The unspeakable from the back seat of a Tijuana cab.
Its too late to walk home. I grab a cab. From the back seat I see 3 holy cards tucked into the frame of the ceiling light. It’s dark so I can’t be sure but one looks like Don Bosco and one like Mary Help of Christians. As we drive along I muster the courage to ask the driver in my embryonic Spanish if the cards are who I think they are. He says yes. I tell him that makes me very happy. We arrive at our house. He reaches for the Don Bosco card and hands it to me. I gratefully decline saying it’s perfect right where it was so others can enjoy it. I tell him I am a Salesian. He tells me his name is Raul. He asks if I am a priest. Then he sheepishly asks if I would hear his confession. Of course. He in the driver’s seat and me in the back. After receiving absolution he asks if he can take my picture because it was his honour to drive a salesian priest home. And… today is the 24th of the month. Thank you Raul. Thank you Mary help of Christians. Thank you Jesus.
Fr. Mike Pace SDB
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Fr. Mike Pace SDB is a Salesian from Toronto. After completing studies in modern languages, law and education he entered the religious life in the order founded by St. John Bosco. For 16 years Fr. Mike has been active in parish and youth ministry in Montreal and Toronto. After nine years as pastor at St. Benedict’s in Toronto he was named director of the Salesian formation in Orange NJ. He is currently on a mission in Tijuana working with migrants from Haiti.
http://saltandlighttv.org/witness/?f=pace
