NEWS
(ANS – Khartoum) – The war that began on 15 April in Khartoum, capital of Sudan, between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), is about to reach its 100th day. The streets are deserted and inaccessible to the population due to the ongoing fighting. There is no public transport, electricity is almost absent and water is becoming a scarce and precious commodity. A Salesian missionary lives with the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA) in Shajara, 7 km from Khartoum. There, despite having to close elementary school, the Salesian Family serves the poorest and most needy population through informal classes, giving food and shelter to several hundred people and also caring for the injured.
(ANS – New Delhi) – After the successful launch of the VOICES: Giving Voice to the voiceless in the South Asia Region, the BOSCOM delegates of the South Asia Region of the Salesians of Don Bosco for communication met at the Delhi Don Bosco Headquarters on July 15. The meeting had the august presence of Father Don Bosco Lourdusamy, the Provincial of the Salesian Province of Chennai and the Provincial In-charge of Social Communications in the South Asia region, to listen and encourage the delegates in the fulfilment of their responsibilities.
(ANS – Novohryhorivka) – Novohryhorivka remains in the danger zone amid the relentless war in Ukraine that already has plunged nearly 18 million people throughout the country into desperate need for humanitarian aid. As always, our dedicated Salesian missionaries refuse to abandon those in need—despite persistent danger to their own lives.
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.