching out and making this project possible and sustainable because of the active collaboration of our lay mission partners.

September-November 2017 | St. John Bosco Today

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#NETWORKING FOR CHILDREN’S AND WOMEN’S RIGHTS Peripheries are not only geographical but also existential. In fact, many women and children are on the fringes of society, mainly due to poverty, neglect, and abuse. The economic gap is even becoming more pronounced because of greater opportunities for those who have more possibilities and resources, pushing those at the fringes farther than where they were before. At the international level, both FMA and VIDES are given consultative status in the United Nations in Geneva as non-government organizations, thus giving a voice to women and children. In the Philippines, FMA and VIDES expand this network, extending their connections through networking with local groups such as Saligan, Child Rights Network (CRN), and the Civil Society Coalition on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CSCCRC). In the Youth for Human Rights meeting at the United Nations in Geneva last March 2017, FMA and VIDES Philippines was represented by Marian Belarmino,

At the international level, both FMA and VIDES are given consultative status in the United Nations in Geneva as nongovernment organizations, thus giving a voice to women and children. 20

a participant of the “Busina Mo, Dunong Ko” mobile education project from elementary to high school, a scholar under the Solidarity at A Distance program of VIDES, a VIDES youth leader, and a “cum laude” graduate from the University of the Philippines in 2016. She is a living witness on how the right to education can truly develop a person in spite of being in the peripheries. During the ASEAN 7th high-level cross-regional roundtable on violence against children held last June 6, 2017, at the Manila Hotel, two VIDES teenagers, Erica Quilos and Angelo Alisna, were chosen to interact with Marta Santos-Pais, the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary General (UN-SRSG) on Violence Against Children (VAC). Among the points raised by these youth representatives were the promotion of positive discipline in the home and the elimination of corporal punishment of children. In the Salesian context, this is the Preventive System of education of St. John Bosco.

St. John Bosco Today | September-November 2017

FEATURE | START THEM YOUNG

The Social Action Programs of DBTI-Makati Bosconians with the heart for the least of their brethren… By Henri Robertt Bungabong

E

very year, the Don Bosco Technical Institute of Makati develops in its students a greater consciousness about the condition of those in the peripheries. It encourages the students to participate in social action programs that create avenues for service and interaction.

PROGRAMS FOR EACH GRADE LEVEL For the Grade 7 students, there is the visit to the painting gallery of the late Joey Velasco. The objective of this program is to encounter the marginalized through Velasco’s works of art. Best known is his famous painting “Hapag ng Pag-asa” (Table of Hope) which portrays the Last Supper with street children instead of apostles. Joey was only forty three years of age when he passed away, but he was still able to touch the hearts of people through this painting. On one visit, the Bosconians met one of those in the painting. He whose life was changed because of Joey became an inspiration to the students. “I learned so many new things while we were on the trip but the part that really made it extraordinary was when we got to know Joey Velasco. I learned compassion towards the community around me through him who helped the poor kids. I learned that no matter how high you place yourself in our society, we are all still equal in the eyes of the Lord,” said Ralph Basco as he recalled the memorable experiences when his class visited the gallery. The Grade 8 students go for an encounter with the students of the Itaas Elementary School in Muntinlupa City. The students of the school are no ordinary students, primarily since they are children of current inmates in our country’s prisons. This one-day interaction awakens in the Bosconians the realization that life goes on despite all the misfortunes in it. The Grade 9 students visit the Hospicio de San Jose September-November 2017 | St. John Bosco Today

21

For the forgotten and abandoned, there are the gifts of faith, hope, and love. For the students, there are the gifts of compassion, joy, enthusiasm, and optimism.

in Manila, home for elderly persons abandoned by their families. Many Filipinos are so poor that they give up caring for their old parents and relatives. Many of these have few or no visitors at all—forgotten and abandoned! Here are students ready to listen to their stories of pain and sorrow, and be enriched by the encounter. “Interacting with the elderly was really great, because it is not every time that you are given opportunities to bond with the elderly. In fact some students never met their grandparents while some only met them for only a few times. I had a great time with the lolos and lolas.They were so kind and we even bonded with them by doing several song and dance numbers.Their stories really made me feel what it was like to be abandoned,” said Emilio Bunani. For the Seniors, there is the visit to Don Bosco Calauan. This is more than a program; it is actually the bridge to a greater partnership between the school and Don Bosco Calauan. The formation of strong values help the Grade 10 students become more conscious of and responsible for the present state of the country today. There are activities such as story-telling and catechism to inspire and teach the children of Calauan. The seniors entertain the children with songs and dances. Traditional Filipino games such as patintero, luksong-baka, and taya-tayaan are fused with ball games to keep the children’s spirits up and alive throughout the whole day. Any feeling of exhaustion disappears when the students see the children smiling. For the more mature, there is the visit to the New Bilibid Prison Medium Security Camp. This very dramatic, tearful, and overwhelming experience is reserved for the Grade 11 students. There are feelings of sadness and pity during the entire stay. Students experience fear and unease upon entering the compound. There are no boundaries separating them from the inmates. Anything can happen, but always there is an optimistic thought that takes hold of them. Moreover, they are in for a big surprise because the camp turns out completely opposite of what they imagined earlier. The inmates prepare a lot of songs and dances to entertain them and make them feel at home. Finally, each of them gets a chance to sit down and talk with an inmate. This is the climax of the whole program. The students get to know the life-stories of the inmates. Stories of sadness, corruption, injustice, violence, thievery, murder surface from inmates who, guilty or not, are sentenced to pay the price of their crimes. Some of the students cry and get emotional because the stories are saddening, and most of the crimes are caused by poverty. What can people do when they are in dire need of money and are pushed against the wall? Justin Roald Dugang, a Grade 11 student, shared his experiences in the New Bilibid Prison. “Encountering them was a form of love.This opportunity showed me the essence of helping other people through our own presence. Devoting our time to listen to what their heart desires is already an act of appreciation. My partner inspired me to look forward and to strive hard LQ P\ HQGHDYRU , EHOLHYH WKDW *RG DOZD\V KDV D SODQ IRU XV ZH MXVW KDYH WR ÀQG the right path.” Allein Paul Vicedo, another Grade 11 student, shared his story. “Life inside the Bilibid Prison is one of the biggest misconceptions people make.We are no different from those who are inside the Bilibid. But there is one thing that differentiates us from them.We have our absolute freedom while theirs is limited and even taken away. Nonetheless, they are normal people too, hoping to become better people than before.”

