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Salesians of Don Bosco Vocations Office Eastern Province of the USA and Canada |
Meet Our Men in Formation
Post-Novices
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| Brother Dieunel Victor |
It is all began in 1996 after I made my first communion. The night after I made my first communion, I had a dream of being in a seminary studying for the priesthood. At that time I did not know anything about being a priest so I went to my mother told her my dream. She explained to me what a priesthood is and what a priest does. After that the idea was in my mind for a long time. I thought I was too young to make that decision and hence I talked to my mother about it. She told me to be open to God and be ready do his will. When she told me this, I said to God, Here I am, Lord take me and help me to do your will. I also said to the Lord the words of Saint Peter to Jesus, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the word of eternal life (John 6:68). The Lord is the potter and I am the clay and I ask him to shape me for his kingdom and to those to whom he will send me.
Eventually, a young brother gave me a book on Saint John Bosco and invited me to visit the Salesian community and a few months later, I entered the formation program.
The Salesians of Don Bosco appeal to me simply because of the way they care for the young and the poor. When I see young people in bad situations, I feel a desire to bring God’s love to them. Christ said, “You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world” therefore I want be this salt of the earth and this light to the world, especially for poor youth. Christ has no hands but mine, no feet but mine, no eyes, body but mine. So I must be Christ for the less fortunate. Lord I have come to do your will, lead and guide me in your way.
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| Brother Juan Pablo Rubio |
As I grew up, I began to be interested in girls and began to develop an interest in Mexican culture and art. I wanted to teach Mexican folk dance. I immigrated to the USA. Money was scarce and I had to adjust to an entire new culture. At the same time, I had to support my parents. I applied for a job and began working in a company that built RV’s. I attended Sunday mass, got involved with the Hispanic charismatic youth group and kept faithful to my personal prayer life in all of this. The thought of religious life kept recurring over and over again. I said to myself that I cannot fight this calling anymore and I started seriously thinking of entering the seminary. One day I went to a convention at Notre Dame University at South Bend, Indiana and happened to meet with the Salesians. The encounter was brief but profound. I made a decision at that moment to check out the Salesians. And I did. I saw it to be the perfect fit for me. On my first visit itself, I knew that I was 'home'.
Presently, I am a post novice and am living at the Salesian Formation house in Orange, NJ. My advice to those of you who are contemplating the religious life is, “Come, check us out!” You have nothing to lose. To me this is worth my entire life.
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| Brother Gustavo Ramirez |
I read Don Bosco’s biography, his dreams, and his strong devotion to Mary Help of Christians, and also researched the type of work that the Salesians do. From all of my reading and reflecting I began to fall in love with Don Bosco and the mission that was entrusted to him and his Salesians. Now I am a novice for the Western Province. Taking the next step and following God’s call wasn’t easy. However, through prayer God calls me to continue on and to serve Him with all my heart. Don Bosco asked of those who came to him. He said, “If you didn’t come to Don Bosco to become Saints, go elsewhere.” I do want to become a Saint and, I want to be a Son of Don Bosco. I have put myself in God’s hands. I am aware of the reality of young people in the world and in our society, and I know that I can bring Christ to some of them. I pray to God, to Don Bosco and to Mary Help of Christians that during my time of formation they guide my steps that I may become a good Salesian.
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| Brother Paul Trong Chu |
My family and I immigrated to the USA. Immediately thereafter, we became involved with the Vietnamese Catholic congregation. My yearning to be an altar server was still burning within me. One day, before Mass, an altar server approached me and asked if I would like to serve. I was delighted! Like a dream come true! I put on the cassock and the cross and I was ready to serve Mass. I was very proud to be a server on the altar!
A young Vietnamese priest was assigned to my church. Seeing me involved, he told my parents that I should be a priest. I was then in middle school and had no idea of the priesthood. My parents, especially my mother, began to encourage me to discern the religious life. Often, people some even strangers told me I should become a priest. This message was many-time repeated to me by friends, youth leaders, and many people as I journeyed through high school and college.
On vacationing in Vietnam, my family went on an 8-day tour. During the tour of a church, I was captivated by the priest. He preached beautifully to a group of children. There was much love and compassion in his words and his tone. I thought to myself, I want to be this kind of priest. The next day, I was invited to have breakfast with him. He introduced himself as a Salesian of Don Bosco.
A few months after I got back to the U.S., I researched the Salesians on the internet. In September 2006, I did a 4-day come-and-see. I was hooked. Having made the option now for the Salesians I professed my vows on 16th August, 2009.
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| Brother Minh Dang |
In 1991 my family ended up in a community of refugees in the Philippines, with people who have nothing, whose lives revolved around hope in the direction of randomness, chance and mischance, a system left to itself. There, I learned how fragile life is, how easily lost, and how easily forgotten – to feel hunger and to ask not when to eat but, "are we eating today?" A year later, my family made it to the United States.
Now 23 years later, the land where I had lived as a child is but a distant memory. I was looking for something to make sense of the past and give meaning to my present life. Many challenges later, I moved back home. Living at home and spending time with my family I found myself going to church every morning and praying through the day with my mother. The effect of this awakening was tremendous. What a thing it was to come upon a building full of spiritual vitality and earnestness and peace – it was serious and alive. Finally…I had to face this longing for religious life. The direction was solidified when I met my uncle, who is a Salesian of Don Bosco in Vietnam, and it was there that I found what I was looking for. And now, "Here I am Lord."
Novices
Hey I am Marc Stockhausen. The first time I really spent time with Jesus was when I would help my father serve Benediction every Saturday afternoon. I was about in the 4th and 5th grade and that time was very special mostly because I didn’t see my father that often. I could never imagine how much that time would mean in my vocation till years from then.
During my first half of high school at St. Ignatius High School, I was very much walking away from the Catholic faith. During my junior year, it is mandatory that all students to attend a retreat, now it was not during the retreat that I felt “the call,” but it was after the retreat that really made the difference. There was an unfortunate event on the retreat that left a couple students expelled, I felt as though I was to blame because I didn’t do anything to stop them.
In my distress, a Jesuit priest decided to talk to me. To my astonishment, instead of listening to a sermon, he wanted to listen. For the rest of the year, we would meet, shoot the breeze and he became my friend and confidant.
I have never even thought that a priest could be so kind and generous. I wasn’t too sure if this was usual for a priest, so I decided to do some research. Once I started reading, I wanted to find more information, and more, and then before I knew it, I was completely enthralled with the idea of religious life. As I learned more about the Catholic faith, I picked up the rosary and learned how to pray it. Ever since then, my rosary has been a constant companion.
By my senior year, I made contact with the vocation director for the Jesuits. He instructed me to continue onto college, complete my degree, but continue contact with him and other Jesuits; and so I did. I graduated in ’06 and went off to attend Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, MI. During my first year there I became active in the student parish, becoming a Eucharistic Minister, helped with the soup kitchen and some other student groups. One of which was the “Adopt-a-student” program; this is where the parish would match a student parishioner with a resident parishioner giving the student a “family” that would have a meal with them every month and pray for them in a particular way.
The family that was given to me was one of my friend’s family, the Czupinski’s. There I met Justin who was applying for the Salesians at the time. We traded vocation stories and I realized how he was so methodical and prayerful about the orders and vocation directors he talked to; and how I was so contrary to that. So I followed his unspoken advice and started to see if there was a better fit in another order or if the Jesuits were where I belonged.
In doing so I too came across the Salesians. I went on a retreat with them, it felt like coming home, a home that I’ve been away from for far too long. They were welcoming, inviting, and genuinely wished to aid the retreatants in their discernment process. But the one thing that stood out more than anything else was the joy that they shared, not just with us (the retreatants) but with the work they did with the youth center and in the community.
As the second semester went on, I decided to continue conversation with the Salesians. I finished the semester, and decided to work for the following year back in my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. I painted houses in the summer, cleaned gutters in the fall, worked in a factory during the winter months, and back to painting in the spring and following summer. I would take a couple weekends off and visit the formation house periodically through out that year. I did not mind working as I did because I would just remember where God was leading me.
From all those experiences, I came to understand a little further that my work can be done for the glory of God and the honor of His Son. Mary has been the guided and helped me along the way, giving me work, and keeping me always watched over me.
I am Adam Dupre and I never really thought about the possibility of being a priest until I was a senior in high school. My grandmother had just been diagnosed with cancer. I went to the hospital to visit her. I skipped school. My mom was at the hospital when I arrived.
My mother was talking to the chaplain there. I hadn't said a word when the priest turned to me and said, "If you don't become a priest…blah, blah
That same night while bussing tables at a local restaurant, a retired bishop came in for dinner. With out me saying anything more than ‘hello’ to him, he said "Son, I feel a strong vibe coming from you, have you ever given the priesthood a thought?" I told him that he was the second priest to say something to me that very day.
Around that time, the Vocations Director for my diocese came to my parish for a vocations talk. After he finished his talk, I wanted to know more. The mystery of it all was astounding. During Consecration, I felt a cold chill, it was 90 outside. I took it to be a sign.
The Vocations Director and I met for lunch. I visited the seminary. I began the application process for the Diocese of Providence, in Rhode Island. I had almost finished with the application process when reality set in - I come from a big family; I have 3 biological brothers (4 if you include me) and two stepsisters. If I became a diocesan priest, I would be alone in the rectory. I wanted something a little more communal.
So, I put my name in to a religious order database on the internet. Over the next couple of weeks I began getting informational packets from the Franciscans, the Benedictines, and of course the Salesians. They had all given me a form letter welcoming me to the discernment process. They all said that they would like me to come and visit their community of seminarians. The Salesian letter stood out though. It was hand written. It was a personal letter. I gave it more interest than the others because someone took the time to write it rather than just inserting my name into a blank line.
So, I visited the Community in New Jersey. I loved it. From the time that I had walked in the door I felt like I was home. The people there were very nice and welcoming. They made my visit very enjoyable. I got to partake in a retreat to high school aged persons. I also got to play soccer with the Brothers. I made another trip in February. It was just as good as the first. I decided to take the application home with me to pray about. But I filled it out that night and handed it in the next morning before I left to go back to my house.
Now it was a waiting game. They told me I would know by Easter if the Provincial would accept me or not. So on Holy Saturday, I got my acceptance phone call. It came from the Vocations Director.
The part of that phone call is the most vivid memory forever for the fact that I was visiting my grandfather. It was through him and my grandmother that I discerned I had a vocation. So it was bitter sweet to find out in front of him. He was the first one to know.
