FR. JOSÉ UBALDINO ANDRADE, SDB

Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Father José Hernández Ubaldino Andrade learned—at an early age—what it meant to be a good Christian and a missionary. As the son of a Legion of Mary member, he accompanied his mother to give food to the hungry, and comfort and hope to those who were sick. “I understood that to be a Christian means to leave the house, to go out and share with others, even with the very little we had,” he explains. He was also inspired by the many international missionaries who came to his country to offer their hearts and service. “Through them, I had my missionary vocation,” he recalls. “I wanted to imitate their lives, their good works, their sacrifices, dedication and perseverance. I always want to love as they have loved.” When he was called to serve the people of Africa, he willingly answered.

As director of Don Bosco Fambul in Freetown, Sierra Leone, “Fr. Uba” served the wonderful people of that small country as cook, cleaner, teacher, director of the technical school, administrator, social worker, parish priest, youth minister, rector and—above all things—friend and Father of many young people. During the tragic Ebola outbreak in West Africa, he led efforts to educate youth about the spread of the disease, and encourage them to teach their families how to prevent it. Later, as director of the Don Bosco Boys Home in Sunyani, Ghana, he oversaw comprehensive rehabilitation programs for abandoned, runaway and trafficked children—including shelter, education and social development services.

In early 2018, Fr. Uba heeded an urgent call from Ángel Fernández Artime, Rector Major of the Salesian order, to serve the thousands of South Sudanese refugees living in the Palabek Camp on the northern border of Uganda. Here, he and four other Salesian missionaries provide physical and spiritual comfort to these refugees—the vast majority of whom are women, children and the elderly seeking relief from violence, drought and famine at home.

FR. JUSTIN ANTONY AMALRAJ, SDB

Fr. Justin Antony Amalraj is passionate about educating India’s youth — a passion reflected in the daily activities of his vocation. As headmaster of the Salesian-run secondary school in Madurai, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, he works closely with ethnically, religiously and economically diverse teenagers: helping them to improve their academic performance, guiding them in making sound career choices and assisting them in overcoming ingrained hatred and prejudices so that they may “accept each other and treat each other as human beings with rights and freedoms.” Since his ordination in 1999, he has most cherished the opportunity to “make these youngsters realize the love and presence of God in their lives.” He says, “I feel God is working through me to encourage them to become honest citizens.”

FR. NALI ANTHAIAH, SDB

For the past four years, Fr. Nali has been stationed as rector and parish priest at the Don Bosco Mission Raptadu—located in a rural, impoverished area comprising 90 different villages scattered across more than 300 miles. Here, his advanced degree in social work serves him well; because the majority of residents belong to India’s lowest castes. He witnesses the unfortunate effects of marginalization, lack of education, and generational poverty every day. Often, these manifest in violent and destructive ways.

For this reason, Fr. Nali joins one of two dedicated outreach teams, each of whom regularly visit 15 different villages weekly. Traveling in a Jeep funded by Salesian Missions, these teams offer spiritual guidance, basic education and training, and a range of social support services.

First ordained in 2002, Fr. Nali has spent the entirety of his Salesian life serving in his country of birth—in roles ranging from teacher, to school administrator, to parish priest.

FR. JAVIER ANTONIO BARRIENTOS, SDB

Since 1995, when he first declared his intention to join the Salesians, Fr. Javier has been a dedicated servant of Don Bosco. After earning undergraduate degrees in philosophy and education from the University of Lima in his home country of Peru, he embarked on his first missionary assignment to Zambia in 1999. Two years later, he traveled to Nairobi, Kenya to complete his theological studies before returning to Zambia in 2005 as an ordained priest. Since 2014, Fr. Javier has served as rector of St. James Parish in Mansa—a community particularly affected by poor economic conditions and the challenges of rural living. In addition to 16 mission centers, the parish operates an elementary and a secondary school, where impoverished children can access desperately needed education.

FR. JOSEPH BENNY, SDB

Following his ordination in 2011, Fr. Joseph’s first missionary assignment led him to the rural, impoverished village of Marlapalli, Andhra Pradesh, India—where his primary focus was to empower local youth through education.

Currently, he serves as secretary of St. Joseph’s province in Hyderabad. Here, he devotes considerable time interacting with his fellow missionaries, and the impoverished youth and families they serve, in 32 different communities. He also celebrates weekly Mass in four local parishes, and leads classes for several Catholic youth groups around the archdiocese.