CONCLUSION These are programs that are put together to remind us to help people in need. By putting ourselves in their shoes, we realize that many are marginalized and need help. The programs may be simple and short, but the encounters and the memories are extraordinary. For the forgotten and abandoned, there are the gifts of faith, hope, and love. For the students, there are the gifts of compassion, joy, enthusiasm, and optimism. 22

St. John Bosco Today | September-November 2017

SPECIAL FEATURE | DIAMOND JUBILARIAN

APPRECIATING AND CELEBRATING

My 60 Years as a Salesian

A Commitment to Youth and Families of Rural Communities By Bro. Luigi Parolin, SDB

Greetings from Don Bosco Agro-Mechanical Technology Center of Legazpi City, Albay.

I

am happy and grateful to the Lord for granting me sixty years to serve him in the Salesian life. At present, I work in Don Bosco Legazpi, managing the Agricultural Development Program that intends to develop upland agriculture, and introduce mechanical machines and implement in practicing agriculture. Together with the Don Bosco Agricultural Cooperative, we also assist farmers in growing and marketing agricultural products of their choice. This initiative aims to improve the socio-economic condition of the farmers’ families and bring Don Bosco to the forefront and vanguard of progress for social, human, and moral development. My present ministry allows me to reminisce my childhood experiences in an agricultural setting and my vocation to be a Salesian. I was born in June 1940 in an old farm house in theVenice region of Italy, where the “Parolin Clan” had been cultivating the land for more than four hundred years.As a young boy I wanted to learn an employable skill. So I did my high school in a Don Bosco agricultural school about forty kilometers from the city of Turin.This school was actually a seminary for Salesian brothers, but I was not aware of this back then. I remained in this school for four years, then went on to the Salesian novitiate. I professed as a Salesian on August 16, 1957. I did three more years of formation in Turin, learning “furniture making” in preparation for teaching. As a young boy, I never wanted to go to the seminary even though I was encouraged to do so. I entered the agricultural school without knowing that it was a seminary and a Don Bosco school. God indeed has his ways, for this school was meant to prepare brothers for the missions as agricultural instructors. I was close to Valdocco where St. John Bosco established the Saleisan Congregation. Many missionaries used to give conferences and talks about missionary work, its

Bro. Parolin, First Communion photo at age 8.

1960: Bro. Pa rolin, second from right, a member of th a few month e Quartet.Ta s before goin ken g to the Phili ppines . 1960: Bro. Parolin, standing leftmost, as a young Salesian Brother.

My sixty years as a Salesian Brother have already yielded an abundant harvest of meaningful experiences.

1955: Bro, Parolin with the Trombone

1979, DB Makati

2002: Bro. Parolin with siblings in front of their old house. Welcomin

s. Cory g then Pre

Two photos with the Salesian Brothers in the Philippines in the early 90’s

24

St. John Bosco Today | September-November 2017

Aquino in

.

DB Tondo

importance, urgency, and beauty. I was so inspired by them that in my second year of formation I asked the Rector Major to send me to the missions. By October 1960, I was in the Philippines. Looking back, I now can see God’s hidden hand leading me through a variety of formation experiences in WKH 3KLOLSSLQHV 0\ Ă€ UVW DVVLJQPHQW was Don Bosco Victorias, Negros 2FFLGHQWDO WKH Ă€ UVW 'RQ %RVFR institution in the country; I taught furniture-making. To be of better service to more youth, my superiors sent me to master automotive-diesel technology at Don Bosco Tech, Los Angeles, California. I was then assigned to Don Bosco Makati where I started the Automotive Section for high school. In 1971, I started the Training Center for out-of-school youth in Automotive Technology, Machine Shop, Electrical Technology, Electronics, and Printing. Thousands of youth were trained, educated, and gainfully employed during my Don Bosco Makati years from 1968 to 1986. I thank God for the wonderful and meaningful experiences of serving young people. I was in Don Bosco Tondo from 1987 to 1994. It was an enriching experience for me in that environment as I helped youth in skills training, formation, and employment. In the last six years of the millennium, I returned to Don Bosco Makati. But God had reserved a mission for me, once a student in an agricultural school. Those were the 90’s when the Salesians became more aware of and expressed concern for poor families and youth in the rural areas. The cry of both Church and Congregation was: “Go rural!â€? “Go out to the peripheries!â€? That was when Bishop Jose Sorra, DD, of the Diocese of Legazpi, Albay, placed at the disposal of the Salesians twelve hectares of land in the southern part of Legazpi City. I was sent to organize and establish programs for a regional training center and foster community agricultural development. Thus was born Don Bosco Legazpi! There were obstacles and challenges in setting up an agricultural

