(ANS – Bethlehem) – On Tuesday, 27 February the Salesians in Bethlehem went to the nearby University to extend a welcome to the new Vice-Chancellor (Rector), Brother Héctor Hernán Santos González, a De la Salle brother originally from Paraguay. It was a courtesy visit, but also one to plan and renew commitments to the education of young people in the area.
(ANS – Bethlehem) – The Salesian work in Bethlehem, begun by its forerunner Fr Antonio Belloni in 1864, continues to promote the integral growth and vocational and technical training of thousands of young people from ordinary folk. Today it takes on new challenges, networking with the cultural, social and religious institutions of the Palestinian territory between Jerusalem and Hebron.
(ANS – Madrid) – In many countries, the Christmas we are about to celebrate will be very different from last year. Wars and natural disasters have increased poverty and the needs of much of the world's population. In fact, if this year the Child Jesus were to be born in Bethlehem, he would be born in the rubble, due to the conflict that began two and a half months ago in the Gaza Strip. Children who cannot enjoy their childhood due to violence, insecurity and lack of educational opportunities express in their Christmas letters a single wish for their lives and that of their families: peace.
(ANS – Rome) – Italy's Salesian National Office of Missionary Animation, following the worrying situation in the Middle East, is launching an invitation to once more and together invoke “Pacem in Terris”, on 11 October, the liturgical memorial of Saint John XXIII.
(ANS - Bethlehem) - "During Ramadan, the bakery opens at 1:30 a.m.," Ibrahim Matta explains in fairly good Italian. Before dawn, during this period of fasting, Muslims arrive and then, from six o'clock onward, the Christians trickle into this Salesian bakery at the intersection of Madbasseh Square and Paul VI Street, a bakery that has been open for a remarkable 120 years.
(ANS - Cremisan) - On Monday, December 5, 2022, participants in the School of Social Communication of the Salesian Province of the Middle East - connecting from various Salesian houses in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and the Holy Land - took part in a digital meeting on the theme of the "synodal dimension of communication."
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.