“Work together as a team”: Salesian Cooperators in Liberia Urged to Strengthen Unity in Youth Ministry

He said the Holy Spirit “transforms fear into courage, confusion into clarity, and weakness into strength and mission,” enabling believers to carry forward the Church’s evangelizing mission with confidence and unity.

Drawing from the November 1964 Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, and the spirituality of St. John Bosco, the 19th-century Italian-born Saint who founded the SDB and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (Salesian Sisters/FMA), Fr. Kwaku encouraged devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, fidelity, humility, and dedication to youth ministry.

The Eucharistic celebration, presided over by Fr. Kwaku and concelebrated by Salesian Priests Fr. Albert D. Gibson and Fr. Tran Quoc Huan, was animated by the youth choir under the direction of Salesian Brother Omobayode Olukanni. 

Following the homily, 10 aspirants who had undergone approximately 18 months of formation within the Salesian community formally made their promises.

Among the new Cooperators was Clarence Borbordee, Liberia State Grand Knight of the Knights of Marshall, who described his vocation as a journey shaped by years of parish service and Salesian accompaniment.

“My journey began in service at St. Joseph Salesian Community,” Borbordee said, recalling his early involvement with Don Bosco youth groups before entering the Salesian Cooperators formation programme.

He continued, “I grew within the Salesian family through service, prayer, and mentorship,” he added, noting that the formation process deepened his understanding of the call to “serve young people with patience, joy, and faith.”

Borbordee also acknowledged the role of family members, friends, and Salesian Priests in nurturing his vocation and sustaining his commitment to lay ministry over the years.

Receiving the promise, he said, marked both a personal renewal and a public commitment to continue accompanying young people, especially the most vulnerable, in the spirit of St. John Bosco.