St. Philip Province to Honor 18 Jubilarians

By Fr. Mike Mendl, SDB

(New Rochelle, NY – October 9) – On Saturday, October 12, the SUE Province (whose patron is St. Philip the Apostle) will honor 18 jubilarian confreres: in 2024 nine are celebrating a major anniversary of their religious profession, seven celebrating a major ordination anniversary, and two celebrating both profession and priestly anniversaries. The jubilee Mass will be celebrated in the Marian Shrine chapel at Haverstraw, NY, with Fr. Dominic Tran, provincial, presiding.

The double jubilarians are Fr. Georges Parent of Montreal, 70 years professed and 60 years ordained, and Fr. Drago Gačnik of Hamilton, ON, 50 years professed and 40 years ordained.

Celebrating a marvelous 70 years of profession also are Bros. Henry Van der Velden of Haverstraw, Marcel Gauthier of Sherbrooke, QC, and Jim Wiegand of Ramsey, NJ.

Fr. Frank Kelly of Etobicoke, ON, Bro. Richard Pasaik of Haverstraw, and Fr. Frank Twardzik of Haverstraw have reached 65 years as professed Salesians.

Professed for 60 years is Fr. Tom Gwozdz of Tampa, and for 50 years Frs. Mario Villaraza of Edmonton and John Nazzaro of Orange, NJ. Fr. Steve Ryan of Marrero, LA, is professed 40 years.

The ordination jubilarians include Fr. John Blanco of Ramsey, 60 years; Frs. Bruce Craig and Bill Keane of Tampa, 50 years; and Frs. Larry Gilmore of Lungi, Sierra Leone, Jim Heuser of New Rochelle, and Luc Lantagne of Montreal, 40 years.

Fr. Jim Heuser reflects: “I consider my life a story of undeserved grace, of a genuine experience of the saving love of God that continues to unfold for me one day at a time. The call to serve others through Word and sacrament has been a thread running through my various assignments to vocation and formation work, high school animation, and community and province leadership. I can only be grateful as I renew my ordination motto: ‘Father, not my will, but yours be done.’ (Mark 14:36)”

Fr. John Nazzaro recalls: “After meeting the Salesians at the Salesian Boys Club in East Boston, I saw their kindness, faith, and just wanting to be present with us young people. I fell in love with the spirit of St. John Bosco, which was and has been the discerning factor in my life. It’s a blessed gift to be an instrument in young people’s lives, bringing them closer to Jesus and Mary.”

Fr. Steve Ryan considers himself blessed because “being called to the religious life in Don Bosco’s family has been a great thing. I still have great energy and enthusiasm for the education and evangelization of young people. I feel very blessed to be able to celebrate the sacraments with the young, teach theology class, give Good Mornings, play sports with the boys, and just be with them daily. The older I get, the more grateful I am for friends who have supported me and our mission for all these years.”

Fr. Mario Villaraza has found that “being a Salesian for 50 years means being joyful: having a deep relationship with Christ and spreading that same joy that comes from him. I witnessed that joy in the many holy Salesians I encountered since childhood. I now realize and understand beneath those smiles were many sufferings—the reality of life; yet they persevered. Their joy was because of Christ. My dream is to be like them, like Don Bosco—joyful in the midst of trials.”