Dear Salesian Family and Friends, Fr. Alejandro Rodríguez, professor of Salesian Education at the ISS in Berkeley, has published a number of books in Spanish and English since joining the Formation Team at Don Bosco Hall in 2020. His latest contributions includes a monograph entitled Benevolencia en San Francisco de Sales: Algunas ideas Educativo-pastorales en la formación de la persona (Berkeley: Institute of Salesian Studies, … Continue reading New Offerings in Salesian Educational Leadership at the ISS 

Salesian Province of the United States West Collaborates with RASS to Enhance Social Work The Salesian Province of the United States West recently held a meeting to analyze the situation of its social works. This meeting was directed by the “RASS” (Red América Social Salesiana), a network that creates articulation, training, and communication between more than 180 works and around 500 programs and social services … Continue reading Building Stronger Communities

As a member of the Salesian Family Youth Center, I was reminded of a story from the life of Don Bosco when he was young and one of his best friends was Jewish. Despite their religious differences, they were able to do good for each other and work for the good of their community. This story came to mind on March 16, when I had … Continue reading From Strangers to Empathy: Lessons from a Faith Leader Listening Session

By Juan Carlos Montenegro The annual celebration of Mission Day The Salesians in Bellflower, California, are hard at work creating a safe and welcoming environment for young people by offering training to become a Salesian Missionary volunteer at Camp Savio. The five-week program runs from the end of June through the whole of July in 2023, and training has already begun with around 160 young … Continue reading The Power of the Salesian Community 

The Salesian Family Youth Center, along with other Salesian Boys and Girls Clubs and Youth Centers, participated in a face-to-face meeting focused on the revision of the Strategic Planning of the Salesian Province of the West of the United States. The meeting was led by Father Fabian Cardenas, Delegate of the Salesian Youth Ministry, and Father Mel Trinidad, Provincial. During the meeting, the participants discussed … Continue reading Salesian Youth Centers Unite!

Abstracted by Sheila Kun RN, BA, BSN, MS. Aging is a diagnosis with 100% mortality. We seniors know it too well. As we grow older, we have fewer birthday or wedding parties. On the contrary, we attend more funeral services than we want to. Recently I have heard more friends and acquaintances coming down with strokes. Hence, I decided to spend the next few weeks … Continue reading Care Ministry: Stroke – A Senior’s Nightmare

by Fr. Ed Liptak, SDB Fue Juan, el Apóstol y Evangelista, y solo él entre los Doce, quien siguió a Jesús hasta el Calvario. En este quinto domingo de crepúsculo, la primera Escritura recuerda la injusticia de la muerte de Jesús. En el Evangelio, Juan describe el supremo acto de amistad y amor del Salvador, un acto que impulsó a Jesús a las manos de … Continue reading Reina La Injusticia

by Fr. Ed Liptak, SDB It was John, the Apostle and Evangelist and he alone among the Twelve, who followed Jesus to Calvary. On this 5th Sunday of gathering dusk, the first Scripture recalls the injustice of Jesus’ death. In the Gospel, John describes the supreme act of friendship and love of the Savior, an act which propelled Jesus into the hands of evil men, … Continue reading Injustice Reigns

By Fr. Alejandro Rodriguez, SDB During his time, Don Bosco took full  advantage of the use of communication tools within his reach to do the greatest  possible good for the Church and for young  people in particular. Let us recall that  Don Bosco committed himself to a lot of  writing, which included: numerous letters  to benefactors and members of the Salesian  Family, several volumes on … Continue reading Presence & Accompaniment Through Salesian Educative-Pastoral Resources

Fr. Paul was an inspiration to my husband Deacon Ed and myself. We became very close when he was in Tampa. He went to the Vatican and sent us a signed note from the pope and a papal blessing. That was the kind of man he was, he was always concerned about others. He was so spiritual and so funny. He will be greatly missed. I am sorry now I … Continue reading Memories of Fr. Paul Chuong Nguyen

