Salesian Community of New Rochelle 2023-2024

By Fr. Tim Ploch, SDB

(New Rochelle, NY – October 12) – I would like to present the reality of the Salesian community of New Rochelle for 2023-2024 as we join in celebrating the arrival of the first Salesians to New York City 125 years ago! We were present in Eastern USA some 21 years before the Stephenson residence on Boston Post Road was purchased and became the center of the SUE Province.

Now that residence is home to a community of 13 confreres, 14 counting Br. Charlie Mayer, who is a resident of the United Hebrew Center for Senior Care. As a community, we have tried to make sure that one of us visits Charlie every day. Our community is entrusted with three major ministries through which we express the Salesian mission. They are Salesian High School (with 5 of us involved), Salesian Missions (with 3 of us involved), and the province services and offices (with 3 of us including the provincial, of course, directly involved). We have been blessed with the presence of Fr. Gabriel Stawowy from Krakow as assistant director of Salesian Missions. In addition, our community includes Fr. Mathew Thomas, Salesian NGO representative to the United Nations. The provincial, Fr. Dominic Tran, and most of the members of his council reside here, too.

A word or two about the school. Under Fr. Jim Heuser’s leadership as president, Salesian has increased in enrollment. This year, they welcomed 110 freshmen, which is the largest freshman class in 5 years. The board has moved from being advisory to being a fiduciary board with limited responsibility. Through their support, the hard work of the advancement office, and the generosity of alumni, the school has enjoyed significant improvements. For example, the ancient cafeteria has been transformed into a spiffy and modern restaurant-like commons, the 4th floor is now a full STEM center (including a robotics studio and Esports lab), and the 3rd floor is a Humanities Center with a learning commons, new broadcast studio for AM Salesian, and renovated classrooms. Flaherty Hall is also now the art center. If you haven’t visited for a while, come and see!

After the death of Fr. Gus Baek, Fr. Tim Ploch sat in for him as interim director of Salesian Missions. Now of course the Rector Major has appointed Fr. Mike Conway as executive director. He and Fr. Gabriel are making great strides in keeping the missions office, just having celebrated its 75th-anniversary last year, as significant for missionary fundraising and increasing missionary awareness and generosity among our many donors, as it has always been. A first this year was an office-wide full day of retreat at the Marian Shrine!

And then 3 confreres work in province services: Fr. Rich Alejunas our new treasurer, Fr. Steve DeMaio in vocation animation, and Fr. Mike Mendl in the archives and communications.

In addition to all this, we serve in 5 weekend chaplaincies for nuns and brothers. We also supply priests for weekend Masses in 15 parishes, 6 of them in Spanish.

So we’re really busy! And I cannot but conclude with the geese. They feel less and less welcome here thanks to Geese Chasers. Look them up!