St. John Bosco Today • September–November 2016

september-november 2016 st. john bosco today

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CONTENTS 6

COVER STORY

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11

REGULAR

Message of the Rector Major Editor’s Note Salesianity 101

Receiving and Sharing

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Diamonds are Forever

Silver Jubilarians

of Priestly Ordination & Religious Profession

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FEATURE Bridges

The Journey Back Home

3 5 14 22 25

FIN-FIS NEWS

Papua New Guinea – Solomon Islands now a New Vice Province

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16 New Deacons

29

Juan Café

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Celebrating the 40th and 50th Anniversary of Religious Profession

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Pastoral Statement on Extra- Judicial Killing

Volume 46 I Number 2 September-November 2016

a Magazine of Information and Religious Culture of the Salesian Family in the Philippines OWNER Salesian Society of St. John Bosco PRINTER Don Bosco Press, Inc.

EDITORIAL TEAM

Bosconian-Thomasian Samahang Busko-UPD Samahang Busko-UPLB

SPECIAL FEATURE

ST. JOHN BOSCO TODAY

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PUBLISHER Don Bosco Press, Inc. EDITOR Fr. Bernard P. Nolasco, SDB ASSOCIATE EDITOR Fr. Joel Camaya, SDB COPY EDITOR Fr. Mario Baclig, SDB COORDINATORS Fr. Fidel Ma. Orendain, SDB, FIS Sr. Ernielyn Deypalan, FMA Sr. Sophia Akiko Oshita, SCG Brenda Ramirez ASC Dr. Victor B. Endriga DBAPNF Maria Junifer Maliglig ADMA Evangeline Dolliente FADS ART DIRECTOR Early Macabales GRAPHICS & DESIGN STUDIO DBPI-Multimedia Section CIRCULATION Commission on Social Communication For subscription, please contact Commission on Social Communication 3/F Don Bosco Provincial Office, Don Bosco Compound, C. Roces Ave. cor. A. Arnaiz Ave. Makati City, Philippines Tel (02) 893-8227 loc. 114 Telefax (02) 892-8174 Annual subscription (4 issues) P300.00 Send your comments and suggestions to salesianbulletinphilippines@gmail.com All rights reserved © 2016

by Don Bosco Press, Inc. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission from the publisher.

ABOUT THE COVER

Officers of the Bosconian Thomasian Youth Movement (BTYM) composed of Alumni and Alumnae of various Don Bosco schools in the Philippines.

MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR

THOSE MIRACLES

OF EDUCATION

Changing the lives of many children forever.

T

his has been my refrain in many places and on many occasions, my dear Salesian Family, friends of Don Bosco’s works, and all of you whom I meet monthly through the pages of this magazine. Every day we witness prodigious “miracles of education” that are changing the lives of many boys and girls forever. I say this with certainty because I myself have been a witness to these, and when I recall them, my heart brims with joy and hope.

DON BOSCO’S FEAST DAY IN SIERRA LEONE This year I celebrated Don Bosco’s Feast Day, January 31, in Sierra Leone. I wanted to share that Feast with my brother Salesians who work in that land and with their children and young people. I was able to spend a morning with the young who were incarcerated in the capital city. All around me I saw so much pain but also very great hope. This hope is closely related to the daily presence of the Salesians and lay

volunteers in that place of suffering.I was in the company of young people who had been taken in from the street and were now living and being educated in Don Bosco’s house. I was overtaken by emotion while listening to the words of a young woman, about 25 years old, who recounted her story in front of everyone present, among whom were thirty-eight young women rescued from the snares of sexual exploitation.

That young woman had suffered terrible abuse and violence in her family ever since she lost her mother. But when she finally succeeded in running away from her house and city, she arrived at Don Bosco’s house. There she found a home, a family, and a secure refuge in which to prepare herself for life.

Her story moved me greatly, above all when the young woman courageously told the youth who were listening that the most important freedom she experienced in being released from the chains of violence and abuse was to have found a home and the possibility to study and prepare herself for life. Now she september-november 2016 st. john bosco today

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I am convinced more than ever that each day extraordinary “miracles of education” take place in so many areas around the world, and I can say with certainty that this is happening in almost all the Salesian houses where they encountered real mothers and fathers who are there only to love and educate them. would be able to provide for herself, with a happy life and a highly skilled job.

DO NOT CRY I am convinced more than ever that each day extraordinary “miracles of education” take place in so many areas around the world, and I can say with certainty that this is happening in almost all the Salesian houses. These are true miracles of young men and women, boys and girls, who have found a second chance in life, who have been rescued from the streets, who have been welcomed in a Salesian house where they encountered real mothers and fathers who are there only to love and educate them. These are the miracles that change their lives forever and break down that oppressive and cruel wall of fear, tormenting them from birth. Now they are able to enjoy what, like air, they need to live, that new breath which is called hope.

These men and women who, like Jesus at Naim, say “Do not cry,” are creating these miracles. For God does not want us to cry. And like his Son Jesus, St. John Bosco was able to grasp that profound joy in the love of God the Father for his little ones. He was able to suffer with them and thus alleviate their pain. This is the legacy that St. John Bosco left us.

The first Salesians and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians gave their whole lives to open new possibilities in life for those who were convinced that they had none. They prepared boys and girls to embrace life and have faith in life, in an atmosphere of affection and understanding.

THE FOREST THAT IS GROWING Today, the thirty groups that comprise the Salesian Family are doing this all over the world, each one with its own specific characteristics, while drawing from the same spring of the Salesian charism.

In a world which is becoming ever more materialistic, skeptical, and pragmatic, it might seem strange to speak of miracles. But I wish to reclaim this bright reality. The good that is done – and it is a great deal – must not be hidden.

“That they may see your good works,” Jesus told his disciples.

Everyone dreams of a world of peace and serenity where

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one can almost breathe respect and loving care in the air.

Courage, then. We can make miracles. There are those in the front lines who help and sustain the children and youth. There are educators, religious and lay, who give of themselves each day so that the most disadvantaged youth may have a future and a sense of hope.

Let us support and help them through our works of solidarity, with our affection, and with tangible offerings.