I met the Salesians at Camp Don Bosco in grade school. Soon after that I started playing guitar with the Salesian led choir on Sundays at Our Lady of the Valley in Orange, NJ. There was something radiant and joyful about the Salesians. They were friendly, patient, and funny, and they all played musical instruments! I quickly learned to love the Salesian charism.
Traveling throughout parts of Latin America, I saw a lot of poverty, kids begging on the streets - selling roses, loose cigarettes, and candy. Many were orphans. My heart always went out to them. But, throughout my travels, I saw the Salesians in many places taking in these poor kids, giving them food and shelter, educating them, giving them hope and a future. I was able to do some volunteer work with them and visit some orphanages and schools. I admired the radical lifestyle the Salesian led – living poor and serving the poor, fully dedicated to Christ and Don Bosco’s vision! Amazing!
I have always told myself that I wanted a career where I will not dread going to work on Monday mornings. How can I be at peace? How can I be the most alive that I can possibly be as a human being? How can I fully embrace the desires that God has written on my heart? How can I serve God and the poor with an undivided heart? After graduating from college and working in Philadelphia last year, I realized that these desires were unfulfilled. So, through much prayer, discernment, and reflection I realized that joining the Salesians might be the way I can fulfill my desires. After being a pre-novice, this year I am a novice preparing myself for the vowed life as a consecrated religious.
Hello, my name is Eduardo Chincha and I come from Port Chester, NY. I was born in Lima, Peru and Imoved to the USA when I was twelve years old. I was educated by the Salesians in Peru since I was six years old and I only have good memories that school and the Salesians there. When I moved to Port Chester I had no idea that of all places, I would find Salesians right there. They ran the parish I moved into, Holy Rosary. From time to time the priests who ran Holy Rosary Church and youth center would tell me that I would make a good priest some day. At the beginning I just ignored it. Later on I would get annoyed because I didn’t want to think that was my call. When I was in high school I needed I job, and I was asked to work as a counselor in the Don Bosco Boys and Girls Club; and it was fun. Later, I discovered that working with the youth was not always easy; there can be many challenges. Despite the difficulties I continued to work there, and as time went on and I learned of the preventive system and more about Don Bosco. I soon realized how much need many children had and how much I could help them.
Almost two years ago, I began to discern more about my vocation to the priesthood. I went to NCYC and later to come and see weekend in South Orange and life camp; but I was hesitant and tried to fight my vocation. One day I went to the movies with my friends (mostly girls) and tried to get this crazy idea of my head. And by some odd chance that day was the novices day out, which the spent at the same movie theater I was in, and were behind me in the ticket line. I saw them and the saw me and knew what I was up to, so I tried ignored them. As months passed and I meditated more on my vocation I felt that God was really calling me to follow him more closely and that God was present in all the events I shared with you. So I applied to be accepted as a candidate. Right now, I am a novice with the Salesians in Port Chester, NY. For me, everyday is a choice to continue to discern God’s call, and I pray to Him to help me continue in this path. I had never taken a bigger risk in my life and it is a steep climb, but I have never been happier with any other decision.
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| Marc Stockhausen |
During my first half of high school at St. Ignatius High School, I was very much walking away from the Catholic faith. During my junior year, it is mandatory that all students to attend a retreat, now it was not during the retreat that I felt “the call,” but it was after the retreat that really made the difference. There was an unfortunate event on the retreat that left a couple students expelled, I felt as though I was to blame because I didn’t do anything to stop them.
In my distress, a Jesuit priest decided to talk to me. To my astonishment, instead of listening to a sermon, he wanted to listen. For the rest of the year, we would meet, shoot the breeze and he became my friend and confidant.
I have never even thought that a priest could be so kind and generous. I wasn’t too sure if this was usual for a priest, so I decided to do some research. Once I started reading, I wanted to find more information, and more, and then before I knew it, I was completely enthralled with the idea of religious life. As I learned more about the Catholic faith, I picked up the rosary and learned how to pray it. Ever since then, my rosary has been a constant companion.
By my senior year, I made contact with the vocation director for the Jesuits. He instructed me to continue onto college, complete my degree, but continue contact with him and other Jesuits; and so I did. I graduated in ’06 and went off to attend Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, MI. During my first year there I became active in the student parish, becoming a Eucharistic Minister, helped with the soup kitchen and some other student groups. One of which was the “Adopt-a-student” program; this is where the parish would match a student parishioner with a resident parishioner giving the student a “family” that would have a meal with them every month and pray for them in a particular way.
The family that was given to me was one of my friend’s family, the Czupinski’s. There I met Justin who was applying for the Salesians at the time. We traded vocation stories and I realized how he was so methodical and prayerful about the orders and vocation directors he talked to; and how I was so contrary to that. So I followed his unspoken advice and started to see if there was a better fit in another order or if the Jesuits were where I belonged.
In doing so I too came across the Salesians. I went on a retreat with them, it felt like coming home, a home that I’ve been away from for far too long. They were welcoming, inviting, and genuinely wished to aid the retreatants in their discernment process. But the one thing that stood out more than anything else was the joy that they shared, not just with us (the retreatants) but with the work they did with the youth center and in the community.
As the second semester went on, I decided to continue conversation with the Salesians. I finished the semester, and decided to work for the following year back in my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. I painted houses in the summer, cleaned gutters in the fall, worked in a factory during the winter months, and back to painting in the spring and following summer. I would take a couple weekends off and visit the formation house periodically through out that year. I did not mind working as I did because I would just remember where God was leading me.
From all those experiences, I came to understand a little further that my work can be done for the glory of God and the honor of His Son. Mary has been the guided and helped me along the way, giving me work, and keeping me always watched over me.
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| Adam Dupre |
My mother was talking to the chaplain there. I hadn't said a word when the priest turned to me and said, "If you don't become a priest…blah, blah
That same night while bussing tables at a local restaurant, a retired bishop came in for dinner. With out me saying anything more than ‘hello’ to him, he said "Son, I feel a strong vibe coming from you, have you ever given the priesthood a thought?" I told him that he was the second priest to say something to me that very day.
Around that time, the Vocations Director for my diocese came to my parish for a vocations talk. After he finished his talk, I wanted to know more. The mystery of it all was astounding. During Consecration, I felt a cold chill, it was 90 outside. I took it to be a sign.
The Vocations Director and I met for lunch. I visited the seminary. I began the application process for the Diocese of Providence, in Rhode Island. I had almost finished with the application process when reality set in - I come from a big family; I have 3 biological brothers (4 if you include me) and two stepsisters. If I became a diocesan priest, I would be alone in the rectory. I wanted something a little more communal.
So, I put my name in to a religious order database on the internet. Over the next couple of weeks I began getting informational packets from the Franciscans, the Benedictines, and of course the Salesians. They had all given me a form letter welcoming me to the discernment process. They all said that they would like me to come and visit their community of seminarians. The Salesian letter stood out though. It was hand written. It was a personal letter. I gave it more interest than the others because someone took the time to write it rather than just inserting my name into a blank line.
So, I visited the Community in New Jersey. I loved it. From the time that I had walked in the door I felt like I was home. The people there were very nice and welcoming. They made my visit very enjoyable. I got to partake in a retreat to high school aged persons. I also got to play soccer with the Brothers. I made another trip in February. It was just as good as the first. I decided to take the application home with me to pray about. But I filled it out that night and handed it in the next morning before I left to go back to my house.
Now it was a waiting game. They told me I would know by Easter if the Provincial would accept me or not. So on Holy Saturday, I got my acceptance phone call. It came from the Vocations Director.
The part of that phone call is the most vivid memory forever for the fact that I was visiting my grandfather. It was through him and my grandmother that I discerned I had a vocation. So it was bitter sweet to find out in front of him. He was the first one to know.
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| Andrew Smolin |
Traveling throughout parts of Latin America, I saw a lot of poverty, kids begging on the streets - selling roses, loose cigarettes, and candy. Many were orphans. My heart always went out to them. But, throughout my travels, I saw the Salesians in many places taking in these poor kids, giving them food and shelter, educating them, giving them hope and a future. I was able to do some volunteer work with them and visit some orphanages and schools. I admired the radical lifestyle the Salesian led – living poor and serving the poor, fully dedicated to Christ and Don Bosco’s vision! Amazing!
I have always told myself that I wanted a career where I will not dread going to work on Monday mornings. How can I be at peace? How can I be the most alive that I can possibly be as a human being? How can I fully embrace the desires that God has written on my heart? How can I serve God and the poor with an undivided heart? After graduating from college and working in Philadelphia last year, I realized that these desires were unfulfilled. So, through much prayer, discernment, and reflection I realized that joining the Salesians might be the way I can fulfill my desires. After being a pre-novice, this year I am a novice preparing myself for the vowed life as a consecrated religious.
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| Eduardo Chincha |
Almost two years ago, I began to discern more about my vocation to the priesthood. I went to NCYC and later to come and see weekend in South Orange and life camp; but I was hesitant and tried to fight my vocation. One day I went to the movies with my friends (mostly girls) and tried to get this crazy idea of my head. And by some odd chance that day was the novices day out, which the spent at the same movie theater I was in, and were behind me in the ticket line. I saw them and the saw me and knew what I was up to, so I tried ignored them. As months passed and I meditated more on my vocation I felt that God was really calling me to follow him more closely and that God was present in all the events I shared with you. So I applied to be accepted as a candidate. Right now, I am a novice with the Salesians in Port Chester, NY. For me, everyday is a choice to continue to discern God’s call, and I pray to Him to help me continue in this path. I had never taken a bigger risk in my life and it is a steep climb, but I have never been happier with any other decision.
Pre-Novices
My name is Chris Carlson and I was born and raised in the Bronx, NY. Growing up I was very apathetic towards my faith. I just didn’t think it made a difference in my day-to-day life. I would fight my mom every Sunday when she forced me to get up for mass. Only later did I really begin to understand my faith and how important it really is.
The first time I ever thought of being a Salesian was when I was a sophomore at Salesian High on a Youth Ministry Team retreat while at adoration. I decided not to think about it too much because it was a silly idea, and only super special people got those priestly callings. I was just a normal person who was supposed to live a normal life.
A few months later, the thought came back to me but again I just threw the idea away because I thought it was crazy. I had superb grades: 98 average, all AP classes, #3 in the class; I could get into any college I wanted, become a top engineer and make a ton of money. I also played baseball and was involved in many school activities, so my resume was strong. There was no way I was giving all that up to live as some poor priest.
