An Update from the Vocation Office

By Fr. Damien Ho, SDB, Province Vocation Coordinator

(Bellflower, California) – I often tell people that many know St. John Bosco, but far fewer know the Salesians. Some have heard stories about his work with young people. Others belong to groups named after Don Bosco or another Salesian saint without realizing that the Salesian Family is present here in the Western Province of the United States!

That has made for some enjoyable conversations since last summer! The Vocation Office has been getting out into the dioceses where we serve, meeting people and introducing them to who we are. We have been intentional about increasing our visibility by offering our help at retreats, visiting ministry offices, and finding opportunities to share the Salesian charism with young people. Along the way, doors have opened that we did not expect, and I have been grateful for the warm welcome we have received.

Last July, Gina Robles and I traveled to Kansas for an orientation to vocation ministry with the National Religious Vocation Conference. Fun fact: Gina started out with us 26 years ago as the Vocation Secretary! We spent the week learning alongside vocation directors from 16 other religious communities. It was encouraging to hear how others accompany those discerning their vocations and to realize that we share many of the same questions in this ministry. Gina and I came home with plenty to discuss, along with resources and ideas to help us update our province’s vocation processes and procedures.

This past September, I attended the California Asian Catholic Community Living Camp (CACCLC), where I met young working professionals who had come together for faith formation and fellowship. Some were settling into their careers, while others were also beginning family life. Many were looking for a community where they could share their faith and talk about where their lives were heading. Their questions about purpose and God’s call reminded me how much discernment continues beyond college and into the working years and family life of young adults.

CACCLC also brought together several vocation directors, which made for some fantastic conversations! I connected with Fr. Cheeyoon Chun from the Diocese of Orange, Fr. Louie Reyes, incoming vocation director for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and Fr. Joe Kraemer, the Jesuit vocation coordinator in Northern California. We spent time picking each other’s brains, sharing what we have learned, and exploring ways to work together to encourage vocations and accompany men discerning the priesthood or religious life. Religious sisters were also in attendance, including our very own Sr. Krystle Balancio, FMA, who shared her wisdom and Salesian joy with the participants. I came away grateful for their friendship and excited about what we might be able to accomplish together.

There have been opportunities closer to home, too. Over the summer, I was able to visit some of our province’s summer camp programs and spend time with the young people and those accompanying them. It was a joy to see the Salesian spirit alive in our own communities and to be present among the young people who make these programs what they are. In September, I was invited to speak at St. Francis High School’s Triduum, where I talked with students about God’s call for each of them and the possibilities ahead as they began a new school year. Being with them was a welcome reminder of how much hope there is in a room full of young people and how much our presence can encourage them as they discover who God is calling them to become.

Along the way, we have been building relationships with diocesan vocation offices and young adult ministry leaders. It has been exciting to brainstorm new events and opportunities for vocation and youth ministry together. One conversation often leads to another, especially when the coffee is bottomless!

These experiences have helped me appreciate the breadth of vocation ministry. Accompanying men who are discerning Salesian life is an important part of the work, and I am grateful for the trust they place in us. At the same time, we have the joy of sharing Don Bosco’s charism with young people as they discover their gifts and consider how God is calling them to use them. We also have the opportunity to encourage the adults and communities who walk alongside them. The way we live our own vocations can help young people see what a response to God’s call looks like.

The relationships we have been building are already opening doors for the Salesians to serve in new places. Through conversations with diocesan youth ministry and vocation offices and other ministry leaders, the Vocation Office has been invited to participate in several upcoming events:

• NorCal Leaders’ Summit – Young Adult Ministry, November 7: An opportunity to share the Salesian approach to catechesis with young adult ministry leaders from five Northern California dioceses through a workshop titled “They Showed Up, Now What? Catechesis in Young Adult Ministry.”
• Fall Newman Retreat, November 20–22: An invitation to preach at San Damiano in Danville for students from Sacramento State, Chico State, and UC Davis.
• SEEK 2027, January 2027: An opportunity to collaborate with our Salesian Sisters in San Antonio and introduce young adults from across the country to the Salesian Family.

Each invitation gives us a chance to share Don Bosco’s charism and support those already working with young people in their communities.

There are plenty of reasons to be hopeful! I am currently accompanying five men who are actively discerning religious life, and we are happy to share that a new Salesian candidate will be joining us toward the end of January. Please keep these men in your prayers as they listen for God’s call and invitation.

We are also working on a new vocation poster and updating our leaflets, bookmarks, resources for our 2027 Strenna, and other handouts for each of our Salesian presences. We hope these resources will help our communities share more about Salesian life and give young people a place to start when they want to learn more.

As we continue taking Don Bosco on the road, please pray for our Vocation Office and for vocations to religious life, the priesthood, and marriage. And to everyone in the Salesian Family: thank you for living your vocation with generosity and joy. You never know who might be watching and wondering, “Could God be calling me, too?”

Until next time, with more updates from the Vocation Office, God bless!