Dear SBS Website!
I am visiting Ronald Douglas PARKIN who was at SBS in 1963-4 and I was there with him in 1963-5. We had a marvellous Easter trip to the Holy Land in a minibus with fr Bias who was very knowledgable about everything especially the Bible history. We stayed at the Salesian school in Damascus I think and spent Easter at Cremisan, the Salesian house of Studies, famous for their wine and now it has been almost terminated by the Israeli wall!
So many memories, fr Lino Ottone, head fr Faoro, Don La Leta the oldest, brother Dell, Brother Stephen Perperell, Brother Montgomery, fr Morro, fr Guzetti, fr Filie, Pireddu, Mr Jacob…

Ron Parkin returned to US and attended Illinois State University and Arizona State University and taught most of his life, for five years in Zayad el Awal in Al Ain in Abu Dhabi emirate, and now retired in Arizona.

I attended Georgetown Univ in D.C. and was ordained to the priesthood in the Jesuit Church Wimbledon by the Archbishop of Isfahan of the Latins (as I was raised in Iran 1957-71). He was later expelled in 1980 in the time of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.

I have been a priest in London and retired last year. I had cancer but am better. In 2014 I revisited Beirut and made my way to the Bristol Hotel but the school had gone, victim of the terrible bombardment which sadly has continued this past year.

Ron and I met in 2014 in Dubai and now I’m visiting him in Arizona before returning to England for Christmas!

The Salesian fathers and brothers (both in Beirut and Iran) in the ideals of Don Bosco inspired me and helped me towards becoming a priest!

Christopher Basden

Thank you dear Christopher, my name is Diego Friso and was at the SSB School from January 1963 until August 1969 when after my Graduation went back to Italy. I revisited Beirut and the Lebanon in 2019 after 50 years from my departure and found some old friends still living there and it was like coming back home again!!!
Thanks a lot for the pictures and please carry on writing, I’ll put the picture as soon as possible but with XMAS approaching I might have to publish them after the beginning of the New Year.

Thanks a lot, a great pleasure reading from you and have a great Christmas wherever you are!!

Diego
SSB Webmaster

Dear Diego, Thank you and are any of the Salesians brothers still alive? I visited Firenze in 2018 to visit Don Bedini SDB who was Bishop in Iran during very difficult years (1988-2015) while Don Piredu and Piglione were Seminarians in Beirut

Is Brother Dell (Dell Cuore) dead? In 1980 I visited Rome and Brother Stephen Peperrell was a guide at the  Catechism.
What was the big Salesian seminary outside of Beirut called? We visited it many times?
When did the school close?
There was a terrible war there in the 1980ties and 1990ties of course. But are there still Salesians in Lebanon today?

Ronald Parkin and I are together in Arizona until Tuesday when I fly back to London Insha’alah. We were only 10/11 so cannot remember much but this is our second reunion after 62 years. Our first was in 2014 in Abu Dhabi, 50 years after going to the Holy land with fr Bias (Biasioli) on a splendid trip staying in Cremisan, then a part of Jordan before the 6 day war in 1967.

Thank you for getting back
Bon Natale!

In Xto
fr Christopher Basden
w/Ronald Parkin