Inaugural Meeting of Revived New Rochelle Salesian Cooperator Group

By Fr. Mike Mendl, SDB, and Julia St. Clair, Province Communications Director

(New Rochelle, NY – December 17) – The first meeting of Salesian Cooperator aspirants in New Rochelle took place on Wednesday, December 10, at Salesian High School’s Cassin Commons. Salesian Cooperator Lynn Donovan-Krakaur and Salesian director Fr. Mike Conway spoke with them.

This is the first Salesian Cooperator group based in New Rochelle in over 30 years. There are currently eight Cooperator aspirants, most of whom are Salesian High faculty and staff members, along with one staff member from the Salesian Provincial Center. They will meet once a month from 2:45 to 4:00 p.m. EST in Cassin Commons before they make their promise as Salesian Cooperators in about two years.

“I’m excited,” the group’s coordinator Bro. Bernie Dube, SDB, shared. “I was inspired [to lead the prospective Cooperators] at the [SDB] retreat last summer. We’ll see what happens.”

The Salesian Cooperators are one of four groups of the Salesian Family founded by Don Bosco. The other three are the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDBs/Salesians), Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMAs/Salesian Sisters), and the Association of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA).