Salesian Gospel Roads in the GTA

By Joshua Balthazaar ’27, Cardinal Ambrozic Catholic Secondary School, Brampton, ON, Canada

(Brampton, ON – April 15) – My name is Joshua Balthazaar, and I am a 17-year-old currently studying in Grade 11 at Cardinal Ambrozic Catholic Secondary School in Brampton, ON. I was introduced to the Salesian Family while volunteering at the SummerDaze Day Camp last summer. As I started to get involved in the youth ministry at St. Benedict Parish in Etobicoke, I immediately developed an interest in the Salesian spirit.

Over the past two months, I have had the privilege of attending two Salesian overnight retreats. The first was the Valdocco Retreat, a weekend retreat that introduced me to Salesian spirituality. Most recently, I was able to be a part of Salesian Gospel Roads, a week-long retreat to promote community living, service, and faith.

Before both retreats, I felt nervous and unsettled, but also excited about what was to come. Once I arrived, all the feelings of nervousness and anxiety instantly went away. I felt so welcomed by both the leaders and the fellow retreatants that I instantly felt like I was part of a family.

Salesian Gospel Roads focused on service, especially to the needy of the Greater Toronto Area. We often used the word “subsidiarity” when talking about our work. This means that local issues should be discussed and addressed at the local level by the people who are involved, rather than by a higher level that would not know the local reality.

One of our main goals during the week was to show that nobody is alone. We were able to share our day with those with special needs, the unhoused, people experiencing financial and emotional hardships, and many more; however, our main intention was to show that they are seen, heard, supported, and cared for, and that there is a reason to have hope.

During this retreat, I saw the marginalized as humans for the first time. While serving food at St. Francis Table, I had the opportunity to talk to a woman sitting alone. My simple words of “How are you?” resulted in her sharing an abundance of details regarding the struggles in her life. She communicated struggles that many of us face, too. She said the only thing she wished for was friends to talk to, expressing her sense of loneliness in spite of the fact that she does not have many material possessions. “The birds do not fly anymore, and the trees do not grow anymore,” she exclaimed. This sad statement reflected the loss of hope in her life.

For the first time in my life, I began to see the similarities between my life and the personal issues in an unhoused person’s life. I had always seen the marginalized as the “other.” By having the chance to meet and have close conversations with them, I saw God in them. It was no longer “I” and “you,” but rather “we.”

From these retreats, my main takeaway is the importance of community. My fellow retreatants and I shared many memorable moments while praying together, eating together, and playing together. Through group discussions, games, and moments of prayer, I was able to connect with others who went through the same struggles and experiences that I’ve faced.

These shared moments of vulnerability, joy, and emotion helped me see that we are never alone, and joy is a gift from the Lord that we experience through the love of others. God will always embrace us right where we are, and there are always greater things coming. Embracing our community, whether it is the people we have known our whole lives or just for a day, unites us as children of God. This allows all of us to feel cared for and loved.

By doing God’s work and taking the time to get to know those around me, I have felt great care and love. I have felt the presence of God through others, as we are all made in God’s image. As we are set free into the world, we remember lessons we were taught and our experiences of sincere joy and love together; because of these experiences, we will be the light in the darkness for the marginalized.