Looking back, I now can see God’s hidden hand leading me through a variety of formation experiences in the Philippines. school in land that was not fertile and within the typhoon belt. This situation, however, made me even more eager and determined, because the farmers were tilling the same type of land. I was convinced that the barren soil could be transformed and made productive. And so I developed the program using this simple formula: Agriculture Technology + Mechanical Development + Organization of Cooperatives = Improved Agricultural Productivity. 7KH À UVW SKDVH RI WKH SURJUDP is the establishment of the Skills Training Center. Already, about 200 young men and women acquire skills, undergo human and moral formation, DQG HYHQWXDOO\ À QG HPSOR\PHQW HDFK year. As of October 2016, about 2,000 youths have graduated and are gainfully employed. The second phase of the program

is to assist families of rural areas to improve their livelihood through the proper utilization of the land. There has been a continuous development of the Don Bosco farm to serve as a demonstration farm for the training of farmers, along with the organization RI FRRSHUDWLYHV IRU PLFURÀ QDQFH assistance in the marketing of farm products, and provision of technical and mechanical assistance. At present, IRUW\ IDUPHUV DUH EHQHÀ WLQJ IURP WKH program. My sixty years as a Salesian Brother have already yielded an abundant harvest of meaningful experiences. Don Bosco Legazpi continues to serve the youth and their families in the rural areas. Grateful to God, I look forward to many more transformed lives in the future and many more years in this mission. „

September-November 2017 | St. John Bosco Today

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“I Shall Come Out Like Gold�

Celebrating 50 Years of Priesthood, 60 Years of Religious Life Fr. Juvelan Paul N. Samia, SDB

“B

ut he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I shall come out like GOLD� (Job 23:10). Like precious PHWDOV WKDW DUH UHÀ QHG E\ À UH DOO of us need to be freed from impure elements in us by the test of time and those who have proven themselves faithful become like gold. Fr. Juan Andreu Mejias, SDB, fondly called Fr. John or Fr. Andreu, was born on April 27, 1938 in the municipality of Cazalilla, in the province of Jaen, Andalucia, Spain. He is the eldest child of the couple Juan and Araceli. As an elementary student in the Salesian School in Pamplona, Navarra, the young John Andreu was inspired by the Salesians, particularly by their joy and friendliness to the boys. This powerful impression must have been a seed of the Salesian vocation that was sown in his heart. 26

ung boy ont as a yo anding in fr

ith together w

his family.

St

St. John Bosco Today | September-November 2017

As a newly professed

Cleric , together with

his mother

SPECIAL FEATURE | GOLDEN - DIAMOND JUBILARIAN

With Fr. Dominic Curto during their years together in Sta. Cruz, Laguna

“

God is so great and merciful that He allowed me to serve Him. I am so grateful!

”

With Fr. Manuel Fraile, SDB and Fr. Miguel Solaroli, SDB

As Parish Priest of St. Dominic Savio Parish, Mandaluyong City

Together with his present DBTC Salesian Community.

September-November 2017 | St. John Bosco Today

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When asked about his most unforgettable experience in the Philippines, Fr. John says that it’s the incident in 1970 when His Holiness, Pope Paul VI visited the Philippines and he was “compelled to be the translator.�

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When he entered Aspirantate in 1949, a curious thing happened. The persons concerned lost the trunk containing all his personal belongings and the young John had to start his initial formation with literally “nothingâ€? at all. According to Fr. John, he came to the Philippines as a missionary “by mistake.â€? All the candidates for the missions in his batch were denied, and the superiors asked him if he wanted to go instead. Thinking that the mission was bound for South America, which means he doesn’t need to learn a new language, he said “yes.â€? He ended up in the Philippine shores in 1960 for his practical training in Don Bosco Mandaluyong. When asked about his most unforgettable experience in the Philippines, Fr. John says that it’s the incident in 1970 when His Holiness, Pope Paul VI visited the Philippines and he was “compelled to be the translator.â€? It was on March 5, 1967 when he received the gift of priesthood in Marticodolar, Barcelona, Spain. Five decades of Salesian VLQFH WKHQ )U -RKQ GHĂ€ QLWHO\ EHFDPH FORVHU to God and God to him! In one sentence he summarizes for us his knowledge and experience of God, “God is so great and merciful that He allowed me to serve Him. I am so grateful!â€? To his fellow Salesians, Fr. John has this to say, “Be true to your decision to serve the Lord.â€? And to the Filipino youth for whom he has dedicated practically his entire Salesian life, “Know Jesus as much as you can so that you will appreciate Him totally!â€? „

YEARS (From – To)