We know the profound truth in the adage, “A tree that falls makes more noise than a forest that is growing.” We are those who make the forest of hope and of meaning in life grow each day in so many persons who have nothing to lose because they have already lost everything and who have so much to gain.

May this be the responsibility and the commitment of the Salesian Family in today’s world.

Fr. Ángel Fernández Artimé, SDB Rector Major

EDITOR’S NOTE

WE SHARE

ST. JOHN BOSCO AND THE

SALESIAN SPIRIT S

t. John Bosco Today features in this September-November 2016 issue the praiseworthy initiatives and endeavors of our Bosconian high school graduates in their respective universities. These Bosconian alumni and alumnae come from different Don Bosco schools and feel deeply grateful to their Salesian mentors for the education and formation they received. Enriched by the Salesian spirit, they established Bosconian organizations that are officially recognized by their universities. Their main goal is to share with their classmates and schoolmates the fascinating figure of St. John Bosco and the “holy joy” of the Bosconian spirit.

We are eager to know how these organizations began and how are they spreading the Salesian spirit in a Bosconian way: the BosconianThomasian Youth Movement (BTYM), the Samahang Busko—University of the Philippines, Los Banos (UPLB), the Samahang Busko—University of the Philippines, Diliman (UPD).

May their wonderful experience and example inspire us, members of the Salesian Family, to become just as youthfully eager to share St. John Bosco and the Salesian spirit with the people we encounter. We all believe that St. John Bosco belongs to the world and is not exclusively for us. Let our love and gratitude to him unfold and grow as we strive to become bearers of his vision and spirit.

We join Fr. Andres Cervantes, SDB, as he give glory and praise to the Lord Jesus for the gift of the Salesian vocation and celebrates the Diamond Jubilee of his Salesian life. We congratulate our Salesian priests who celebrate the Silver Jubilees of Religious Profession and of Ordination. We also accompany with our prayers all our newly ordained deacons. We thank God for these graces and ask for the gift of holy perseverance.

We congratulate Sr. Gloria Agagon, FMA and Sr. Maria Paz Salcedo, FMA for celebrating 50 years of Religious Life; likewise, Sr. Nora Hernandez, FMA and Sr. Linda Villanueva, FMA for celebrating 40 years of Religious Life last August 5, 2016.

Let us also support with our prayers Fr. Peter Baquero, SDB, the first Provincial Superior of the newly canonically established ViceProvince of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands (PGS).

VIVA DON BOSCO!!!

Fr. Bernard P. Nolasco, SDB Editor-in-Chief

COVER STORY THE BOSCONIAN HOLY JOY

BOSCONIAN-THOMASIAN The Bosconian-Thomasian Youth Movement

BY ARTHUR Malatag

Inspired by the words of St. John Bosco, “Run, jump, make noise, but do not sin,” they aim to promote the youthful spirit in a Salesian way, basically, through games, music, and prayer.

O

ne has only to enter the gates of the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) in Manila to be convinced that it is the oldest university in Asia.Yet in this venerable institution, the spirit of St. John Bosco—ever young, ever enthusiastic—is very much alive, thanks to the Bosconian Thomasian Youth Movement (BTYM).

Today, there are more than 200 registered members in the movement, and the numbers keep on growing.

Inspired by the words of St. John Bosco, “Run, jump, make noise, but do not sin,” they aim to promote the youthful spirit in a Salesian way, basically, through games, music, and prayer. This makes the organization unique, the only one in UST that promotes “holy joy” through games and music. The movement is open to any enrolled

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Thomasian, regardless of gender and school of origin, who is interested to be a part of St. John Bosco’s family.

It all started with the delayed flight of Fr. Filemon Dela Cruz, OP, and Mr. Richard Pazcougin on their way back to the Philippines. While waiting, they started talking about Bosconians in UST, and how these students could help in the Quadricentennial Celebration of UST. With the support of faculty members Girly Constantino and Joy Redona, a general assembly of Bosconians in UST was held at the Center for Campus Ministry. Five students were appointed to get the ball rolling. Some Dominicans too, so the story goes, shared stories of high school days during dinner and found out that a number of them came from Don Bosco schools.

The logo of the organization attempts to create a hybrid of the Dominican and Salesian congregations. The gear symbolizes St. John Bosco who championed technology and work, while the Sun of May stands for St. Thomas Aquinas, patron of the students of UST. The anchor in the middle combines the Dominican cross and the Salesian anchor. “A” and “M” are the letters that stand for “Ave Maria” and the deep Marian devotion of both Bosconians and Thomasians.

Thus was born the Bosconian Thomasian Youth Movement, thanks to the efforts of Niel Evangelista, Nahum Senados, Cyrus Silvestre,Victor Cabas, Andre Lirio, and Thomas Reyes, and the support of faculty members like Ms. Girly Constantino, Mr. Niño Tobias, Mr. Richard Pazcoguin, and of Fr. Filemon Dela Cruz, OP, director of the Center for Campus Ministry.

The logo of the organization attempts to create a hybrid of the Dominican and Salesian congregations. The gear symbolizes St. John Bosco who championed technology and work, while the Sun of May stands for St. Thomas Aquinas, patron of the students of UST. The anchor in the middle combines the Dominican cross and the Salesian anchor. “A” and “M” are the letters that stand for “Ave Maria” and the deep Marian devotion of both Bosconians and Thomasians.

The joyful and active spirituality of St. John Bosco has always been contagious. In UST it continues to attract new members to the organization. After all, who will not be fascinated by the youthfulness of “holy joy,” music, and sports?

The organization is gradually making a difference within and outside the university. Some members are actively involved in the student councils and in other organizations, even as officers. Through their active presence, they share the treasures of the Salesian spirituality. Under the direction of the Center for Campus Ministry, the members assist in the preparation of liturgical celebrations and prayer services, as well as in the catechetical program for public schools.

The Bosconian Thomasian Youth Movement is now on its third year. May it live up to its big name in the coming years.

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COVER STORY THE BOSCONIAN WAY

SAMAHANG BUSKO – UPD The Bosconian Connection

By MORRIS Solano

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St. John Bosco kept on inviting young people to do their ordinary duties extraordinarily well. We are ordinary students like all the rest in the university.

But we are Bosconians who want to do this in an extraordinary way, hopefully as active leaders within the university, in the Church and in the society.

