Super Bowl, Super Discernment

If you ask many people what they did this past weekend, they would say that they watched the Broncos take on the Panthers for the coveted 50^th Super Bowl Championship. However that was the only super event of the weekend if you ask some members of our Salesian family. This past weekend was not only marked by Super Bowl, it was also graced with one Super Discernment Weekend by the Office of Vocations. The vocation team led by Fr. Jim Berning, Br. Bernie Dube, and Fr. Dennis Hartigan hosted a special large contingent of high schoolers and young adult men who participated in the winter Come and See held at Don Bosco Residence from February 5-7.  The program provided the participants with fruitful Oratorian interaction with Salesian life in a variety of ways through ice-breakers, community-building games, festive meals, prayers, vocations stories, and even an engaging in-door soccer recreation at the Our Lady of the Valley Gym.  Given our overnight accommodations with the Salvatorian Fathers Monastery in Verona, NJ, the panoramic scenic overview of New York City was the “awesome” cap to the weekend as stated by the participants.

There was a diverse group of participants in attendance that brought members of the Salesian family from all over. The young men who made the journey to attend were:
Francis Vu of Allen, TX
Timothy Ripka of Salesian High School
Tommy Stika and Kevin White of Don Bosco Preparatory High School
Nikolas Filice of Toronto
Jonathan Rafael, Christopher Espinoza, Santos Rivera, Jude Eguia, and Dhivyan Grille of Don Bosco Christo Ray, Washington DC. 

The vocation team helped to foster an oratory environment that enabled the participants to feel right at home and aided them to search for the manner in which God was calling them to pursue their heart’s desire.  Nevertheless, an additional twist was added to this discernment weekend.  Tommy Stika, who made the discernment weekend earlier last October, was asked to be a young discernment team member.  The fact that Tommy shared from his own lived experience allowed the other participants to relate with a fellow journeyer on the same path of discernment.

The “take home” experience for many of the participants was a resounding sense of community.  The fraternal life from the weekend attracted the discerners to really consider Salesian life, an integral aspect of our living that is a centerpiece in General Chapter 27. As we thank God for the opportunity to facilitate the needs of these discernment participants through prayer, community, and understanding the Salesian charism, let us all commit to promoting the next discernment program scheduled for the Easter Tridium from March 24-26, 2016.  There will be an informational flyer posted soon!

Spread the Gospel like Wildfire

What’s the best way to gather thousands of college students for a faith experience during Christmas break? Get them to FOCUS on their faith!  

The Fellowship Of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) is an organization that grew out of Pope Saint John Paul II’s initiative to call for a New Evangelization particularly among young people.  FOCUS missionaries bring the joy and hope of Jesus Christ to one hundred college campuses throughout the United States.  These missionaries become evangelizers on their own campuses and help their peers to foster a personal relationship with Christ.

Br. Sal Sammarco and Fr. Jim Berning recently attended the leadership-driven FOCUS convention in Dallas, TX. From January 1-5, they were gifted with the opportunity to be in fellowship, prayer, and meeting with over 3,000 university students from all over the country. This opportunity to attend the convention was a very important one for the mission of the vocations office because since its inception in 1998, 500 FOCUS alumni have pursued religious vocations.

Curtis Martin, the founder of FOCUS, encouraged students in a keynote address to be missionaries in three ways.  First, missionaries are invited to encounter Christ by making themselves available to the light of Christ. This is a light which ultimately will lead them to eternal life.  Second, he emphasized that the way for students to experience the Mercy of God is for them to render corporal works of mercy out in the world. Martin highlighted for the crowd that we are called to be a people of service, and that it is when we serve others he love of Christ is magnified in the world.  Third, he explained that true discipleship needs to be grounded in positive relationships in order to build and sustain faith with others.  For Jesus, this happened when he invited the twelve apostles to join him.  For college missionaries, this relational faith reality occurs when just a few new students are invited to meet Christ.  This investment reveals how the power of discipleship can shape the faith of college students. 

Moreover, the FOCUS convention provided meaningful days for students to be in a faith environment while integrating missionary skills.  By intentionally witnessing their faith, FOCUS missionaries can go into the world and “spread the gospel like wildfire.” Being among the thousands of young people at the convention during a time after the first semester when others are typically resting or catching up with friends and loved ones, served as a testament that many of our young people have a strong desire to know God and grow in their relationship with Him. To see them worship together, learn together, and be joyful was a personal witness for Fr. Jim and Br. Sal that gave a positive boost to the start of the New Year!

Here I am, Lord in “Hoosier” Country

What comes to mind when you think of the word “Hoosiers”?  Perhaps it is the movie with Gene Hackman wherein  a small-town high school basketball team was led to a championship that seemed against all  odds, or maybe it’s a March Madness game that you watched featuring the Hoosiers of the University of Indiana, or maybe it’s the colorful way that the commentators of the Indy500 referred to the big event. Either way, the term Hoosiers has been a long standing word that seems at the core of the state of Indiana; and it recently also took on a special meaning of faith and evangelization. 

