Palermo, Italy - October 2022 - This morning, October 13, the Rector Major, Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime, met with the Archbishop of Palermo, Msgr. Corrado Lorefice, in a fraternal meeting and to reflect on the issue of the city’s youth, a city where the economic gap between rich and poor is widening. The reflection focused on extreme poverty, whose outcome often spills into the underworld, and how the Church can become ever closer to young people, even by involving them through vocational training and schools, the forge of honest citizens because good Christians. Afterward, at Palazzo Comitini, the mayor of Palermo, Dr. Lagalla, conferred the honorary citizenship of the city on Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime, in the presence of the archbishop of Palermo, the Superior of the Salesian Province of Sicily (ISI), Fr. Giovanni D'Andrea and his Council, the Provincial of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Sr. Angela Maria Maccioni and her Council, as well as many Salesians and young people.

Krakow, Poland - October 2022 - As tradition dictates, the Pilgrimage in the Footsteps of Karol Wojtyła the Worker took place on the second Saturday of October, Saturday 8. All pilgrims were able to pray together as they passed through the places associated with the youth of St. John Paul II. Since the Salesian interprovincial house of formation belongs to the Kraków-Dębniki parish, theology students and their professors and formators could not but be present. The pilgrimage began at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in Dębniki at 9:30 am. Here the first station was held, dedicated to the Salesians deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II. Then, the pilgrimage route passed in front of the house of the Servant of God Jan Tyranowski on Różana Street; at the house with the number 10, on Tyniecka Street, where Karol Wojtyła lived from 1938; to continue on Szwedzka Street and Twardowskiego Street, where there is a small chapel of the Holy Trinity. Afterwards, the pilgrims stopped at a quarry in Zakrzówek to participate in the Stations of the Cross and take a short rest. The pilgrimage concluded at the Shrine of St. John Paul II with a solemn Eucharist presided over by Fr. Marek Głuch, SDB, and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. At the end of the Mass, Fr. Andrzej Król, SDB presented scholarships to 30 young people.

Ch. Jakub Nowacki SDB

Mumbai, India – October 2022 - The Cafasso Squad youth who bring hope and joy to hundreds of children through their prison ministry venture gathered at Don Bosco Provincial House, Mumbai to celebrate the Festival of Hope. It began with a lively music band by Prince and his team. The Cafasso Squad is all about youth who do prison ministry in the Remand Homes/Observation Homes. Currently the Cafasso Squad youth go to three Observation Homes in Mumbai and teach the children different things like music, sports, tuitions, cooking etc. This demands commitment and regularity on the part of the Cafasso Squad youth. As part of the Festival of Hope the Cafasso Squad youth shared their own personal experiences. Besides the Cafasso Squad youth there were also other interested youth from the Archdiocese of Bombay who listened to the beautiful testimonies. Fr Savio Silveira, the Provincial of the Salesian Province of Mumbai spoke about the close connectedness between St John Bosco and St Joseph Cafasso. Fr Glasten Gonsalves, the Director for Prison Ministry in the Archdiocese of Bombay encouraged the Cafasso Squad youth and appreciated their generosity.