Fr. Paul Chuong Nguyen, SDB, a member of the New Rochelle Province, suffered a heart attack on the morning of March 8 and died in his room in Rosemead, Calif., where he had been serving in the Salesian community since 2014 as coordinator of the Youth Renewal Center retreat house. He was 64 years old and had been a professed Salesian for more than 43 … Continue reading Father Paul Chuong Nguyen, SDB (1958-2023)

By Socorro M. Manzanilla Father Paul was our good shepherd for almost a decade. Fr. Paul ‘s vision of raising up the retreat center focused on getting to know all his parishioners, youth and greater community, as well as our Vietnamese brothers and sisters. He was open about sharing accounts of his journey from Vietnam to the United States and grateful to be a Salesian … Continue reading Our Good Shepherd

By Sheila Kun, Salesian Cooperator If I have to depict the life of Fr. Paul, the word “restless” came to mind. Without a doubt, Fr. Paul was a true SDB who was restless all his life; he could not sit still to rest or take a decent meal. He was always full of creative ideas to plan for a new project or ways to improve … Continue reading Fr. Paul Chuong Nguyen A “Restless” Life Well Lived!

By Luis Chacon, Salesian Volunteers Coordinator The Salesian Volunteers Program is mourning the loss of Fr. Paul, a Salesian of Don Bosco who recently passed away. Fr. Paul was a true Salesian Missionary at heart and played a vital role in the success of the Salesian Volunteers Program. Fr.  Paul was a beacon of hope for the poorest and most needy in society, and his … Continue reading Fr. Paul, a Salesian Missionary of Empathy and Service

By Fr. Ed Liptak Los Evangelios de San Juan prefieren enseñar quién es Jesús y por qué debemos creer en él recordando algunos de los grandes signos que Jesús realizó. El domingo pasado escuchamos cómo la mujer samaritana en el pozo lo reveló como posiblemente “el Cristo” a los habitantes de su pueblo. Jesús mismo confirmó que era realmente el Mesías. Los habitantes del pueblo … Continue reading Herramientas Didácticas de Juan

St. John’s Gospels prefer to teach who Jesus is and why we should believe in him by recalling several of the great signs Jesus worked. Last Sunday we heard of how the Samaritan woman at the well revealed him as possibly “the Christ” to her townsfolk. Jesus himself confirmed that he was indeed the Messiah. The townsfolk confessed him to be “Savior of the world.” … Continue reading John’s Teaching Tools

By Bro. Al Vu, SDB Over the course of three days, February 24-26, 2023, thousands descended upon Anaheim, California for the annual Archdiocese of Los Angeles Religious Education Congress. It is the largest gathering of Catholic educators, catechists, and ministers in the nation. This year’s theme: Embrace Grace fueled the many workshops, presentations, and keynotes. In his keynote, Bishop Joseph Espaillat, an auxiliary bishop of … Continue reading Religious Education Congress 2023: Embrace Grace

Dr. Juan Carlos Quirarte’s Message on Salesian Mission Day The annual celebration of Mission Day in the Salesian Province of the Western United States was held recently, and it was a momentous occasion as Juan Carlos Quirarte Ph. D, a former Salesian priest who now works for an organization linked to the United Nations, was invited to share his thoughts on the “Strenna” of the … Continue reading Understanding Violence and Building a Better World

By Luis Chacon As a Salesian lay missionary, I had the honor of promoting the Salesian mission at the Annual Religious Education Congress in Anaheim, California. This event provided an opportunity to share the Salesian Charism with a broader audience, particularly within the framework of the “Strenna” of the Rector Major of the Salesians this year, which focuses on the lay dimension in the family … Continue reading A Missionary’s Experience: Promoting the Salesian Charism at the Annual Religious Education Congress