The National Catholic Youth Conference was held this past weekend in Indianapolis where 25,000 faith participants gathered for faith, fun, and fellowship.  This year’s conference was held from November 19-21 at the Indianapolis Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium which is also the home of the Indiana Colts.  The theme “Here I Am Lord-Aqui Estoy Señor” challenged young people to make themselves available as God’s agents in order to expand the kingdom of God.
 

One of the keynote speakers, Dr. Carolyn Woo, president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services spoke about her lived-faith journey that brought her to leadership in the international humanitarian network.  After being raised in Hong Kong, she immigrated to the United States and attended Perdue.  At the onset, Carolyn only had one year to attend college, so she accumulated a total of forty-two credits.  Through the encouragement of a mentor, she applied for and was granted a scholarship enabling her to continue her college education.  At the core of Dr. Woo’s story of faith was her trust in God’s plan and her determination.  She shared how difficult it had been being an immigrant from a foreign culture trying to live in another culture that was far removed from her own in southeast Asia.  With the help of professors and others, she was able to be enculturated into American society.  In all these experiences that shaped her life, Dr. Woo offered us five practical ways to live for the sake of the kingdom:

 1.      Although we like to see “results” in life, we need to recognize that things will eventually work out according to God’s own plan.
2.      When the “door” of opportunity opens for us, it opens through mentors who help us find our way to God.
3.      Even if we do not feel a sense of “belonging” in a certain situation, there is still something we must learn and contribute in that situation.
4.      God is always with us and will not leave us as “orphans” (John 14:18).
5.      Always “desire” to be part of a solution even when you haven’t glimpsed the solution.

Another highlight to the experience was getting to be in the presence of Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez. Cardinal Rodriguez was ever present to all of the young people,  especially our many Salesians in attendance.  He brought a message of “mentoring” and it’s crucial importance for shaping ourselves vocationally.   Cardinal Rodregiez emphasized in his homily at the Salesian Family Mass during the convention that Fathers John Borel and Joseph Caffaso played a significant role in the pastoral development and mentoring of Don Bosco.  These skills equipped Don Bosco to meet the demands of shepherding masses of young displaced in the urban situation.

We, too, can profit by recalling those who have been instrumental in our own development.  Our very lives have been shaped by the reserves of faithful accompaniment offered to us by educational and pastoral mentors.  Coming on the heels of the bicentennial celebration, let us remember the vast reservoirs of faith that erupted in Don Bosco and have passed on to us to expand the kingdom of God for the young. 

Come and See Canada, A Discernment Weekend Experience

    The work of Salesian vocations is alive and well in Canada, and we could not be more overjoyed. The Salesians of St. Benedict Community recently hosted five young adults on a Come and See Discernment Weekend at Etobicoke, Canada from October 16-18.  The participants included Myrick Rodrigues, David Andrews, Avery Burrows, Steve Polo, and Ivan Skokos.  Fr. Jim Zettel and Fr. Jim Berning facilitated the weekend program as they worked together to accompany these young men into understanding Salesian religious life and their own vocation callings. 

    The activities of the weekend took place both at the parish setting where the Youth Group was in operation and at Don Bosco Residence where many of the presentations and discussions occurred.  A discernment journal was used throughout the days so that the participants could understand how God’s presence was threaded throughout their entire lives and how God has been calling them to discern His plan for their future         

    A true beauty of the weekend was how welcoming and encouraging the parishioners of St. Benedict were as they hosted us and even prepared the meals for the occasion.  The St. Benedict community created an environment of familiarity, welcome, and home that brought the participants to feel a real attraction to Salesian life.  In the weeks ahead, let’s include these vocations in our intentions so that they continue to be seekers, and that they have the courage to surrender themselves to God’s plan.  

Working to grow the Church’s Deepest Vocation

Pope Paul VI said, “Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church. She exists in order to evangelize…to preach and teach…” Franciscan University graciously lived those words during their recent annual vocations fest event. The school opened their doors on October 9 for the event held in Steubenville, Ohio to a sizeable crowd of religious, students, and welcomed guests; all of whom gathered in fellowship and love of our Faith and our Church.  The University brought together 55 religious institutes that provided participants with the opportunity of discovering many religious charisms in our Faith, and an opportunity to accompany discerners who have heard God’s call in their lives.  Since many of the students at the university are double majors with either theology or catechetics, they are often interested in religious life or to serve as lay missioner.  Thus having events like this help to offer many of the students an opportunity to work towards their future endeavors and discernment.

 

Br. Josh Sciullo and Fr. Jim Berning invited participants to discover more about the charisms of Don Bosco at the Salesian booth through interactive games and engaging conversation.  The day concluded with a joyful celebration of the liturgy and a large group lunch. The sentiment that was most shared  and discussed by everyone in attendance was a sense of purpose. Whether you were an exhibitor, a participant, or an organizer it was very clear to see that we had all gathered there that day for the extreme importance of working together to grow our Church. God said that “where two or more are gathered in my name, I am there”, but gather we must!