(ANS – Brunswick) – The Salesian Community in Brunswick welcomed the Relic of Don Bosco that is embedded in a life-size wax statue as part of the centenary celebration. The Relic holds great importance as it serves as a symbol of unity, faith, and encouragement. It represents the teachings and legacy of the man whom people called “Friend of the Young,”, who worked tirelessly for the good of disadvantaged young people.
(ANS – Smorgon) – The twenty-second Salesian Youth Evangelisation Pilgrimage (SMEP for short) took place between 25 June and 1 July in Budslav, Smorgon. This year the Budslav festival was a special one as the 25th anniversary of the coronation of the miraculous icon with the papal crown was celebrated. The Prefect of the Dicastery of the Eastern Churches, Cardinal-elect Claudio Gugerotti, was invited to the ceremony.
(ANS – Melbourne) – The full size statue of Don Bosco containing his first-class relic arrived at the Salesian Province Centre in Melbourne on 4th July 2023 as part of the Centenary celebrations of the arrival of Salesians in Australia. On the weekend of 8-9 July, the relic statue made the first pilgrimage to St Joseph’s church in Collingwood to be officially welcomed into the Province. The newly renovated church was packed with many pilgrims, especially from Vietnamese backgrounds, to welcome St John Bosco to Australia over the weekend.
(ANS - Viedma) - On Saturday, March 18 and Sunday, March 19, under the motto "Like Br. Zatti, let us not leave to tomorrow the good we can do today," the IX Pilgrimage to Viedma in honor of Artemide Zatti, SDB, the first following his canonization, was held, carried out in commemoration of the 72nd anniversary of his death on March 15, 1951. The first day began after noon, when the Rector Major of the Salesians, Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime, arrived in Viedma accompanied by the Superior of the Province of Argentina South (ARS), Fr. Darío Perera SDB, to thank God for the sanctification of Br. Zatti.
(ANS - Viedma) - On Sunday, March 19, the second day of the IX Pilgrimage to Viedma in honor of Artemide Zatti, SDB, the pilgrims who came from all over the country shared a moment of prayer in the courtyard of the old institute "San Francisco," located next to the Cathedral of Viedma, before the urn with the relics of Brother Zatti. Then, they left on a pilgrimage with the reliquaries of Br. Zatti through the streets of Viedma to Don Bosco Parish, where Mass would be held. In the meantime, in the auditorium of the "Don Bosco" parish, the Rector Major, Father Ángel Fernández Artime, had gathered the Directors and heads of the Salesian houses of the Province and all the consecrated Salesians.
(ANS - Rome) - The Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Father Ángel Fernández Artime, is participating in a pilgrimage in Viedma in honor of St. Artemide Zatti, SDB, this weekend, March 18-19, 2023. The pilgrimage takes place in Viedma, the city where the saintly nurse fulfilled much of his mission on behalf of the poor and the sick, just days from the 72nd anniversary of the Salesian saint's death, which was commemorated on March 15. Although this is already the 9th edition of the event, it is, however, the first to be held after his canonization.
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.