{"id":26105,"date":"2025-10-17T21:43:51","date_gmt":"2025-10-18T04:43:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/?p=26105"},"modified":"2025-10-18T00:44:19","modified_gmt":"2025-10-18T07:44:19","slug":"embracing-don-boscos-spirit-at-the-2025-salesian-cooperator-province-congress-usa-west","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/2025\/10\/17\/embracing-don-boscos-spirit-at-the-2025-salesian-cooperator-province-congress-usa-west\/","title":{"rendered":"Embracing Don Bosco&#8217;s Spirit at the 2025 Salesian Cooperator Province Congress &#8211; USA West"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>By Susanna Carrillo, Salesian Cooperator<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>(Bellflower, California)<\/strong> &#8211; I had the blessing of participating in the\u00a0Salesian Cooperator Province Congress for USA West, held at the\u00a0Mexican American Catholic College\u00a0in San Antonio, Texas, from October 10\u201312, 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This gathering&nbsp;was filled&nbsp;with fraternity, reflection, and renewal of the Salesian spirit. Local center councilors and members were updated on the life of our province and local centers. We also worked together <strong>to discern and elect members for a new Provincial Council.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" data-attachment-id=\"26110\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/2025\/10\/17\/embracing-don-boscos-spirit-at-the-2025-salesian-cooperator-province-congress-usa-west\/img_4073\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/salesianbulletin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_4073.jpeg?fit=2201%2C1651&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2201,1651\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;iPhone 14 Plus&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1760179686&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;1.54&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;800&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.024390243902439&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_4073\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/salesianbulletin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_4073.jpeg?fit=720%2C540&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/salesianbulletin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_4073.jpeg?resize=720%2C540&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26110\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.333371958285052;width:584px;height:auto\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Susanna Carrillo (front) is working on a translation with Lourdes Guzman (back).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" data-attachment-id=\"26114\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/2025\/10\/17\/embracing-don-boscos-spirit-at-the-2025-salesian-cooperator-province-congress-usa-west\/img_4094\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/salesianbulletin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_4094.jpeg?fit=4032%2C3024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"4032,3024\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;iPhone 14 Plus&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1760180946&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;5.7&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0082644628099174&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_4094\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/salesianbulletin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_4094.jpeg?fit=720%2C540&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/salesianbulletin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_4094.jpeg?resize=720%2C540&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26114\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.333371958285052;width:591px;height:auto\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Local Center update presented by Armando Gonzalez, Coordinator for Santo Domingo Savio Center.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I attended, representing&nbsp;the St. Dominic Savio (Spanish) Center in Bellflower, California, where I have the grace of serving as Formator. During this congress, I experienced a deep sense of communion and belonging. Every talk, every moment of prayer, and every conversation reflected the heart of Don Bosco\u2014his love for the young and his call to live with joy and hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One phrase echoed in my heart throughout the days:&nbsp;<strong>\u201cBe light in&nbsp;today\u2019s&nbsp;world.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This invitation touched my heart deeply. It reminded me that being a Salesian Cooperator is not just a title but a vocation, a daily commitment:&nbsp;<strong>to shine with the light of Christ in what I do, how I live, how I communicate, and especially in how I accompany young people who seek meaning and hope.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Mart\u00edn Calder\u00f3n Vargas<\/strong>, World Councilor for the Interamerican Region, shared a reflection that deeply moved me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTo be light is not automatic; it is a daily decision. Christ is the source of light. We are lamps lit with His fire. The mission He entrusts to us is clear:&nbsp;<em>\u2018Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven\u2019&nbsp;(Mt 5:16).<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the voting process to elect the new Provincial Council,&nbsp;<strong>seeing my name on the list filled me with humility and gratitude.<\/strong>&nbsp;I felt that if I was there, it was because God and Mary Help of Christians wanted it that way.&nbsp; With joy and gratitude, I accepted the call to serve as one of the&nbsp;<strong>new Communication Councilors for the Provincial Council USA West.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"475\" data-attachment-id=\"26112\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/2025\/10\/17\/embracing-don-boscos-spirit-at-the-2025-salesian-cooperator-province-congress-usa-west\/img_4092\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/salesianbulletin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_4092.jpeg?fit=3713%2C2451&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"3713,2451\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;iPhone 14 Plus&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1760180934&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;5.7&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.024390243902439&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_4092\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/salesianbulletin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_4092.jpeg?fit=720%2C475&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/salesianbulletin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_4092.jpeg?resize=720%2C475&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26112\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.5170731707317073;width:596px;height:auto\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The new Communications Councilor is already at work.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This call represents a new opportunity to&nbsp;<strong>share Don&nbsp;Bosco\u2019s&nbsp;charism with creativity and love<\/strong>, to strengthen the bonds of communication among our centers, and to help us all continue to be bearers of his light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The words of&nbsp;<strong>Dr. Alex del Carmen,&nbsp;<\/strong>Provincial&nbsp;Coordinator,&nbsp;reminded us that our lives\u2014nourished by the Word, prayer, the sacraments, and community life\u2014should be&nbsp;<strong>a sign of love and hope.<\/strong>&nbsp;And that, in the style of Don Bosco, we must learn to be&nbsp;<strong>joyful witnesses among the young, the families, and the poor, radiating&nbsp;Christ\u2019s&nbsp;light where it is most needed.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I return from this experience with my heart aflame and the conviction that&nbsp;<strong>the Salesian charism remains alive and shining.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/strong>Don Bosco shines today, and his light must continue to shine through us\u2014in our witness, in our works, and in our mission to form&nbsp;<em>\u201cgood Christians and honest citizens.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I also wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to all those who made this gathering possible \u2014 the organizing team, the speakers, and every Cooperator who, with joy and dedication, helped make these days of grace so meaningful. May God and Mary Help of Christians bless you always for being instruments of light and hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Susanna Carrillo, Salesian Cooperator (Bellflower, California) &#8211; I had the blessing of participating in the\u00a0Salesian Cooperator Province Congress for USA West, held at the\u00a0Mexican American Catholic College\u00a0in San Antonio, Texas, from October 10\u201312, 2025. This gathering&nbsp;was filled&nbsp;with fraternity, reflection, and renewal of the Salesian spirit. Local center councilors and members were updated on the life of our province and local centers. We also worked &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/2025\/10\/17\/embracing-don-boscos-spirit-at-the-2025-salesian-cooperator-province-congress-usa-west\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continuar leyendo <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Embracing Don Bosco&#8217;s Spirit at the 2025 Salesian Cooperator Province Congress &#8211; USA West<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":10336596,"featured_media":26108,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20310044,57325636],"tags":[35890],"class_list":["post-26105","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-province-news","category-salesian-cooperators","tag-featured"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/salesianbulletin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/photo-2025-10-12-10-14-23.jpg?fit=1000%2C750&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p59ePG-6N3","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26105","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10336596"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26105"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26105\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26191,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26105\/revisions\/26191"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26108"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}