Vocations Message from the Vice Provincial

Dear Confreres,

We have begun the Month of Mary. We entrust ourselves and Don Bosco's mission in our province to Her, who had started it all. There are a few special occasions this month for vocation awareness and promotion.

Religious Brothers Day

On Sunday, May 1, we celebrated Religious Brothers Day. Fr. Fr. Tim Zak had sent out an email earlier with resources for the occasion. Here is the website, for your convenience. Please also tune in to a testimony from our own Br. Rafael Vargas. With the recent joyful announcement concerning Br. Zatti's process of canonization, we have had special reasons to celebrate and praise God on Religious Brothers Day this year.

Sunday, May 8

This upcoming Sunday, May 8 is both Good Shepherd Sunday, the 59th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, and Mother’s Day. Please consider marking this day in your ministries with celebrations, prayer services, and other ways to promote vocations in the Church. Resources are available on the websites of Vianney, the National Religious Vocation Conference, and the USCCB.

Salesian Ordinations

We thank God for the gifts of Dcn. Ky Nguyen, who will be ordained a priest, and Br. Branden Gordon, who will be ordained a deacon, on Saturday, May 28 in Orange, NJ, and for the gift of Br. Joshua Sciullo, who will be ordained a deacon on Saturday, June 12 in Jerusalem. Please ask the Salesian Family in your area to pray for them. We also invite you to consider inviting young people to come to the ordination in Orange, or to organize other celebrations, prayer services, etc. to mark this graced occasion.  

Fr. Steve DeMaio had sent a flyer about the Saleisan Spirituality Weekend (a week of Salesian retreat living Salesian life) for young men aged 21 to 28. Please see the attached flyer and invite some young men to join. The event will conclude with participation in the Mass of Ordination.

May we continue to experience the peace of the Risen Christ.

Fr. Dominic Tran, SDB