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or many years, Bosconian graduates in the University of the Philippines-Diliman (UPD) have attempted to forge the “Bosconian connection.” Several found the connection, like birds of the same feather in the classroom, in academic organizations, student councils, and even political parties. The bond would usually be formed when they would refer to each other as “familiar faces,” and retrace their connection to high school student leaders’ assemblies, leadership camps, and youth-groups.

Others have regularly met despite varied academic and co-curricular commitments.

In 2011, a group of Bosconians established Samahang Busko at the UP campus in Los Baños (Laguna).

Encouraged by this, Bosconians from UP Diliman moved ahead to set up a chapter in their own campus. Social media played its part, with the “Busko sa UPD” Facebook. After several meetings and countless invitations, Samahang Busko-UP Diliman finally came into being in 2013. Among the founding members were Adrian Aquiles Abellar (DB Tarlac), Matthew Lopez (DB Canlubang), Michelle Vigilia (Caritas DB), Adrian Christian Castro (DB Makati), and Joseph Posadas (DB Makati). It was officially launched in a general assembly of Bosconian UPD students last February 18, 2014 with the support and presence of Fr.Vester Casaclang, SDB.

COVER STORY | THE BOSCONIAN WAY Samahang Busko-UPD opens its membership to UP students who graduated from Don Bosco schools.

Members greet each other with a special handshake. One takes the other’s hand and creates a symbol of bonding with intertwined fingers. The Bosconians may have graduated from different schools but now they are together as brothers and sisters in one family.

The organization’s primary purpose is to provide a family for Bosconians, especially the freshmen, in the academic jungle called “college.” It helps the newcomers, who often experience culture shock, to adjust to their new environment in the university. Moreover, it gives the upperclass students the possibility of taking a breather amid the tension and stress of university life.

As brothers and sisters of one family, the members remind each other of their shared roots in Don Bosco and help each other in whatever way. It also provides avenues for its members to excel in academics and in co-curricular activities.

As an officially recognized organization, Samahang Busko has partnered with other UP organizations in various events. One notable event was the “Itanong Mo Kay Isko at Iska.” This was pioneered by the UP Economics Towards Consciousness, with the aim of encouraging incoming students to equip themselves with the needed resources and prepare themselves mentally for their college journey. On its own, Samahang Busko

Moreover, as Bosconian-Iskolars, or Buskolars, the members continually return to the Salesian roots of “reason, religion, and loving kindness.” has organized a tour around the campus, to help newcomers know their way around the campus and get to know other Bosconians.

There is now the challenge of getting new members, especially with the lack of incoming students for the next two years. In the meantime, the organization chooses to focus

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on strengthening its membership. It has organized various team building activities throughout the year for the members and applicants. These double up as opportunities for rest and relaxation. Moreover, as BosconianIskolars, or Buskolars, the members continually return to the Salesian roots of “reason, religion, and loving kindness.”

Plans are already afoot for outreach programs in a community outside the university.

Among its members are leaders who now serve in their own colleges through the student council: Angelo Cabading, the Chairperson of the College of Human Kinetics Student Council; Jyle Sulit, the 4th Year Batch Representative in the College of Law Student Government; Mark Asiddao, the College of Computer Science Representative in the Engineering Student Council. There are other Buskolars, but not members, who answered the call to serve: Kim Franza (Engineering Representative to the University Student Council), Gelo Maandal (Engineering Student Council Councilor), Carlo Magsino (Law Student Government Secretary), and Lakan Umali (Social Sciences and Philosophy Representative to the USC).

St. John Bosco kept on inviting young people to do their ordinary duties extraordinarily well. We are ordinary students like all the rest in the university. But we are Bosconians who want to do this in an extraordinary way, hopefully as active leaders within the university, in the Church and in the society.

COVER STORY WE ARE FAMILY

SAMAHANG BUSKO – UPLB Servant-leadership and Excellence By

By CHRISTIAN CHRISTIAN JOEL JOEL Custodio Custodio and MARC FERDINAND and MARC FERDINAND Polancos Polancos

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COVER STORY | WE ARE FAMILY

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oving on to college means entering an exciting but grueling phase of life, filled with challenges bigger than those ever encountered. It may also mean leaving behind the quiet and innocence of the high school years, especially for Bosconians who make it into the University of the PhilippinesLos Baños (UPLB)!

What keeps them standing in one piece is the unique happiness of being with persons who had similar experiences and upbringing, of discovering the previous bonds of friendship intact even in the university, and, we dare say, of belonging to Samahang Busko-UPLB.

Samahang Busko-UPLB, or simply “Busko” began as any campus organization. It was formed in February 2010, during the USC election period of UPLB. But the organization was formally introduced into the UPLB community during the school year 2011—2012. Then, there were already more than fifty members coming from different Don Bosco schools— Canlubang, Makati, Mandaluyong, Sta. Rosa, Sta. Cruz, Manila, Mabalacat, Tarlac, and Victorias.

The group was established to reduce the “culture shock” that Bosconians were experiencing when they entered the University. Its primary function was to welcome incoming

Here at UPLB are Bosconians who fuse service and excellence in their growth as future leaders in society and in the Church, or as St. John Bosco used to say, as “good Christians and upright citizens.”

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freshmen and accompany them during their first weeks and months as they slowly found their place in the UPLB culture. Eventually, it became a familyof-sort in UPLB. Others saw it at the start as a group of “elitist high school graduates.”

But this label disappeared as the members began sharing with everyone the “holy joy” that Bosconians relish and imbibe the very moment they enter a Don Bosco school or center.

Samahang Busko is listed among the socio-civic organizations of UPLB. But it is also varsitarian, that is, a representative of a specific region. This dual classification was chosen because it is composed of students with a

From the common Bosconian foundation of the members arises the desire to become servant-leaders while pursuing excellence in their respective fields in this premier University.

common origin (Don Bosco) and is focused on the growth of the surrounding community.

The motto of the group is “Servant-leadership and Excellence” (In Latin, Servus Ductus et Excellentia).

From the common Bosconian foundation of the members arises the desire to become servantleaders while pursuing excellence in their respective fields in this premier University. Here at UPLB are Bosconians who fuse service and excellence in their growth as future leaders in society and in the Church, or as St. John Bosco used to say, as “good Christians and upright citizens.”