POSITION TITLE

PLACE OF WORK

1960 – 1961

Practical Training

Don Bosco Mandaluyong

1961 – 1963

Practical Training

Don Bosco Makati

1963 – 1967

Theologate

Marticodolar Barcelona

1967 – 1969

Youth Center In-charge and Principal

Don Bosco Makati

1969 – 1975

Youth In-charge

Don Bosco Tondo

1977 – 1978

Substitute Priest

Don Bosco Victorias

1978 – 1989

Youth In-charge and Assistant Parish Priest

Santa Cruz, Laguna

1989 – 1999

Parish Priest

St. Dominic Savio Parish, Mandaluyong

1999 – 2001

Administrator

Don Bosco Mandaluyong

2001 – 2002

Confessor

Tuloy sa Don Bosco

2002 - 2008

Parish Priest

Don Bosco Tondo

2008 – 2009

Confessor

Tuloy sa Don Bosco

2009 – 2013

Assisting Priest

Mary Help of Christians Shrine

2013 – 2014

Confessor

Tuloy sa Don Bosco

2014 – present

Confessor

Don Bosco Mandaluyong

St. John Bosco Today | September-November 2017

SPECIAL FEATURE | GOLDEN - DIAMOND JUBILARIAN

Fr. Mac

By Jose Enrico Maxino, Grade 11

Don Bosco Technology Center - Cebu City

T

he Holy Mass is a chance to be one with Jesus DQG KLV VDYLQJ VDFULÀ FH ,Q 'RQ %RVFR 7HFKQRORJ\ Center (DBTC), every Mass is also a chance for a good confession, thanks to our school confessor, Fr. Liam James MacManus, SDB, or Fr Mac, our school confessor. Last April, he celebrated three important milestones in his life: the 50th anniversary as a priest (April 16), the 60th anniversary as a Salesian (April 10), and his 80th birthday (April 27). Most of us get to talk with Fr. Mac only when we greet him in school or during confession. With this article, we can get to know more about this jolly priest and how he views life in these golden years. YOUTHFUL YEARS Fr. Mac grew up in India. It was during his childhood days that God introduced St. John Bosco to him through the Salesians in Don Bosco, Lilua, West Bengal. At a young age, he was greatly inspired by how the Salesians helped the young boys and the poor. “I realized that I would like to be one of them,” he vividly recalls. God’s grace was at work in his mother and siblings who supported his interest in becoming a priest. At the age of twelve, he entered Our Lady’s High School, a Salesian seminary in Sonada. He moved on to the Salesian College also in Sonada and started his journey as a Salesian. “During my years of formation, I learned who St. John Bosco is and what the Salesian life is all about. I tried to be like him and to love the young.” He then proceeded to the four years of theology in the Sacred Heart Theologate in Shillong, Assam. “On Sundays we would go out to the barrios in India.We were with the poor, played games with the children, and taught them catechism,” he adds. EARLY YEARS OF PRIESTHOOD )U 0DF·V À UVW À YH \HDUV RI SULHVWKRRG ZHUH VSHQW DV D YLFH principal in Our Lady of Happy Voyage, a Swiss school in Bandel, West Bengal. A quick Google search would reveal that these kind of schools were for wealthy students. But money and comfort were not the purpose of Fr. Mac in September-November ber 2017 | St. John Bosco Today

29

being a priest. “Every day, my desire to help the young grew stronger. I realized that I wanted to be a missionary,” he says. Later on he moved to Don Bosco Park Circus, still as viceprincipal, before moving to the Philippines in 1972. MORE FUN IN THE PHILIPPINES The missionary desire and God’s will prepared Fr. Mac for his mission in the Philippines. After six months in Don Bosco Makati, he went for his À UVW DVVLJQPHQW DV DQ DVVLVWDQW SDULVK priest in Lourdes Parish (Cebu City) from 1972 to 1981. He was often in the youth center of Don Bosco Boys Town, the present day DBTC, to be with the boys. “I wanted to help the street children just as Don Bosco wanted to help the young and less fortunate,” he recalls. In 1982, Fr. Mac took charge of the Don Bosco Boys’ Home, then in Lahug, and now in Liloan. Back then it was called the Cebu Juvenile Home, meant for delinquents or boys who should have been jailed because of criminal acts. Its aim was to rehabilitate the boys and help them live better Christian lives. It housed around fourteen children, aged twelve and below. It was not an easy job. “The boys liked to play rough, poking forks and pencils at us while being chased.” Fr. Mac says. “Many times they would escape from the compound and wander about the place. They would hide from the brothers and priests, steal from the people, gamble and smoke.” The Salesians shared the optimism of St. John Bosco, and believed that street kids could become upright citizens and good Christians. Fr. Mac narrates: “When I saw ‘basurero’ boys, I talked with them and invited them to the juvenile home.They did not have to worry about clothes, food, or shelter but they had to study and to look after themselves so that they would have a good future.” 30

Fr. Mac (topmost row, center, wearing black cassock) as a 1st year student of Theology together with formators and fellow students at the Sacred Heart Theologate, Shillong, Assam, India April 16, 1967

At Fr. Mac’s Ordination with Fr. Horace Bird, SDB - aspirantate companion

LOVE FOR THE POOR Fr. Mac continues his story. “After Liloan, I went to pioneer our work in Mati.Then in 2000 I moved to Pakistan. There I was unsuccessful because they did not want people from allied countries like England and America. (Fr. Mac’s father was British.) So I came back to the Philippines after a year and was assigned to Pasil.” He was already more than seventy years old. “Life in Pasil was good because it was a slum area. I was close to and was working for the poor.” It was then that he witnessed

St. John Bosco Today | September-November 2017

hungry and malnourished children roaming around the streets every day. Just like St. John Bosco, he was convinced that something had to be done. Together with his friends who shared a common love for the poor, Fr. Mac organized regular feeding programs for the less fortunate. One of the Bosconians in Pasil recalls that on Christmas, Fr. Mac would dress up all red like Santa Claus, complete with a snowy beard and a bag full of treats. Then he would walk around laughing, “Ho! Ho! Ho!” to cheer up the children in the youth center.

