To Be Missionary Disciples of Christ

Dear Confreres,

October is "mission month." Let’s recall the beginning of the Salesian mission in Canada and the USA. It amazes me that 125 years of the Salesian mission in these countries began with only four SDBs, two priests, a Salesian Brother, and a seminarian. They began their work in San Francisco in 1897. Just over a year later, on November 28, 1898, three SDBs, two priests, and a Brother arrived in New York City. Both groups of SDB missionaries had been sent to work with Italian immigrants. When the SDBs arrived in New York, there were over 200,000 Italian immigrants in the city. Archbishop Corrigan of New York wrote to Don Rua of his inability to provide adequate pastoral care for them, "Alas! Must all the Italians lose their faith!" This was the challenge that awaited the SDBs.

The anniversary of the arrival of SDBs to San Francisco and New York allows us to recall the brave and generous example of those few SDBs who faced precarious and discouraging circumstances. However, with the zeal of Don Bosco, they persevered. From the initial concern for Italian immigrants, SDBs were soon serving immigrants from Portugal, Mexico, and Poland. Within a year of their arrival to New York, the Salesians had an aspirant to Salesian religious life.

Besides recalling the history of our provinces, we recognize the urgent needs of the Salesian mission today in our various works. We feel the need for the same zealous, truly Salesian spirit of those first SDBs who came to the USA. Many of our works have remained close to the early ministries, reaching out to welcome, accompany, and form immigrants. In his message for World Mission Day 2022, Pope Francis seems to speak to us directly when he writes, "More and more, we are seeing how the presence of faithful of various nationalities enriches the face of parishes and makes them more universal, more Catholic. Consequently, the pastoral care of migrants should be valued as an important missionary activity that can also help the local faithful to rediscover the joy of the Christian faith they have received." World Mission Day flows naturally into November when we recall the missionary expedition of Cagliero and companions to Argentina. Fr. Sean McEwan will provide us with some resources to help us celebrate and promote the missionary dimension of the Salesian charism.

The visit of the Rector Major to the SUO and SUE provinces in November will include plenty of celebrations to recall the history of the Salesians in this part of the world. The presence of the successor of Don Bosco among us also animates us to a bold renewal of missionary zeal among us SDBs, our colleagues, and the young. Let’s take advantage of this month of October, especially the weekend of October 21-23, to highlight the Salesian mission today, the example of Salesian missionaries—religious and lay—from our province, and our commitment to serve on the peripheries. Fr. Ángel wrote to the provincial and provincial council in July 2017, "Strengthen, as much as possible, attention to immigrants. This is not only a prophetic and Evangelic sign, but also A REAL AND VERY SALESIAN NEW FRONTIER!"

Two days ago, on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the Season of Creation ended. Thanks to everyone who took advantage of this time to further the Congregation’s Action Program, Proposal Eight: Accompanying the Young towards a Sustainable Future. We look forward to hearing from Fr. Mike Conway and Fr. Gus Baek about their experience at the Change Congress in Rome.

This Sunday, October 9, is the canonization of Br. Artemides Zatti. Our province will be represented at the special events in Rome and Turin by SDBs, members of the Salesian Family, and colleagues. You have been sent the link to the movie about Zatti and a triduum prayer service. We pray, through the intercession of St. Artemides Zatti, that many young people from our Salesian presences will become Salesian Brothers.

Finally, tomorrow is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. With filial devotion, we ask Mary, Queen of the Missions, to help us be missionary disciples of her Son, as were Don Bosco and those first Salesians who came to Canada and the USA.

Fr. Tim Zak