Don Bosco Hall

We Salesians in Berkeley celebrated Don Bosco’s feast day yesterday as a community with friends from the Dominican friars and the Holy Cross Sisters. Now we are ready to launch into February.

Alejandro Rodríguez, SDB, PhD, has arrived in Bolivia, where he is offering a series of conferences, classes, and study days for members of the Salesian Family and the Don Bosco educational network. He offers innovative input as Professor of Education and Leadership at the Institute of Salesian Studies and Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology of Berkeley.

Best wishes to Fr Alex and the educators in Bolivia.

St John Bosco Day: 31 January. Best wishes to all the Salesian Family and to all our friends around the world.

Bro. Khoa Pham with young people at Camp St Francis for a week with youth from five parishes in California, Oregon and Washington.

I discovered that there is a Don Bosco Academy in Houston, founded by two past pupils. At the academy children who face difficulties in school receive tutoring and guidance.

125 years ago, 11 March 1897, four Salesian missionaries arrived in San Francisco to begin Don Bosco's work in the USA.

Salesian educator and member of the core team at our institute in Berkeley, Alejandro Rodríguez Rodríguez, PhD, presents during the official launch of his latest book tonight in México.

Best wishes, querido profesor Doctor Alejandro.

Fr Arthur Lenti, one of the founders of the Institute of Salesian Studies in Berkeley, died one week ago in Downey California. He was 98 years old.

We are grateful to Fr Arthur for all his work to promote a deeper understanding of the life and spirit of St John Bosco. May he Rest In Peace.

We received the news that Bro. John Michael Rasor died last night, Wednesday, 22 December 2021.  Born on 7 October 1942, he was known as Mickey by his family. He was among the first students at Don Bosco Technical Institute in South San Gabriel (now Rosemead), and he joined the Salesians after graduation from high school in 1962. He made his first profession on 16th August 1963 in Newton New Jersey. Bro. John taught for many years at Don Bosco Tech, and did important work at Don Bosco Hall Community in Berkeley teaching courses in Salesians studies, and preparing workshops that he delivered across North and Central America.

Ever a community builder and earnest and his promoting of young people, Bro. John will be sorely missed.

Bro Peter Le, who began to discern his calling while a student at CAL residing at Don Bosco, will be ordained to the priesthood on 24 January. Our prayers and best wishes, Peter!

Visit of the provincial superior, Fr Mel Trinidad, who evaluated life and programs at Don Bosco Hall.

Fr Mika Leilua was a member of the Don Bosco Hall community in 2000. We received news of his death this afternoon. Here is the letter from his provincial:

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With a heavy heart, I write to inform you of the death of our brother and friend, Fr Mika Leilua SDB, in Suva, Fiji on Friday 10th September 2021.
Fr Mika was 58 years of age, a professed Salesian for 31 years, and a priest of the Church for 23 years.
He spent early years of priestly ministry in formation including the role of Novice Master. After spending 4 years as a parish priest in Samoa, Mika spent 7 years at St Paul’s Parish, in Massey, New Zealand. He was appointed as the founding parish priest of the newly established parish in Suva from 2018.
Let us pray for Mika’s everlasting repose and happiness, as well as consolation for his family and friends, especially those in Samoa, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.
Eternal rest grant unto Mika, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace, amen.
Fr Will Matthews SDB
Provincial Australia

https://www.dspt.edu/news/professors-join-iss

Two Professors join the Institute of Salesian Studies — DSPT: The Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology DSPT is excited to announce that its faculty is gaining two distinguished, Salesian professors through its affiliation with the Institute of Salesian Studies (ISS)!

We received word today of the death of Fr Vincent Durairaj SDB (84). He died at 10.10 p.m. yesterday 31.07.2021 in Kaveri Hospital, Chennai, due to Covid-19.

Fr Vincent participated in the ISS (Berkeley) in 1993-1994 after he concluded his term as Provincial of Chennai. He was an affirming presence in the community, and deeply lived Don Bosco's charism. Suffice it to say that all of us at Don Bosco Hall and the ISS enjoyed his presence and grew from his time with us.

May the Lord grant Fr Vincent eternal rest.

Today is Fr Alejandro Rodríguez’s 18th Anniversary of ordination. He celebrated with the community, telling portions of his vocation story

Course offered at ISS and DSPT: Foundations in Ecclesiology: the theology of Church. New elements in the course include the teaching of Pope Francis on climate change and inequality(cf. Laudato si') and on fraternity and social friendship (Fratelli tutti).

Course offered at ISS and DSPT: Foundations in Ecclesiology: the theology of Church. New elements in the course include the teaching of Pope Francis on climate change and inequality(cf. Laudato si') and on fraternity and social friendship (Fratelli tutti).

Fall Courses at the Institute of Salesian Studies includes "Ecclesial Movements". One of those featured is the "Neocatechumenate", founded by Kiko Argüello, pictured here with Pope Francis in 2015. Other movements include Catholic Worker, Focolare, and Cursillo.

https://salesianbulletin.org/2021/06/04/the-suo-province-welcomes-fr-alejandro-rodriguez/

The SUO Province Welcomes Fr. Alejandro Rodriguez! By: JC Montenegro, Ph. D. Delegate for Mission Animation Fr. Alejandro was born in Morelia, Michoacan in Mexico. He met the Salesians in 1980 when he was six years old and joined the Salesian Orato…

Fr Robert (Bob) Stein, most recently assigned to Sts Peter and Paul’s in San Francisco, was admitted to ICU at St Mary’s Hospital in San Francisco last night. He died early this morning. Doctors said that COVID19 had put too much strain on his heart.
Bob grew up in Long Beach, California. He entered the Salesian Society in 1966 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1978. Since then, Bob worked in many different ministries in the Western USA and Western Canada, including at Don Bosco Hall in Berkeley. Sincere and deepest condolences to his family, and prayers for his eternal peace.

Here is a website with many Salesian resources.
http://www.salesian.online

Salesian OnLine Resources Salesian Online Salesian.online offre documenti originali in forma affidabile e citabile: fonti, studi, ricerche e risorse digitali sulla storia, la pedagogia e la spiritualità salesiana. I materiali scaricabili sono organizzati per categorie, tematiche, autori, enti, coordinate temporali e geograf...

Getting ready for the feast of St John Bosco.

Getting ready for the feast of St Joh Bosco.