FR. FRANCISCO BRACHE, SDB

Fr. Francisco Brache first announced his intention to become a Salesian priest at the age of 14 — when he entered the seminary in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic. After three years, he moved to Havana, Cuba to complete high school and his novitiate, then studied philosophy at the Catholic University of Ponce in Puerto Rico. In 1965, after gaining several years of experience as a teacher in Turin, Italy and pursuing his studies in theology, he was ordained at the Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians.

Between then and his most recent assignment in Guadalajara, Mexico, Fr. Francisco served as a pastoral worker and administrator in several Salesian high schools across his native Dominican Republic. Today, he advises four Dominican theology students, and five Dominican novices, who are pursuing their studies in Guadalajara. Each weekend, he travels to the suburbs to celebrate Mass and support a community of 150 parishioners.

FR. BHASKAR (RAJ) CHINTHAMALLA, SDB

Fr. Raj happily has been giving himself to the poor and marginalized people of his home country for the past 13 years. Currently, at the Don Bosco Technical School in Maligaon in the northeastern state of Assam, he serves as rector and parish priest for 88 families with no proper place to worship. Every week, he celebrates Mass in the students’ small community chapel where, together with his congregation, he prays to Mary, Help of Christians for assistance in building a true parish church.

Fr. Raj is also a visible presence among the girls and boys who attend the school. During each 2- to 3-month session, as many as 150 youth train in automotive mechanics, electricity, hospitality and tailoring. After completing their coursework, students receive job placement assistance so they may successfully begin to support themselves and their families.

FR. SHIBU (SHIB) DAVIS, SDB

Fr. Shib’s life as a Salesian missionary is devoted to educating youth so they may become responsible, financially secure members of society. A mechanical engineer and computer scientist himself, he transitioned from teaching to school administration soon after his ordination in 1999—and has steadily risen through the ranks to his current positions as administrator of Don Bosco College, and vice principal of the Don Bosco Arts & Sciences College, in Angadikadavu, Kerala, India. Both institutions offer higher education, including undergraduate and graduate degree programs, in diverse disciplines.

FR. BONIFACE D’SOUZA, SDB

At 79 years young, Fr. Boniface remains energetically focused on improving the lives and circumstances of impoverished, orphaned and abandoned children in Andheri East, Mumbai, India. At the St. Dominic Savio Boys’ Home, he supervises the activities of 75 youth, ages 10-18, who receive safe shelter, daily meals, basic health care, and life skills training in a supportive environment. When children are ready, and old enough, they also receive free tuition to St. Dominic Savio High School, where they join nearly 2,000 other students each day.

In addition to his duties at the shelter, Fr. Boniface serves as the school’s health officer, and conducts Mass and other spiritual activities alongside his fellow priests and colleagues.

FR. SAJI ELAMBASSERIL, SDB

Don Bosco once said: “I have vowed my life to these poor little outcasts. It is God’s will; the path He has traced out for me.” Similarly, Fr. Saji Elambasseril’s early vocation closely followed the path Don Bosco traced out for him: as a tireless servant to the children living on the streets, and in the slums, of some of India’s busiest and most impoverished cities.

In this capacity, Fr. Saji worked both directly and indirectly on their behalf: as a teacher, an outreach worker, an administrator and an advocate. Today, he applies that experience to his position as director of the Social Service Society in the southern district of Kanyakumari (an area particularly hard-hit by the 2004 tsunami) — where he oversees several new initiatives on behalf of its residents: an educational sponsorship program that provides scholarships, academic support and life-skills training for impoverished students; an organic farm and training center to nourish the community and encourage widespread adoption of sustainable food production; and a palliative care program that provides community-based end-of-life services for terminally ill patients and their families.

FR. REGINOLD FERNANDO, SDB

Since his ordination in 2004, Fr. Reginold Fernando has been helping marginalized young men and women build better futures through education. In his home country of Sri Lanka, this work is crucial: while a decades-long civil war is now over, its negative impacts on the economy persist, and young people are particularly vulnerable.

With the exception of three years spent in Italy — where he served as a parish priest and oratory director from 2008-2011 — Fr. Reginold has focused his time and talents at home: as principal of the Don Bosco Technical Center in the western coastal city of Negombo (2007); as principal of Boscotek Vocational Training Center in Murunkan Town, in the northern province of Mannar (2011-2013); as principal of the Don Bosco Vocational Training Center in Nochchiyagama, in the north-central province of Anuradhapura (2013-2016); and currently as principal of Don Bosco Civil Engineering Institute in the northwest province of Metiyagane. In each of these capacities, he has mentored students — many of them former dropouts due to economic hardship — as they pursue coursework in hotel management, information technology, computer science, agriculture and animal husbandry, and other in-demand vocations. “There is a grave unemployment problem in Sri Lanka,” Fr. Fernando says, “and it’s worst in the areas directly affected by armed conflict. Such practical training equips students with the skills and confidence they need to find work and support themselves and their families.”