Fr. Mac shows the young that wherever their dreams lead them, life is all about loving God and loving others, especially those in need.

At Fr. Mac’s ordination with some pupils of his alma mater, DB Liluan, Calcutta

Fr. Mac’s companions during his Golden Jubilee of Profession

Fr. Mac together with his two batchmates in Novitiate, Philosophy and Theology

GOLDEN YEARS When asked how he feels with his life right now, Fr. Mac, now 80, radiates optimism and peace. “Now I am relaxed, I do not have to worry about getting money or managing the school. Those years are over. My job here is to be in the confessional so that I do not have any other stress or problem except to help the boys who want to confess. In that way, I help them live better Christian lives. My life here is very peaceful, calm, and without any problems. Now that I

am about to leave this world, I hope the Lord will give me my reward.” For young people, and especially for Bosconians, Fr. Mac is a living example of St. John Bosco. The young have very many dreams. They want to live a happy, prosperous, and rewarding life. They want to be successful and appreciated. Fr. Mac shows the young that wherever their dreams lead them, life is all about loving God and loving others, especially those in need.

September-November 2017 | St. John Bosco Today

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50

Fifty Grace-Filled Years as Salesians Of Don Bosco

\HDUV DJR -XQH WZHQW\ À YH \RXQJ PHQ PDGH WKHLU )LUVW 5HOLJLRXV 3URIHVVLRQ DV 6DOHVLDQV RI 'RQ Bosco in Don Bosco Seminary – Canlubang, Laguna. )URP WKHVH WZHQW\ À YH WZHOYH ZHUH RUGDLQHG DV 6DOHVLDQ SULHVWV ZKLOH RQH UHPDLQHG D 6DOHVLDQ %URWKHU From these twelve Salesian priests, one became a Salesian bishop - the Most Rev. Patricio Buzon, SDB, DD, of the Diocese of Bacolod. Another became a diocesan clergy - Fr. Rio Evangelista. From the eleven who remained Salesians, three are now enjoying the presence of God in heaven. These three confreres became Salesian missionaries: Fr. Oscar Zamora, SDB, Fr. Ernesto Santos, SDB, and Bro. Ramon De La Cruz, SDB. From the remaining eight Salesians of Don Bosco who are still very active in the ministry, two are missionaries belonging to the Province of Thailand (THA): Fr. Leo Ochoa, SDB and Fr. Eleuterio Tapay, SDB. While the other six belong to the Philippine-North Province (FIN): Fr. Angel Baldonado, SDB, Fr. Benedict Cavestany,SDB, Fr. Ernie Cruz, SDB, Fr. Ronald Ocampo, SDB, Fr. Salvador Pablo, SDB, and Fr. Richard Varela, SDB. We wish to feature in this issue the inspiring messages of our Six Golden Jubilarians belonging to the FIN Province. Let us give praise to God for their example of total-giving of their lives in the service of the Lord as Salesians of Don Bosco. VIVA DON BOSCO!!!

Novitiate Batch 1966 – 1967 Canlubang, Laguna

Front Row (L-R) (+) Fr. Luigi Ferrari, SDB (Rector), (+) Fr. Alfred Cogliandro,SDB (Provincial), (+) Fr. Jose Bosch, SDB (Vice Provincial), (+) Fr. Julian Carpella, SDB (Novice Master) Middle Row (L-R) (+) Fr. Joseph Savina, SDB (Fr. Catechist), Antonio Pinon, (+) Neri De Asis, Francis Garbanzos, Ernie Vilbar, Fr. Ernie Cruz, SDB, Fr. Leonardo Ochoa, SDB, (+) Monico David, Barillo, Fr. Benedict Cavestany, SDB, Fr. Angel Baldonado, SDB, Emmanuel Torijos, Bishop Patrick Buzon, DD, SDB, Fr. Pier Luigi Zuffetti (Brother Assistant), Fr. Salvador Pablo, SDB, (+) Fr. Ernesto Santos, SDB, Charlie Domingo Upper Row(L-R) Fr. Eleuterio Tapay, SDB, Luis Lazo, Cesar Espeleta, Antonio Laurel, (+) Bro. Ramon De La Cruz, SDB, Fr. Ronaldo Ocampo, SDB, (+) Fr. Oscar Zamora, SDB, Fr. Richard Varela, SDB, Miguel Ilagan, Fr. Rio Evangelista

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St. John Bosco Today | September-November 2017

