(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.
(ANS – Aquino) – On Saturday, 9 March, in an evocative ceremony in the church of Santa Maria della Libera in Aquino, Salesian Fr Mauro Mantovani, Prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Library, was awarded the Saint Thomas Aquinas International Prize, awarded by the Circolo San Tommaso Aquino.
(ANS – Rome) – The Extraordinary Visitation to the Sacred Heart Circumscription of Central Italy (ICC), carried out by Fr Juan Carlos Pérez Godoy, Councillor for the Mediterranean Region, on behalf of the Rector Major, Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, concluded on 10 and 11 March 2024.
Messina, Italy – March 2024 - Capturing those small or large narrative elements hidden in the folds of life, of which everyone is both the author and the ideal reader, allows us to broaden our understanding of reality. The story thus becomes a showcase of writing and reading where you can learn to see more. Silvia Guidi, editor of the culture section of L'Osservatore Romano and the first female journalist to write for the Holy See newspaper, was the main speaker on 7 March at a conference entitled "Weaving the narrative - Why do we make so many stories?" The event was organised by the Saint Thomas Theological Institute (ITST) in collaboration with the Terremoti di Carta cultural association and the Democratic Teachers' Initiative Centre, Messina. The president of Terremoti di Carta, Nancy Antonazzo, planned the conference together with the Director of ITST Fr Giovanni Russo, SDB. Deputy Daniela Arena, the president of Cidi Messina, Francesca Giliberto, Silvia Messina and a religious of the Friars Minor, Francesco Chillari, coordinated the working groups together with Ms Guidi. The conference, held in the "Conti" hall, beganb with a greeting from Fr Russo and from the Rector of the San Tommaso religious community, Fr Giuseppe Cassaro, SDB.
(ANS - Castelnuovo Don Bosco) - On 9 and 10 March, the European Salesian novitiate at Colle Don Bosco, near Castelnuovo Don Bosco, received a visit from the General Councillor for Social Communication of the Salesian Congregation, Fr. Gildasio Mendes. The visit was marked by various formative sessions with the novices focusing on the digital world and its connection to the youth sphere. It provided an opportunity for insightful discussions and learning experiences.
(ANS – Rome) – Today we are interviewing Fr Marco Panero, Salesian, professor of Moral Philosophy at the Pontifical Salesian University and Councillor of the Apostolic Penitentiary. His volume of meditations is in the bookstores and is particularly suitable for this time of Lent, with the intriguing title: "In the tent of meeting. Meditations on spiritual life " (Edizioni Ancora, 2023 – ISBN 978-88-514-2783-2).
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 BORORO
THE 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.