FR. JACEK GARUS

Originally from Poland, Fr. Jacek first encountered Don Bosco while attending a cycling camp as a teenager. “When I was 16 or 17 years old, I met an exemplary Salesian priest,” Fr. Jacek recalls. “He’d say, ‘If you’re struggling, I’m struggling,’ and we shared meals together. He was so happy and committed to us.”

That early experience ultimately inspired his missionary vocation. He joined the Salesians in 2005; made his profession in 2006; and was ordained in 2014. Four years later, following a request for assistance in Zambia, Fr. Jacek told his provincial he was ready to take the leap. “Although I felt scared,” he recalls, “I said, ‘yes, I’m going.’”

That decision led Fr. Jacek to Kazembe, a large village in the northern part of the country whose residents are among the poorest of the poor. Here, he is the principal of the Don Bosco Carpentry School and rector of the Salesian community, which comprises 30 outstations, a boarding school, and a youth oratory serving hundreds of children every day.

FR. PIOTR (PETER) GOZDALSKI , SDB

In 1983, while a young seminarian in Poland, Peter answered his provincial’s call to serve as a missionary in Zambia. Seven years later, he was ordained a Salesian priest in the country he would call home for the next 20 years.

After a one-year assignment to a rural parish in the northern part of the country, Fr. Peter arrived in Chingola to fulfill a request to establish a technical training school that, today, continues to offer courses in carpentry and woodworking, power electrical, general agriculture, automotive mechanics, and more. As an administrator and superior, he spent many years ensuring good governance of the school and the Salesian community before heading to Lusaka to serve as treasurer for the province comprising Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Namibia.

In 2003, Fr. Peter left his beloved adopted country for Rome, where he faithfully fulfilled the role of economer general for the global Salesian community. Today, he is assistant director at the Salesian Missions office in New Rochelle, NY.

FR. ANTONIO GUTIERREZ, SDB

Fr. Antonio is a missionary from Spain who has faithfully served in French-speaking Africa since 1987—including in Benin, Togo, Tunisia and most recently, Sierra Leone. Those experiences, in his words, have contributed to his “clear understanding of being a catechist.” They also revealed a knack for working alongside rural communities to develop their agricultural capacity.

Today in Lungi, he helps teach people how to build the fundamental pillars of resilience and self-sustainability, including digging wells that supply clean water for drinking and watering crops; creating a closed-loop system for composting food waste into organic fertilizer; and developing small beekeeping operations for pollination and honey. This latter activity is particularly rewarding, because it represents a seismic shift in the local belief systems. Whereas many people once believed that evil spirits sent bees to harm them, they now understand and appreciate the beneficial role these insects play in their native ecosystem.

Notably, Fr. Antonio previously helped develop the resources and potential of rural Tikonko Chiefdom in Bo, with a particular focus on improving educational access, effectiveness and outcomes. With meaningful input from the local community, he led a successful pilot program in which a modest bump in teachers’ pay resulted in increased student attendance, higher academic achievement, and stronger parental support.

FR. MARK HYDE, SDB

Fr. Mark Hyde, SBD, director of Salesian Missions, USA (based in New Rochelle, New York) has served in Salesian Missions in the Bahamas as a young priest and more recently after the earthquake in Haiti, helped with the emergency relief and reconstruction efforts there. During these past years, he has visited Salesian Missions in Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Germany, Haiti, India, Mexico, Poland, Spain and Sri Lanka. As director of Salesian Missions, Fr. Mark seeks to support the work of Salesian Missions and Salesian missionaries in over 130 countries around the world in their task of proclaiming the Gospel, educating to the faith, and giving young people and families the skills they need to be to be useful and productive members of their communities.

FR. ONOFRE G. INOCENCIO, JR. , SDB

With a doctoral degree in education, three master’s degrees in education-related disciplines, and post-doctoral experience at Boston University, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Fr. Onofre is an influential and effective voice for raising educational standards throughout the Philippines, serving as a coordinator, resource speaker, consultant and lead advocate on the issue, both nationally and internationally. He is highly committed to ensuring that vocational and technical training become more fully and seamlessly integrated into his country’s decentralized education system. He currently serves as dean of the Don Bosco College in Calamba City, Laguna, and maintains active membership on more than a dozen boards, commissions and councils.