But then on a retreat my junior year the thought came back AGAIN. This time I decided I’d better give it some serious thought because there had to be a reason this thought kept coming back, and it was getting harder and harder to ignore as time went on. I was scared and confused at the time, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep my sanity until I figured out whether or not this calling was legitimate or not, so I began thinking and praying more deeply. I also confided in a few of my closest friends and priests at Salesian High. Through the support of my friends and by the grace of God I was able to make it through the struggles and grow more confident that living as a Salesian may truly be what God wants of me.
I continued to work, pray, and discern. Eventually I got to the point that I was going to give this a shot and I wanted nothing more than to say YES. I decided that I wanted to join the Salesian Seminary right after graduating High School.
After two years of candidacy, I am now a Pre-Novice at the Salesian Formation house in Orange, New Jersey, and I have honestly never been happier in my life.
I am Kyle Zinno and I did not begin to seriously discern any vocation until the beginning of my senior year of high school. A few people had mentioned to me throughout my senior year that they thought that I would make a good priest, but I did not heed seriously what they had to say, at least at the time. God had blessed me with a wonderful girlfriend and we were getting closer and closer each day. My relationship with Christ was also growing deeper each day and I began to wonder what I was going to do with my life. I knew that I wanted to serve our Lord, and I thought that He wanted me to do so within marriage. The idea of marriage was so appealing to me, especially when I was reading what JPII had to say about the beautiful sacrament. My calling to the priesthood, oddly enough, sprang from my love of the sacrament of marriage and the union within it.
My Salesian calling, I would say came before my hearing of the call to the priesthood. On Don Bosco’s feast day, January 31st, EWTN featured the new movie on him. While surfing channels for some reason I stopped at the movie. I started to watch it and was captivated by St. John Bosco and how he related to the kids. I stayed up late that night to watch the whole movie on this amazing saint that I had seen for the first time. I remember before I went to sleep that night I was praying and I asked God, “If I’m going to be a priest, I want to be like him!”
It was Ash Wednesday and I stayed for adoration. That night I was troubled with the question what am I going to do with my life?? I loved the sacrament of marriage so much it seemed so right. It was at that moment Jesus revealed to me that the sacrament of Holy Orders was as beautiful, and very much like marriage. He told me that it is marrying the Church and Him within it! It seemed so right and I accepted that He wanted me for the priesthood, and immediately felt great peace (a sure sign of God’s presence!).
I am presently a Pre-Novice at the Salesian Formation house in Orange, New Jersey. I have entrusted myself to our Blessed Mother and to my superiors. I have honestly never been happier in my life.
I am Travis Gunther and this is my vocation story. Since fourth grade I’ve thought about the priesthood but in middle school and high school I pushed it to the back shelf because I was made fun of for it and it wasn’t cool. But around my junior year of high school I seriously started to consider religious life again. I spoke with the diocese vocation director and with the Benedictines, who were the only religious community I knew at the time.
I kept in contact with both groups but during my senior year I didn’t feel a strong calling to go with either one so I registered at the University of Arkansas to study Architecture. Well towards the end of my senior year, Mike Massey, a family friend, invited me to work a summer camp with him in Florida for six weeks. I thought, “Hey I get to go to Florida, experience a new religious order, and play with kids for the summer.” Well I got to do those things but I also learned about Don Bosco’s philosophy of being a friend and father to the youth. Also the community I lived with ranged in age from early 30’s to mid 70’s and each of them was excited about the opportunity to work with kids. Each had their own way of interacting with the kids, some could do magic tricks, some drew cartoons, and others played soccer. I learned a great deal about youth ministry and life those six weeks.
After camp I started my freshman year at the U of A. During my two years at the U of A I became very involved with Catholic Campus Ministry and helped with state wide youth retreats and conventions. Towards the end of my sophomore year architecture just didn’t seem to be for me and I needed to take a breather to see what I really wanted to do with my life. As soon as those thoughts popped into my head so did thoughts of the priesthood. I spoke with the Benedictines, Diocesan Vocation Director, and Salesians. I grew during the 6 weeks I lived in community with the Benedictines this summer but felt God calling me to spend time in discernment with the Salesians. I am worked iin the soup kitchen, teaching 5th grade RE, and at the Youth Center in Port Chester, NY. This year I am a pre-novice. It’s going to be a great year with the Salesians and I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store.
The first time I ever thought about becoming a priest was in my early teens or just before my teenage years. I remember I was sitting in the car in a Wal-Mart parking lot waiting for my mom to finish shopping. The thought just kind of jumped into my head. I could be a priest, I could say mass every day and then the rest of my day would just be free time. It was a pretty naive thought, but that was my first thought of me as a priest.
I didn't think about the priesthood for a long time after that. I continued to go to mass in high school and as I entered college, but it was more out of respect to my parents more than anything else. Then the summer before my twenty-first birthday I was dragged to a Steubenville East Youth Conference by my older sister. There I came to realize who God had made me to be and how lost I had become over the years. This began my journey of making my faith my own. Rather than going to mass because I didn't want to lie to my parents. I went because I wanted to come to know my God more and become the person He made me to be. The years after this were difficult because before this I had been searching for joy in all the wrong places. It was especially difficult at college because at home I now had a community of people to encourage me to grow in my faith life, but at school the friends I had made were not trying to live the life that I now wanted for myself. In the beginning it was a lot of going to school falling and coming back home and trying again.
A few years later I started to hear the call. I can remember waking up one day with the thought on my mind, is God calling me to the priesthood. I went to one of my close friends at the time and told him and he just told me not to worry about it, that happens to everyone as they return to their faith. So, I let it go and continued to work on the temptations in my life. My local pastor was always encouraging the men involved in youth group to think about the priesthood. He would always say something to me as I shook his hand after a Sunday mass, but again I didn't think about it to much. I just laughed and smiled whenever someone said it to me.
Then in my last year on campus at ECSU I was living with four of my friends in a house off campus. This was a decision I made at the end of the previous year and was regretting all summer long. But, as the school year progressed I was starting to develop a daily prayer life and keeping up with it at school. God was giving me a lot of help with things that I had been struggling with in my life. I began to go to daily mass as often as I could. Again I remember just having days where the priesthood would be on my mind, or the thought would just come into my mind out of nowhere sometimes. That summer I went to another Steubenville East retreat as a counselor as I had been doing every year since the first summer. I listened to a priest give a talk about prayer and at the end he asked if anyone had any more questions to come up and ask him. So as everyone left I went up to ask him a question. I saw there was a line forming to ask him so I waited and went last. As I went up to him to ask my question he pulled out a card and handed it to me and told me I was called to the priesthood. This knocked me off guard, I just wanted to ask a question and he tells me something like that. I talked with him for a bit and listened to his vocational story and I remember being surprised at a few of the similarities in our lives. After talking to him I went back to my bed to think and just thought about the past few years and all the times this had seemed to be popping into my life. I finally started to accept the idea that maybe I was called to the priesthood. After we came home we had a parents night for the families of the kids that were on the retreat. I was a little overexcited about what had happened and I got up and told everyone and said after graduating school next year that I would be entering the seminary. The next day I was freaking out about what I had just done. I continued to pray for God's guidance if this is what he wanted for me. But, thoughts ran through my mind as I was very scarred about what had just happened. I went to another retreat a few weeks later and again in a conversation with an older woman had a bit of guidance that I just needed to let go of the things in my past, and answer the question in my heart. I was still scarred about this and I just focused on my final year in college.
The next year I commuted to school and lived with my sister and my niece about an hour away. I kept myself busy with work to pay for my share of the apartment and my bills. I continued working on staying strong in my daily prayer life, going to mass as often as I could, and just again trying to live a good moral life. While I was living with my sister and niece I got a glimpse of what life as a father would be like. I remember one time in particular that both of them were sick with a stomach virus and I woke up to hear my sister calling to me to help my niece as she had just thrown up in her bed. I went in and brought her to the toilet and held her as she threw up. In that moment I remember feeling a sense of joy come over me and the thought that this is what it is like to be a father. To be there for the ones you love in their moment of need. For a while after that I was convinced that I was called to the married life. I stopped thinking about the priesthood for a while and graduated college. Then just continued to work the painting job I had every summer and took some time off the next winter and went skiing in Vermont. I then returned to my painting job the next spring. But, the thought calling me to the priesthood came back. I finally just told myself okay I have to do something about this or else I'll always have this question on my heart. I called up the vocational office of the CFR's, a religious order that I had been learning more about over the years, and set up a time to just go down and visit. I went down and after going to adoration I remember going back to my room and just meditating on the events of the past few years. I came to the conclusion that God had been saying the same thing to me every time, but I had been reacting to it differently. At first I was scared and wouldn't even think about it, then more accepting but still very scarred, and finally just starting to accept that okay yes maybe God is calling me to the priesthood. I spoke with the vocational director after that weekend and told him about myself. He gave me a lot of good advice that I needed to hear, the biggest thing I needed was a spiritual director. Also, I was still working on getting rid of some things I needed to in my life and he told me to work on these things and come back and talk after some time had passed. I returned home ready to work. As soon as I returned home I noticed a progression of my spiritual life. Just things like staying consistent in my prayer life and getting to daily mass were going better than they ever had. I felt that God had given me an enormous amount of grace right away. I asked my local pastor if he would be able to be my spiritual director and he agreed. My summer continued with all of this in my mind. At the time friend of mine had also been discerning and had gone down to south orange new jersey to check out the Salesians of Don Bosco. When he returned he introduced me to this order. He told me that at the end of the retreat they asked if they could think of anyone else who might be interested in this order. He said my name just popped into his head. At the time I was pretty set on the CFR's and I did not think about it to much.
At the end of the summer I went back to the vocational director of the CFR's and spoke with him again. I was told to continue to work on living a moral life, work on paying off my student loans and then come back. This is what I started to do during this year. This was a very good year for me. Looking back I know God was helping me out a lot during this time. As time went by though I realized I had never really looked into any other orders other than the CFR's. I thought back to my friend who had told me about the Salesians. He had told me a little about the order and I was intrigued. So, I spoke with him about them and he gave me a book on Don Bosco. I read this book during lunch and breaks at work. As I read I kept thinking about my own progression back to my faith. It all started at a high school retreat with the youth. I started going to the youth group, that I attended the retreat with, and continued over all these years. All this time I had been working with the youth. As the years past some of the people I had been in the group with grew out of it, but I stayed close to the group and started to get into more of a leadership role. In my own struggles I turned to the outdoors and having fun to get myself away from sin. I started going to bed early instead of going out at night at college so that I could get up and go skiing the next day. I bought a mountain bike and a kayak because these were ways to have fun without sinning. So then I made the call to the vocations office and set up a time to come down to visit on a discernment retreat. I learned more about the Salesian spirituality and Don Bosco. As I learned I kept thinking how the past few years had been leading me to the work that Don Bosco had been doing with the youth. Soon after the weekend I put in my application with the Salesians. I was accepted began of my year of candidacy teaching at Salesian High in New Rochelle, NY. I am presently a pre-novice in formation at Orange, NJ. I still have times where I wonder about what my vocation is and think about the future, but I do know that I feel confident that this is where God wants me now.