SPECIAL FEATURE | GOLDEN JUBILARIAN

FR. ANGEL BALDONADO, SDB All that is good in my life is God’s free gift, the evidence of God’s gratuitous love for me. In WKHVH ODVW À IW\ \HDUV , DP DPD]HG and feel blessed by God. How God took care of my family in my absence was simply a blessing - I, being the eldest in the family of four girls and the only boy at that. My mother was a public school teacher at that time with a low income and my father was a sickly person with no permanent job. When we were going to school, ZH H[SHULHQFHG PDQ\ GLIÀ FXOWLHV but God did not leave us alone. He was an ever present God, going through with us in our struggle and pain in life. But I chose to commit myself to God and offer my entire life to Him despite of all what my family was going through. With God’s continuous blessings, all my sisters and their families are happy, healthy and faithful to God. My mother is 90 years old. With God’s grace, she is healthy and can still go to church. With that, I am grateful to God and am proud to say that truly He is so good and gracious!

FR. BENEDICT CAVESTANY, SDB

FR. RONALD OCAMPO, SDB

“ALL is GRACE. ALL is GRACE from God my LOVING FATHER.â€? 6RPH Ă€ IW\ RU PRUH \HDUV ago, these words did not mean much to me whenever I would hear these words from some of the pioneering Salesians in the Philippines. But NOW, it is 5($//< <HDUV VLQFH , Ă€ UVW uttered my solemn vow to God - to devout and give my WHOLE LIFE to HIM in the Mission of Don Bosco in the World. It is INDEED TRUE and very meaningful to acknowledge that it is ALL HIS GRACE that brought me to this hallmark in my existence in this world and it will STILL BE God’s LOVE & GRACIOUSNESS that will make me persevere and bring this vocation to its glorious completion according to God’s Will. It is ALL His DOING‌ SUMUSUNOD lang ako. I just give my sweet “Yesâ€? to HIM every day. THANK YOU, ABBA, for your Fatherly Love to me. Viva Don Bosco Forever!!!

The contemplative character of my religious life for the past 50 years: 1. UNION WITH GOD (Salesian Constitution, Article 12) 2. Psalm 22:1-21 Heart to heart colloquy of an innocent child to his father who is about to die. 3. Psalm 22:23-31 Heart to heart colloquy of a child to this father risen from the dead. 4. My prayer on the 50th anniversary of Salesian Life “Thank you Mother Mary Help of Christians. Enable me to lead the young in a simple heart to heart colloquy with your Son Jesus. Amen.�

September-November 2017 | St. John Bosco Today

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FR. SALVADOR “BOY� PABLO, SDB

FR. RICHARD VARELA, SDB

3 Best Things I learned after 50 years of Salesian Religious Life. 1. Philosophy of Life in a Triad: A. My Identity: I am nothing (0) and a sinner (-) yet GOD THE FATHER loves me. B. My Mission: Christify myself in others. GOD THE SON MADE MAN C. My Vision: Union with God on earth as it is in heaven. GOD THE SANCTIFIER SPIRIT - MY ADVOCATE, MY CONSOLER, MY GIFTER. 2. Deepening of Relationship with Christ First Level - as “My Lord and my God� my Everything. Second Level - my Brother (KAPATID) and Best Friend (KAIBIGAN) Third Level - Covenanted Beloved (KATIPAN) 3. As for the Vows: FAKE IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT. I am just a weakling but God’s Grace is enough. “No longer I that lives, but Christ lives in me.�

Fifty years ago in 1967, I gave my “YESâ€? to the Lord, believing how great God is though “I didn’t quite know.â€? Through WKHVH Ă€ IW\ years of religious life, unbelievably I continually experience how God works in me and through me. He works best in my “nothingness.â€? “The Lord is gracious and merciful slow to anger and abounding in mercy.â€? (Ps. 145: 8) Then I began to be quite aware and know. After fifty years of Salesian life, absolutely with no regrets I can say “how great thou art my God and NOW I know quite a little.â€?

FR. ERNIE CRUZ, SDB , HQWHUHG WKH VHPLQDU\ Ă€ IW\ RQH \HDUV DJR 7KDW ZDV DIWHU JUDGXDWLQJ from Don Bosco Tarlac in 1966. I came from the regular high school students leaning more towards the ‘naughtyâ€?. I joined my batch of novitiate who mostly came from the Aspirantate of San Fernando. They were better in all seminary activities whether in sports, work, prayer, studies. Study KDELWV ZDV SDUW RI WKHLU OLIHVW\OH $QG WKHLU ODQJXDJH ZHUH UHĂ€ QHG DQG articulate. I had so much to catch up. I never did. 0\ &DQOXEDQJ \HDUV ZHUH LQFUHGLEO\ KDSS\ \HDUV 7KH Ă€ YH \HDUV ZHUH substantially formative mainly due to the presence of the pioneer Salesians from varied missionary exposures. Among them was the revered and saintly Fr Cogliandro from the India and US; Fr Ferrari who persistently insisted on the oratory; the kind priest of the barrios, Fr. Monchiero from China; our witty Novice Master, Fr Carpella from Hongkong; the elderly but zealous Fr Peter and others. In the early part of our Novitiate, we had the blessing of the visits of the amiable Fr Carlo Braga. They all gave us varied aspects of Salesianity taught and lived. When in pratical training, I so missed Canlubang that I always made it a point to take time to visit the place whenever possible. Having been assigned through the years in various houses is a blessing; and responsibilities open up to a range of experiences, learnings and IULHQGVKLSV ,Q UHWURVSHFW , VHH WKHVH SDVW Ă€ IW\ \HDUV SXUHO\ DV \HDUV RI DEXQGDQW JUDFHV , KDG VXFFHVVHV DORQJVLGH ZLWK PDQ\ failures and continuing falls. God had been truly compassionate and patient with me. I am humbly grateful. With God are true IULHQGV WKURXJK WKLFN DQG WKLQ FRQIUHUHV HVSHFLDOO\ P\ EDWFK PDWHV ZKRP , FRXOG VSHQG WLPH ZLWK , RZH DOVR WKLV Ă€ IW\ \HDUV WR so many who keep on telling me that they are continuously praying for me. I owe you all...

