(ANS – Mumbai) – To promote creativity and self-expression, a pot painting art workshop was organised at Don Bosco High School and Junior College, Naigaon, Palghar District, Maharashtra, Mumbai, India. The 4 day workshop was spread out over the weekends and was conducted in the school Audio Visual Hall. Around 40 students from 5th to 9th grade participated in the workshop. Mr. David Jain, a renowned artist and art consultant for UNICEF, and a child educator who has been a relentless crusader for the rights of deprived children, served as the instructor for the workshop.
(ANS – Turin) – From 24 October to 24 December 2023, the Casa Don Bosco Museum in Valdocco, Turin will host the travelling exhibition entitled "Images of a vanished world. Fr. Alberto De Agostini. Man, nature, art, science", curated by Prof. (Fr.) Francesco Motto, SDB, from the Salesian Historical Institute in Rome, and by Prof. Nicola Bottiglieri, from the University of Cassino. The inaugural event of the exhibition will be held on 24 October 2023 at the Museum and will also involve the Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime.
Lisbon, Portugal - 4 August 2023 - In the early afternoon of the fourth day of World Youth Day, Friday 4 August, the stage installed in Praça do Comércio hosted the flashmob of the amateur theatre company Art&Sal of the Salesians of Funchal. Dozens of Salesian pilgrims flocked to the city centre to see the song and dance number performed by the young people of the Salesian presence on Madeira Island. On stage, 20 young people presented a show with choreography and original music. élio Teles, head of the theatre company, accompanied the group to Lisbon. “We prepared the show a month and a half ago, with the collaboration of the Art&Sal choir and dance”. Camila, 18, is a member of the Art&Sal dance class. “It was an incredible reception. The people of the day were vibrating with us, it was very nice. We were afraid that people wouldn’t join in, but they did. And they asked to repeat and repeat, they wanted more and more”, she says. Camila and Jéssica, 19, are taking part in World Youth Day for the first time. Jéssica explains her excitement: “We come from such a small island, and being here, open to such a big world, is incredible. We are loving it”.
(ANS – Lisbon) – It is time for the final rehearsals for “Musical Don Bosco”. Stage rehearsals, acting rehearsals and vocal rehearsals. "Musical Don Bosco" is an adaptation of the Italian original "Don Bosco, the musical", with texts by Renato Biagioli and Piero Castellacci and music by Alessandro Aliscioni and Achille Oliva, and will be presented by the Salesians of Lisbon at the Youth Festival during World Youth Day Lisbon 2023, with four repeat performances: 1 August at 21:30, 2 August at 19:00 and 3 and 4 August at 21:00.
(ANS – Madrid) – The Misiones Salesianas Museum, the Salesian Mission Office in Madrid, hosted an important artistic event last week, a genuine exchange of experiences that also included a guided tour of the "Amazonia: narratives from the territories" exhibition. The debate on green pedagogy, with art as a background, was the common thread of a meeting that saw live performances and the presentation of sustainable projects which seek to transform society and at the same time take care of the environment.
(ANS – Zagreb) – After almost 14 months of celebrating mass in a tent, the faithful of the parish of the Blessed Virgin Mary Help of Christians in Zagreb returned to the renovated church in a great celebration of the dedication of the altar and the blessing of the church, which was led on Monday, May 15, by Msgr. Ivan Šaško, auxiliary bishop of Zagreb.
PHOTO GALLERY
INTERVIEWS
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Democratic Republic of Congo – Fr Owoudou on the situation in the eastern parts of the country: “No matter how dark the night may seem, dawn will inevitably come”
(ANS - Goma) - During his latest phase of the Extraordinary Visit to the "Mary Most Holy Assumption" Province of Central Africa (AFC), Fr. Alphonse Owoudou, Councillor for the Africa Madagascar Region, conducted an interview with the magazine "JAMBO VIJANA," representing the youth engaged in the Salesian works of the Province's Eastern Delegation. Addressing the ongoing violence and conflicts in the region, Fr. Owoudou expressed hope, saying: "No matter the length of the night, dawn will inevitably come."
EDITORIAL
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“Speaking with the Heart”: A great Antidote for the Ills of today’s world
‘Revolutionize the world with your kindness, by speaking with your heart’, is the dream that Pope Francis envisions for humanity through his 57th World Communication Day message, that falls on this Ascension Sunday, 21st May 2023. ‘Speak with your heart in truth and charity’, and this is the best antidote that can cure the ills of today’s society.
EVENTS
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Italy – "Labs To Future": the final event of the "Labs To Learn" project in Valdocco
(ANS – Turin) – The final event of the "Labs to Learn" project was held on Tuesday, 5 March 2024, entitled "Labs To Future: The path – The results – The challenges" . The project was selected by the "Con i Bambini" social enterprise within the framework of the Foundation for the Fight against Child Educational Poverty and came into being with the intention of combating early school leaving and preventing educational poverty, increasing the number of young people with difficulties who fulfil their school obligation, access higher education and/or job placement, and opening the way for personal growth according to their inclinations and aspirations.
SPECIAL REPORTS
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Peru – Centenary of the High Altar of the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Lima
(ANS – Lima) – The centenary of the consecration of the high altar in the Crypt of the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Lima was celebrated on 19 March, on the feast of St Joseph and in homage to Fr José Calasanz Marqués, then Provincial of the Salesians in Peru and Bolivia – now recognised as Blessed by the Church – on account of his name.
MESSAGES OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
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DREAMS THAT KEEP COMING TRUE!
THE MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR, Card. Ángel Fernández Artime, SDB
When reflecting on all this, I feel I have a little authority to say: “Dear Don Bosco, your Dream is still VERY ALIVE.”