My name is Steven Joseph DeMaio and I am 25 years old from Sherman, Connecticut. I have 2 sisters, Melanie (35) and Erika (23). My parents are married, living in Connecticut, and are still faithful to the Catholic Church. I received my baptism, communion, and confirmation in the same small church (Holy Trinity), providing the necessary foundation for my life. My freshman year at James Madison University I met an amazing priest, Father John, who was the campus minister at the time. His sermons helped me through a very difficult time in my life. He left after my freshman year and I slowly drifted away from the Church and my faith throughout college and the years following until I was blessed with the opportunity to spend six months in Lusaka, Zambia with the Salesian Sisters. I lived in Spain for one year teaching English and volunteering for a non-profit organization which at the end of that year offered to pay for my flight to Zambia where I would help finish a sports project for the Sisters. It was at the City of Hope where I was given the time and structure to contemplate my life and what I wanted to do with it all. I was instantly drawn to the Salesian Spirituality and their passion for life and the youth. At the end of the six months I knew I was changed and that I had a lot of thinking to do. The next six months after returning, I spent in Bayonne, New Jersey working for my father and returning to the Catholic faith. I received spiritual guidance from Father Paul of St. Andrew’s Parish who helped immensely in my religious discernment. After visiting a talk by Mathew Kelly and a month or two of serious prayer, I made the leap of faith in February of 2010. I am now a Pre-novice in the Salesian Formation and looking forward to a beautiful year of personal growth and a strengthening of my vocation.
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Chris Carlson
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The first time I ever thought of being a Salesian was when I was a sophomore at Salesian High on a Youth Ministry Team retreat while at adoration. I decided not to think about it too much because it was a silly idea, and only super special people got those priestly callings. I was just a normal person who was supposed to live a normal life.
A few months later, the thought came back to me but again I just threw the idea away because I thought it was crazy. I had superb grades: 98 average, all AP classes, #3 in the class; I could get into any college I wanted, become a top engineer and make a ton of money. I also played baseball and was involved in many school activities, so my resume was strong. There was no way I was giving all that up to live as some poor priest.
But then on a retreat my junior year the thought came back AGAIN. This time I decided I’d better give it some serious thought because there had to be a reason this thought kept coming back, and it was getting harder and harder to ignore as time went on. I was scared and confused at the time, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep my sanity until I figured out whether or not this calling was legitimate or not, so I began thinking and praying more deeply. I also confided in a few of my closest friends and priests at Salesian High. Through the support of my friends and by the grace of God I was able to make it through the struggles and grow more confident that living as a Salesian may truly be what God wants of me.
I continued to work, pray, and discern. Eventually I got to the point that I was going to give this a shot and I wanted nothing more than to say YES. I decided that I wanted to join the Salesian Seminary right after graduating High School.
After two years of candidacy, I am now a Pre-Novice at the Salesian Formation house in Orange, New Jersey, and I have honestly never been happier in my life.
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Kyle Zinno
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My Salesian calling, I would say came before my hearing of the call to the priesthood. On Don Bosco’s feast day, January 31st, EWTN featured the new movie on him. While surfing channels for some reason I stopped at the movie. I started to watch it and was captivated by St. John Bosco and how he related to the kids. I stayed up late that night to watch the whole movie on this amazing saint that I had seen for the first time. I remember before I went to sleep that night I was praying and I asked God, “If I’m going to be a priest, I want to be like him!”
It was Ash Wednesday and I stayed for adoration. That night I was troubled with the question what am I going to do with my life?? I loved the sacrament of marriage so much it seemed so right. It was at that moment Jesus revealed to me that the sacrament of Holy Orders was as beautiful, and very much like marriage. He told me that it is marrying the Church and Him within it! It seemed so right and I accepted that He wanted me for the priesthood, and immediately felt great peace (a sure sign of God’s presence!).
I am presently a Pre-Novice at the Salesian Formation house in Orange, New Jersey. I have entrusted myself to our Blessed Mother and to my superiors. I have honestly never been happier in my life.
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| Travis Gunther |
I kept in contact with both groups but during my senior year I didn’t feel a strong calling to go with either one so I registered at the University of Arkansas to study Architecture. Well towards the end of my senior year, Mike Massey, a family friend, invited me to work a summer camp with him in Florida for six weeks. I thought, “Hey I get to go to Florida, experience a new religious order, and play with kids for the summer.” Well I got to do those things but I also learned about Don Bosco’s philosophy of being a friend and father to the youth. Also the community I lived with ranged in age from early 30’s to mid 70’s and each of them was excited about the opportunity to work with kids. Each had their own way of interacting with the kids, some could do magic tricks, some drew cartoons, and others played soccer. I learned a great deal about youth ministry and life those six weeks.
After camp I started my freshman year at the U of A. During my two years at the U of A I became very involved with Catholic Campus Ministry and helped with state wide youth retreats and conventions. Towards the end of my sophomore year architecture just didn’t seem to be for me and I needed to take a breather to see what I really wanted to do with my life. As soon as those thoughts popped into my head so did thoughts of the priesthood. I spoke with the Benedictines, Diocesan Vocation Director, and Salesians. I grew during the 6 weeks I lived in community with the Benedictines this summer but felt God calling me to spend time in discernment with the Salesians. I am worked iin the soup kitchen, teaching 5th grade RE, and at the Youth Center in Port Chester, NY. This year I am a pre-novice. It’s going to be a great year with the Salesians and I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store.
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| John Langan |
I didn't think about the priesthood for a long time after that. I continued to go to mass in high school and as I entered college, but it was more out of respect to my parents more than anything else. Then the summer before my twenty-first birthday I was dragged to a Steubenville East Youth Conference by my older sister. There I came to realize who God had made me to be and how lost I had become over the years. This began my journey of making my faith my own. Rather than going to mass because I didn't want to lie to my parents. I went because I wanted to come to know my God more and become the person He made me to be. The years after this were difficult because before this I had been searching for joy in all the wrong places. It was especially difficult at college because at home I now had a community of people to encourage me to grow in my faith life, but at school the friends I had made were not trying to live the life that I now wanted for myself. In the beginning it was a lot of going to school falling and coming back home and trying again.
A few years later I started to hear the call. I can remember waking up one day with the thought on my mind, is God calling me to the priesthood. I went to one of my close friends at the time and told him and he just told me not to worry about it, that happens to everyone as they return to their faith. So, I let it go and continued to work on the temptations in my life. My local pastor was always encouraging the men involved in youth group to think about the priesthood. He would always say something to me as I shook his hand after a Sunday mass, but again I didn't think about it to much. I just laughed and smiled whenever someone said it to me.
Then in my last year on campus at ECSU I was living with four of my friends in a house off campus. This was a decision I made at the end of the previous year and was regretting all summer long. But, as the school year progressed I was starting to develop a daily prayer life and keeping up with it at school. God was giving me a lot of help with things that I had been struggling with in my life. I began to go to daily mass as often as I could. Again I remember just having days where the priesthood would be on my mind, or the thought would just come into my mind out of nowhere sometimes. That summer I went to another Steubenville East retreat as a counselor as I had been doing every year since the first summer. I listened to a priest give a talk about prayer and at the end he asked if anyone had any more questions to come up and ask him. So as everyone left I went up to ask him a question. I saw there was a line forming to ask him so I waited and went last. As I went up to him to ask my question he pulled out a card and handed it to me and told me I was called to the priesthood. This knocked me off guard, I just wanted to ask a question and he tells me something like that. I talked with him for a bit and listened to his vocational story and I remember being surprised at a few of the similarities in our lives. After talking to him I went back to my bed to think and just thought about the past few years and all the times this had seemed to be popping into my life. I finally started to accept the idea that maybe I was called to the priesthood. After we came home we had a parents night for the families of the kids that were on the retreat. I was a little overexcited about what had happened and I got up and told everyone and said after graduating school next year that I would be entering the seminary. The next day I was freaking out about what I had just done. I continued to pray for God's guidance if this is what he wanted for me. But, thoughts ran through my mind as I was very scarred about what had just happened. I went to another retreat a few weeks later and again in a conversation with an older woman had a bit of guidance that I just needed to let go of the things in my past, and answer the question in my heart. I was still scarred about this and I just focused on my final year in college.
The next year I commuted to school and lived with my sister and my niece about an hour away. I kept myself busy with work to pay for my share of the apartment and my bills. I continued working on staying strong in my daily prayer life, going to mass as often as I could, and just again trying to live a good moral life. While I was living with my sister and niece I got a glimpse of what life as a father would be like. I remember one time in particular that both of them were sick with a stomach virus and I woke up to hear my sister calling to me to help my niece as she had just thrown up in her bed. I went in and brought her to the toilet and held her as she threw up. In that moment I remember feeling a sense of joy come over me and the thought that this is what it is like to be a father. To be there for the ones you love in their moment of need. For a while after that I was convinced that I was called to the married life. I stopped thinking about the priesthood for a while and graduated college. Then just continued to work the painting job I had every summer and took some time off the next winter and went skiing in Vermont. I then returned to my painting job the next spring. But, the thought calling me to the priesthood came back. I finally just told myself okay I have to do something about this or else I'll always have this question on my heart. I called up the vocational office of the CFR's, a religious order that I had been learning more about over the years, and set up a time to just go down and visit. I went down and after going to adoration I remember going back to my room and just meditating on the events of the past few years. I came to the conclusion that God had been saying the same thing to me every time, but I had been reacting to it differently. At first I was scared and wouldn't even think about it, then more accepting but still very scarred, and finally just starting to accept that okay yes maybe God is calling me to the priesthood. I spoke with the vocational director after that weekend and told him about myself. He gave me a lot of good advice that I needed to hear, the biggest thing I needed was a spiritual director. Also, I was still working on getting rid of some things I needed to in my life and he told me to work on these things and come back and talk after some time had passed. I returned home ready to work. As soon as I returned home I noticed a progression of my spiritual life. Just things like staying consistent in my prayer life and getting to daily mass were going better than they ever had. I felt that God had given me an enormous amount of grace right away. I asked my local pastor if he would be able to be my spiritual director and he agreed. My summer continued with all of this in my mind. At the time friend of mine had also been discerning and had gone down to south orange new jersey to check out the Salesians of Don Bosco. When he returned he introduced me to this order. He told me that at the end of the retreat they asked if they could think of anyone else who might be interested in this order. He said my name just popped into his head. At the time I was pretty set on the CFR's and I did not think about it to much.