By Sr. Mary Greenan, FMA It was at the same time both simple and  profound. Three key factors were on display  representing three essential elements of the  Salesian booth at the LA Religious Education  Congress 2023:  1) The Salesian name or ‘brand,’   2) Education of the young and   3) Don Bosco appearing behind the shoulder  of the towering statue of a life-size Mary, Help of … Continue reading The Booth: From the Inside Out

Abstracted by Sheila Kun RN, BA, BSN, MS. Accidents do happen. Do you know what to do when you fall? Let us update ourselves as to what to do if we fall down. I truly appreciate the information that we get from the NIH – Institute for Aging on this topic.  Whether you are at home or somewhere else, a sudden fall can be startling … Continue reading What To Do If You Fall

by Fr. Ed Liptak, SDB The Prayers and Scriptures start this 3rd Week of Lent emphasizing God as Author of Mercy. He is the source of ‘every mercy and all goodness.’ He teaches us that our Lenten efforts to keep him in our lives are a great help to us, for even should we be weak and in need of forgiveness, he does forgive and … Continue reading Channels of Mercy

by Fr. Ed Liptak, SDB Las Oraciones y Escrituras de esta Tercera Semana de Cuaresma enfatizan a Dios como el Autor de la Misericordia. Él es la fuente de “toda misericordia y bondad”. Él nos enseña que nuestros esfuerzos cuaresmales para mantenerlo en nuestras vidas son de gran ayuda para nosotros, porque incluso si somos débiles y necesitamos perdón, Él perdona y puede levantarnos por … Continue reading Canales de Misericordia

Written By Gina Robles and Marisol Becerra Spirit Team Retreat St. Joseph’s  The Spirit Team Retreat took place from February 3rd to February 5th. The first day of the retreat was focused on going over the SYLC theme for this year based on the Strenna, “Rise, Be Leaven for the World Today.” The team reflected on God’s call in leading them to be a part … Continue reading Youth Ministry Recap February 2023

“Rise Up, Do not be Afraid”  That was the theme for the Confirmation retreat that was held by the Salesian Parishes of Saint Mary’s and Santa Isabel in Boyle Heights. The retreat was led by youth leaders from St. Dominic Savio and Salesian Family Youth Center’s Oratory teams.  The talks were given by the youth leaders who shared their personal experiences to help inspire and … Continue reading Young Leaders Inspire Participants at Salesian Lenten Confirmation Retreat

Dear Salesian Family, Salesian Young People, and Friends: What a week it has been… On Friday, February 24, I was in San Francisco for a small farewell luncheon for Dr. Daniel Sonkin, who has been working for the Province in various capacities including as the Mental Health Advisor and the Coordinator of the Review Board. Thank you, Dr. Sonkin, for your years of service. I … Continue reading Provincial Letter

by Fr. Ed Liptak, SDB La Cuaresma comenzó con una oración en busca de las riquezas ocultas de Cristo. Los domingos siguientes nos invitan a hacer a Jesucristo más y más parte de nuestra vida diaria. “Es tu rostro, Señor, lo que busco. No escondas tu rostro”. Antiguamente, buscar el rostro de Dios significaba buscar su presencia. Necesitamos crecer en nuestro deseo de encontrar a … Continue reading Riquezas Escondidas de Cristo

by Fr. Ed Liptak, SDB Lent opened with a prayer seeking the hidden riches of Christ. The Sundays following invite us to make Jesus Christ more and more a part of our daily lives. “It is your face, Lord, that I seek. Hide not your face.” Of old, to seek the face of God meant to seek his presence. We need to grow in our … Continue reading Hidden Riches of Christ

Insights from the Religious Education Congress on the Don Bosco Educational System Last Sunday, a conference on “Youth Empowerment” was held at the Religious Education Congress, featuring Doctor Juan Carlos Montenegro as the keynote speaker. The conference was held in the framework of the “Strenna” of the Rector Major of the Salesians entitled “AS THE YEAST IN TODAY’S HUMAN FAMILY: The lay dimension in the … Continue reading Empowering Youth and Lay Leaders