Busko lives its motto by reaching out to poor youth and children beyond the confines of the campus. In partnership with Don Bosco-Calauan, it carries out regular activities among the poor families in Calauan, Laguna. The members willingly spend their free time with the children, as St. John Bosco did during his time. Despite the hints of hopelessness appearing in the eyes of those poor children, Busko has made them “feel like children” again by engaging them in different games and sports activities.

True to the Bosconian heritage, Busko has gone beyond sports. It conducts book drives every year to enhance the education of the children. “BooksKo,” a pioneering book donation drive, provides

books and materials for the children.

The members actually engage with the children as they open their new books, faces bright with excitement. Indeed, a scene that can melt anyone’s heart is seeing Busko members and poor children holding books and sharing a common thirst for education.

Busko members also share their unique brand of “holy joy” with the other UPLB students. Cherishing the guiding principle of their early years, “Run, jump, play, but do not sin” they organize quiz contests, not on the usual subjects of Physics or Biology, but on the youthful area of sports. “Grandslam,” a sports quiz contest, is now on its second year, and hopefully will continue to generate enthusiasm for sports in UPLB. Busko can stand proud because it has already produced outstanding members who excel in academics and serve in the college and university student councils. It has proven its relevance in the campus and in the nation by contributing to the growth of a genuine “Iskolar ng bayan,” founded firmly on the Top Values of a Bosconian servant-leader.

Getting into UPLB and embracing university life is never easy for Bosconians. But Samahang Busko has changed that. It has given Bosconians the privilege of facing challenges together. More than that, it has given Bosconians in UPLB the responsibility of making a difference together!

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SALESIANITY 101 RECEIVING AND SHARING

BEYOND THE WALLS OF VALDOCCO Don Bosco’s Outward - Looking Vision

By FR. CAESAR Dizon, SDB

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r. John Bonetti (the first editor of the Salesian Bulletin) arrived at the Oratory of Valdocco (Turin, Italy) in 1855. He was 17 years old and came from Caramagna, a small village in the province of Cuneo.

He immediately became a friend of Dominic Savio, who was then 13.

Every morning they went to the city as a group, Bonetti, Savio, Cagliero and Rua, to study in the school of Professor Bonzanino. It was not always easy. Bonetti remembered walking with Savio through thick snow during one very hard winter.

Things changed after St. John Bosco established the Hospice at the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales in the Pinardi house (1847) and enlarged its premises by putting up new buildings (1853 and 1856). The group of resident working boys (techvoc trainees of today) and students was on the increase. Along with this was the provision of workshops for training (for the poorest of the poor) and classrooms for students on the secondary level (for the poor and for others as well) within the Oratory itself. Trainees and students did not have to go to the city for training and formal studies.

With this setup St. John Bosco was able to apply the educational principles that had guided his work in the Oratory to a community living in a controlled environment. This was the great and successful experiment in education that produced the Preventive System (the Salesian educational method).

Because of this development, we may get the mistaken belief that St. John Bosco created an ideal oasis that was cut-off from the outside world and had no connection with what was happening there. We must therefore affirm that when he declared that his ministry among the young was to help them grow into upright citizens and good Christians, he was thinking of them developing into responsible members of society and faithful members of the Church.

St. John Bosco’s response to the cholera epidemic and his promotion of the Conferences of St.Vincent de

Paul are two instances that illustrate his outward-looking vision that went beyond the walls of Valdocco.

1854, JULY—NOVEMBER: THE OUTBREAK OF THE CHOLERA EPIDEMIC IN TURIN Cholera broke out in Turin during the summer of 1854, hitting in particular Borgo Dora. There were 1,438 deaths out of the 2,533 persons affected. The parish of Saints Simon and Jude of Borgo Dora, the parish to which the Oratory belonged, logged 53% of all deaths.

During this epidemic, volunteers from the Sodality of St. Aloysius and a group of boarders from the Hospice (among them John Cagliero and Michael Rua) joined forces with the local Conference of St.Vincent de Paul in caring for the victims of the epidemic.

It was a clear demonstration of Christian charity and a revelation of what young people could accomplish.

Needing volunteers, St. John Bosco told the boys of the Oratory that the Mayor of Turin was appealing to the best people in the city that they might become nurses and helpers of those with cholera. For those who would join him in that charitable work, he promised his special thanks in God’s

St. John Bosco’s response to the cholera epidemic and his promotion of the Conferences of St. Vincent de Paul are two instances that illustrate his outward-looking vision that went beyond the walls of Valdocco.

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SALESIANITY 101 RECEIVING AND SHARING name. Several responded to the call of St. John Bosco, and “devoted themselves with such zeal, self-sacrifice, and courage that they attracted public admiration.”

L’Armonia (a Catholic newspaper) in its 16 September issue narrated how St. John Bosco had been able to present to the medical committee a list of fourteen young people who had volunteered for this task. It also added that he still had a reserve of thirty similarly trained boys on standby, ready to join their companions.

Those were days of scorching heat, nauseating smells, fatigue, and constant danger. Michael Rua (only 17 years of age) experienced being stoned by an angry crowd when he entered the isolation hospital. The ordinary folk thought that inside they were killing the sick.

John B. Francesia (16 years of age) recalled: “How often, young as I was, I had to persuade the old people to go to the isolation hospital. ‘But they’ll kill me,’ they would say. I would reply: ‘What are you talking about? Actually, you will feel better. And then I will be there with you.’

‘Really? Then take me wherever you want,’ they would finally say.”

John Cagliero (16 years of age) was looking after the sick in the isolation hospital with St. John Bosco. A doctor saw him and shouted: “This boy has no business being here! This is a very imprudent move on your part.” St. John Bosco spoke up: “Don’t worry, Doctor.

Neither of us is afraid and nothing will happen.”

This brave and charitable action on the part of St. John Bosco and his boys prompted Niccolò Tommaseo, a significant literary figure and historian, to congratulate him in writing on October 3, 1854. “I have heard of your self-sacrifice and that of your boys during the cholera epidemic which particularly plagued the poor of the city. As a Christian, I offer you my heartfelt thanks.”