At the end of the summer I went back to the vocational director of the CFR's and spoke with him again. I was told to continue to work on living a moral life, work on paying off my student loans and then come back. This is what I started to do during this year. This was a very good year for me. Looking back I know God was helping me out a lot during this time. As time went by though I realized I had never really looked into any other orders other than the CFR's. I thought back to my friend who had told me about the Salesians. He had told me a little about the order and I was intrigued. So, I spoke with him about them and he gave me a book on Don Bosco. I read this book during lunch and breaks at work. As I read I kept thinking about my own progression back to my faith. It all started at a high school retreat with the youth. I started going to the youth group, that I attended the retreat with, and continued over all these years. All this time I had been working with the youth. As the years past some of the people I had been in the group with grew out of it, but I stayed close to the group and started to get into more of a leadership role. In my own struggles I turned to the outdoors and having fun to get myself away from sin. I started going to bed early instead of going out at night at college so that I could get up and go skiing the next day. I bought a mountain bike and a kayak because these were ways to have fun without sinning. So then I made the call to the vocations office and set up a time to come down to visit on a discernment retreat. I learned more about the Salesian spirituality and Don Bosco. As I learned I kept thinking how the past few years had been leading me to the work that Don Bosco had been doing with the youth. Soon after the weekend I put in my application with the Salesians. I was accepted began of my year of candidacy teaching at Salesian High in New Rochelle, NY. I am presently a pre-novice in formation at Orange, NJ. I still have times where I wonder about what my vocation is and think about the future, but I do know that I feel confident that this is where God wants me now.
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| Steve Demaio |
Candidates
When I look back on the first time I thought about the Priesthood and religious life, I realize I was young to have even thought about it. It was seven years ago that I began to contemplate religious life, and in most cases that is an awful long time. After three years of Salesian middle school, and four years of Catholic high school, I really began to feel a calling to religious life.
Throughout high school I began to really feel a call to Diocesan Priesthood, and simultaneously a call to marriage. I had dated all throughout high school and for a while thought that I for sure was not called to the religious life. But in my senior year in high school I felt a tremendous call, one that I could not ignore, it was the call to find out more about the Salesians, the group of priests and brothers that had helped me turn my life around. I immediately felt a pull towards their spirituality and their faith in God.
I have had a background in youth ministry, when in high school I spent my four years on the peer ministry team. Helping my fellow students and organizing retreats for the separate classes. And when my senior year came around and I received such a pull towards the Salesians, I thought that I might apply, but instead took two years to work as the Youth Minister at my home parish in Brooksville Florida. After a year and a half there I knew that the best place for me was with the Salesians. Since then I have felt such a peace in knowing that with the Salesians, I can let God take complete control of my life, and lead me to where I need to be.
It must have started almost three years ago in November 2007 where at NCYC (National Catholic Youth Conference) I met the Lord for myself. It was there that I first saw the Salesians. They gave out yo-yo’s for everyone there but at the time I did not realize who they where I just knew they had yo-yo’s and they where fun!
Right after that I got my chance to go to Rome where I relearned how to pray and keep the Lord with me and not shut the door on his face again. After the tour I had a nagging feeling that I was supposed to be religious but wasn’t sure.
I decided to tell my parents … they took it very well.
I am the fifth in a family of 12 kids; nine boys and three girls. I have an older brother in religious life - Br. Paul who is with the Legionary’s of Christ
In my discernment I pursued the Oblate’s of St. Joseph which I quickly found was not for me… the diocesan priesthood I checked and found nothing for me. Around this time we called my older brother Br. Paul in Rome and he suggested that I look into the Salesians. Three months later he calls and asks, “so how did it go with the Salesians” and I bluntly said I did not check it out at all. He gave me the website and everything, but this time he also gave it to my mom.
Now it must be said that my saintly mother was and is very supportive of my vocation. I would not be here without all the help she has given me over the years. She was the one that got me in contact with the Oblates, the diocesan and most importantly she signed me up for the discernment weekend with the Salesians. Not five minutes after she signed me up, Fr. Franco already had an e-mail sent in response to my mother’s inquiry.
So I ended up going to the discernment weekend in November of 2008. Upon entering the house in South Orange, New Jersey I knew by the feeling that this was perfect for me. I felt like I had been there a thousand times and knew where everything was. I felt the rush of the Holy Spirit within me, making me feel more complete than ever before. It only took me a year and a half to enter and embark on this journey!
My name is Eric Notarus. I am from right outside the city of Chicago. When I was still a young lad my mother and father got divorced, which was cool since I started receiving double the presents for Christmas and birthdays. Like most secular American families we only went to church on Easter. I was baptized and confirmed, by the grace of God, but we stopped going to mass soon after. As I got older and started becoming a man I naturally wanted to live with my father. I finally was able to move in with him when I was in seventh grade. Since my father never did anything remotely religious neither did I. Soon I was one of the worst hooligans in town. If I wasn’t supposed to do it, I did it.
In an act to change my ways I decided to join the military. I served my country for about three years before I returned to my heathen roots. Around my third year in the service my favorite uncle died later that year I was deployed to Kuwait when one of my grandfathers died. Getting back from deployment I developed what some people call a drinking problem, though at the time the only drinking problem that I thought I had was when I was out of whiskey. After my other grandfather died I could no longer sleep at night if I was sober, but like they say it is always darkest before the light. The Lord shed his mercy upon me one night and he completely changed my life. He showed me the error of my ways and he brought me to truly repent for all of my sinful ways. With a 500 word limit on this essay all I can say is within a five hour period the lord brought me to Mass, and made me quit smoking and drinking.
I was redeployed to Indonesia after the earthquake and tsunami decimated Western Indonesia. The lord put two great Catholics in my unit and we became close friends during this deployment. Despite being confirmed I knew nothing of the faith but these two people began to instruct me in the teachings of the faith. To illustrate how lost I was “What’s a nun?” is an actual question that I asked one of my friends, who still likes to remind me of this from time to time. As I grew in my faith I eventually started going to daily mass, and this is where I first heard the call to the priesthood. I remember sitting in mass and the idea of becoming a priest just entered my mind and I couldn’t get rid of it. After a while I just accepted that I was to be a priest. I tried to become a priest in my diocese, but just before I was about to turn in my papers to start the process I realized, thanks be to god, that I never discerned what type of priest I should be. Finding the Salesians online I felt a connection and after a few hurdles I am now in formation.
Hi my name is Stephen Eguino and I’m from the Bronx, NY. I went to Salesian High School in New Rochelle, NY and have been around the Salesians for most of my life. My brother Mike went to Salesian five years before I did and it was at this time my family grew to know the Salesians. Through his experiences in the school and his newfound love for his faith he decided to go into formation with the Salesians. Today he goes by Brother Mike and in practical training. Through his days of candidacy, whenever I visited the formation house I was constantly asked, “Hey Steve, when are you going to join the Salesians?” I was about 13 or 14 yrs old and when I was asked this I was usually embarrassed or annoyed because it was so constant and I had the same reaction of shaking my head and saying, “I don’t think so” or more directly, “Not for me!” I found out God had different plans for me.
My parents were very vocal about my faith growing up and how important it was so I wanted to become an Altar Server at my parish St. Benedict’s in the Bronx. All the way to a senior in High School I was an Altar Server and thought I love being on the Altar and serving my community and wanted to take the next step so I became a Eucharistic Minister after my graduation from Salesian high. My vocation grew from my experiences with the Salesians on the MLR, OLR, and other various retreats. Each time I was with the Salesians I saw myself more and more wanting to be like them and be an example for other young people as they were for me. The thought of a vocation was buried for me in my mind. I went to St. John’s University and transferred to Maritime College after a year and during this time I constantly put off the idea of a vocation. I had it planned out for myself that I would get an Engineering License through Maritime College and build ships and have a family, but like I said earlier, God had different plans for me. After my second year at Maritime I sat with my mother for lunch and she asked me, “Stephen what are you going to do with your life at Maritime?” My mother and I both knew that I wasn’t satisfied there and there was something more for me. In that moment I thought quietly to myself, “God, I have no idea what I’m going to do with my life” and in that exact second God spoke to me in my heart and said “STEPHEN YOU HAVE A VOCATION!!” I broke out into tears and told my mom and all I could respond with was “Yes Lord.” For me this was God putting a road block in my journey after I missed the exits He wanted me to turn on and I couldn’t pass it anymore. Each day is a blessing for me because I’m learning to live according to His will and not mine (my plan was not so good I guess) and I am growing to learn to love Him more and become that example of the Salesians for other young people that I knew growing up.
I am Luis Javier De Prada Toledo and I was born in Havana City, Cuba on May 31, 1991. My home was very close to a Salesian Church, and my mom decided to take me there for religious education on Saturdays. So I went to Don Bosco Church when I was 5 years old. Everything that I saw was really new and exciting to me. My first catechist was Margarita and she taught me not only the basics of our faith and God’s love for us but also about her favorite saint, Don Bosco. I was raised in the Salesian spirit. I received my first communion in 2004 and after that I joined the Altar Boys’ group. The parish priest at that time was always encouraging us about service to the church and the poor. In that atmosphere I grew up physically and mentally and at 13 years of age I became a part of the teen youth group. I began to think about a possible calling to the Salesians.
One summer when my parish priest went on vacation, the Salesian congregation sent another to replace him for a month. His name was Fr. Humberto . One Sunday in 2005 after Mass I decided to talk to him about what was going on inside me. We were talking for only 20 minutes and he already knew what was going on. This very Salesian priest told me “Luis, I am the one in charge of vocations in Cuba, if you want to join us just say it.” And I didn’t take too much time to think about it and eventually said “Yes father, I have so much connection with this feeling and I am sure that God put it there, I want to become a Salesian priest.”
After that, I continued and deepened my discernment. We had a lot of retreats, discernment weekends, and a great time with the Teen Youth Group. I lived in the community with the Salesians and I learned what it meant to live in community. I was made the animator of a group of teenagers in Maria Auxiliadora Church in Old Havana. At that time, I played guitar in the chapels near there.
