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USA West Province Newsletter • San Francisco, California June 25, 2017 found an empty camp. Everyone had gone to St. Francis High School for dinner. So, with disappointment for having missed the kids, we con- tinued on to the Provincial House in San Francisco. On Tuesday afternoon, I was able to join the SES participants for some of their presentations, discussions JUNE BIRTHDAYS and dinner. While Tuesday was the first full day, I felt a good sense of fraternity and an openness of spir- Fr. Thien Nguyen ............02 it. I was happy to connect with our Fr. Mike Gergen..................03 Salesian Administrators and meet Fr. Harry Rasmussen..........04 the new SES participants. I was Dear Salesian Sisters and also happy to see our new principal Fr. Timothy Ploch...............08 Brothers, of St. John Bosco High School, Dr. Br. Phil Mandile..................12 Christian De Larkin. I congratulat- Br. Fabian Cardenas...........12 We all survived the “packed week” ed him and wished him all the best. of retreat, SES and SYLC events Fr. Joe Thinh Nguyen.........17 But, most importantly, I assured him that our province lived out this Br. Bob Hennings...............18 the province’s support and prayers. week. Hopefully, some pictures and We must work together for the ben- Fr. Massimo Schwarzel .....29 articles will come in to InTouch in efit of the province and the young the next few weeks as people get people we serve. PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR SICK home and reflect on the rich and full experiences they encountered. On Wednesday, I drove down to Fr. Lucian Lomello, SDB Camp St. Francis and celebrated the I left Los Angeles to Camp St. Fran- Br. Jerry Weirich, SDB Eucharist with the SYLC partici- cis on Monday. I drove with two Br. Tony Matse, SDB pants. I was happy to hear and see friends from Bogota, Colombia, Fr. Armand Oliveri, SDB the fine quality of young people who who are visiting California these form the Spirit Team and those actu- Fr. Mario Rosso, SDB two weeks. I invited them to come ally living the SYLC experience for Fr. John O’Brien, SDB with me to the different sites that I the first time. We must learn to bet- Fr. Avelino Lorenzo, SDB would be visiting during the week. ter tap and accompany these young Without stopping, we drove past St. men and women. They bring such Francis High School and our Parish REST IN PEACE richness to our Salesian Family. of Our lady Help of Christians, in They bring a vibrant youthfulness, hopes of reaching Camp St. Fran- Fr. George Williams, SDB enthusiasm, leadership, a love for cis for dinner with the SYLC team R.I.P on June 06 at 101 years Don Bosco and a desire to make a and participants. Upon arrival, we INTOUCH • June 25, 2017 1 Fr. Juan Jose Bartolome (3rd one from the left of front row) at annual retreat of SDB at St, Anthony Retreat Center. difference in the world. And, they tion. We continue to wish him all Provincial House on Sunday, July also challenge us! the best in his ministry of teaching 2. We are getting ready for our next and writing and assure him of our provincial council meeting up at the On Thursday, I drove to the Retreat prayers. Provincial House, July 9 – 11. House in Three Rivers, via Yosem- ite Park. I took my two Colombian This week I will be in Los Ange- Don Bosco Hall in Berkeley is pre- friends for a few hours of bask- les at St. John Bosch High School. paring for another gathering dur- ing in God’s glorious nature. The My plans are to drive back up to the ing the week of July 17 – 21. The waterfalls were full and beautiful. That night we arrived at the Retreat House, in time for bed. On Friday morning, I greeted the brothers at breakfast and later presided at their closing Mass. I wish to thank Fr. Juan Jose Bartolome’ for his pres- ence and deep sharing during the re- treat. The brothers seemed to have been happy with Fr. Juan Jose’s depth, the availability of the talks in a binder given to each retreatant, his stress on Lectio Divina and silent adoration before the Blessed Sacra- ment. On behalf of the Province, I wish to thank Juan Jose and express my sincere gratitude and apprecia- INTOUCH • June 25, 2017 2 Directors of all our Salesian com- as brothers. We assure Tim of our for the good of the young. As we munities in the United States and prayers and support and wish him work together, as servant leaders, let Canada will be gathering for a week all the best in his new ministry. We us support each other. May we be of