To Serve in the Salesian Mission

Dear Confreres,

This Sunday is World Mission Sunday. I hope you read Fr. Sean McEwen’s Missions Corner in last week’s Salesian News. He invites us all, in our religious communities and in our works, to give attention to the missionary dimension of our Salesian vocation. He offers some practical ways to involve confreres, colleagues, and young people in living as missionary disciples of Jesus. This month of the missions leads us to the commemoration of the missionary expedition of Cagliero and companions to Argentina in November 1875. Additionally, we will welcome the Rector Major to our province to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Salesian Missions and the 125th anniversary of Salesian missionaries coming to the USA. These significant, historic moments help us realize we cannot limit our interest or work for the missions to World Mission Day or the annual Salesian Mission Day. By our Baptism lived out as consecrated Salesians, we are missionaries every day.

Fr. Sean proposed we send an email or letter to missionaries from our province. This expresses our admiration and gratitude for the sacrifices they have made and the example they give us. We feel the same sentiments of admiration and gratitude for the confreres who have come to our province to serve in the Salesian mission here. This exchange enriches our community life and supports our various ministries. A sincere thanks to confreres who have come from other countries to help in the SUE Province.

As we consider cultivating missionary zeal among the young whom we serve, we can identify several longstanding programs organized at the local and province levels. We see almost every work offers young people some opportunities for service: volunteering at a food pantry, midnight runs, summer camp, diaper drives, neighborhood clean-up, etc. In fact, Salesian High School has a service day today. Some Salesian presences have organized Gospel Roads or a similar type of week-long service retreat, partnering with local agencies so the young people can experience a variety of ways to serve. A few Salesian presences even arrange for mission trips to other provinces. From Wednesday, February 22, to Saturday, March 4, Fr. Alain Leonard, teachers, and students from Le Salésian will continue their decades-long tradition of going on a mission trip to Mexico. You can see how this gradual growth in missionary experiences can lead to a more committed choice for long-term volunteering with the Salesian Lay Missioners (SLMs) in our province or in another province. We can be very proud of these programs that guide all our young people to share in the mission of the Church with Don Bosco’s apostolic zeal in diverse ways.

I would like to repeat a quote from the Message of Pope Francis for World Mission Day 2022, which I included in the letter two weeks ago. I feel it speaks powerfully to us in the Salesian mission of our province: "…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." The increased movement of people worldwide to Canada and the USA, especially across the Mexican border, can be politicized and become a divisive topic. For us Salesians, we renew the missionary zeal of Don Bosco, who welcomed youth migrating to Turin, looking for a better life and in need of education and an encounter with Jesus. We can be Don Bosco today, missionaries to the young and their families who are on the move. A clear way to revive the gift of the missionary Salesian charism we have received is to share responsibility for this mission with a vast movement of people.

In the resources for the Salesian Mission Day 2022, you will find a Lectio Divina on Romans 12:9-21, Mutual Love. It is also available by clicking here. I encourage you to use it during these weeks when we give special attention to the missions. It could also be used as common spiritual reading. Without prayer and intimacy with Jesus, our missionary efforts are useless.

This week, Fr. Lou Molinelli is at the regional meeting for province delegates of youth ministry in Amatitán, Mexico. I am at the regional meeting of provincials in Lima, Peru. Please keep us in your prayers, as we pray daily for all of you.

Fr. Tim Zak