NEWS
(ANS – Castelnuovo Don Bosco) – On Friday 14 April, the Salesian Family Delegates [31 in total] from the English-speaking Provinces gathered at Colle Don Bosco to begin their course on various aspects of Salesian Family. Some of these topics to be covered included: Reflection on Don Bosco, founder of the vast charismatic movement called the Salesian Family, to explore the Salesian Family Charter of Identity, to emphasise the role of the Salesian Family delegate, to know the Salesian Family Groups and to share reflections and experiences from the Salesian sites.
(ANS – Port Moresby) – Fr. Valeriano Barbero SDB passed away peacefully on 14 April, 2023, the feast day of St. Valerian, in Novara, Italy. Father Val, as he was lovingly called, was born on 31 August 1938, in Novara, Italy. He made his first profession on 16 August 1956 in Pinerolo; and was ordained a priest on 18 March 1967 in Turin, Italy. After 10 years as a missionary in the Philippines, he served the Salesian mission in Papua New Guinea from 1980 until 2021, being one of the early pioneers of those presences and a tireless educator and evangelizer in those lands. He was a man with a large smile on his face, that hid away the tensions and the troubles that are always around the corner.
(ANS - Campo Grande) - "Lembranças entre amigos" (Memories among friends) is the title of the new series visible on the YouTube channel dedicated to Servants of God Fr Rudolf Lunkenbein, Salesian missionary in Brazil, and Simão Bororo, indigenous catechist. In this new series, Brazilian Salesians Father Luiz Alves de Lima and Father João Bosco Maciel tell stories and peculiarities of the lives and personalities of the two Servants of God, who were martyred in the Salesian presence in Meruri, Mato Grosso, on July 15, 1976. Both gave their lives for indigenous peoples and their right to land.
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.”