(ANS - Saõ Paulo) - "Dealing with the Amazon, ecology and the environment today means dealing with thorny issues," says Fr Justino Sarmento Rezende, SDB. A member of the Tuyuka people, the Salesian priest was part of the Special Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region. He currently works in the Salesian Mission of Marauiá in the far north-west of the Amazon.
Quito, Ecuador - 1895 – From their very arrival in Ecuador, the Salesians have dedicated themselves to work in the indigenous communities of the Shuar, the "fearsome head reducers". In 1963, there were 11 Salesian houses in the middle of the jungle, with several parishes and a group of Salesians delegated to work among the local natives.
(ANS - Campo Grande) - Yesterday, Monday 20 April, at 1.45 pm, Fr Georg Lachnitt, SDB, left for the Father's house, at 81 years of age, after 62 years of religious life and 52 years of priesthood. “Father Lachnitt was a great Salesian, a zealous priest and a missionary in love with the cause of the Indigenous, to whom he dedicated his life. He was faithful to the Church and the Congregation. We praise God for this,” they say from the Provincial House of Brazil-Campo Grande (BCG).
(ANS – Guwahati) – The 7-day youth extravaganza of the “National Youth Tribal Youth Exchange Fest” that brought together 500 youth from all over India drew to a close on 8th March with the valedictory function. The ceremony was held at the Amphitheatre of the “Don Bosco Institute” and began at 10:30 a.m.
(ANS - Wichimi) - In the Ecuadorian Amazon, the evangelization of the Achuar people began in 1971, with the arrival of Salesian Fr Luis (Luigi) Bolla in the community of Wichimi, who decided to stay there to share the Gospel through the testimony of his life and culture. More than 45 years have passed and the missionary work of the Salesians continues.
(ANS - Rome) - Pope Francis has offered the Amazonian Church, the universal Church and all men of good will the post-synodal document: Querida Amazonía. Below, Fr Martín Lasarte, who participated in the Synod of Bishops on the Pan-Amazon region, indicates only a few of the many significant points.
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.