By April of 2008 my family was notified about a trip to the USA. My mother was really excited about it but I was not. I was very sad because I was only one step away from getting into the Salesian seminary. We finally did all the official paper work to fly to the USA and as a result we arrived to Miami in November 28 of 2008. At that moment I felt like a kid because everything was very new for me, even the smallest detail. I still had that strong feeling in my heart about becoming a Salesian and I just got into the internet and search for a Salesian house around Miami. During that first week here, I received an email from Fr. Humberto telling not to abandon my vocation once I get to the USA because there are Salesians everywhere.
Fr. Humberto also attached to that email the address and phone number of the vocation office in the USA. When I called, Fr. Franco answered. And so we began the discernment process. He also invited me to a “COME & SEE WEEKEND”. So I came to the retreat and I really liked it. As a result, I am here now in the Salesian house of formation. This is an option of life and I think is a good option because I want to give all I can to God through Saint John Bosco’s way as a Salesian. Anyone who feels very strong about follow Christ in this way can do it as I did and as we all are doing in community.
My name is Rafael Vargas and I was born on July 19, 1992 in Paterson, NJ. Since that time my parents have raised me in the Catholic faith. In middle school I became an altar server at my local parish and still continue to serve whenever possible. During the time since I became an altar server I began to grow in my faith and learn more about the Liturgies.
Through the intercession of Mary Help of Christians I was blessed with the opportunity of attending Don Bosco Prep, a nearby catholic school. This is where I was introduced to the Salesians of Don Bosco and immediately became immersed in the Salesian spirit. I became part of the running team at my school, which taught me discipline and self-sacrifice, as well as leadership qualities. The school’s atmosphere created a wonderful place for me to develop in many aspects of my life.
Throughout the four years at Bosco I developed myself into an incredible runner and I soon began to think about the possibility of continuing running at college for an elite team and how ever far it may take me in the future. However, during my sophomore year I began to think about the possibility of a vocation in the religious life, which I greatly owe to a good friend of mine who inspired me at the time through his own discernment to the religious life. At the time I never really thought of the religious life to be a realistic choice for me until early my junior year when Fr. Steve Ryan SDB, came to my school to celebrate the mass. At this mass I really felt God speak directly to me during Fr. Steve’s homily. I felt Him telling me that He was calling me to the priesthood and to not be afraid to answer the call. From this day I felt that God was calling me to join the religious life and thus I continuously prayed for the next couple of months and attended a couple of adorations to discern my vocation.
By the spring of my junior year I finally made the decision to answer His call and to have courage though I may have been afraid. After my decision I became overwhelmed with peace and happiness, and since that day I continue to live everyday as a blessing and seeking God in others to continue to follow Him, as we’re all called to do in various ways.
I am Jerry Rodriguez. I was born in El Salvador and I studied at a salesian school since 7th grade. When I was in my junior year(2005) Fr. Romulo, the vocational director of the Central America province at the time, visited my school and presented the salesian work in Mongolia. I saw the Salesian love for people in their service. Those videos at the presentation caught my attention. Seeing that made me want to know more about salesian ministry. A short conversation with him was enough to make me fall in love with the way they work. After that he told me to talk with another priest but that one did not pay me attention at all. I took that as a sign that religious life wasn’t for me and I stopped thinking about it.
From 2005 to 2009 I was a member of my salesian youth group. I helped with the catechesis, the choir, retreats, visiting of orphanages and nursing homes. I really enjoyed working and serving the youth. In those 4 years I realized that I had a calling to serve the youth and the poor.
In 2009 I had to move to NYC. I left everything I loved - friends, family, and especially my salesians. After two months in NYC I decided to visit the salesians in this country. I googled ‘salesians’ and found Fr. Steve Ryan SDB, the Vocation director of the province. I called and asked if I could visit them, of course, he said yes.
I visited the salesian house one Sunday afternoon and that was like being back home. Fr. Steve invited me to several events. The very first event was a 3 days retreat called EPC meeting. All the priests of the province were there. I was amazed how all of them enjoy their life as priests and religious and yet served the young. After the retreat the idea of joining the Salesian religious life popped back in my head. A month later I set an appointment with Fr. Steve. At the end of the appointment I decided to fill out the application. Thank God I did this because this seems to be the best decision I ever made and obviously Mary Help of Christians led me here.
As one chapter concludes, another chapter awaits to be read. This past chapter has definitely been a “page turner,” a “masterpiece,” and “a remarkable, tensely exciting, moving, superbly written ‘true account’!”
I was born into a Catholic family, so the Church has always been present no matter where I lived. As a family we have lived in Indiana, Texas, Virginia, and Ohio. Each move has taught us something new, and has been an opportunity for us to grow. Though I am a cradle Catholic, my faith as a child was not very strong, but it was a start. In the beginning I was a “mindless” follower. I could not think on my own, all I did was attend Mass. I knew there was something deeper, because I would want to go home and set up a church with my stuffed animals and recite the homily to them. But my faith was smaller than a mustard seed. I shouldn’t say smaller, I would say it was not being planted and cultivated. This went on for ten or so years, just sitting on top of the soil, with little water, and little light, but I was not forgotten. When I lived in Ohio I had friends who inspired me. One inspired me to stand up for myself. One inspired me to sing during Mass. One inspired me to serve at the Mass.
My seed had been tilled into the soil, roots were forming, the seed was breaking, making way for a plant. With the introduction of our middle school youth ministry program, EDGE, to my parish, I began to see more of God, He was at work through my small group leader, He was at work through my friends, He was at work through all, there is no doubt about that. Well I finished EDGE and went to Lifeteen. During Lifeteen my seedling began to grow into a tiny plant just barely poking through the soil. I started off by participating in Life-Nights, and then I attended Midweek, our Bible Study. I know it all seems like a perfect reality, faith just blossoming, no hardships, no struggles, to slow it down. But it wasn’t. All those years sitting on top of the soil, corrupted my seed. I became involved in a cycle of sin because I thought I knew God and his thoughts. This sin has been the main cause of my struggles in High school. But I have been opening myself up to God’s will for me, And by His graces, I am finding strength to over come my challenges and with time I hope to have them forever behind me.
As God said to Paul, “My Grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” I too can feel God saying this to me. God took my corrupted seed and brought fruit from it. God was able to release me of my selfishness and pride and open me up to live a life of service. I have been discerning God’s call for three years now, trying to understand God’s will for me. As of right now, I feel God is calling me to enter the Seminary. The whole concept of Religious Life just amazes me. I look at pictures of Mother Teresa and I gasp in Awe. I listen to my Parish Priests and all our Deacons preach and I just sit there in amazement. I attend Mass, or go to Adoration, and I just have this feeling like God wants me to be his, and He wants me to teach. At Adoration, I am given a chance to talk with Christ. When I feel spiritually weak, I tend to run to Adoration, because there I am able to block out the noise of the outside world, and focus again on God, and his will. It is like my fertilizer. I am a flower that always grows, and Adoration is the fertilizer that allows for healthy and strong growth.
As this chapter concludes, a new chapter is yet to begin. I’m sure this sequential chapter will be a “page turner,” a “masterpiece,” and “a remarkable, tensely exciting, moving, superbly written ‘true account’!”
You might say that my path to the priesthood began my junior year in high school. And for the record, I went to Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, NJ. You see, I was unexpectedly deemed team captain of the fencing team that year. Not a squad captain; not an assistant captain; just a full-blown leap into the position of overall team captain. And let’s just say that the promotion of a no-name athlete to team captain is beyond rare in DBP sports.
This, of course, is not to mention the fact that I had just switched weapons from foil to epee in order to fill in missing varsity slots on our team. “Well, that’s just grand,” right? Having a player not fence with his primary weapon and uphold captain standards? Beautiful. Oh, and for financial reasons, our coach had to leave maybe three weeks into the season. Perfect, yea?
It was a most pessimistic beginning to the DBP fencing season of 2007-2008. No coach, no experience, no hope. I don’t think I should have to try very hard to convince you that I was scared out of my mind! My hands shook so terribly that season, I was so scared. And the day of reckoning I remember very clearly: between two meets, I lost five of my six bouts in a row.
Naturally, I felt pretty lousy by the end of that second meet. I remember coming home that evening, dead tired. I virtually collapsed onto the couch as I flicked on the TV. By chance (or fate, if you wish), I came across the movie “Saving Private Ryan” at the scene where American sniper Pvt. Jackson recites a psalm as he zeroes his rifle on an enemy soldier. Say… might that psalm apply in my case? I mean, he has a rifle, and I’ve a blade; close enough, right?... Psalm 144, in case you were interested.
So, come the next meet, I had my psalm memorized. The match begins, my turn is up, I recite the psalm, and behold a 5-0 victory over their best fencer. I rubbed my eyes at the end of that, I didn’t think it was true. The succeeding bouts that match ended similarly: all victories.
That prayer served me so well that season, in fact, that I wanted to share it with the other fencers the following year. With that course in mind, I consulted Fr. Jay Horan, DBP’s Youth Ministry Director. He helped me to pick out Biblical passages appropriate for team prayers and individual blessings and officially commissioned me as Don Bosco Prep’s first student-chaplain.
And in that process, I rationally thought, “I’m saying all these prayers and such; perhaps I’ve a vocation in this. You know, as a passing thought. Very cursory thinking. “Let’s check.”
That being said, I signed up for a vocations retreat with the Salesians. But in all honesty, that retreat really didn’t strike very well with me. I did not feel the Holy Spirit acting within me there. So in logical thought, I dismissed the idea of a priestly vocation for myself.
Well, the season continued as per usual, and I invested myself more and more into my duties as chaplain. I continued saying my personal psalm, carried on with the team prayers, and blessed my teammates before they competed, and received wonderful feedback from my team regarding this personal ministry. But in this, I once more heard the whispering thought.
Boy, was it a struggle, this time. Restless sleep like you would not believe! But in the end, like most vocation stories, I had to admit, “Alright, You win.” . . .I don’t think Psalm 144 was going to help that battle, there.
