(ANS - Quito) – On 22 October, as part of the opening program of the bookshop "Abya Yala / UPS", promoted by the Salesian publisher Abya Yala and the Salesian Polytechnic University of Quito, was the editorial launch of the opus: "Los diarios de Luis Bolla" (The diaries of Fr Luis Bolla). It collects the testimony of the Italian Salesian missionary Fr Luigi (Luis) Bolla, who spent his life between Ecuador and Peru, alongside the indigenous population of the Achuar, from whom he received the name Yánkuam, morning star.
(ANS - Macas) - After having completed 35 years of work as a Salesian missionary in eastern Ecuador, in 1993, Msgr. Pietro (Pedro) Gabrielli was nominated by Pope John Paul II as bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Mendez. Obeying that call, he continued the work he is most passionate about: walking and going to meet people, to share with them the infinite love of God.
(ANS - Jorhat) - Over 50 young graduates, originating from various districts in Northeast India, gathered at the Salesian Center "Institute for Culture and Rural Development" (I-CARD) for a four-day meeting from 12 to 15 September 2018. The event brought together students and past pupils of I-CARD and students of the "Jeevan" Institute of Business Training, to jointly seek and find options for individual growth and for the transformation of society.
(ANS - Araçatuba) - The testimony of the participants in the Missionary volunteer project fostered a radical change of thought, especially after the experience lived, even for a few days, with the communities of the Bororo and Xavante people.
(ANS - Rome) - The world celebrates today the "United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples", from which the "World's Indigenous Peoples Day" is derived. Just another date on the calendar? It would seem so. In fact, "Indigenous Peoples" do not matter much; what should concern us are the "indigenous": 5000 groups, according to the United Nations, thousands of people across circa 90 countries, who speak the overwhelming majority of the world's 7000 languages, and whom represent a marvelous diversity.
(ANS - San Pedro and San Pablo Ayutla) - Yesterday, Thursday, 2 August, the celebration of the episcopal ordination of Fr Salvador Cleofás Murguía Villalobos, Salesian of Don Bosco, took place. It was last June 13th when L'Osservatore Romano published the news that Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Msgr. Héctor Guerrero Córdova, SDB, as bishop of the Prelature of Mixes, due to his having reached 75 years of age, and communicated, at the same time, the name of the new bishop: Fr Salvador.
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.