FR. THEOTIMUS LAKRA, SDB

For the past three years, Fr. Theotimus Lakra has been assigned to St. Mary’s Parish Punanamei, in the northern state of Manipur, India. Here, he actively leads a variety of youth- and family-based activities: a children’s summer camp; an annual Bible camp; marriage preparation courses and ongoing support; mothers’ and fathers’ retreats; daily visitation of the sick; and other programs. Born in the northeastern district of Golaghat in 1971, and ordained in 2000, Fr. Theotimus has spent the past 17 years serving communities within the Salesian province of Dimapur. He looks forward to visiting the United States and sharing his experiences.

FR. NESLY LEONARD, SDB

Born and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where Salesian missionaries maintained an influential presence in his life, Fr. Nesly professed his intention to join the order while still in college. For 15 years following his ordination, he served some of the country’s poorest, most marginalized youth, including young boys with nowhere to live but the streets. In addition to offering these children life-skills counseling, he connected them to the Salesians’ youth center, where they discovered refuge from daily despair—and developed positive habits—though sports and other activities. While in Haiti, Fr. Nesly also served as an elementary, high school, and vocational training center teacher.

In 2015, he was assigned to another deeply impoverished community, this time in the United States. In Belle Glade, Florida—where more than 30 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, including an alarming 41 percent of those under the age of 18—he served as associate pastor of St. Philip Benzini parish. Today, fR. nESLY is stationed at the Salesians Retreat Center in Stony Point, NY, where, in addition to retreat-related duties, he co-directs the youth center.

FR. DANIEL LIBBY, SDB

Born and raised in Waterloo, Sierra Leone, Fr. Daniel Libby was fortunate to escape the devastating effects of his country’s brutal civil war. Shortly after graduating high school, he and his family fled to safety in Guinea Conakry. Yet, when he ultimately returned to Freetown — and witnessed just how many children’s futures had been compromised by violence, poverty and despair — he felt called to help. “I met the Salesians in Freetown and that was when I decided to join them,” he says.

After completing his philosophy studies in Tanzania, Fr. Daniel completed two years of practical training at Don Bosco Fambul in Freetown, where he served homeless youth in crisis. Following his ordination, on July 20, 2013, he was assigned as a community administrator, chaplain and teacher at Don Bosco Technical High School in Monrovia, Liberia. In 2015, he transferred home, to the Mary, Help of Christians community in Lungi, Sierra Leone. Here, as principal of St. Augustine’s Agricultural Junior Secondary School, he helps young men and women realize the opportunities that education can bring.

FR. SAJI ELAMBASSERIL MATHAL, SDB

Don Bosco once said: “I have vowed my life to these poor little outcasts. It is God’s will; the path He has traced out for me.” Similarly, Fr. Saji’s early vocation closely followed the path Don Bosco traced out for him: as a tireless servant to the children living on the streets, and in the slums, of some of India’s busiest and most impoverished cities.

In this capacity, Fr. Saji worked both directly and indirectly on their behalf: as a teacher, an outreach worker, an administrator and a policy advisor. Today, he applies that experience to his position as director of the Social Service Society in the southern district of Kanyakumari (an area particularly hard-hit by the 2004 tsunami)—where he oversees a constantly-growing and evolving suite of programs designed to address the challenges of endemic poverty. Through self-help groups, family support services, access to basic health care, traditional and vocational education, financial literacy training, and much more, Fr. Saji and his dedicated staff empower children and adults with the knowledge and skills they need to build personal and community resilience.

FR. CHERUKATTUPARAMBIL (CJ) MATHEW, SDB

For 27 years, Fr. CJ has been teaching philosophy to Salesian seminarians in India—but his vocation never stopped there. In fact, almost from the time he was first ordained, he has sought opportunities to make a difference in the lives of impoverished youth.

In 1996, as rector of St. John’s Regional Seminary in Kondadaba, Visakhapatnam, Fr. CJ secured a grant from Fr. Pier Luigi Zuffetti, director of the Don Bosco Missions in Valdocco, Italy, that ultimately covered school expenses for 600 girls and boys from surrounding neighborhoods. Today, as chair of the philosophy department at the Salesian College in Darjeeling, he administers a similar scholarship program for deserving children whose families otherwise would be unable to afford to send them to school.

On the weekends, Fr. CJ joins students and staff from the College to minister to rural youth—an activity that requires walking for several hours, each way, into the hills of Darjeeling. As a colleague observes, Fr. CJ “serves … as an example of a true Salesian: cheerful, committed and genuinely pious.”