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St. John Bosco Today | September-November 2017

Silver Jubilarians As Salesian Priests (FIN AND FIS PROVINCES)

“Here in your midst I feel completely at home, for me living means being with you.�

Fr. Anthony Paul Bicomong, SDB

Fr. Redentor Molina, SDB

)U 'RQDWR 2Ă€ QD 6'%

Fr. Eliseo Pio Juan Santos, SDB

December 8, 1992

December 8, 1992

July 11, 1992

December 8, 1992

-Don Bosco Other Filipino Salesian priests celebrating their Silver Jubilee of Priesthood: 1. Fr. Rogelio Miranda, SDB (PGS) December 8, 1992 2. Fr. Ariel Macatangay, SDB (PGS) December 8, 1992 3. Fr.Alfred Maravilla, SDB (PGS) August 15, 1992

Following the Footsteps of

Celebrating 25 years of Priesthood in the Holy Land By Fr. Ariel Macatangay, SDB

P

ilgrimages in holy places are privileged opportunities for a deepening relationship with God in one’s spiritual journey through experiences and memories of places related to the Bible or to the lives of saints. Seven of us, Salesian priests, recently had such a blessed experience during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land from May 13 to 27, 2017. We have planned it as a way of celebrating together our 25th anniversary of priestly ordination and of renewing our commitment to be faithful Salesian priests. Among the eight priests ordained on December 8, 1992, six of us went for the pilgrimage. They are Fr. Anthony Paul Bicomong, Provincial of the North Philippine 3URYLQFH )U 'RQDWR 2À QD DVVLJQHG DW 9LFWRULDV RI WKH 6RXWK Philippines Province, Fr. Eliseo Santos, assigned at Mandaluyong of the North Philippines Province, Fr. Rogelio Miranda, the Provincial Economer of the Vice-Province of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, Fr. Ariel Macatangay, assigned at Port Moresby in PNG, and Fr. Marvin Felipe, who has been incardinated to the archdiocese of San Francisco in the USA. Fr. Edgar Carbon, assigned at Taiwan and who was our companion in the novitiate, served as our tour guide. 'XULQJ WKH IRXUWHHQ GD\V RI SLOJULPDJH ZKLFK ZDV D À UVW time experience for most of us, we celebrated Mass together at different important holy places in Israel. We also took turns to share during the homily our own priestly experiences and UHà HFWLRQV WR VXSSRUW HDFK RWKHU LQ RXU IXWXUH SDVWRUDO PLQLVWU\ $PRQJ RXU YDULHG H[SHULHQFHV DQG UHà HFWLRQV SURPLQHQW themes emerge that have been highlighted during our pilgrimage and which we will continue to treasure in our future life as priests. 7KH À UVW WKHPH LV WKDW RI WKH SULPDF\ RI *RG LQ RXU lives. Of the many places reminding us of God’s supreme role in our lives, two places stand out: the Western Wall and the Shepherd’s Field. Our participation with the Jews as they prayed 36

St. John Bosco Today | September-November 2017

SPECIAL FEATURE | SILVER JUBILARIANS

in the Western (or Wailing) Wall, the only standing remnant of the once glorious Temple of Jerusalem and which was closest to the Holy of Holies, made us appreciate the lesson that God’s presence continues to be with His people despite terrible calamities and sufferings. An unforgettable moment in our visit to Bethlehem was when we sang the Christmas carol, “Angels We Have Heard on Highâ€? in the Church of the Shepherd’s Field to recall the choir of angels glorifying the Lord before the shepherds saw the Infant Savior in the manger. We hope that our priestly ministry may continue to be a hymn of God’s glory as we work for the salvation of souls. The second theme is that of our commitment to be servants and shepherds like Jesus Christ. Following Jesus’ footsteps in the places where He actually trod made us blessed at the same time challenged to be faithful to his teachings and examples. As we travelled to Jerusalem, in places like the Dominus Flevit (the Lord Wept) Sanctuary, the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu (cock’s crow), the Cenacle, the Garden of Olives, the Church of All Nations at Gethsemene, the alleys of the Via Crucis, and especially at the Holy Sepulchre, we remembered how Jesus resolutely followed the Father’s loving plan of saving humankind through his suffering and death on the cross. Then, beside the Lake of Tiberias, at the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter, we heard again the risen Christ’s threefold summons of love to Peter, which strengthened us to IDLWKIXOO\ VKHSKHUG +LV Ă RFN ZLWK PHUF\ DQG compassion. The last theme is that of Mary’s maternal presence. Recalling that we were ordained on the day of Mary’s Immaculate Conception, we were touched to realize that we began our pilgrimage RQ 0RWKHU¡V 'D\ WKDW RXU Ă€ UVW SLOJULPDJH church was the Basilica of the Annunciation and that our last place of pilgrimage was the Church of Visitation on May 24, the very feast of Mary Help of Christians. We acknowledged the constant presence of our Blessed Mother in our priestly life and ask her help and protection that like her, we may be faithful in our “Fiatâ€? to God until the end of our priestly lives. „ September-November 2017 | St. John Bosco Today