My name is Pedro Silva, I am originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Before I was even baptized, my grandma took me to the church and consecrated me to Mary, when she got back to her home she told me my parents “it is done”. I lived a pretty good childhood. When I was four I moved to Vitoria, Spain for two years. I had the blessing to visit many places, but the most amazing trips were to Lourdes and to Fatima. It seemed like Our Lady was forever present in my life. I moved back to Brazil when I was six and my parents throughout my life always took me to CCD classes and to every Sunday mass, and as I went to these masses I began to notice the Priests and how attracted I was to the priesthood. I began to express vocally my desire for the priesthood. When I moved to the USA I had a very good childhood, plenty of friends and doing well in school. The family soon moved to North Carolina. I began to struggle in the beginning, but confirmation could have not come in a better time. I found God in a way unimaginable way. I fell in love with the Eucharist. I became very involved in my parish, and more especially in the life teen program. I had a very close group of friends and as the time passed we grew closer to each other but most especially to Jesus. My youth minister Marianne played a very big role in my vocation. She always told me to be a leader. She pushed me to be the best version of myself for the youth group at St. Peter’s. But it was tough for I began to notice the responsibility that this brought. In my junior year in high school I began to fall away from the church and family. I began finding refuge in secular things, completely forgetting about God and my vocation. As I began to experiment with different things I felt my body and soul slowly deteriorating. I received a scholarship to play lacrosse. I was the 3rd highest ranked freshmen in the country in division 2, but faith was not part of my life. My parents used to call me and tell me to go to church and I would but there were some weekends I didn't go. However in my every day experiences God’s grace and mercy was pouring over me and I began to realize how much my life needed a change. One day my dad walked into my dorm room and I began to cry. I told him I could no longer be in the school and needed to come home and he hugged me and told me it was okay to do so. As soon as I got back home my mom through the intercession of Our Lady got me a marvelous job at the boys and girls club. The the kids began to change my life. A year later as I was driving back home from a date I began crying in the car. When I got home I picked up the bible that normally lay on our coffee table and that put the fire of my vocation back in my heart. I seriously began to discern. I didn't want to live alone. So the diocesan life was not for me. My friend Chris Crabb was looking into the Salesians and told me to give it a shot. I did and HERE I AM… My love for Jesus, Mary and the kids are amplified here and this where Jesus is going to make me A SAINT!!!!!!!!!
I am Lenny Carlino and I come from Hauppauge, NY on Long Island. My vocation story goes all the way back to about kindergarten. As a child when asked what I wanted to do when I grew up, I would say that I wanted to become a priest. I lived in a pretty secular family, but we went to church when we could. As a young boy though, when we went to church the priest seemed so at peace and important up on the altar, and I had wanted to be in his place with the big robe with no sleeves.
My family then moved to Hauppauge after my little brother was born. I was pretty quiet and not very open to making new friends. I was the studious kid that passed his free time by doing his homework and studying and staying secluded from the world. Still I attended religious education and was always fascinated by it. The story of Jesus and the saints meant so much to me, and I had always wanted to learn more.
I was first introduced to the Salesians right before my confirmation in 8th grade. Ever since we moved to Hauppauge my family had gone to St. Thomas More parish. On one of the confirmation candidate’s community nights the St. Thomas More youth group came. Immediately I was amazed by their energy, spirit, and also reverence of everyone there. I just knew I needed to be a part of that.
The Salesians then started to change my life. The youth group gave me life and suddenly I started to smile more and saw the true joy in the world. All the retreats and lock-ins started to change me, and JLR 2008 brought me right into God’s arms. There I learnt of how Jesus and Mary had guided so many of the people, and I wanted to share in that. Also this is where I would meet the Salesian seminarians for the first time, and began to hear the call to possibly becoming a Salesian priest. I knew then that I wanted to serve the youth of the world, so there was no question that if I was to be ordained; it was to be with the Salesians. So after the retreat I began to pray more and started to do everything that I could to help with the youth group and the parish. I soon started to really understand what ministry was, and took more to heart my roles as a youth leader and lector, and later would become an altar server.
When the time came there was no doubt I had to apply for young team for JLR 2009. I was accepted and the experience was even better than the first. I learnt how a common love of Jesus could bring people from all walks of life together, and I had an awesome experience in adoration where I felt the Lord, simply put, run through me and take over my body. I felt so at peace, and felt the call to share this message with everyone that would listen.
After I would start talking to Fr. Steve Ryan, who then led me to Fr. Franco and after all the paperwork and signatures, I am now a first year candidate with the Salesians in Orange, NJ. I now know that even if you are not 100% sure that you are called to the priesthood or religious life, living in formation is the best place to discern your call, whatever it is. There is nothing to lose!
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| Greg McClung |
Throughout high school I began to really feel a call to Diocesan Priesthood, and simultaneously a call to marriage. I had dated all throughout high school and for a while thought that I for sure was not called to the religious life. But in my senior year in high school I felt a tremendous call, one that I could not ignore, it was the call to find out more about the Salesians, the group of priests and brothers that had helped me turn my life around. I immediately felt a pull towards their spirituality and their faith in God.
I have had a background in youth ministry, when in high school I spent my four years on the peer ministry team. Helping my fellow students and organizing retreats for the separate classes. And when my senior year came around and I received such a pull towards the Salesians, I thought that I might apply, but instead took two years to work as the Youth Minister at my home parish in Brooksville Florida. After a year and a half there I knew that the best place for me was with the Salesians. Since then I have felt such a peace in knowing that with the Salesians, I can let God take complete control of my life, and lead me to where I need to be.
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| John Paul Pirolli |
Right after that I got my chance to go to Rome where I relearned how to pray and keep the Lord with me and not shut the door on his face again. After the tour I had a nagging feeling that I was supposed to be religious but wasn’t sure.
I decided to tell my parents … they took it very well.
I am the fifth in a family of 12 kids; nine boys and three girls. I have an older brother in religious life - Br. Paul who is with the Legionary’s of Christ
In my discernment I pursued the Oblate’s of St. Joseph which I quickly found was not for me… the diocesan priesthood I checked and found nothing for me. Around this time we called my older brother Br. Paul in Rome and he suggested that I look into the Salesians. Three months later he calls and asks, “so how did it go with the Salesians” and I bluntly said I did not check it out at all. He gave me the website and everything, but this time he also gave it to my mom.
Now it must be said that my saintly mother was and is very supportive of my vocation. I would not be here without all the help she has given me over the years. She was the one that got me in contact with the Oblates, the diocesan and most importantly she signed me up for the discernment weekend with the Salesians. Not five minutes after she signed me up, Fr. Franco already had an e-mail sent in response to my mother’s inquiry.
So I ended up going to the discernment weekend in November of 2008. Upon entering the house in South Orange, New Jersey I knew by the feeling that this was perfect for me. I felt like I had been there a thousand times and knew where everything was. I felt the rush of the Holy Spirit within me, making me feel more complete than ever before. It only took me a year and a half to enter and embark on this journey!
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| Eric Notarus |
In an act to change my ways I decided to join the military. I served my country for about three years before I returned to my heathen roots. Around my third year in the service my favorite uncle died later that year I was deployed to Kuwait when one of my grandfathers died. Getting back from deployment I developed what some people call a drinking problem, though at the time the only drinking problem that I thought I had was when I was out of whiskey. After my other grandfather died I could no longer sleep at night if I was sober, but like they say it is always darkest before the light. The Lord shed his mercy upon me one night and he completely changed my life. He showed me the error of my ways and he brought me to truly repent for all of my sinful ways. With a 500 word limit on this essay all I can say is within a five hour period the lord brought me to Mass, and made me quit smoking and drinking.
I was redeployed to Indonesia after the earthquake and tsunami decimated Western Indonesia. The lord put two great Catholics in my unit and we became close friends during this deployment. Despite being confirmed I knew nothing of the faith but these two people began to instruct me in the teachings of the faith. To illustrate how lost I was “What’s a nun?” is an actual question that I asked one of my friends, who still likes to remind me of this from time to time. As I grew in my faith I eventually started going to daily mass, and this is where I first heard the call to the priesthood. I remember sitting in mass and the idea of becoming a priest just entered my mind and I couldn’t get rid of it. After a while I just accepted that I was to be a priest. I tried to become a priest in my diocese, but just before I was about to turn in my papers to start the process I realized, thanks be to god, that I never discerned what type of priest I should be. Finding the Salesians online I felt a connection and after a few hurdles I am now in formation.
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| Stephen Eguino |
My parents were very vocal about my faith growing up and how important it was so I wanted to become an Altar Server at my parish St. Benedict’s in the Bronx. All the way to a senior in High School I was an Altar Server and thought I love being on the Altar and serving my community and wanted to take the next step so I became a Eucharistic Minister after my graduation from Salesian high. My vocation grew from my experiences with the Salesians on the MLR, OLR, and other various retreats. Each time I was with the Salesians I saw myself more and more wanting to be like them and be an example for other young people as they were for me. The thought of a vocation was buried for me in my mind. I went to St. John’s University and transferred to Maritime College after a year and during this time I constantly put off the idea of a vocation. I had it planned out for myself that I would get an Engineering License through Maritime College and build ships and have a family, but like I said earlier, God had different plans for me. After my second year at Maritime I sat with my mother for lunch and she asked me, “Stephen what are you going to do with your life at Maritime?” My mother and I both knew that I wasn’t satisfied there and there was something more for me. In that moment I thought quietly to myself, “God, I have no idea what I’m going to do with my life” and in that exact second God spoke to me in my heart and said “STEPHEN YOU HAVE A VOCATION!!” I broke out into tears and told my mom and all I could respond with was “Yes Lord.” For me this was God putting a road block in my journey after I missed the exits He wanted me to turn on and I couldn’t pass it anymore. Each day is a blessing for me because I’m learning to live according to His will and not mine (my plan was not so good I guess) and I am growing to learn to love Him more and become that example of the Salesians for other young people that I knew growing up.
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| Luis De Prada |
One summer when my parish priest went on vacation, the Salesian congregation sent another to replace him for a month. His name was Fr. Humberto . One Sunday in 2005 after Mass I decided to talk to him about what was going on inside me. We were talking for only 20 minutes and he already knew what was going on. This very Salesian priest told me “Luis, I am the one in charge of vocations in Cuba, if you want to join us just say it.” And I didn’t take too much time to think about it and eventually said “Yes father, I have so much connection with this feeling and I am sure that God put it there, I want to become a Salesian priest.”
After that, I continued and deepened my discernment. We had a lot of retreats, discernment weekends, and a great time with the Teen Youth Group. I lived in the community with the Salesians and I learned what it meant to live in community. I was made the animator of a group of teenagers in Maria Auxiliadora Church in Old Havana. At that time, I played guitar in the chapels near there.