What they did during this cholera was indeed heroic. In the Biographical Memoirs we read: “In those days fear had gripped the populace that many, including doctors, were fleeing the city; even relatives were abandoning their own kin. In view of this and the instinctive

repugnance felt by the young for sickness and death, one cannot help admiring this unselfish gesture of Don Bosco’s boys. He himself was so overjoyed that he wept.”

THE CONFERENCES OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL The Conferences of St.Vincent de Paul were founded in Paris in 1833 by Antoine Frédéric Ozanam and seven companions. These were groups whose members came together to fulfill the mission of St.Vincent de Paul Society in accordance with its Rule. They were first established in Turin on May 13, 1850, with Count Carlo Cays of Gilette and Caselette as director. He later became a Salesian and a priest. In the summer of 1854 the cholera epidemic reached its peak in Turin and was particularly devastating in the Borgo Dora district. It was on this occasion that the boys of the Oratory worked hand in hand with the local Conference of St.Vincent de Paul to care for the victims of the epidemic.

We may surmise that it was out of this experience of charitable service that St. John Bosco, probably at the request of the youngsters themselves and after studying the general regulations of the Conferences, established a Conference of St. Vincent de Paul among the older boys, both from the St. Aloysius Company and from the Hospice. This was without precedent for it was a Conference for young people. In spite of this, in 1856 it received official recognition from the Higher Council as an “Adjunct” Conference of St.Vincent de Paul.

St. John Bosco supported the St. Vincent de Paul Conferences because he believed that it had particular educational value with regard to the exercise of charity.

After setting up these conferences among the young people of

St. John Bosco supported the St. Vincent de Paul Conferences because he believed that it had particular educational value with regard to the exercise of charity.

PHOTOS BY FR. BERNARD NOLASCO, SDB PHOTOS BY FR. BERNARD NOLASCO, SDB

Valdocco, he introduced them in the other oratories in Turin. He became a promoter of the so-called ‘adjunct’ conferences like the St.Vincent De Paul Conference for Youth annexed to the Paris Conferences and the Roman Oratories. No wonder Marquis Patrizi referred to St. John Bosco as “our most dear founder.” He also cooperated in founding a similar association among a group of youths from Bergamo.

Fr. Peter Stella, SDB, made an analysis of the prayer book “The Companion of Youth” (Il Giovane Provveduto, literally,The Provided Youth), prepared by St. John Bosco. It is no ordinary prayer book, for it is, in fact, a handbook of spirituality geared to help young people grow in holiness.

When St. John Bosco started welcoming youngsters at the Pinardi House, he made his boys feel responsible for the welfare of their companions.

In that prayer book, he identified certain virtues necessary for youth.

Among them were love of God, love of neighbor, purity, and obedience. He understood love of neighbor as “serving and winning them over.” Although not fully developed in the prayer book, this concept of service reached its full development in the biographies of the three young saints: Savio, Magone, and Besucco.

When St. John Bosco started welcoming youngsters at the Pinardi House, he made his boys feel responsible for the welfare of their companions. Dominic Savio would make it his mission to bring his companions to confession. Michael Magone would make himself available to serve the sick and even earnestly ask to watch them at night when their sickness was serious. Francis Besucco would take great pleasure in helping the smaller ones to read.

In the biographies of the three young saints, we see St. John Bosco teaching his boys to go beyond themselves and serve their companions. In his concern for the cholera victims and in the establishment of the Conferences of St. Vincent de Paul, we see him teaching his boys to go beyond the walls of Valdocco and reach out to those who needed their help.

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SPECIAL FEATURE DIAMOND JUBILARIAN

DIAMONDS

Fr. Andres Cervantes, SDB,

By Fr. DONNIE Duchin Duya, SDB

“M

y vocation was to be a priest--not to get married!”

Fr. Andres uttered these words to me as a matter of factly. His eyes searched for mine to convey his sincerity.

He said this to himself as soon as he had realized that he wanted to become a Salesian priest. He was just in his early twenties back then. But he was already convinced of this.

This conviction would lead him to risk his future in the Salesian seminary in Mexico. This year, come 16 August, he marks his 60th year as a Salesian of Don Bosco.

One of the first things he did when the call to become a Salesian had become clear for him was to bid goodbye to Sofia, a beautiful Mexican lass, whom he was seeing for some time. He described his relationship with her this way, “We became one for the other.”

When I pressed him to give me more pieces of information about Sofia, he admitted that he pursued her because he was obedient to his erstwhile Jesuit novice master.

That time, he recalls, he just left the Jesuit novitiate house after staying there for more than two years. The Jesuit novitiate formation lasts for two years.

His novice master told him that he could continue to stay in the novitiate, but as

long as he is the novice master, he would not allow him to profess as a Jesuit. Fr. Andres did not know the reason why he could not become one.

His novice master was rather straight forward in telling him that he did not have any vocation to the religious life. Fr. Andres recounts that he was told to go home and get married, to live a normal life, this is insofar as there are more ways than one to reach heaven.

And so, he obeyed his novice master--and he met Sofia. But then again, he met the Salesians soon after. And once again, he gave his religious vocation a chance. And this time, he was “perfectly sure” that he wanted to become a Salesian.

Fr. Cervantes joined the Salesians at the age of 22. He made his First Religious Profession in August 16, 1956. He studied at Crocetta from 1959 to 1963. He was ordained in 1963 in the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Turin in a cold morning of February 11. He was supposed to be sent to Korea and Japan. But the superiors changed these obediences. He was sent to Thailand as a missionary. He worked in Thailand for only three years. The provincial of Thailand would send him back to Mexico, seeing that Thailand was not ready for the missionary activity.

When I ask him how he knew it, he casually tells me, “It is a mystery.

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But I never doubted that I will become a Salesian priest.” He adds, “I am very happy to be a Salesian.”

I asked him what is the most inspiring thing in being a Salesian, he responded that it is not a thing, but a person, “Don Bosco!” Fr. Andres emphasizes that as soon as he got to know Don Bosco, he instantly decided to become a Salesian.

One of the most unforgettable assignments he has had in the Philippines is his being a confessor in Bacolor, Pampanga, a task he shared with the late Fr. Peter Garbero. His eyes lit up when he brought up the news to me that he read about the re-opening of Bacolor.

