(ANS – Vatican City) – Return to the essentials, be small before God, fast from external needs, convert with all your heart. This is the path traced by the exhortations of Francis, John Paul I, Saint Paul VI and Saint John Paul II. Words, taken from their Pontificates, which in this Lenten journey are an intense exhortation addressed to the heart of every human being.
(ANS – Rome) – This year too, the Youth Ministry Sector is offering an item to help experience an eco-spiritual Lent. The title of the Lent Calendar 2024 is "Your face, Lord, I seek." The guide this year will be the Psalms, particularly the Psalms of Creation.
(ANS - Madrid) - From April 6 to 9, the Salesians and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Spain are organizing traditional Easter gatherings, which help to live the central events of the Christian faith during Holy Week intensely: the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of the Lord. Once again, teens and young people associated with Salesian houses in Spain will have the opportunity to experience Holy Week in one of the traditional Easter gatherings. On this occasion, some 2,000 participants, aged between 16 and 25, are expected to participate in this spiritual experience.
(ANS - Castelnuovo Don Bosco) - A new temporary exhibition, designed for the season of Lent and Easter, concerning the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, has been set up at the Missionary Ethnological Museum (MEM) at Colle Don Bosco in Castelnuovo Don Bosco. It is an exhibition of objects that highlights how the Christian faith has also found concreteness through the crafts of the places where Salesian missionaries are present.
(ANS - Madrid) - On February 22, the Christian community celebrated Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, a special time of encounter and reflection for Christians. For this reason, the Salesians of Spain offer some useful pastoral resources for catechists, educators, and animators.
(ANS – Rome) – For Lent 2023, the Youth Ministry Sector proposes a tool to accompany in the ECO-SPIRITUAL WAY of preparation for Easter. The journey begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday.
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.”