NEWS
(ANS - Rome) - 8 December, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, is never an ordinary day for the Salesians of Don Bosco. Both for the devotion that the Salesians, following the example of their founder, have always nourished towards Our Lady, and towards this specific title of the Mother of God; and for the anniversary of Don Bosco's first meeting with Bartolomeo Garelli, which represents the first of many other similar encounters - for Don Bosco and those who followed him - thanks to which millions of young people at risk all over the world have found meaningful adults able to set them on paths of the future and of communion with God. For this reason, on the occasion of the 180th anniversary of that event, yesterday the Rector Major presided over a solemn Eucharist in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, in Rome, followed by the "Marian circle" in the adjacent courtyard.
(ANS - Huambo) - In 2021 the Salesians celebrated 40 years of their presence in Angola. In the capital alone, Luanda, there are no less than eight Salesian works that take care of parishes, oratories and shelters, with a constant commitment to the weaker segments of the population. But in addition to the capital, a modern city where there is a seamless transition from the skyscrapers of the center to the suburbs where there is extreme poverty, there is also the Angola of the rural areas, where people live off subsistence farming, day jobs, and small businesses.
(ANS - Lubumbashi) - Last Monday, 6 December 2021, the Salesian house "Cité des Jeunes" in Lubumbashi, in the south of the Democratic Republic of Congo, experienced an unfortunate accident: due to the strong winds that, together with torrential rain, hit the area, the roof of the boarding school for young people in need was blown off.
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.