In these recent weeks, all of the groups in the parish have been working very hard on what we call the SEPP: Salesian Educational Pastoral Plan. It will serve as the basis of our focus for the parish for the next three years. It is for this reason that it is so important and that all groups in the parish take part in its development. The groups have been working for the past few weeks, but the major “sectors” in the parish under the direction of Father Manny, our SEPP coordinator, have been working on this project for a number of months with meetings and input from a number of directions. Today, I want to share with you what has been going on.

As you know, our parish is very big and quite complex. As we began to develop our plan we identified 4 major sectors in the parish: (1) Adult Faith Formation with all of its programs (2) Religious Education with nearly 900 kids and all of its programs including those for and with parents (3) Don Bosco Community Center with its variety of programs on so many levels — and under the DBCC come the huge sectors of the Soup Kitchen/ Food Pantry and the Don Bosco Workers (4) Finally, all of the aspects of our parish Youth Ministry programs — keeping in mind that youth ministry also plays an active role in all the above! Add to these the 38 active groups we have in the parish — and all of these with their programs and groups, fall under the umbrella of the Parish of Saint John Bosco which is responsible for all of them and is the unifying factor bringing synergy to all of them! So, what is the SEPP?

It is Salesian — that is it works to fulfill the charism of the Salesian mission. When the Cardinal asked the Salesians to administer Saint John Bosco Parish, he was asking us to come and bring to
the Catholic Church in Port Chester/Rye Brook the Salesian charism which focuses on care for the young, especially those who are marginalized and for the working classes of people. And so, as we
prepare our parish SEPP, the young take a central role — not the only role, but a central role and all the programs in the parish, in one way or another, reach out to meet the needs of the young and the
marginalized.

It is Educational — that is education plays a key factor in all we do. We have all heard the maxim: you give a man a fish, he eats for a day; teach a man to fish, he can eat for a life time! Education is
the key to improving life: education in the faith, education in culture, education in work, education in studies. Don Bosco knew that the only way to better lives was through education: solid, practical and religious to help form good Christians and honest citizens!

It is Pastoral — that is it has as its model the Good Shepherd. As Salesians, we take the first step in inviting, reaching out and welcoming. We do all we can to educate and to meet the pastoral needs of the young and those we work for on both a human and spiritual level. It is not enough just to feed the body (social works) or just to feed the soul (spiritual programs) — we are asked, as the Good
Shepherd did, to reach out to the whole person and to search out those who drifted away or are lost or confused. Our parish must be a home that welcomes and that searches out those in need.

It is a Plan — that is it is not done helter-skelter. The work is organized. Our programs and groups have goals and means to achieve them with clear vision of purpose. They are ready to self-evaluate continually and to change to meet new needs and challenges. They realize they are accountable and so communicate openly, transparently, responsibly with the pastor and the pastoral team of the parish.

As we prepared for the merger, our active and hard working transition team put together our new Parish Mission Statement. The Parish of Saint John Bosco, as our mission statement reads, aims to be a Home, a School, a Parish, a Playground — another words, we want to be a living SEPP where people, especially the young, feel at home and welcome; where, as in a school, education in faith and culture is central; a parish where Jesus is met and the life of our faith is nourished and nurtured and a playground where social dimension needs are met, whether in working together, working for
others or working to enjoy ourselves together.

As we move forward in the development of our SEPP which, as I said, will lay the ground for our growth for the next three years, please, both work and pray for its success!

God bless you!