Sangradouro, Brazil - June 2023 - On 25 June, the Bishop of the Diocese of Barra de Garças, Bishop Protógenes José Luft, administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to 52 Xavante indigenous people at the mission in Sangradouro, in the municipality of General Carneiro (MT). The ceremony, which was attended by the local population and the Salesian community, was concelebrated by Fr Juan Carlos Ingunza Uscola, SDB, pastor of the São José church, and by the Salesian Vice-rector and missionary, Fr Joseph Tran Van Lich. After the ceremony, hymns were presented, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Xavante language. These were the result of a study promoted in the villages, which seeks to keep alive the tradition of the hymns of the Xavante people in the liturgy. The entire celebration, in fact, emphasised the importance of intercultural dialogue and respect for differences, promoting the appreciation and preservation of indigenous traditions.
(ANS – Salinas) – As part of a project promoted by the Salesian Bosco Global NGO, which has also received funding from Cabildo Gran Canaria, in Spain, a total of 80 indigenous artisan women from the civil parishes of Salinas, Simiatug and Facundo Vela, in Ecuador, are participating in a vocational training initiative to improve artisanal processes, management and entrepreneurship of their economic activities.
(ANS – Fuerte Olimpo) – Salesian students living in the Apostolic Vicariate of el Chaco, Paraguay, have new housing thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The 2022 project provided a new apartment building for disadvantaged Indigenous college students who are studying in the capital of city of Asunción.
Mavaca, Venezuela - May 2023 - From 3 to 7 May, Fr. Rafael Montenegro, Provincial Superior of the Salesian Province of Venezuela (VEN), made a provincial visit to Mavaca, in the municipality of Alto Orinoco, accompanied by Sr. Marta Riccioli, Visiting Councilor of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. Present with them were Sister Henar Alcalde, FMA, Vicar of the Venezuelan Province, and Fr. Nelson Briceño, SDB, Provincial Delegate for Missionary Animation. The purpose of the visit was to accompany the work carried out by the Apostolic Community "Santo Domingo Savio," which is made up of Sister Amparo Mugueta, FMA, Sister Nora Coronado, and Sister Jarmila Choroska, Fr. Albert Pacheco, Fr. André Ahondju, Jesika Rodríguez, Benita Aular and Deacon Jhoan Jaimes. During the days they visited the Yanomami indigenous communities of Shakita, Payarita, and Purima, and met with all the staff of Yanomami Education Unit I and Yanomami II. They also experienced moments of sharing with those working in the evangelization work. One of the most significant moments was the baptism administered by Fr. Montenegro to a large number of catechumens, who had been preparing for several years for this appointment.
(ANS - Sangradouro) - On Friday, January 13, a group of 41 young people, medical students and doctors from the Faculty of Medicine of the University Center of Lusíada (UNILUS), in Santos, São Paulo State, Brazil, reached the Salesian missions among the indigenous peoples of Sangradouro and Meruri, to carry out the 14th expedition of the Academic Project of Assistance to Indigenous Peoples (PAAPI).
(ANS - Maturacá) - 2022 saw the third edition of "Operation Maturacá," a project of the "Rede Salesiana Brasil" (RSB), in collaboration with the Armed Forces and several benefactors, in favor of needy indigenous communities. This year, hundreds of garments were delivered to the most inaccessible areas of the Amazon, thanks to the generous donation of the "Pluriforme" industry, a longtime partner of the RSB. The logistics part was taken care of by the company "Equilibrium."
PHOTO GALLERY
INTERVIEWS
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Democratic Republic of Congo – Fr Owoudou on the situation in the eastern parts of the country: “No matter how dark the night may seem, dawn will inevitably come”
(ANS - Goma) - During his latest phase of the Extraordinary Visit to the "Mary Most Holy Assumption" Province of Central Africa (AFC), Fr. Alphonse Owoudou, Councillor for the Africa Madagascar Region, conducted an interview with the magazine "JAMBO VIJANA," representing the youth engaged in the Salesian works of the Province's Eastern Delegation. Addressing the ongoing violence and conflicts in the region, Fr. Owoudou expressed hope, saying: "No matter the length of the night, dawn will inevitably come."
EDITORIAL
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“Speaking with the Heart”: A great Antidote for the Ills of today’s world
‘Revolutionize the world with your kindness, by speaking with your heart’, is the dream that Pope Francis envisions for humanity through his 57th World Communication Day message, that falls on this Ascension Sunday, 21st May 2023. ‘Speak with your heart in truth and charity’, and this is the best antidote that can cure the ills of today’s society.
EVENTS
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Italy – "Labs To Future": the final event of the "Labs To Learn" project in Valdocco
(ANS – Turin) – The final event of the "Labs to Learn" project was held on Tuesday, 5 March 2024, entitled "Labs To Future: The path – The results – The challenges" . The project was selected by the "Con i Bambini" social enterprise within the framework of the Foundation for the Fight against Child Educational Poverty and came into being with the intention of combating early school leaving and preventing educational poverty, increasing the number of young people with difficulties who fulfil their school obligation, access higher education and/or job placement, and opening the way for personal growth according to their inclinations and aspirations.
SPECIAL REPORTS
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Peru – Centenary of the High Altar of the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Lima
(ANS – Lima) – The centenary of the consecration of the high altar in the Crypt of the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Lima was celebrated on 19 March, on the feast of St Joseph and in homage to Fr José Calasanz Marqués, then Provincial of the Salesians in Peru and Bolivia – now recognised as Blessed by the Church – on account of his name.
MESSAGES OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
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DREAMS THAT KEEP COMING TRUE!
THE MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR, Card. Ángel Fernández Artime, SDB
When reflecting on all this, I feel I have a little authority to say: “Dear Don Bosco, your Dream is still VERY ALIVE.”