On the occasion of the 94th World Mission Sunday, the Fides News Agency presented some statistics that offer an overview of the Church in the world. The data is taken from the latest "Statistical Yearbook of the Church", updated as of 31 December 2018.
Madrid, Spain - 1905 - On 12 October 1905, on the feast day of Our Lady of Pilar, the ancient church dedicated to Mary Help of Christians was inaugurated in the Atocha district of Madrid. About 50 years later, the latter was demolished and construction of the current Shrine began in the same location.
(ANS - Melbourne) - While the Covid-19 pandemic continues to affect the lives of Australians, Catholic bishops have decided to entrust the entire Nation of Australia to the care of Mary Help of Christians. The act, through a prayer specially composed for the occasion, was carried out in many parishes and communities throughout the country, both on Sunday 24, in the traditional anniversary of the feast day, and on Monday, for those who postponed celebrations because of its concurrence with the solemnity of the Ascension.
(ANS - Turin) - To bring the contents and spirit of the 28th General Chapter of the Salesian Congregation to all the Salesian houses across the globe, there is nothing better than making it possible for everyone to access Valdocco, at least online. For this reason, also considering the popular results obtained, the live broadcasts on ANS Facebook page have multiplied: already tonight, 20 February, at 7 PM (UTC+1) it will be possible to listen to the Salesian "Good Night" of the Postulator General of the Causes of Saints of the Salesian Family, Fr Pierluigi Cameroni; while on Saturday 22, the Mass and the official opening session of the GC28 will be broadcast.
(ANS - Caracas) - Two events marked the visit of the Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, to the "city of spring", Caracas, on Saturday 8 February 2020: the installation of the new Provincial and the meeting with the Salesian family. In each appointment, the Rector Major left a message of hope, a word of encouragement, a charge to continue the struggle in the midst of so many difficulties in a wounded city, which is struggling to survive the devastation caused by an economic model.
On 8 December, the church of Don Bosco in Rome celebrated the 60th anniversary of the dedication of the temple.
The church was built by the famous Sicilian architect Gaetano Rapisardi, who won the competition organized by the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Art on behalf of the Salesians.
On 12 September 1952 the first stone of the new building was laid by the Cardinal Vicar Clemente Micara.
PHOTO GALLERY
INTERVIEWS
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.