St Giovanni Bosco was the first saint in history to be photographed.
There are 42 photographs of Don Bosco; as historical figures, only Garibaldi and Italy's King Vittorio Emanuele II have more.
Don Bosco's photos range from 1861 to 1888, the date of his death.
In the first photos of 1861 he was ill and they were taken to keep a memory of him in case he died.
Oświęcim, Poland - August 2020 - On 17 August, on the day of St Hyacinth, patron saint of the Krakow Province (PLS), the meeting of the Rectors of the Salesian presences of the PLS Province took place. The Eucharistic celebration was presided over in the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians by Fr Marcin Kaznowski, provincial superior of the Krakow Province, and the homily was given by Fr Tadeusz Rozmus, former Councilor for the Central and Northern Europe Region. As part of this meeting, the jubilees of various Salesians were celebrated and the ceremony for the awarding of the "Mir" Provincial Prize, received this year by Fr Ignacy Ryndzionek, a Salesian from Krakow, with a laudatio pronounced by Fr Kazimierz Szczerba, SDB, was held. Also, on August 16, on his 205th birthday, the patron saint of the city of Oświęcim - St. John Bosco - was also honored and celebrated.
Rome, Italy - On September 12, 1952, the first stone of the new building was set by the cardinal vicar Clemente Micara, but the actual works began about a year later, in an area which saw much urban growth starting from the Quadraro along the Tuscolana road up to the Cinecittà film studios. Thus in the early fifties the intensive district of Don Bosco was born, established indeed with the promotion of the Salesians around the homonymous Basilica, inaugurated in 1959. The day following the consecration, May 3, Pope John XXIII came to visit the new church to pray in front of the tomb of the Turin saint to whom the sacred building was dedicated and whose relic, for the occasion, had been transferred from Turin to Rome.
(ANS - Salvador de Bahia) - Last 16 August, the day of the 205th anniversary of Don Bosco's birth, the Salesians of Salvador de Bahia wanted to celebrate and pay homage to our founder with a true demonstration of faith and charity. This year, in respect of social distancing, a Carreata, a procession of cars, was organized to celebrate the Father, Teacher and Friend of Youth.
San Benito Petén, Guatemala - August 2020 - The Parish of San Benito Petén has decided to celebrate the Father, Teacher and Friend of young people with a daily publication of videos in which 10 young people commented on their experience of friendship with the Saint. For this reason, the theme of young people at the service of Christ and the Church was presented. The youths took advantage of the short space to share and chat after several months of not physically seeing each other. On Sunday 17 August, the day began with the traditional “mañanitas a Don Bosco”, then the celebration of the Holy Eucharist was broadcast live on Facebook in the company of some members of the local Salesian Youth Movement.
(ANS - Recife) - When he arrived at the GC28, the Provincial of Brazil Recife (BRE) expressed, among other things, the desire to dedicate himself to the Provincial Archive, left with such care and organization by Mr. Robério Moraes Ramos SDB, passed away on February 24th.
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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Latin America – Strengthening Vocational and Educational Commitment Today: 30 Years of the Salesian School in Latin America
(ANS) – Since the first meeting in Cumbayá (Ecuador), 30 years ago, educational processes on the continent have found a collaborative epicentre which has given rise to the Salesian School in (Latin) America – ESA, in Spanish – as a forum for reflection and a common path. Many Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA) and other groups of the Salesian Family (SF) have enriched this synodal journey, focusing on young people and their integral development. What are today's demands of us in the educational field? How are we building the Salesian School of the future? Can we further strengthen this great Salesian educational network in America? Some FMAs and Salesians who were at the first meeting in 1994, share their experience and their vision of how this journey has allowed a growth in the understanding of the youth reality, in the strategic decisions within the Provinces themselves and in the challenges that emerge for Salesian education.
MESSAGES OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
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I’M A SALESIAN AND I’M A BORORO
THE 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.