FR. SEAN MCEWEN, SDB

Fr. Sean first heard the call to religious life as an undergraduate student in his home country of Canada. After “testing the waters” as a Salesian Lay Missioner—in the inner city of Birmingham, Alabama; in Sierra Leone; and in a rural Bolivian community—he knew he wanted to spend his life in service to the young and the poor. “I made the decision to trust what I believed was a call from God and put my faith in Him who calls all of us.”

After his ordination in 2012 at the Church of Mary, Help of Christians in Manhattan, Fr. Sean was assigned to South Africa. For several years, he directed the Don Bosco Educational project in Johannesburg, which serves children living in destitute, informal settlements around the city. Recently appointed director of the province’s planning and development office, he now devotes considerable time seeking funding for Salesian-run youth programs in South Africa, Lesotho, and the Kingdom of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland). He is honored to share stories of the good work happening in his province and around the world, an opportunity he says is truly “a grace.”

FR. JOSEPH PAMPACKAL, SDB

As Superior of Don Bosco-Golaghat, Fr. Joseph Pampackal oversees a robust and thriving Salesian community that serves some of the poorest tribes in Rangajan, India — including the Adivasis, who suffer significant exploitation as laborers on tea estates. Here, primary schools, high schools and nontraditional vocational training centers — coupled with youth hostels for homeless students and those traveling great distances to attend school — prepare Adivasi youth for entry into the job market. Students who graduate from technical training programs in automobile mechanics, welding, tailoring, electricity, computers and other courses may also take advantage of job placement services, which Fr. Joseph describes as “transformational.”

Fr. Joseph is excited to share stories of this work, as well as his parish ministry in several area villages — a responsibility he shares with five other Salesian missionaries.

FR. LAMBERTO VALDERRAMA PARADIANG, JR., SDB

Affectionately known as “Fr. Jhun” and possessing a sharp sense of humor, this fourth son in a family of lawyers “nevertheless” chose a different path in life—one first staked during his childhood years while attending a Salesian school in his hometown of Cebu City.

After declaring his intention to join the order, he immediately became immersed in serving homeless youth during his assignment at a Salesian-run orphanage. Since then, and following his ordination in 1994 at the age of 28, he has devoted most of his time to abandoned and impoverished boys: first, as pastoral animator and rector of that same orphanage; and today, as pastor of Santo Nino, an economically disadvantaged parish comprising nearly 50,000 people. In addition to his regular duties as parish priest, Fr. Jhun oversees a youth center and vocational-technical school. Recently, he launched a rehabilitation program for young substance abusers seeking to turn their lives around—a desperately-needed resource in a country where only a handful of clinics serve hundreds of thousands of addicts.

FR. JAMES JOSEPH PERUNNEPARAMPIL, SDB

Since his ordination to the priesthood on January 12, 1991, Fr. James Joseph Perunneparampil has fulfilled a variety of roles for which he is well qualified. With a PhD in Clinical Psychology, two master’s degrees in Counseling and Psychology, and three bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy, Theology and English Literature, he has served as an educator, counselor, administrator and pastor. Previous to his current position as parochial vicar at St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Cathedral in Chicago, he taught college-level psychology and religion courses, and a variety of high-school subjects, at four different institutions in his home country of India. At St. Anthony’s College in Shillong, India, he served three years as supervisor, four years as campus counselor and six years as its administrator. In 2008, he came to the United States, serving as associate pastor and pastor at several parishes in Nebraska and Texas. Throughout, he has counseled children, families, adolescents, college students, couples and the elderly in both clinical and pastoral settings.

FR. SONY JOSEPH POTTENPLACKAL

Growing up in Kerala, India, Sony Joseph Pottenplackal found himself inspired by Don Bosco’s life and the stories of the many Salesian missionaries serving in his country. Immediately after finishing the 10th grade in 1989, Sony joined the Salesian aspirantate; in January 2005, he was formally ordained into the order before his family and friends in his home parish.

Fr. Sony served at home for several years in a variety of educational and administrative roles, including as principal of Don Bosco High School in Amguri, Assam. But soon, the missionary vocation beckoned with a call he enthusiastically answered in 2012—first, as vice-rector of Don Bosco Fambul in Freetown, Sierra Leone; then, as rector and principal of Don Bosco Technical High School in Monrovia, Liberia, where he continues to live and serve today. Currently, Fr. Sony coordinates and oversees technical skills training and social intervention projects to benefit disadvantaged youth.

