Don Bosco Philippines South Province

by: Pre-novice Butch Leonard Olayvar

The Don Bosco Formation Center in Talisay City, Cebu, was filled with an atmosphere of prayer, reflection, and learning during the five-day “Prayer Ways Seminar,” facilitated by Fr. Joseph Kunle Ogundana, SDB, together with the Pre-Novices of the Salesians of the Philippine South Province – FIS and the Novices from the Siervas de Nuestra Señora de la Paz Congregation. The seminar became an opportunity for participants to deepen their relationship with God through different schools of prayer inspired by the lives of the saints.

On Day 1, the sessions on the Universal Call to Prayer and Prayer in the Fullness of Time reminded the group that prayer is not just for a few but is God’s universal invitation to all His children, meant to be lived in every moment of life. Day 2 focused on St. Teresa of Avila, whose teaching on prayer as friendship with God encouraged participants to see it as a personal dialogue with the Lord, rooted in love and trust. Day 3 highlighted the simplicity and joy of St. Francis of Assisi, showing how his humility and communion with nature expressed his prayer. In the afternoon, the participants moved to the Retreat House for silence and meditation, applying the Franciscan way of prayer and later composing heartfelt reflections in “My Prayer for Nature.” Day 4 was dedicated to St. Ignatius of Loyola and his legacy of discernment through the Spiritual Exercises. Participants not only studied his method but also engaged personally in the Ignatian way of meditation, encountering God in the quiet movements of their hearts. Day 5 featured the richness of St. Francis de Sales, especially through his classic An Introduction to the Devout Life, which teaches that holiness is possible for everyone, even in ordinary daily life. This inspired the participants to draft their own Personal Prayer Plans as practical guides to live consistent and meaningful prayer, which they later shared in small groups to encourage one another.

The seminar concluded with a solemn celebration in the Chapel of St. Francis de Sales – Sacred Heart Novitiate, where participants offered their prayer plans before God. The rite was officiated by Rev. Fr. Adrian Mendoza, SDB, Rector of Don Bosco Formation Center and Director of the Pre-Novitiate Sector.

This week-long encounter was not just a series of lectures but a true spiritual journey—an invitation to walk alongside the saints, learn from their paths of holiness, and rediscover prayer not as a duty but as a way of life that connects every moment to God. The Prayer Ways Seminar left participants with a renewed commitment to nurture their prayer life, live out their vocation with greater faith and devotion, and carry forward the wisdom of the saints as companions on their journey to God.