(ANS - Rome) - Don Bosco, a man of prayer and action, not only laid the foundations of an immense movement of people who throughout the centuries have dedicated themselves to the salvation of the young, but he also left all his spiritual children a great wealth of useful indications for never losing one’s way. Between what he used to say and what was later picked up and witnessed or heard by his contemporaries, and what he wrote himself, there are pages and pages of aphorisms that in a clear-cut and memorable style still offer valid directions for a beautiful, meaningful and holy life.
(ANS – Rome) –As we approach the feast of St John Bosco in this Bicentennial year of his most famous dream at nine years of age, for the readers of ANS we would like to propose a trio of dreams among the best known, most significant and most "prophetic" for the Congregation and the whole Church. We begin today with the one that went down in history as "The Dream of the Two Columns" (Biographical Memoirs VII, 169-171), whose content, so truly ecclesial, is often cited and recalled in many different places and circumstances, even outside the Salesian world.
(ANS – Rome) – Today closes the phase dedicated to missionary dreams as part of the journey through the Dreams of Don Bosco, in view of his feast and in the year of the Bicentenary of the Dream at Nine Years of Age. Today we recall the last missionary dream (Biographical Memoirs XVIII, 50-52), that Don Bosco had in Spain, in Barcelona on the night of 9-10 April 1886 and when he recounted it for the first time, among others to Fr Rua, his voice broke with sobs. Almost as if to complete the vision of the previous missionary dream, he still saw many lands then unexplored for his Salesians, many young people in need of their help and the Little Shepherdess who often appeared in his dreams, reminding him of that first vision of 1824.
(ANS – Rome) – Towards the end of his life Don Bosco continued to have visions and dreams concerning the development of his Work. Thus, in 1885, the chronicles report his fourth missionary dream, in which he glimpsed the future of the Salesian presence in Africa, in Australia and Oceania, and in China (Biographical Memoirs, XVII, 594-597). We offer it to you to rediscover it together in this journey among Don Bosco’s Dreams, in view of his feast day and in the year of the Bicentenary of the Dream at Nine Years of Age.
(ANS– Rome) – After recalling some of Don Bosco's famous dreams with a clearly educational and pedagogical value, today begins the mini-cycle of three events dedicated to rediscovering the "missionary" dreams of the holy founder of the Salesian Congregation. Given the development of the Society he founded, the countless works started and carried out with the collaboration of many other men and women religious and lay people of the Salesian Family, and the precision of many details reported about countries and situations that Don Bosco never visited in person, these dreams are among the most fascinating visions that he has reported. Let's start, of course, with the first, concerning the first land of mission of the Salesians: Patagonia (Biographical Memoirs X, 53-55).
(ANS – Rome) – The feast of St. John Bosco, Father and Teacher of Young People, is a feast day that is deeply felt and widely participated in all over the world. Globally, there will be numerous broadcasters and newspapers that will include special items in their columns dedicated to remembering Don Bosco and talking about those who carry out his mission today. On Italian television networks, for example, two appointments are already scheduled that will involve Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, Rector Major of the Salesians, the Co-spokesman of the Salesian Congregation, Fr. Giuseppe Costa, and the General Councillor for Salesian Youth Ministry, Fr Miguel Ángel García Morcuende.
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.”