FR. ASHOK LAWRENCE BRITTO RAJASINGAM, SDB

Ordained in 2011, and currently assigned to the Salesian province of Tiruchy, India, Fr. Ashok Lawrence Britto Rajasingam has dedicated these early years of his vocation to economically marginalized children and families living in the state of Tamil Nadu. From 2011-2013, he enacted the province’s motto: “Bringing those who are in the periphery to the center.” This was accomplished by providing shelter and rehabilitation, educational and training opportunities, and social and economic development programs for homeless youth, child laborers, victims of exploitation and abuse, and more. Now, as province secretary, he documents and reports on his fellow missionaries’ work across 32 different districts and 12 parishes. A native of India, he holds undergraduate degrees in English, Theology and Philosophy, as well as an MA and a PhD in English.

BP. GEORGE RAJENDRAN

Even as a little boy in India, George Rajendran’s call to the vocations was strong. Born into a Hindi family, and baptized and raised in the Catholic Church, George often outraced his fellow altar boys to Mass in order to earn the right to wear one of only two vestments. After attending a Salesian vocational camp in Calcutta at the age of 19, his future in the order was cemented. After his novitiate and theological studies, and practical training among impoverished children and families living in informal settlements, Fr. George was formally ordained in December 2003.

In the years since, he has developed and refined his educational leadership qualities while fulfilling various administrative roles at Salesian schools in various parts of the country. Today, he serves as Bishop of the Diocese of Thuckalay with Matthew’s words inscribed on his coat of arms to inspire him: “With God, all things are possible.”

FR. MARCO CÉSAR RIVEROS, SDB

Born in Cúcuta, Colombia, Fr. Marco declared his intention to join the Salesian order in 1992, at the age of 19. Following his ordination in 2003, he first served as the youth minister at the Colegio San Medardo in Neiva: leading student retreats and developing the school’s religious curriculum. Three years later, he assumed the role of provincial delegate for youth ministry for the Bogota province; this responsibility later grew to include vocation ministry for the Salesian family. Between 2009 and 2013, Fr. Marcos served as pastor of the Salesian parish, and rector of the Salesian school, in Contratación. During the summer of 2016, he engaged in direct ministry to homeless youth in Medellín.

Today, at St. John Bosco Parish in Chicago, Fr. Marco oversees Caridades de Cristo Resucitado, a social outreach program that feeds and clothes the homeless, and helps families who need supplemental nutrition assistance. In his capacity as parish priest, he administers the sacraments and teaches catechist training classes.

FR. GEORGE RODRIGUES, SDB

Born in Mumbai, India, George Rodrigues was academically gifted from an early age — with great expectations from his family to succeed in business. Nevertheless, he became disillusioned with corporate life almost as soon as he entered it. After a career change and an unfulfilling attempt to earn an MBA degree, he quit both his job, and school, to volunteer with the Salesian community in the Indian state of Assam. There, under the mentorship of Fr. Edward D’Souza, he spent a year (1985-1986) teaching at St. Joseph’s School in Bengtol.

This was an unpopular decision among George’s family members, yet — through his own perseverance, and Our Lady’s intercession — he weathered the challenge and joined the Salesian order as an ordained priest on November 24, 1995.

Since that time, Fr. George has served a variety of pastoral, administrative and educational roles in Salesian parishes and schools throughout northeastern and western India, including among the ethnic Garo living in the rural hillsides of Assam. Most recently, after five years as parish priest at Mary, Help of Christians in Tripura Diocese, Fr. George was invited to join the Salesian community in Sri Lanka as a teacher and counselor. He has fulfilled that role for the past three years.

FR. STEVE RYAN, SDB

Currently serving as vice provincial for Canada and the Eastern United States, Fr. Steve has been a Salesian priest for the past 35 years. Born and raised on the south shore of Staten Island, he is delighted to return to his old stomping grounds as part of this year’s Missionary Cooperative Program.

From 2012-2018, Fr. Steve directed Mary Help of Christians parish in Tampa, Florida. There—together with administrators, educators, board members and donors whose passion and dedication matched his own—he led an ambitious effort to establish Cristo Rey Tampa high school: an institution that provides life-changing educational opportunities for eager students whose families otherwise could not afford it. Through an innovative model that integrates academics with a corporate internship requirement, Cristo Rey is “a natural fit with the Salesian mission,” Fr. Steve has said. In addition to gaining job-ready skills during their internships, students earn wages and assign 100% of their paychecks to their tuition costs—which enables them to attend a private school that is safe, academically rigorous, and will prepare them to be among the first in their families to attend college.