Aside from the Philippines, he was also sent to East Timor and again to Thailand to do mission work for a good number of years before being asked to return to the Philippines in 2008.

Because of his old age and weak physical condition, Fr. Andres is currently staying at the Zatti Clinic inside the Don Bosco Technical Institute, Makati compound.

When I asked him his ‘secret formula’ in staying faithful in his Salesian vocation, he motions with his fingers and utters, “I have two.” “First, have a great devotion to the Blessed Mother... Mary Help of Christians! The Redemptorists in Baclaran got it right. Mary is not just

ARE FOREVER 60 Years Of Salesian Fidelity

Fr. Andres (front row, second from right) together with the Salesian Community of Don Bosco Technical Institute, Makati City.

our help. She is our perpetual help!” “And the second?” I prompted him for his second ‘secret’. He casually said, “Love for Don Bosco.”

Fr. Andres Cervantes is 60 years a Salesian. But more than what the pop song says, he does not merely shine “bright like a diamond.” His rays glisten far more than this, because he is a shining example of what a Salesian is: A sign and bearer of God’s love to the young!

I asked him what is the most inspiring thing in being a Salesian, he responded that it is not a thing, but a person, “Don Bosco!”

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SILVER JUBILARIANS

of Priestly Ordination (25 years)

FR. CRISOSTOMO MAGBITANG, SDB 24 AUGUST 1991

FR. MANUEL DOMINGO, JR., SDB 7 DECEMBER 1991

FR. ROMEO DE CASTRO, SDB 7 DECEMBER 1991

FR. ALLAN ROSS BANOGON, SDB 7 DECEMBER 1991

FR. NOEL OSIAL, SDB 7 DECEMBER 1991

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FR. ELMER SICAT, SDB 7 DECEMBER 1991

FR. DANIEL DENNIS MEIM, SDB 7 DECEMBER 1991

FR. PATRICK VILLASANTA, SDB 7 DECEMBER 1991

SILVER JUBILARIANS

FR. SONNY AREVALO, SDB 24 MAY 1991

SPECIAL FEATURE

FR. MARTEL RAMOS, SDB 24 MAY 1991

FR. REY JUDE ALBARANDO, SDB 24 MAY 1991

FR. JOSE LORBETH VIVO, SDB 24 MAY 1991

FR. VERNIL LOPEZ, SDB 24 MAY 1991

FR. BEN-HUR BORJA, SDB 13 OCTOBER 1991

With Jesus, Let us Journey together in an adventure of the Spirit.

SILVER JUBILARIANS

of Religious Profession (25 years) september-november 2016 st. john bosco today

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BRIDGES Salesian Pilgrimage – FIN Province

By FR. BEN-HUR Borja, SDB

Experiences are like bridges.

They anchor us to reality but at the same time they allow us a taste of the surreal, that which is beyond us.

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F

r Ben reflects on his pilgrimage to Italy with 15 confreres last summer, with big thanks to benefactors and superiors.

There’s something fascinating about bridges. They stretch out their whole span like open arms bringing us closer to our destination. Their structure is awe inspiring and we are left spell bound on how they carry much weight with such architectural grace.

The same is true with our life experiences, I guess.

Experiences are like bridges. They anchor us to reality but at the same time they allow us a taste of the surreal, that which is beyond us.

SALESIAN PILGRIMAGE

Such was the short time we spent in Italy. There were cultural bridges which helped us to recognize diversity and commonality, how we are so different and yet very much similar as a people. Ancient bridges like the Pons Sublicius and Fabricius, both in Rome allowed us a glimpse of life along the river banks in a bygone era.

The same can be said of the many museums which we have visited.

They are cultural bridges, historical treasures for the whole of humanity to partake of. The piazzas and

FEATURE

cobbled streets invited us to taste a slice of life which although thousands of miles away from home can be nevertheless familiar and inviting. The seminary Latin high school textbooks of Julius Caesar and the barbarians now translated before our eyes.

Other monumental bridges however are more impressive perhaps not because of their esthetics but because of their use.

The Vasarri Corridor of the Medici family in Florence is one of these.

Instead of connecting people like what bridges do, this structure separates the nobility from the common folks. It’s a danger that is all too familiar with me as a priest or for any minister for that matter.

We too can fall in the same trap every now and then when we fail to

leaving behind a picture of beautiful Venice. Imagine the amount of tears of regret which must have flowed here, the very strong emotions witnessed silently by these limestone walls. An image of the Sacrament of Reconciliation crosses my mind, the prison bars and the confessional.

But the difference is crystal clear, the prison cell condemns us, the Sacrament sets us free.

Then there were the spiritual bridges of the pilgrimage. Among them was the grand Duomo of Milan wooing all pilgrims with its elegance, the baptistery of Florence welcoming us through its elaborate doors and the Basilica of St Peter embracing us with open arms. Their overwhelming size and majestic structures inspire strength and

think as “church”. Then we choose not to be down to earth. Then we lose the chance, in the inspiring words of Pope Francis, “to smell like the sheep”. Another bridge of particular interest is located in Venice, the Bridge of Sighs. It’s the last view of freedom that a condemned prisoner will get a glimpse of before he crosses to his prison cell,

pride knowing that we belong to a universal Church. But then again there were the small chapels in the itinerary which certainly cannot be underestimated. The feeling of peacefulness and serenity they evoke certainly compensated for what they may lack in size. The little chapel where St Francis of Assisi is buried with his first companions

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reminds us of the vital experience of community. The old choir loft where Padre Pio received the stigmata is a kind of bridge literally and symbolically as the event changed his life dramatically. The church in Lanciano where the Eucharistic miracle took place many years ago still invites pilgrims from unbelief to faith. The church of St Eustace in a busy street of Rome allows both the devout and the passerby a respite from the noisy every day cares of life. Then of course there were the catacombs, profound silent symbols of the sacrifice of the martyrs which nourished the soil of faith.

And last but surely not the least are the Salesianity landmarks.

