Orange: Festive Days of Don Bosco

By Br. Reegan Ledet, SDB

(Orange, NJ – February 1) – Greetings from the Salesian Family of Orange, NJ. This week, we were joined by our provincial, Fr. Dominic Tran, for our provincial visitation, which beautifully coincided with the Don Bosco Novena. Additionally, this weekend was jam-packed full of our community family celebrations.

We began this Don Bosco weekend with a youth rally open to all young people of the Oranges, ages 12 and up. Our youth rally included time for socializing in the Don Bosco Youth Center and culminated with Adoration in the church. It also featured a talk at Our Lady of the Valley given by our Salesian pre-novice from the Ramsey community, Lorenzo D'Alessandro.

During Saturday’s CCD-Oratory, we experienced catechesis and evangelization in action through a Mass honoring Don Bosco with our students and catechists, presided by Fr. Dominic. After Mass, there was a carnival at the youth center joined by the Salesian Cooperators and candidates for the Salesian Cooperators of the Orange Center.

The weekend peaked on Sunday when Fr. Dominic presided at the 10:30 a.m. Mass and offered the Mass for the intentions of the Salesian Family and young people. At this Mass, we were honored to have the catechetical students serve in the various roles of lectors, altar servers, ushers, and more. Afterward, the community concluded this weekend’s celebrations with a reception that brought parishioners together to eat, laugh, sing, and praise Jesus through the intercession of Don Bosco. Don Bosco continues to guide our Orange community in walking together as a family, with Mary, towards Jesus for the education and evangelization of the young.