FR. ROMÉO SALAMI

Originally from Benin, Fr. Roméo is assigned to Bamako, Mali. Here, he serves dual roles as economer of Père Michel, the Salesian house in Bamako; and as director of the Salesian Planning and Development Office (PDO) of the West African Province.

Both responsibilities are broad and influential, most especially in the lives of the young. At Père Michel, Fr. Roméo manages the income and expenses for professional education programs that teach youth the marketable skills they need to become independent and self-supporting adults. At the PDO, he works with 18 different Salesian communities across Benin, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Guinea Conakry and Senegal to identify pressing needs and devise effective strategies to meet them.

During the global pandemic, Fr. Roméo mobilized critical financial support to help affected communities avoid illness and cope with the impact of wage loss. Thanks to these efforts, his fellow Salesians were able to purchase and distribute food, install hand-washing stations, and run public health educational campaigns.

Beyond these accomplishments, perhaps one of Fr. Roméo’s favorites involves recreation. Through engaging young people in sports, music and structured free time, he helps at-risk youth avoid the hazards of street life while building the lasting life skills of confidence, teamwork and accountability.

“Seeing the boys and girls so happy in this project is something that gives me joy,” he says. “Football and sports in general, as well as music and theater, are ways to bring joy. Young people always need to feel together and united.”

FR. JOHN SANTHOSAM, SDB

Born in Madurai, South India, Fr. John was ordained in 1987 at the age of 30. With undergraduate and advanced degrees in education, he has since held administrative roles at several Salesian-run college preparatory high schools around the country, working closely with students to develop their full academic, human and spiritual potential. Currently, he serves as rector, correspondent and principal of St. Dominic Savio Matriculation School in the Broadway district of Chennai, as well as parish priest at St. Francis Xavier Church, where a monthly devotion at its shrine to Mary, Help of Christians draws hundreds of the faithful from parishes around the city.

St. Francis Xavier includes many parishioners who struggle economically. Together with a dedicated group of volunteers and the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, Fr. John is able to feed as many as 50 elderly people each day, offer scholarships to St. Dominic’s for area youth, and provide vocational training and career guidance for those who face difficulties in finding employment.

FR. IVAN STOJANOVIC, SDB

Fr. Ivan Stojanovic has served among the poorest of Ghana’s poor for most of his missionary life. Born, raised, and ordained in Croatia (in 1989), he spent three years in pastoral service there before joining the Odumase mission in western Ghana. Following six years in the rural countryside, he was assigned to the slums of Accra, Ghana’s capital city — where he discovered a particular affinity for working with children living on the streets.

Today, Fr. Ivan serves in the northern region of Tatale, where “the people are not poor; they are miserable” subjected to drought-related food shortages, a lack of basic infrastructure, few schools and no hospitals. Together with his fellow missionaries, Fr. Ivan is working to address these challenges while establishing a Catholic presence in the region’s 80 different communities.

FR. GEORGE THIRUMALACHALIL, SDB

Officially stationed in Darjeeling, India, but currently living in West Nepal, Fr. George’s work literally straddles two worlds: the distance between, bridged by his years-long service among Nepali-speaking tribes in both countries.

With a master’s degree in education from North Bengal University, Fr. George spent the first 24 years of his vocation as a teacher and administrator at various schools and colleges in the eastern and northeastern parts of India. Today, after several assignments as a parish priest, he brings the Gospel—and much-needed support programs—to members of the indigenous Tharu community living in the far-flung villages of West Nepal. His work is part of the Apostolic Vicariate of Nepal’s overarching mission to pioneer a Don Bosco presence there.

“We cannot reach out to the five million Tharus who live in the country,” Fr. George observes. “But we hope that our educational, medical, and social programs bring hope and a better tomorrow.”

FR. MELCHOIR TIRKEY, SDB

At St. Joseph’s Parish in the remote Kereng borough of Jharkhand, India, Fr. Melchoir Tirkey works to empower vulnerable children and families of the Oraon tribe. Isolated from the conveniences of modern civilization — electricity, clean water, hospitals, telephone or internet service — villagers struggle to survive on subsistence farming that depends on adequate rainfall. Most parents do not earn enough money to provide for their families’ basic necessities. Because there are few educational opportunities in Kereng, Fr. Melchoir and his fellow missionaries operate a school for 500 local children. He also oversees a variety of social and economic development initiatives designed to equip residents with the tools they need to pull themselves out of poverty.