formation. We are happy to have also continue to keep Fr. Steve Shaf- patient not only with the young but Fr. Bill Jarema with us for several ran in our thoughts and prayers and with one another. May we seek out days. Fr. Bill is not a stranger to our thank him for his service, in spite of the good of our brother and sister province. He has led us in retreats his struggles and difficulties. and learn the art of good communi- with the FMAs back in 2000, dur- cation and compassionate listening. ing PAD (Province Assembly Days) As our summer programs begin and ENJOY! and other gatherings. Bill runs Mer- we become more immersed in the cy Center in Colorado Springs and frenetic activities of the young, I With warm regards and gratitude, several of our brothers have been wish to thank all of you who give hosted there for a time of reflection, of yourselves so generously for the rest and formation. service of the youth we serve, es- pecially, the poor and those most Our Province would like to Congrat- in need. Some of our collaborators ulate Fr. Tim Zak as the new provin- have come from other parts of the Fr. Ted Montemayor, SDB cial of the province of St. Philip the world to volunteer and live out the Apostle, the New Rochelle Prov- Salesian Spirituality with us. We ince. I have already had the plea- welcome them and pray that our fra- sure to work with Tim and look for- ternal witness of Salesian life may ward to a good working relationship inspire them to work passionately Province Calendar June, 2017 October, 2017 4-10 SU-SA Arrowhead Days, Arrive 3:00 PM 5 TH Bl. Albert Marvelli, Lay Person 8 TH Bl. Stephan Sandor 13 FR Bl. Alexandrina da Costa, Virgin 16 FR Board Meeting, Bosco Tech, 24 TU St. Louis Guanella, Priest, Founder Rosemead, @ 10:00 AM of the Servants of Charity 18-23 SU-FR Retreat at Three Rivers 29 SU Bl. Michael Rua, Priest (Not observed 19-24 MO-SA SYLC 2017, Camp St. Francis this year) 23 FR St. Joseph Cafasso November, 2017 July, 2017 1 WE All Saints’ Day 4 TU Independence Day 4 SA Mass for deceased benefactors and 7 FR Bl. Maria Romero Meneses, FMA members of the Salesian Family 9-11 SU-TU Provincial Council Meeting 4 SA FMA-SDB Joint Council Meeting, Provincial Residence, SF San Antonio, TX 17-21 MO-FR SUE-SUO Directors’ Workshop, 9-10 TH-FR SUE-SUO Joint Jouncil Meeting, Berkeley Stoney Point, NY 30-4 SU-FR Retreat, San Juan Bautista 13 MO Blessed Artemides Zatti, Religious 15 WE Blessed Maddalene Morano August, 2017 23 TH Thanksgiving Day 24 FR SDB’s. In Each house one Mass is 13-15 SU-TU Provincial Council Meeting, offered for the dceased parents of the St. John Bosco HS, Bellflower INTOUCH • June 25, 2017 confreres 3 15 TU Assumption of Our Lady 25 FR Blessed Maria Troncatti December, 2017 26 SA Blessed Zeffirino Namuncurá 5 TU Blessed Philip Rinaldi, Priest 8 FR Immaculate Conception September, 2017 12 TU Our Lady of Guadalupe 25 MO Christmas Day 4 MO Labor Day 22 FR Bl. Joseph Malasanz-Marqués and Companions, martyrs Annual retreat of SDB at Three Rivers, CA INTOUCH • June 25, 2017 4 INTOUCH • June 25, 2017 5 SES Turns a Corner to a New Era By Fr. John Roche, SDB For the first time in the history of the Salesian Educa- an Criteria, Salesian Youth Spirituality, the Dimensions tion Seminar (SES) both administrators and new teach- of Salesian Youth Ministry, and Salesian Virtues needed ers and staff met simultaneously at Don Bosco Hall from to live and apply these elements, the SES and Young June 19 through June 23. The unique program divided People processed together. From that experience, the the “Leadership” and the “Teachers/Staff” into separate young people invited the SES participants to hear the tracks for formation and planning conferences conduct- voices of real youth from all over the world and then ed by a large staff of Lay Salesians and Professed Sale- share an “Emmaus Banquet” to see how much of the sians. The motivation for this shift came from a report world eats. That particular exercise was powerful and of Mr. Rudy Herrera, the CYM of Don Bosco Technical the SES participants were moved by the initiative tak- Institute, at a meeting of educators with the Delegate of en by the young people to make sure that the food was Formation, Fr. Nick Reina, the Delegate of Formation, shared from first world nations to poorer nations. Br. Al Vu, the Director and Vice-director of Don Bosco Hall—John Roche and Fr. Emmanuel Camilleri respec- On Friday, the SES Participants, tired from the late re- tively, meeting and De Sales Hall on November 6, 2016.