They were Salesian bridges for our vocation. From what we have read to words made alive, from what we have heard from speeches and seen in pictures to reality both alive and life

giving. Imagine seeing the mural of Mary Help of Christians in Turin for the first time, something you grew up seeing on stampitas and posters only, and witnessing the procession in Mary’s honor on the 24th of May! Behold such devotion, such faith from the pilgrim devotees coming

from different walks of life. Travelling with my brother Salesians on these hallowed grounds is both blessing and commitment. What a joy! Don Bosco cannot be more correct when he said that “a piece of heaven fixes everything.”

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Travelling with my brother Salesians on these hallowed grounds is both blessing and commitment.

What a joy! Don Bosco cannot be more correct when he said that “a piece of heaven fixes everything.”

SALESIAN PILGRIMAGE

FEATURE

THE JOURNEY

BACK HOME Salesian Pilgrimage – FIS Province

By BRO.. GEORGE Celis, SDB

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A

s the plane slowly descended and its wings finally broke the sea of clouds, from my window seat, I could see the coastline of Italy.

The green and verdant pastures of the countryside, the white snow-capped mountains and the deep blue expanse of the sea were indeed a beauty to behold. I nudged Fr. Bong De Leon who was sitting in the middle seat beside me and told him, “We’re in Italy!” He leaned over to enjoy the wonderful scenery. We both giggled and smiled like little children. As we settled comfortably in our seats and prepared ourselves for touchdown, a feeling of excitement slowly grew within me. This is really happening! After all these years, we are finally going to see home!

Following the life and footsteps of Don Bosco have always been our calling. Many of us have spent more

than half of our life living and sharing the vision and the mission of Don Bosco, to serve the young who are most in need. So to walk where Don Bosco walked, to pray where Don Bosco prayed, to touch and see where Don Bosco started his dream, were more than a wishes come true. It was an opportunity for us to go back to our roots, to reinvigorate the Religious ideals we had committed ourselves into, and most of all, to find solace and peace in the loving embrace of our Father and Founder, St. John Bosco!

Ten of us, Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) from the Philippine-South Province (FIS) are celebrating our 25th – 30th year of religious profession.

We were chosen to take part in this Salesian pilgrimage from April 11 – 28, 2016. Fr. Samson de Leon, SDB, Fr. Leonides Baclay, SDB, Fr. Randy Figuracion,

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SDB, Fr. Joemar Bacucang, SDB, Fr. Jerome Dublois, SDB, Fr. Adrian Mendoza, SDB, Fr. Cyril Cardinal, SDB, Br. Edward Villordon, SDB, Br. Emmanuel Gacayan, SDB and Br. George Celis, SDB. “Lord, help us remember that we are pilgrims and not tourists!” was the daily prayer we made on each of the 18 pilgrimage days. Our trip brought us first to the Eternal City of Rome. It was very memorable not only because we got to see up close and personal Pope Francis in the Vatican nor was it because we were able to individually give our beloved Rector Major, Fr. Angel Fernandez, Artime, SDB a big fraternal hug. It was very meaningful because we were able to visit and enter the Holy Doors of Mercy of the 4 majors Basilicas in Rome (St. Peter, St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, and St. Paul outside the Walls). It was a stirring

SALESIAN PILGRIMAGE

way to experience Healing, Mercy and Compassion from our Lord.

We also visited Colle di Don Bosco where the young Johnny Bosco was born and spent his childhood years nurturing the values that would later on become the principles and ideals of every Salesian. There, in the very spot inside the Tempio di Don Bosco, we renewed the Salesian commitment we made during our First Profession. In Valdocco, we were transported back to the humble and yet holy beginnings of the Oratory. To be in the sacristy where Don Bosco met Bartolomew Garelli, to be able to drink from the very source of drinking water where Don Bosco, the first Salesians, even

Savio, Besucco and Magone also drank from; to kneel before the same altar where St. Dominic Savio levitated, were really mystical experiences especially for me. In front of the Relic of Don Bosco in the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians, we recited the Formula of Profession. To touch the relic of “Main” (St. Maria Domenica Mazzarello) in Mornese and to visit the well-known “Window of Valponasca” made me

FEATURE

appreciate more the Holiness and Greatness of the Salesian Family.

From Turin, we proceeded to France to visit the humble beginnings of the Cure d`Ars, St John Marie Vianney and of our Patron saint, St. Francis de Sales. They were indeed models of Christian Piety and Perseverance, that despite human limitations and the challenges of human culture, everything is indeed possible if one has a sincere and deep faith in God. Lastly, we visited Lourdes, France. No words can describe the mystical atmosphere of the place. The opportunity to pray and read the Word

of God during Mass at the grotto of Lourdes and to touch the very walls where our Lady appeared, what more can one ask for! “To touch the sacred is the nearest we can be to God!” We thank the Philippine-South Province for this experience, the Salesians behind the preparations, and most especially to Fr. Bong Osial, SDB for guiding us in our pilgrimage – our Journey Back Home!

After all these years, we are finally going to see home!

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FIN-FIS NEWS

PAPUA NEW GUINEA – SOLOMON ISLANDS, Now a New Vice-Province (PGS) Fr. Peter Baquero, SDB, INSTALLED AS THE FIRST PGS PROVINCIAL SUPERIOR AFTER 36 YEARS AND 22 YEARS of Salesian presences in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, respectively, as a Delegation attached to the PhilippineNorth Province (FIN), these two Salesian presences finally become a ViceProvince. And last July 9, 2016, Fr. Peter Baquero, SDB, was installed as the first Provincial Superior of the Papua New Guinea-Solomon Islands Vice-Province (PGS) during the evening Eucharistic celebration that was presided by the Regional Superior for the East-Asia Oceania Region (EAO), Fr. Vaclav Klement, and was concelebrated by Fr. Paul Bicomong, Provincial of the Philippines North province, (FIN), Fr. Nicolas Guidi, First secretary of the Apostolic Nuncio, Fr. Victor Roche SVD, Secretary for the Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, Fr. Mario Baclig SDB, and the PGS confreres.

As the Salesians of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands (PGS) begin a new chapter in their mission in serving the Church as a Vice-Province, the Salesian Family in the Philippines pray to God to shower his blessings on them.

VIVA DON BOSCO!!!

Papua New Guinea – Solomon Islands (PGS) Salesians at the end of the Eucharistic celebration.

