August 29 , 2019
BELLFLOWER -- For the first time in history, two Salesian schools with tradition rich football programs--Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, New Jersey) and St. John Bosco (Bellflower, California)--will meet on the field.
It would be an injustice to limit our deep dive into these two Salesian Roman Catholic Christian schools just to their football programs. Indeed, if it wasn't for the charism and mission of both school's patron saint, St. John Bosco, the football programs of each school would be only a fraction of what both are today--a stepping stone to developing young men into good sons, faithful citizens, loving husbands, caring fathers, and men for others.
The term salesian is derived from St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622), who is the patron saint of educators. Although Don Bosco ("Don" means "Father") was not a contemporary of St. Francis, Don Bosco (1815-1888) embraced the spirituality and philosophy of St. Francis--and, thus, when Don Bosco officially organized his religious order in 1859, he called them "Salesians."
Since then and today, those men, who are Salesian priests or brothers, have the initials S.D.B after their name (for the Salesians of Don Bosco religious order). For example, as Director of St. John Bosco High School, Fr. Mel Trinidad, S.D.B., has the responsibility of overseeing the ministry and charism of everything Salesian on the Bellflower campus.
There are also Salesian nuns (religious women called "Daughters of Mary Help of Christians") and Salesian cooperators (men and women who do not officially belong to the either the men's nor women's religious order but are the equivalent of being "civilians" who nevertheless support and advance the mission of St. John Bosco).
As a Salesian Educator at St. John Bosco High School, I've learned more about being a Salesian educator far more from my professional and personal experiences with my fellow colleagues and students I've had the joy of encountering since I first stepped on the Bellflower campus in the fall of 1994 as a twenty-something new teacher.
One major component of Salesian education is the "preventive system" which aims to prevent a boy from becoming bad.
"It is based on Christian charity. Its double foundation is reason and religion: in other words, a sense of understanding between teacher and student, engendered by daily contact, friendly chats, and an interest that is felt; and secondly, a sense of religion fostered by the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion." -- The Preventive System
Indeed, since Don Bosco lived and ministered during the height of the Industrial Revolution of northern Italy, he encountered and confronted one of its side effects--child labor--that impacted the living and learning of young people. To address growing numbers of children working rather than attending school as well as the poor conditions in factories where children worked, Don Bosco formed what we know today as the oratory in the 1850's where he gathered and ministered boys (primarily ages 12 to 15). Initially, the oratory was not a brick-and-mortar "place" but rather the location where Don Bosco ministered to the young (all this before the formation of his religious order in 1859!).
Today, the Oratory is known as a Home (a place where the young can belong and find a sense of belonging), a School (a place where the young can learn and launch to fulfill their potential to becoming a life-long learner), a Church (a place where the young can learn and live out their faith), and a Playground (a place where the young can gather, enjoy and relate to each other, and live life to the fullest).
On the St. John Bosco campus, there is a brick-and-mortar oratory where students can play, eat, rest, study as early as 6:00 am and as late as 5:00 pm. Yet, the Oratory in the Salesian educational system is anywhere where educators meet the young (the classroom, the church, the football field, the pool, the computer lab, the Learning Commons, etc.) as well as places away from campus (a Kairos retreat, a robotics competition at the L.A. Convention Center, an Academic Decathlon competition at Yale University, etc.)
Don Bosco met the young where they were--the growing urban centers where families were moving to, the places where the young were unemployed, and the places where they were un-churched (after all, he was a priest!). Slowly, the oratory became "places" where young could sleep, be churched, be educated, and be just plain kids.
During Don Bosco's early ministry, he built his ministry and his growing number of followers based on his relationships with others. Yes, the quality of time is significant--yet, Don Bosco realized that the quantity of time he spent with the young and those who helped him minister was essential to his growing Salesian ministry. Spending time with the young showed them that he cared for them.
A Salesian educator spends both quality time and a good quantity of time with the young. Without time spent (teaching a subject, coaching a sport, ministering on a retreat, moderating a club) to build relationships, the teaching, the coaching, the ministering, or the moderating can never achieve its maximum potential.
At a Salesian community like Don Bosco Prep and St. John Bosco (as well as many non-Salesian educational institutions), you will find teachers, coaches, ministers, and moderators just to name a few being "intentional" in giving both quality and quantity of time.
Having an "empty nest," I have the opportunity to attend many St. John Bosco events--and, I am a witness to the quantity of hours our teachers, coaches, ministers, and moderators put in for our young.
Sometimes people are Salesian educators without even knowing it. In the past, we have had teachers new to our school (coming from a public school usually)--and, after learning a little about Salesian education and pedagogy, said that they have been teaching the Salesian way since they began teaching.
As for the football game tomorrow, a lot of time and energy from both football programs have been invested in making this unique game happen. Indeed, the tweet (see below) from one of the tomorrow night's television broadcasters indicates both the past and present strength of both these two premier football programs.
Yet, we must keep in mind that the whole community of each school--Don Bosco Prep and St. John Bosco--has allowed programs such as football as well as many other programs to exist and excel on their respective campuses.
Conversely, there are so many benefits to each respective Salesian community that a premier football program brings (greater school profile and awareness, increased student applications, and greater alumni affiliation just to name a few) that sometimes goes unnoticed and unrecognized.
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