FR. JOHN VAIKATH, SDB

Since his ordination in 1978, Fr. John has served among India’s indigenous Santal tribes—the fulfillment of a “missionary dream” he first experienced as a young aspirantate visiting the Santal Missions in Murshidabad. During this time, he has applied the tenets of his thesis, “The Healing Power of the Church,” to his everyday work as a parish priest and administrator in the tribal regions of Azimganj, West Bengal; Baripahari, Bihar; Kokrajar, Assam; and Polsonda, West Bengal. Fluent in the Santali language, he has helped establish churches and mission centers in several of these communities. He was also instrumental in launching the Salesian-run Daya Duar Hospital in Polsonda. Today, he ministers to Santal youth in Bengal and Jharkhand, “carrying out the dream of Don Bosco.”

FR. ZACHARIAS VARICKASSERIL, SDB

Born in Kerala, India and ordained in 1993 at the age of 31, Fr. Zacharias Varickasseril has held a variety of progressively responsible educational roles throughout his native country: as dean of students at the Savio Juniorate apostolic school in Shillong; as headmaster at Don Bosco School in Meghalaya; and as principal at Don Bosco College in the same state. With advanced degrees in education and sociology, he enjoys applying his knowledge in several areas of special interest: teacher education and training; guidance counseling; school administration and management; and research and documentation. Today, Fr. Zacharias serves as rector/secretary and provincial at Don Bosco Guwahati in the northeastern state of Assam.

FR. DEVASIA VAZHAYIL, SDB

Since his ordination in 1985, Fr. Devasia Vazhayil has served the educational and pastoral needs of aspiring priests and lay persons alike. He has acted as dean of studies at the Shillong (India) diocese seminary; directed the Shillong retreat center; and continues to teach at the Salesian theological seminary in the same city — something he has done for the past 25 years.

Today, Fr. Devasia is also the rector of Immaculate Conception Parish in Mawkyndeng, a rural agricultural area approximately 50 miles east of Shillong. “The people here live a difficult life,” he reflects, “and they need help achieving economic empowerment.” The parish operates 14 primary schools spread across 17 villages, as well as a large central school with 900 students. Assisted by three Salesian priests, two Salesian sisters, and lay staff, Fr. Devasia offers spiritual care to parishioners.

FR. ALBERTO VILLALBA

Fr. Alberto first began working with marginalized youth in 1994 as a Salesian aspirante in his native country, Paraguay—where, at Don Bosco Roga in Asunción, he helped homeless boys rediscover their dignity, hope and purpose in life through education, skills training, and exposure to sports and the arts. This experience fueled his desire to become a missionary.

Since his ordination in 2007, Fr. Alberto has fulfilled a variety of roles in South Africa. Throughout, he has been a passionate advocate on behalf of the country’s most vulnerable children—boys and girls living on the streets due to poverty, violence or neglect at home, or because they have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS.

Today, he directs the Salesian Planning and Development Office (PDO) of the Vice Province of Southern Africa, which encompasses South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini. Guided by Laudato Si, Pope Francis’ encyclical on caring for the planet, the PDO’s flagship “Echo Ubuntu” project teaches communities to do just that—by focusing on the key areas of waste management, sustainable gardening, hydroponic agriculture, clean water, and renewable energy. Fr. Alberto and his Salesian cooperators also work to foster the community’s income and initiatives through education, workshops, youth gatherings, sports events, debates, competitions and more.

FR. BRUNO ZAMBERLAN, SDB

Born in Venice, Italy and ordained in 1971 at the age of 28, Fr. Bruno Zamberlan is a passionate teacher and advocate working to provide educational opportunities for impoverished youth. He began his missionary work in Montevideo, Uruguay as rector of the city’s Sayago barrio, where he devoted himself to educating children living on the streets. After five years in that role, he was appointed rector of the Skill Center in Rivera, serving for six years before returning to Montevideo as rector and principal of Pius IX College, as well as the Salesian-run primary and secondary schools there. During that time, he also taught and conducted research at the Catholic University of Uruguay.

In 1995, upon the Rector Major’s request, Fr. Bruno transferred to Zimbabwe — where he established the country’s first Salesian presence. In 2003, he oversaw the launch of Don Bosco Technical College in Hwange — where rural, impoverished youth study computer science, textile manufacturing, masonry, marketing and more. Three years later, he was called to Zambia: first as vice provincial of Lusaka, then as vicar of the novitiate. In 2011, he joined the faculty of the Salesian University of Philosophy and Education in Moshi, Tanzania. Currently, he awaits permission from Zimbabwe’s government to return to the country, where he hopes to build a technical college in one of its poorest areas.

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