Anisakan, Myanmar – December 2022 – On December 8, at 7:00 a.m. (the local time), the Vice-Province of Myanmar was blessed with two newly ordained Salesian priests, namely Fr. Anthony Vallence, SDB, and Fr. Henry Go Lam Thang, SDB. The ordination ceremony Mass solemnly presided over by His Eminence Cardinal Charles Bo and concelebrated by Fr. Bosco Zaya Aung, SDB (the superior), along with some 33 priests from Salesian communities and other religious congregations, took place at the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in the compound of Nazareth Apostolate School. There were also about 800 participants at the Mass. During his homily, the ordaining bishop encouraged the newly ordained priests to be wounded healers for the suffering people in the country; to be with them and for them, while listening to their inner cries with the ears of the heart. At the end of the Mass, the thanking speech of Fr. Anthony Vallance, the presentation of gifts to the parents of the two newly ordained priests, and the ceremony of congratulations were orderly taken place at the Shrine. The Salesians of Don Bosco-Myanmar were glad to have another two newly ordained confreres among themselves. Let us continue to pray for the newly ordained priests so that they may persevere in their holy Salesian vocations till the end, and be the healers for the suffering people in Myanmar.
(ANS - Vatican City) – Spotlight on an interview with Salesian Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero, archbishop of Rabat, Morocco, who arrived in Rome on account of the canonization of Salesian Brother Artemide Zatti: interreligious dialogue is one of the fruits of the great event that took place 60 years ago and changed the face of the Church, he says. Pope Francis has given us a great impetus to continue on this journey.
(ANS - Sondrio) - The Salesian presence in the city of Sondrio celebrates in this 2022 its 125 years of activity in favor of young people. The first Spiritual Sons of Don Bosco arrived in the city, the main center of Valtellina, precisely in September 1897, and last Sunday, September 25, in the collegiate church of Saints Gervasius and Protasius, the current Salesian community celebrated the anniversary, together with a large crowd of Don Bosco's faithful and friends, with a Mass presided over by the Bishop of Como, Cardinal Oscar Cantoni , and also concelebrated by the Italy-Lombardo Emiliana (ILE) Provincial, Fr. Giuliano Giacomazzi. For the occasion, remembrance was made of some eminent Salesians originally from Valtellina: the venerable Fr. Giuseppe Quadrio, the Servant of God Fr. Carlo Braga, Fr. Ugo De Censi, Fr. Luigi Melesi and others.
(ANS - Turin) - The International Congress of Salesian Works and Social Services began yesterday afternoon, Wednesday, Sept. 28, in the charismatic heart of the Congregation, in Turin-Valdocco. Inside the Teatro Grande Valdocco, the approximately 300 participants, who came representing all the Provinces and Vice-Provinces of the Congregation, along with a selected group of young people, were able to listen to the introductory speech by Fr. Miguel Ángel García, General Councilor for Salesian Youth Ministry and promoter of the Congress, and to receive the first useful indications on the development and methodology of the activities from Fr. Rafael Bejarano, Reference Person for Social Works within the Sector of Youth Ministry and coordinator of this appointment.
(ANS - Vatican City) - On the afternoon of Aug. 27, in St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Francis presided over his eighth Consistory for the creation of 20 new cardinals, 16 of whom are under the age of 80, thus electors in a future Conclave, and four non-electors, having passed this age threshold. Among the new cardinals is Msgr. Virgílio do Carmo da Silva, S.D.B. - Archbishop of Dili (East Timor), the first cardinal of East Timor, of the title of St. Albert the Great.
(ANS - Vatican City) - "We are joyful and rejoice", said Pope Francis before indicating the day on which the Church will canonize the two new Saints: Giovanni Battista Scalabrini and Artemide Zatti on October 9. Moments before, at St. Peter's Basilica, the Prefect of the Causes of Saints, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, had presented the profiles of the two apostles of charity, deeply dedicated to the sick, the least, the migrants and were the faces of Christ suffering on earth.
PHOTO GALLERY
INTERVIEWS
-
Italy – A Salesian on the front line of the war in Ukraine: "Being close counts, words come later"(ANS - Rome) - As he tells with a gentleness that does not seem to come from horror, he is "resting a little bit" in Rome these days. Fr Oleh Ladnyuk is a Ukrainian Salesian priest who is a military chaplain at the front, among the soldiers who fight in defence of their country and among the civilians who for over two years have seen their lives wiped out. He brings humanitarian aid where the missiles fall and from those places he helps with the evacuation of young people and adults - so far at least 500 people, but there are probably many more. These days the Salesian – who carries out his ministry in Dnipro and teaches History in a state school in the city – is in Rome to take part with two other priests and a dozen lay people from his country in the "Accompanying when Trauma Hits" course hosted by the Pontifical Salesian University in collaboration with the Faculty of Educational Sciences, with the DON BOSCO NEL MONDO Foundation and the Don Bosco Network. A project that aims to provide theoretical and methodological tools to deal with the traumas caused by war.
EDITORIAL
-
Myanmar – Tragedy of Innocent Children in the midst of Armed Conflicts(ANS – Naypyidaw) - Myanmar finds itself immersed in profound grief and anguish as innocent lives, particularly those of children, continue to be mercilessly lost in the enduring armed conflicts. Families are left devastated by the tragic loss of their loved ones while the relentless violence shows no signs of abating. This week, a heartfelt plea from Myanmar reached our community, shedding light on the heart-wrenching death of a young girl Juliet in a military airstrike, prompting a unified call for prayers and action.
EVENTS
-
Italy – "Education and culture of safeguarding in sport. Towards the establishment of protection and prevention models": PGS conference with UPS(ANS – Rome) – The synergy between the Salesian Youth Sports Centres (PGS) and the Pontifical Salesian University (UPS) in Rome gave rise to the conference on "Education and culture of safeguarding in sport. Towards the establishment of models of protection and prevention", which will take place on 13 April, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., at the UPS facilities in Rome.
SPECIAL REPORTS
-
United States – INT’L DAY FOR STREET CHILDREN: Salesian Missions highlights programs that provide shelter and support(ANS – New Rochelle) – Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins humanitarian and international organizations around the globe in highlighting the plight of homeless children on the International Day for Street Children. The day provides organizations and the millions of street children in countries worldwide with an opportunity to have their voices heard while ensuring that their rights are not ignored.
MESSAGES OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
-
I’M A SALESIAN AND I’M A BOROROTHE MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, SDB
Diary of a Happy and Blessed Missionary Day
Dear friends , I’m writing to you from Meruri in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. I write this greeting almost as if it were a journalistic report, because it has been only 24 hours since I arrived in the middle of this Brazilian state.