(ANS - Castelnuovo Don Bosco) - On 9 and 10 March, the European Salesian novitiate at Colle Don Bosco, near Castelnuovo Don Bosco, received a visit from the General Councillor for Social Communication of the Salesian Congregation, Fr. Gildasio Mendes. The visit was marked by various formative sessions with the novices focusing on the digital world and its connection to the youth sphere. It provided an opportunity for insightful discussions and learning experiences.
(ANS – Rome) – Today we are interviewing Fr Marco Panero, Salesian, professor of Moral Philosophy at the Pontifical Salesian University and Councillor of the Apostolic Penitentiary. His volume of meditations is in the bookstores and is particularly suitable for this time of Lent, with the intriguing title: "In the tent of meeting. Meditations on spiritual life " (Edizioni Ancora, 2023 – ISBN 978-88-514-2783-2).
(ANS – Vallecrosia) – The real estate confiscated from organised crime has been officially handed over to the community; a real estate complex located in the municipality of Bordighera, which will be used on behalf of disabled children, and a part of agricultural land located in the municipality of Vallecrosia, which will serve to promote courses for young people at the Don Bosco Institute and the Salesian Vocational Training Centre to acquire the skills also useful for job opportunities in agriculture, will be allocated for social purposes.
(ANS – Rome) – "Turning 18 for most young people is an eagerly awaited milestone, but for young people accepted into communities for minors it is a time of great anxiety and concern, because coming of age determines the end of many protection and support activities." Francesco Preite, President of Salesians for Social, an association which has spent 30 years alongside children and young people in fragile situations, stresses this as it launches an appeal to strengthen support services for young adults: "we cannot leave these young people alone, since they find themselves alone and without the protections guaranteed up until the day before. They are not yet adults, but they are already called upon to get by on their own.”
(ANS – Modica) – After a whole week of events involving the diocese of Noto, citizens in Modica and the local Salesian Family, on Saturday 2 March, the 17th anniversary of the death of Nino Baglieri, Volunteer with Don Bosco (CDB), a Eucharistic concelebration in memory of the Servant of God took place at the Mary Help of Christians parish in Modica.
(ANS – Turin) – The Salesian Family and all those who in Turin and not only deal with youth in difficulty are in mourning: Fr Domenico Ricca died on Saturday 2 March at the age of 77, a Salesian since 1964 and a priest since 1975 and historical chaplain of the Turin juvenile prison "Ferrante Aporti" since 1979.
PHOTO GALLERY
INTERVIEWS
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RMG – “Do Elderly Salesians have a role in the Digital Culture?”The answer in the letter “Sharing wisdom and hope in digital culture” from the General Councillor for Social Communication
(ANS – Rome) – In view of the current digital reality, and due to the presence, especially in some regions of the Salesian world, of a large number of elderly Salesians, the General Councillor for Social Communication, Fr Gildasio Mendes, has decided to dedicate a special letter to them, entitled: "Sharing wisdom and hope in digital culture". Here is how he explains to ANS readers today the origins, significance and perspectives of this document.
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 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.