Our Vocation Director, Fr. Vien Nguyen, SDB received his Masters degree in Theology from the Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology this past Saturday. Fr. Vien’s thesis was on Saint John Bosco through the Eyes of John Paul II within the Context of the Iuvenum Patris.

First and foremost, I am grateful to the province for supporting me in my studies. The community of Don Bosco Hall in Berkeley, CA as well has been a significant support for this achievement. To my advisor Father Joe Boenzi who accompanied me step by step from the beginning to the end.

It all began with my interest in writing something about Don Bosco to help me understand more about him, the man I was always amazed by how he loved God and young people. I could have written about the “Preventive System” or about his philosophy of accompanying young people, but I then the apostolic letter Iuvenum Patris of Pope John Paul II came to my attention. It was beautifully presented to the whole Church one hundred years after the death of Don Bosco. Out of curiosity, I wanted to see how Pope John Paul II understood Don Bosco or what could be the possible impact of Don Bosco’s holiness on Pope John Paul II, who also had a great love for young people. I was curious to find out what are some relevance of the Pope’s teaching in this letter for today’s world? This curiosity and desire to learn more about Don Bosco helped me move forward and finish this project, and I became more appreciative of what Don Bosco had done for young people and the Church. The Saint contributed to the Church one of the beautiful treasures which Pope John Paul II called a prophetic educational system.

The preview publication of my thesis can be found in the link below, in the meantime let me share with you some of my personal favorite quotes from my research.

To preview Fr. Vien’s thesis visit: https://www.proquest.com/openview/2a05bf8b78ec46530d3c5e26388711fa/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y