{"id":34582,"date":"2026-10-09T12:50:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T19:50:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/?p=34582"},"modified":"2026-10-09T20:52:02","modified_gmt":"2026-10-10T03:52:02","slug":"in-loving-memory-of-don-varela-salesian-cooperator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/2026\/10\/09\/in-loving-memory-of-don-varela-salesian-cooperator\/","title":{"rendered":"In Loving Memory of Don Varela, Salesian Cooperator"},"content":{"rendered":"

(San Antonio, Texas – October 4, 2026)<\/strong> \u2013 Yesterday evening our beloved friend and Salesian Cooperator, Don Varella, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family. Those of us in the Salesian family in San Antonio, Texas had the joy of being led and accompanied by Don and his loving wife, Catherine, for decades. Catherine\u2019s soul returned Home to be with Christ not too long ago. Now her equally courageous husband, Don, joins her in Heaven. We send our condolences to his family and offer prayers for abundant grace to Our Lady, Mary Help of Christians, at this time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don often shared that he believed the Salesian education he received during youth at the Oratory in California paved the way for a life of virtue that brought him so much fulfillment and blessed his community. He expressed feeling guided and cared for at an age that is so delicate and decisive for teenagers coming into adulthood. His path would include a career in military service, leadership, meeting the love of his life, and forming a family with her that he adored and never tired of gushing about. If his children were visiting, he was gushing. If his grandchildren made cookies, he was gushing. If Catherine made beans, he was gushing! With Catherine by his side, the projects and service in Christ just kept going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a Salesian Cooperator, he gave energy, time, and presence for projects that benefited the youth and kept a Salesian education accessible to youth of all backgrounds. Our Salesian Cooperator local center received leadership from Don, and resources arrived for events and causes through the bounty of Christ. But most importantly, in Don, we received a vision with complete faith in Our Lady, Mary Help of Christians. Don had seen the work of Mary in his life and he communicated that trust. Don had that twinkle in his eye that was always learning and finding ways to attract youth towards Christ in his family and also any child he encountered. He didn\u2019t have to quote scripture necessarily. He just steered youth towards the good, the true, and the beautiful. God was not a dream to him. God was real and Don could show you instantly. He was in so many ways as creative and giving as a child himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

St. John Bosco famously stated that, \u201cIt is not enough to love the young, they must know they are loved.\u201d St. John Bosco believed that the primary happiness of a child comes from knowing they are loved and from being aware that they are loved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In your presence Don, we KNEW we were loved. You made it so easy to learn Salesian spirituality by modeling it so beautifully. Thank you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We love you too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From your friends in the Salesian Family<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

En memoria amorosa de Don Varela, <\/strong>Salesiano Cooperador<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ayer por la tarde, nuestro querido amigo y Salesiano Cooperador, Don Varella, falleci\u00f3 pac\u00edficamente rodeado de su amorosa familia. Quienes formamos parte de la familia salesiana en San Antonio, Texas, tuvimos la alegr\u00eda de ser guiados y acompa\u00f1ados por Don y su amada esposa, Catherine, SC, durante d\u00e9cadas. El alma de Catherine regres\u00f3 a la Casa del Padre para estar con Cristo hace poco tiempo. Ahora, su esposo Don \u2014igualmente valiente\u2014 se re\u00fane con ella en el Cielo. Enviamos nuestros sentimientos a su familia y elevamos nuestras oraciones a Nuestra Se\u00f1ora, Mar\u00eda Auxiliadora, pidiendo abundantes gracias en estos momentos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don sol\u00eda compartir que la educaci\u00f3n salesiana recibida en su juventud, en el Oratorio de California, prepar\u00f3 el camino para una vida de virtud que le brind\u00f3 gran plenitud y bendici\u00f3n a su comunidad. Expresaba sentirse guiado y cuidado en una etapa tan delicada y decisiva para los adolescentes que transitan hacia la vida adulta. Su trayectoria incluy\u00f3 una carrera en el servicio militar, el ejercicio del liderazgo, el encuentro con el amor de su vida y la formaci\u00f3n de una familia a la que adoraba y de la que hablaba siempre con entusiasmo y orgullo. Si sus hijos ven\u00edan de visita, hablaba de ellos con orgullo; si sus nietos horneaba galletas, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

hablaba de ellos con orgullo; \u00a1y si Catherine preparaba frijoles, tambi\u00e9n hablaba de ella con orgullo! Con Catherine a su lado, los proyectos y el servicio en Cristo continuaron sin pausa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Como Salesiano Cooperador, dedic\u00f3 energ\u00eda, tiempo y presencia a proyectos que beneficiaban a los j\u00f3venes y manten\u00edan la educaci\u00f3n salesiana al alcance de chicos de todos los entornos. Nuestro centro local de Salesianos Cooperadores recibi\u00f3 el liderazgo de Don, y gracias a la generosidad de Cristo, llegaron recursos para diversos eventos y causas. Pero, sobre todo, en Don encontramos una visi\u00f3n marcada por una fe absoluta en Nuestra Se\u00f1ora, Mar\u00eda Auxiliadora. Don hab\u00eda sido testigo de la obra de Mar\u00eda en su propia vida y transmit\u00eda esa confianza a los dem\u00e1s. Ten\u00eda esa chispa en la mirada de quien siempre est\u00e1 aprendiendo y buscando formas de acercar a Cristo a los j\u00f3venes, tanto a los de su propia familia como a cualquier ni\u00f1o con el que se cruzara. No necesitaba citar las Escrituras constantemente; simplemente te orientaba hacia lo bueno, lo verdadero y lo bello. Para \u00e9l, Dios no era un sue\u00f1o: Dios era real, y Don sab\u00eda c\u00f3mo demostr\u00e1rtelo al instante. En muchos aspectos, era tan creativo y generoso como un ni\u00f1o.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

San Juan Bosco dijo la famosa frase de que: \u00abNo basta con amar a los j\u00f3venes; es preciso que sepan que son amados\u00bb. San Juan Bosco cre\u00eda que la felicidad fundamental de un ni\u00f1o proviene de saberse amado y de ser consciente de ese amor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

En tu presencia, Don, sab\u00edamos que \u00e9ramos amados. Hiciste que aprender la espiritualidad salesiana fuera muy sencillo, pues la encarnabas de una manera hermosa. \u00a1Gracias!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nosotros tambi\u00e9n te queremos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

De parte de tus amigos de la Familia Salesiana.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(San Antonio, Texas – October 4, 2026) \u2013 Yesterday evening our beloved friend and Salesian Cooperator, Don Varella, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family. Those of us in the Salesian family in San Antonio, Texas had the joy of being led and accompanied by Don and his loving wife, Catherine, for decades. Catherine\u2019s soul returned Home to be with Christ not too long ago. … Continuar leyendo In Loving Memory of Don Varela, Salesian Cooperator<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":10336596,"featured_media":34585,"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,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":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-34582","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-province-news","category-salesian-cooperators","tag-featured"],"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p59ePG-8ZM","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/salesianbulletin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/2026-10-09-Don-Varella-feature.jpg?fit=1600%2C875&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34582","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=34582"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34582\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34589,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34582\/revisions\/34589"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34582"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34582"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34582"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}