By April of 2008 my family was notified about a trip to the USA. My mother was really excited about it but I was not. I was very sad because I was only one step away from getting into the Salesian seminary. We finally did all the official paper work to fly to the USA and as a result we arrived to Miami in November 28 of 2008. At that moment I felt like a kid because everything was very new for me, even the smallest detail. I still had that strong feeling in my heart about becoming a Salesian and I just got into the internet and search for a Salesian house around Miami. During that first week here, I received an email from Fr. Humberto telling not to abandon my vocation once I get to the USA because there are Salesians everywhere.
Fr. Humberto also attached to that email the address and phone number of the vocation office in the USA. When I called, Fr. Franco answered. And so we began the discernment process. He also invited me to a “COME & SEE WEEKEND”. So I came to the retreat and I really liked it. As a result, I am here now in the Salesian house of formation. This is an option of life and I think is a good option because I want to give all I can to God through Saint John Bosco’s way as a Salesian. Anyone who feels very strong about follow Christ in this way can do it as I did and as we all are doing in community.
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| Rafael Vargas |
Through the intercession of Mary Help of Christians I was blessed with the opportunity of attending Don Bosco Prep, a nearby catholic school. This is where I was introduced to the Salesians of Don Bosco and immediately became immersed in the Salesian spirit. I became part of the running team at my school, which taught me discipline and self-sacrifice, as well as leadership qualities. The school’s atmosphere created a wonderful place for me to develop in many aspects of my life.
Throughout the four years at Bosco I developed myself into an incredible runner and I soon began to think about the possibility of continuing running at college for an elite team and how ever far it may take me in the future. However, during my sophomore year I began to think about the possibility of a vocation in the religious life, which I greatly owe to a good friend of mine who inspired me at the time through his own discernment to the religious life. At the time I never really thought of the religious life to be a realistic choice for me until early my junior year when Fr. Steve Ryan SDB, came to my school to celebrate the mass. At this mass I really felt God speak directly to me during Fr. Steve’s homily. I felt Him telling me that He was calling me to the priesthood and to not be afraid to answer the call. From this day I felt that God was calling me to join the religious life and thus I continuously prayed for the next couple of months and attended a couple of adorations to discern my vocation.
By the spring of my junior year I finally made the decision to answer His call and to have courage though I may have been afraid. After my decision I became overwhelmed with peace and happiness, and since that day I continue to live everyday as a blessing and seeking God in others to continue to follow Him, as we’re all called to do in various ways.
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| Jerry Rodriguez |
From 2005 to 2009 I was a member of my salesian youth group. I helped with the catechesis, the choir, retreats, visiting of orphanages and nursing homes. I really enjoyed working and serving the youth. In those 4 years I realized that I had a calling to serve the youth and the poor.
In 2009 I had to move to NYC. I left everything I loved - friends, family, and especially my salesians. After two months in NYC I decided to visit the salesians in this country. I googled ‘salesians’ and found Fr. Steve Ryan SDB, the Vocation director of the province. I called and asked if I could visit them, of course, he said yes.
I visited the salesian house one Sunday afternoon and that was like being back home. Fr. Steve invited me to several events. The very first event was a 3 days retreat called EPC meeting. All the priests of the province were there. I was amazed how all of them enjoy their life as priests and religious and yet served the young. After the retreat the idea of joining the Salesian religious life popped back in my head. A month later I set an appointment with Fr. Steve. At the end of the appointment I decided to fill out the application. Thank God I did this because this seems to be the best decision I ever made and obviously Mary Help of Christians led me here.
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| Matt Panozzo |
I was born into a Catholic family, so the Church has always been present no matter where I lived. As a family we have lived in Indiana, Texas, Virginia, and Ohio. Each move has taught us something new, and has been an opportunity for us to grow. Though I am a cradle Catholic, my faith as a child was not very strong, but it was a start. In the beginning I was a “mindless” follower. I could not think on my own, all I did was attend Mass. I knew there was something deeper, because I would want to go home and set up a church with my stuffed animals and recite the homily to them. But my faith was smaller than a mustard seed. I shouldn’t say smaller, I would say it was not being planted and cultivated. This went on for ten or so years, just sitting on top of the soil, with little water, and little light, but I was not forgotten. When I lived in Ohio I had friends who inspired me. One inspired me to stand up for myself. One inspired me to sing during Mass. One inspired me to serve at the Mass.
My seed had been tilled into the soil, roots were forming, the seed was breaking, making way for a plant. With the introduction of our middle school youth ministry program, EDGE, to my parish, I began to see more of God, He was at work through my small group leader, He was at work through my friends, He was at work through all, there is no doubt about that. Well I finished EDGE and went to Lifeteen. During Lifeteen my seedling began to grow into a tiny plant just barely poking through the soil. I started off by participating in Life-Nights, and then I attended Midweek, our Bible Study. I know it all seems like a perfect reality, faith just blossoming, no hardships, no struggles, to slow it down. But it wasn’t. All those years sitting on top of the soil, corrupted my seed. I became involved in a cycle of sin because I thought I knew God and his thoughts. This sin has been the main cause of my struggles in High school. But I have been opening myself up to God’s will for me, And by His graces, I am finding strength to over come my challenges and with time I hope to have them forever behind me.
As God said to Paul, “My Grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” I too can feel God saying this to me. God took my corrupted seed and brought fruit from it. God was able to release me of my selfishness and pride and open me up to live a life of service. I have been discerning God’s call for three years now, trying to understand God’s will for me. As of right now, I feel God is calling me to enter the Seminary. The whole concept of Religious Life just amazes me. I look at pictures of Mother Teresa and I gasp in Awe. I listen to my Parish Priests and all our Deacons preach and I just sit there in amazement. I attend Mass, or go to Adoration, and I just have this feeling like God wants me to be his, and He wants me to teach. At Adoration, I am given a chance to talk with Christ. When I feel spiritually weak, I tend to run to Adoration, because there I am able to block out the noise of the outside world, and focus again on God, and his will. It is like my fertilizer. I am a flower that always grows, and Adoration is the fertilizer that allows for healthy and strong growth.
As this chapter concludes, a new chapter is yet to begin. I’m sure this sequential chapter will be a “page turner,” a “masterpiece,” and “a remarkable, tensely exciting, moving, superbly written ‘true account’!”
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| Mark O'Dea |
This, of course, is not to mention the fact that I had just switched weapons from foil to epee in order to fill in missing varsity slots on our team. “Well, that’s just grand,” right? Having a player not fence with his primary weapon and uphold captain standards? Beautiful. Oh, and for financial reasons, our coach had to leave maybe three weeks into the season. Perfect, yea?
It was a most pessimistic beginning to the DBP fencing season of 2007-2008. No coach, no experience, no hope. I don’t think I should have to try very hard to convince you that I was scared out of my mind! My hands shook so terribly that season, I was so scared. And the day of reckoning I remember very clearly: between two meets, I lost five of my six bouts in a row.
Naturally, I felt pretty lousy by the end of that second meet. I remember coming home that evening, dead tired. I virtually collapsed onto the couch as I flicked on the TV. By chance (or fate, if you wish), I came across the movie “Saving Private Ryan” at the scene where American sniper Pvt. Jackson recites a psalm as he zeroes his rifle on an enemy soldier. Say… might that psalm apply in my case? I mean, he has a rifle, and I’ve a blade; close enough, right?... Psalm 144, in case you were interested.
So, come the next meet, I had my psalm memorized. The match begins, my turn is up, I recite the psalm, and behold a 5-0 victory over their best fencer. I rubbed my eyes at the end of that, I didn’t think it was true. The succeeding bouts that match ended similarly: all victories.
That prayer served me so well that season, in fact, that I wanted to share it with the other fencers the following year. With that course in mind, I consulted Fr. Jay Horan, DBP’s Youth Ministry Director. He helped me to pick out Biblical passages appropriate for team prayers and individual blessings and officially commissioned me as Don Bosco Prep’s first student-chaplain.
And in that process, I rationally thought, “I’m saying all these prayers and such; perhaps I’ve a vocation in this. You know, as a passing thought. Very cursory thinking. “Let’s check.”
That being said, I signed up for a vocations retreat with the Salesians. But in all honesty, that retreat really didn’t strike very well with me. I did not feel the Holy Spirit acting within me there. So in logical thought, I dismissed the idea of a priestly vocation for myself.
Well, the season continued as per usual, and I invested myself more and more into my duties as chaplain. I continued saying my personal psalm, carried on with the team prayers, and blessed my teammates before they competed, and received wonderful feedback from my team regarding this personal ministry. But in this, I once more heard the whispering thought.
Boy, was it a struggle, this time. Restless sleep like you would not believe! But in the end, like most vocation stories, I had to admit, “Alright, You win.” . . .I don’t think Psalm 144 was going to help that battle, there.
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| Pedro Silva |
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| Lenny Carlino |
My family then moved to Hauppauge after my little brother was born. I was pretty quiet and not very open to making new friends. I was the studious kid that passed his free time by doing his homework and studying and staying secluded from the world. Still I attended religious education and was always fascinated by it. The story of Jesus and the saints meant so much to me, and I had always wanted to learn more.
I was first introduced to the Salesians right before my confirmation in 8th grade. Ever since we moved to Hauppauge my family had gone to St. Thomas More parish. On one of the confirmation candidate’s community nights the St. Thomas More youth group came. Immediately I was amazed by their energy, spirit, and also reverence of everyone there. I just knew I needed to be a part of that.
The Salesians then started to change my life. The youth group gave me life and suddenly I started to smile more and saw the true joy in the world. All the retreats and lock-ins started to change me, and JLR 2008 brought me right into God’s arms. There I learnt of how Jesus and Mary had guided so many of the people, and I wanted to share in that. Also this is where I would meet the Salesian seminarians for the first time, and began to hear the call to possibly becoming a Salesian priest. I knew then that I wanted to serve the youth of the world, so there was no question that if I was to be ordained; it was to be with the Salesians. So after the retreat I began to pray more and started to do everything that I could to help with the youth group and the parish. I soon started to really understand what ministry was, and took more to heart my roles as a youth leader and lector, and later would become an altar server.
When the time came there was no doubt I had to apply for young team for JLR 2009. I was accepted and the experience was even better than the first. I learnt how a common love of Jesus could bring people from all walks of life together, and I had an awesome experience in adoration where I felt the Lord, simply put, run through me and take over my body. I felt so at peace, and felt the call to share this message with everyone that would listen.
After I would start talking to Fr. Steve Ryan, who then led me to Fr. Franco and after all the paperwork and signatures, I am now a first year candidate with the Salesians in Orange, NJ. I now know that even if you are not 100% sure that you are called to the priesthood or religious life, living in formation is the best place to discern your call, whatever it is. There is nothing to lose!