(ANS – Brasilia) – On 21 November, the Edebê Brasil Salesian publishing house celebrated its tenth anniversary. A decade ago the publishing house took the first steps on a publishing path committed to supporting quality education and the integral training of children, adolescents and young adults, through its materials and educational solutions.
(ANS – Rome) – On 25 November, the day of her birth into Heaven, the Salesian Family around the world remembers the figure of Margaret Occhiena, "Mamma Margaret", as hundreds of children called her when she helped her son Don Bosco at the time of the first Oratory at Valdocco. Declared Venerable by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006, the mother of the founder of the Salesians was, without knowing it, the first cooperator in the educational work of the Salesians, who recognise that the Congregation was born also through her accompaniment and thanks to her contribution to the Preventive System.
(ANS – Shillong) – The centenary celebration of Don Bosco Technical School (DBTS) marked a historic milestone in the institution’s journey, showcasing a rich legacy of Technical education, character building, and community service. The events, held on 9th,10th, and 11th November 2023 brought together past-pupils, current students, faculty, and well-wishers to commemorate a hundred years of excellence in Technical education and holistic development.
(ANS – León) – On Saturday 4 November 2023, the Niños Don Bosco Project (PNDB) celebrated the 80th anniversary of the arrival of the first Polish refugees in Santa Rosa Plan de Ayala, near Léon, in the Mexican state of Guanajuato. The event included an elaborate ceremony, with several significant moments and several inaugurations attended by a total of more than 130 people.
(ANS – Caracas) – On Saturday 18 November the Salesian St Luke’s Province, Venezuela (VEN) will celebrate the beginning of the 130th anniversary of the arrival of the Salesians in the country (1894 - 2024). The opening celebration will be held in the city of Valencia, in the presence of Fr Hugo Orozco, Regional Councillor for Interamerica, Fr Rafael Montenegro, Superior of the VEN Province, and a good group of Salesians who, together with the local Salesian Family , will give thanks to God for the presence of Don Bosco’s charism in this land.
(ANS – Rome) – 11 November is an unforgettable date for all the Salesians around the world: the day the Congregation began its missionary thrust – a journey that began 148 years ago, on 11 November 1875 with the First Salesian Missionary Expedition, and which it has no intention of stopping. Indeed, the entire Congregation is already looking forward to the 150th anniversary of that date which will be celebrated in two years time in 2025. After not even a century and a half, almost 10,000 Salesians have been sent to mission lands and the educational work that came from Don Bosco extends to over 130 countries on five continents. And the Rector Major's call to send missionaries to places of greatest need continues to be more valid than ever.
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.