By: Alejandro Martinez and Martin NeiraSalesian Volunteers. I am Alejandro Martínez Casanova. I was born in Bogota, Colombia in 1989. I made the decision to become a Salesian Volunteer with the purpose of enriching my personal project of life. Since I was 9 years old, I grew up surrounded by music in a Salesian High School in Bogota. Today, I am a professional choral and … Continue reading Meet our two newest Salesian Volunteers!
By: JC Montenegro Delegate for Mission Animation Yes, it is the first time in the history of the congregation that a Doctoral Thesis was dedicated to research what is happening with the Salesian Volunteer Movement at the world wide level. The research focused on the personal development that a volunteer goes through when a long term service takes place in our Salesian communities. The author, … Continue reading First Doctoral Thesis based on the Salesian Volunteer Program
By: Johnny Martinez & J.C Montenegro For the last year, the Salesian Family Youth Center has been the place where once a month, homeless meet and share God’s love. Johnny Martinez, the group leader, started this group to serve God among the less fortunate. The meetings begin at 7 PM with a welcoming and opening prayer, then they read the Bible with a sharing process … Continue reading Salesians helping homeless in East Los Angeles
By: JC Montenegro Delegate for Mission Animation On December 2, 2019, Lauren Hichaaba (Cagliero Project – Australia), Adam Rudin (Salesian Lay Missioners – USA East), and Jc Montenegro (Salesian Volunteers – USA West)gathered online to catch-up and discuss ways to accompany each other while leading the volunteer program in their respective provinces. Several important topics were discussed during the hour-long meeting. The first conversation was … Continue reading English Volunteer Program Collaboration
By: JC Montenegro Delegate for Mission Animation As part of the Mission Animation Promotion on Thanksgiving weekend a group of young adults from our province visited the Salesian Community in Tijuana. This is an opportunity for young adults to experience and see firsthand social issues and to educate and raise awareness of what is happening in the world. Young people are challenged to become agents … Continue reading Salesian Volunteers Visit Asylum Community Center in Tijuana
By: J.C Montenegro Savio Youth Ministry’s Annual Thanksgiving Tijuana Mission trip is an awesome opportunity for you. In 2002 St. Dominic Savio and St. John Bosco, created the Salesian Missionaries to Tijuana program. They saw the need for a deeper formation and understanding of the catholic social justice for young people who were involved in youth ministry programs. In 2003 St. Dominic Savio extended an … Continue reading Annual Thanksgiving Tijuana Mission Trip
By: J.C Montenegro Delegate for Mission Animation Margie Cottrill is the new Salesian Volunteer who is coming from Massachusetts to spend one year of her life serving the youth of Boyle Heights. An 18 year-old teen, Margie has decided to discern her vocation with the Salesians. She is living in community with the Salesians Sisters at St. Mary’s. Her community experience has opened her eyes … Continue reading New Salesian Volunteer for the province
By: Izzy Shahmirza St. Francis High School Alumni I am the proud daughter of immigrants–my mother is from Jalisco, México, and my father from Tehran, Iran. My parents immigrated to the United States with the desire to embrace new opportunities, however, their journey was filled with imposter syndrome, hardships, and adversity. My mother settled in rural Watsonville, California–a predominantly Latinx, agricultural town, known as … Continue reading Fighting for Justice at Migrant Farmworkers Assistance Fund
By: J.C Montenegro Delegate for Mission Animation From September 6-16, 2019 the Core Team of the Inter-America Social Services Network for youth at risk gathered in Dominican Republic to analyze and evaluate the 2014-2020 Strategic Plan to update it, promote the bases of networking in the region, and to prepare for next year’s gather where all the delegates from the region will gather. Thanks to … Continue reading Inter-America Social Services Network
By VIDES+USA Volunteers In Development, Education, & Solidarity After 15 years as being the Director of VIDES+USA, Sr. MaryGloria Mar is passing on the reigns to Sr. Sydney Moss. Sr. Sydney recently made her perpetual vows and originally met the Sisters when she was a VIDES missionary! She spent almost two years working in El Salvador with the Sisters while discerning her vocation. She is … Continue reading Thank you, Sr. Gloria!
By: Andres Neria On Thursday August 15th, the Feast of the Assumption, our Provincial Fr. Ted and his council met with the delegates and coordinators of the province. The purpose of this meeting, and future meetings to come, is to explore and implement better ways to serve our province at all levels. This idea was presented at this year’s Provincial Chapter and came out as … Continue reading Provincial Council, Delegates, and Coordinators Meeting
By: Christopher Green Hey everyone, I hope all has been well with you in the past week. Happy memorial of Saint Junipero Serra! I’d like to use this opportunity to let you know about my first week in Tijuana. When I left Los Angles on Saturday of last week, I was excited about this opportunity to clarify my understanding of God’s vocation for me through … Continue reading Candidate TJ Summer Experience
By Salesian Deacons Fernando Javier Hernández Reyes, David Raúl Reynoso Ruiz, and José de Jesús Medrano Pérez (Camp Savio 2016 – Bellflower, CA) – The experience of only three days in the Salesian Community in Bellflower has been of a great wealth for our vocational and pastoral growth. This experience has a great value knowing that in one year we will finish our theological studies. We want to … Continue reading Camp Savio 2016: Visiting Deacons from Mexico
By JC Montenegro (Salesian Volunteers, CA) – It could be said that the Salesian volunteers started back in the time when Don Bosco started his ministry with the young. The Salesian cooperators took upon themselves the mission of Don Bosco, to form good Christians and honest citizens. Later on, the volunteer program as we know it today started globally in Ecuador in 1974. Two young … Continue reading Salesian Volunteers: A Youthful Experience
By ANS (ANS – Bellflower) – Juan Carlos Montenegro is a past pupil of the Don Bosco Kennedy Salesian Technical Institute in Quito, Ecuador. From his years in the Salesian school he felt that his life “should not be a meaningless life.” As a student, he decided to go as a volunteer among the native Achuar people in Wasakentsa. “It was an experience that changed my … Continue reading Volunteering: A Risk Today, An Opportunity for the Future