37

MARIAN CORNER | MAMA MARY CARES

Spared from Many Operations

“T

Confused, fearful, and almost in despair, I turned to what was left in me: prayer and trust in God. 38

By Mercy Barcelon

hank you, Jesus! Thank you, Mary!� is my oft-repeated prayer of thanksgiving to Jesus and Mary for having spared me from the ordeal of many operations. I am Mrs. Mercy Barcelon, widow and 63 years old, living in Sagrada Familia, Brgy. Don Bosco, Paranaque City. I hope and pray that sharing with you my personal experience of God’s loving mercy and Mary’s motherly intercession would increase your trust in them. Being diabetic since I was thirty, I contracted many illnesses. I had pneumonia, pleurisy (water in the lungs), vertigo, UTI, heart problems, and a deep wound in my left leg. When I consulted my doctor last November 15, 2014, regarding this wound, he advised me to have my leg amputated as soon as possible. Since I was very scared to undergo the amputation and could not afford such an operation, I had recourse to a second opinion at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH). However, I was given the same fatal suggestion: “Amputation as soon as possible!� Moreover, the doctor reminded me of my heart problem, which, according to him, needed angioplasty as soon as possible. Confused, fearful, and almost in despair, I turned to what was left in me: prayer and trust in God. So I visited the Blessed Sacrament frequently and made novenas to Mary, Help of Christians, in our National Shrine. I also joined the healing Mass and Prayer on the 24th of July 2015, begging Mary to spare me from these two operations, and from pneumonia, pleurisy, and UTI.

St. John Bosco Today | September-November 2017

Thanks to my loving daughter, Sister Marica, who came all the way from Italy to assist me in those trying moments, I was not alone. My daughter boosted my morale and helped me to resign myself courageously to the will of God. I did so, but still, at the back of my mind, I believed that Mary would grant me the favor I was fervently praying for. Sr. Marica referred me to a doctor she knew in St. Luke Hospital, Taguig City. After examining me and going over my previous medical reports, he told me that I did not need amputation of the leg anymore. The wound was healed! Though overwhelmed with joy, we still went back to PGH to ask our doctor for a second opinion. To our even greater VXUSULVH WKH GRFWRU FRQĂ€ UPHG the former’s recommendations. Furthermore, he said that the blocks in my heart disappeared and needed no angioplasty. How could that be explained? No more operations and no special medicines prescribed! My God, O Mary, you did it all! That’s the only answer I can think of. A million thanks would not be enough for such a miracle. So in spirit of gratitude I made a pilgrimage to our Lady of Manaoag in Pangasinan and offered the remaining years of my life for his service. I also promised to propagate the devotion to Mary, Help of Christians, whenever there is an occasion for me to do so. This testimony is one occasion LQ ZKLFK , FDQ EROGO\ FRQĂ€ UP 6W John Bosco’s saying: “Have devotion to Mary, Help of Christians, and you will see what miracles are.â€? „

F

r. Zeman was born in Vajnory, Slovakia, on January 4, 1915. He suffered various illnesses from early childhood. After a sudden recovery at the age of 10, he promised Mary to “be her son forever” and to become a Salesian priest. He became a novice in 1931, made his perpetual profession in 1938, and was ordained in 1940 in Turin. At the beginning of the Communist regime, after the deportation of religious (April 13-14, 1950), he looked for ways to help Salesian seminarians reach the priesthood. He organized expeditions to pass them through the Iron Curtain to Turin, but on his third venture (April 1951) he was caught. Fr. Zeman had to face about 13 years of wrongful imprisonment and torture, experiencing hardship in prison and labor camps. He was forced to endure long periods of isolation and to work with radioactive uranium without any protection. In 1964 he was given À YH \HDUV RQ SDUROH +H ZDV DOORZHG E\ WKH 5HJLPH to exercise the priestly ministry publicly only in 1968. He died in his home town on January 8, 1969 as a martyr. The witness of Fr. Zeman is the embodiment of the vocational call of Jesus and of a pastoral predilection for the young, especially for young Salesians, which became for him a true passion. He once said, “Even if I lost my life, I would not consider it wasted, knowing that at least one of those I had helped had become a priest in my place.” The diocesan inquiry started in the Archdiocese of Bratislava 26 February 2010. )U 7LWXV =HPDQ ZLOO EH EHDWLÀ HG RQ 6HSWHPEHU 2017.

Fr. Titus Zeman, SDB Salesian Priest, Martyr

Gone to the Father BRO. ELMER RODRIGUEZ, SDB

Born: March 24, 1957 First Profession: April 1, 1977 Perpetual Profession: April 1, 1985 Died: July 21, 2017 September-November 2017 | St. John Bosco Today

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St. John Bosco Today | September-November 2017

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