Dear Salesian Family and Salesian Young People:

Greetings from Don Bosco Tech, Rosemead, where I and the Provincial Council have just spent this past week in meetings to reflect and plan for this coming year 2022-2023.

It has been a good few days of meetings and a great opportunity to be with the Bosco Tech Salesian community. We are grateful to Fr. Thien, the Director, and the Salesian and school community for their hospitality.

Part of our reflection is to review the Priority from the our recent Provincial Chapter in June. The editorial committee is still working on the actual documents of the Provincial Chapter and we will share this with the Province once the committee’s work is done. At the Provincial Chapter we worked on the Province Organic Plan 2022-2028. Suffice it to say at this time that there is one single priority for the next six years: the “Strengthening and Renewal of the Salesian Mission.” And to fulfill this priority, we are committing ourselves to four critical areas: Salesian charismatic identity, Salesian formation for and in mission, Accountability to the structures of pastoral planning, and Vocation.

From the Province Organic Plan the Provincial Council and the Province Animation Team will work in the next six months, using the process of synodality and with input from throughout the Province, to put together the Province Pastoral Plan 2022-2028. This is monumental but doable task, with the hope that it becomes truly our Province Organic Plan and our Province Pastoral Plan. So stay tuned.

On a completely different note, I want to inform you that, because of immigration issues, Fr. Fabian Cardenas has to step away from doing any kind of public ministry in the Province. His travel is also restricted. Thank God this situation is temporary until the INS grants Fr. Fabian the necessary permission and documentation to go back to ministry and service.

However, our Salesian mission and our ministry to the young continue. In the interim, any questions, concerns or correspondence regarding youth ministry should be directed to Ms. Gina Robles, the Province Associate of Youth Ministry. Her email is gina@salesianym.org and the youth ministry office email is sdbyouth@salesianym.org.

I do want to thank Fr. Fabian for his service of animation and leadership as the Province Youth Ministry Delegate. He has done well in fulfilling his duties and has also been exemplary in his priestly ministry to the young and to all of us in the Province. And I thank Gina for her commitment to Province Youth Ministry.

May God bless you and your loved ones during the summer. Please be assured of my prayers for you.

Sincerely in Christ and in Mary,