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FIN-FIS NEWS

16 NEW DEACONS Antonius Werun, SDB (VIE-Mongolia) Ambrusius Widiyantoro, SDB (ITM) Julio Da Silva Mota, SDB (ITM) Joseph Nguyen Quoc Dai, SDB (VIE) Ramil Maranan, SDB (FIN) Matias Mendonça Marçal De Jesus Pinto, SDB (ITM) Juvelan Paul Samia, SDB (FIN) Joseph Pham Van Truong, SDB (IND) Joseph Lule Mainga, FLP Francis Xavier Inseok Kang, SDB (KOR) Martino Duong Quoc Huy, SDB (VIE) Andrew Khisa Werunga, FLP Andrew Chi Sung Lim, SDB (KOR) Marc Will Lim, SDB (FIN) Samuel Adnan Ghouri, SDB (FISPakistan) 24 JUNE 2016, PARAÑAQUE CITY, THE PHILIPPINES—On the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, Most Reverend Broderick Pabillo, DD, Auxiliary Bishop of Manila, ordained to the diaconate fourteen Salesians and two Franciscans of Our Lady of the Poor in the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians.

Isidore Hun Pyo Hong, SDB (KOR)

JUAN CAFÉ

DB TONDO, MANILA—The Juan Café was formally opened last August 7, 2016. It is located at the Main Lobby of Don Bosco Youth Center, Tondo Manila where alumni, present students of DB Tondo TVET and other guests can take a time out and enjoy the bosconian camaraderie.

(above) Fr. Gaudencio ‘GC’ Carandang, SDB, Rector of Don Bosco Tondo, blessing and formally opening Juan Café. (left) The main entrance of the newly opened Juan Café.

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FIN-FIS NEWS

Celebrating the

40 and 50 Anniversary of Religious Profession th

th

By Sr. Ernielyn Deypalan, FMA

The Salesian Sisters declare on their website that August 5 is a day of grateful remembrance and a day of the future. On this day in 1872, the first Daughters of Mary Help of Christians led by St. Maria Domenica Mazzarello, made their religious profession in Mornese, Italy.

The congregation founded by St. John Bosco has since grown into a numerous family of consecrated women united in community, committed to live for the glory of God and for the evangelization of young people (FMA The Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (Figlie di Maria Ausiliatrice), together with the whole Salesian Family in the Philippines, celebrated the Golden and Ruby Jubilees of four Sisters. Sr. Gloria L. Agagon, FMA and Sr. Maria Paz M. Salcedo, FMA celebrated their 50th Anniversary of Profession while Sr. Nora U. Hernandez, FMA and Sr. Linda A. Villanueva, FMA celebrated their 40th Anniversary of Profession last August 5, 2016 at Don Bosco School chapel (Sta. Mesa, Manila). Families and friends of the jubilarians filled the chapel to offer the Thanksgiving Mass with Rev. Fr. Anthony Paul Bicomong, SDB as the main celebrant. The jubilarians renewed their vows and received a crown of roses, symbolic of their nuptial to the Lord.

This event was one of the few moments when the world “stops and stares for a while” to reflect upon a paradox of life and to stand in awe at the stark contrast of celebrating the sacred vows of four Sisters who have grown faithfully, graciously and serenely into a ripe old age while being void of material riches, illustrious careers and sensual love. With their lives, they proclaim the joy of belonging totally to the Lord, becoming signs and expressions of his forseeing love among young people (FMA Constitutions, Art. 1)

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Salesians of Don Bosco – Philippine Northern Province

PASTORAL STATEMENT ON THE

EXTRA-JUDICIAL

KILLINGS

By FR. ANTHONY PAUL E. Bicomong, SDB Provincial Superior - Philippine North Province (FIN)

I

n his visit to the Philippines in 2015, Pope Francis challenged Filipino families to be “sanctuaries of respect for life.” In the past weeks, even up to the time of this writing, the call to respect life has apparently been left unheeded in our country.

There have been extra-judicial killings of hundreds of suspected drug pushers and other people allegedly connected to illegal drug trafficking. In the face of this, we, the Salesian priests and brothers, hereby make the following statement: As citizens dedicated to the education and professional formation of youth, especially the poorest and most neglected ones.

We support President Duterte’s drive against all forms of illegal drug trafficking, and especially against drug lords and drug pushers.

We share his perception that many law enforcers and our present judicial systems have often failed to bring to justice the perpetrators of such heinous crimes which, in an evergreater degree, have been victimizing millions of our young people and their families.

We likewise share his perception that the law enforcement agencies and our justice system have failed to stop the spread of the use of illegal drugs, especially among the young, thereby allowing the deterioration of an alarming situation.

We appreciate his determination, already repeatedly expressed and forcefully underlined in his Inaugural Speech, to tackle this very serious problem in our country.

However, we are alarmed by the recent wave of extrajudicial killings that have taken place at the hands of police officers, and especially of vigilantes roaming our streets

unchecked and un-apprehended. Such violent procedure in tackling the situation mentioned above has caused justified apprehension among the majority of our citizens who are against any form of drug trafficking but expect justice to be rendered according to law.

We believe that any attitude and course of action that disregards the basic principles of modern jurisprudence that any person is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and that justice has to be rendered by following due process, has to be avoided.

We believe, likewise, that the disregard of such principles, even in the pursuance of a praiseworthy aim, such as the protection of families and of the youth, may inevitably lead to serious and irreparable injustices such as the killing of innocent people, and even simple drug users who are, actually, the direct victims of the drug traffickers/ pushers.

We firmly demand that all concerned government agencies actively pursue and apprehend all those involved in drug trafficking, but avoid and prevent all extrajudicial killings. They should likewise pursue and apprehend all anonymous vigilantes who carry out such illegal actions.

We also exhort our legislators and Government agencies to urgently take steps that aim to ensure that our justice system acts speedily and effectively in apprehending, trying, and punishing according to law all those proven guilty of having been involved in drug trafficking and drug pushing.

In the midst of this concern, we pray for the souls of those who have been killed and we also pray for their bereaved families. May our Blessed Mother protect our country from further violence and help us in our endeavor to prevent the spread of the culture of death. september-november 2016 st. john bosco today

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