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

(ANS – Bruxelles) – From 28 February to 2 March, the second international SAAM seminar “A journey towards internationalization” took place in Brussels. The Seminar was organized within the framework of the SAAM (Supporting Alliance for African Mobility) project. This is a pilot project funded by the European Union and supported also by the African Union, with the aim of testing the feasibility of mobility … Continue reading A Journey Towards Internationalization: Second SAAM Seminar in the EU Capital

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