NEWS PHOTOS
Loja, Ecuador - September 2022 - From September 23-25, the VI National Youth Day was held in Loja, centered on the theme "Mary got up and left without delay." The event was attended by some seven thousand young people, twenty-one bishops, and more than one hundred priests and nuns who spread their joy throughout the city. The Salesian Family participated with the Salesians of Don Bosco and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, who accompanied delegations of the Salesian Youth Movement (SYM) from the cities of Guayaquil, Rocafuerte, Riobamba, and Quito. Together, they spread and shared the Salesian charism with young people from various parishes. Bishop Andrés Carrascosa, Apostolic Nuncio of Ecuador, urged the young people to encounter God, leaving behind bad things, inviting them to be free, fruitful, and full of faith.
Messina, Italy - September 2022 - The "St. Thomas" Theological Institute of Messina kicked off the 2022/2023 academic year on September 26 with a Eucharistic celebration presided over by Fr. Giovanni D'Andrea, Provincial of the Salesians of Sicily and Tunisia, surrounded by presbyters from the Salesian and academic community, students and faculty. During his homily, the Provincial invited everyone to "study for life, ... where the Lord calls us to be witnesses, and to be a sign of hope in the places and times in which we live, still characterized by the effects of the pandemic, by the war behind our doors, by an economic and energy crisis that is putting many families in difficulty. Studying and deepening the mystery of Christ must help us to conform ourselves to Him; it is not enough just to 'pass the exam.'" So, concluded Fr. D'Andrea: "In this year, but as always, attention to the other, welcoming those around me, even among the corridors of the Institute, will be fundamental. The family atmosphere that characterizes St. Thomas and the variety of charisms and cultures that constitute it makes it a beautiful testimony of ecclesial and human communion. To each of the students and faculty members the wish that they may grow more and more in this communion, in the wake of the synodal journey that the whole Church is experiencing. May Mary, Seat of Wisdom, guide and sustain us also in this new year."
Belo Horizonte, Brazil - September 2022 - Fr. Gildasio Mendes, General Councilor for Social Communication, visited the Salesian Province "São João Bosco" of Belo Horizonte (BBH) from September 26 to 29. On September 27, Fr. Mendes chaired the meeting with the Provincial Council to present the Social Communication principles of the Salesian Congregation and other activities proper to the Department he leads.
Alexandria, Egypt - September 2022 - During his animation visit to Egypt’s Salesian communities, Fr. Alfred Maravilla, General Councilor for Missions, had a meeting with the animators of the Alexandria Oratory. The oratory is attended by many young people, most of whom are Muslims, and the animators, also mostly Muslim, told him how for many years the oratory has been, and continues to be, the place where Muslims and Christians meet, play, receive human formation and participate in activities organized by the Salesians. Fr. Maravilla urged the animators to treasure the universal and human values they learn in the oratory. "Today in the world many consider anyone different from themselves as a threat. Instead, here in the oratory, you show that difference lived with respect and friendship can become an enrichment for everyone," he underscored. He addressed words of encouragement to the Salesians to continue promoting this experience, making the oratory a true place where fraternity is built.