(ANS - Kollam) – Yesterday was Earth Day—and while the sight of heaps of plastic-loaded garbage in the cities is a depressing reminder of how much work needs to be done—allow the electric autorickshaws (a three wheeler vehicle), popular passenger taxi commonly used driven by the fisherwomen of Kollam to bring you some positive vibes with their empowered use of clean transport.
(ANS – Manikandam) – Salesian institutions in India installed solar panels thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. Fourteen solar panels were added to the Don Bosco Media Academy, located in Manikandam, and Don Bosco Pre-Novitiate in the Dindigal District. Each solar panel is 540 watts.
Bangalore, India – April 21, 2024 – "Our vocation is not for survival, but it is a call of the spirit to be alive and to meet the challenges of today's world": with a quote from Pope Francis, Fr Jose Thomas Koyickal, Superior of the Sacred Heart Province of Bangalore, India (INK), officially opened the 16th Chapter of the INK Province on Sunday, 21 April at the Kristu Jyothi College in Bangalore. He then spoke of the Provincial Chapter as a sacred upper room, a space in which the Salesians gather as brothers and look to the future together. During the opening service, other local leaders of the Salesian Family also expressed their congratulations and urged the Salesians to march towards greater fidelity to the call and prophetic understanding of the mission. The Chapter, in which about 100 Salesians from INK are involved, is moderated by Fr Joe Tony Previnth, and will last until Thursday, 25 April, on the theme "Passionate about Jesus Christ: dedicated to young people". Two texts were also released on the margins of the Chapter: "Theological Formation of Salesians in India with Special Reference to Kristu Jyoti College Bangalore (1967-1976)" by Fr Thomas Anchukandam, SDB; and "Glow in the Horizon" (second edition); edited by Fr Bobba Joji Prasad.
(ANS – Ahmednagar) – Salesian missionaries with “Bosco Vikas Gramin Kendra” were able to support children in migrant communities in the Central Maharashtra region of India thanks to funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.
(ANS – Chinchwad) – On 17 April 2024, Don Bosco, Chinchwad, marked a significant achievement with the inauguration of its new Electric Vehicle (EV) Training Lab, a collaborative effort with Schaeffler India. This initiative, in partnership with Don Bosco, Kurla, aims to equip young individuals with the technical skills necessary for the burgeoning EV sector.
New Delhi, India – April 2024 – The Jesus the Good Shepherd Province of New Delhi, India (INN) began its tenth Provincial Chapter at the Provincial House on 17 April. The Provincial Chapter, which takes place under the theme: "Passionate about Jesus Christ, dedicated to young people", is attended by 69 members, 54 delegates and 15 observers, including Salesians, members of the Salesian Family, young people and past pupils. The Provincial Chapter, whose Moderator is Fr Toppo Augustine Albert, began with a spiritual recollection on the evening of 16 April, preached by Fr Jose Arimpoor, who proposed what will be the main points: to become increasingly relevant, to maintain vigour and enthusiasm, to support the charismatic gift and its expressions. The next day, Archbishop Anil Joseph Thomas Couto, archbishop of Delhi, presided at the Eucharist, invoking the Holy Spirit on the Chapter members and inviting those present to reflect deeply on the call to be passionate about Jesus. Subsequently, messages sent by the Vicar of the Rector Major, Fr Stefano Martoglio, by the Regional Councillor for South Asia, Fr Biju Michael and other personalities including the Superior of the FMA of Kolkata were read. After the election of the Chapter offices and the approval of legal acts, the President, Fr Maniparamben Davis, declared the tenth Provincial Chapter open.
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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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Latin America – Strengthening Vocational and Educational Commitment Today: 30 Years of the Salesian School in Latin America(ANS) – Since the first meeting in Cumbayá (Ecuador), 30 years ago, educational processes on the continent have found a collaborative epicentre which has given rise to the Salesian School in (Latin) America – ESA, in Spanish – as a forum for reflection and a common path. Many Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA) and other groups of the Salesian Family (SF) have enriched this synodal journey, focusing on young people and their integral development. What are today's demands of us in the educational field? How are we building the Salesian School of the future? Can we further strengthen this great Salesian educational network in America? Some FMAs and Salesians who were at the first meeting in 1994, share their experience and their vision of how this journey has allowed a growth in the understanding of the youth reality, in the strategic decisions within the Provinces themselves and in the challenges that emerge for Salesian education.
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.