(ANS - Bethlehem) - Among the activities of the Salesians in the Holy Land that have received more visibility in recent years and that have allowed the Salesians to support themselves in the Holy Land are the Bethlehem bakery and the Cremisan wine cellar.
Bethlehem, Palestine - The International Nativity Scene Museum is located in the heart of the city of Bethlehem, on the ground floor of the historic Salesian convent. It can boast a collection of over 200 cribs from different parts of the world. Each nativity scene in the museum is a source of inspiration, representing the birth of Christ in different places and times and through the most varied cultural and artistic perspectives.
Jerusalem, Israel - August 2019 - Salesians from all over the Spanish-speaking world walked in the footsteps of Jesus Christ in the Holy Land, lived a "formation experience", deepened the Word of God in every place they visited, and met Him in prayer. It is an experience that every Salesian must have at least once in his life, in order to "configure us more deeply to Christ and renew our fidelity to Don Bosco, in order to respond to the ever new demands of the youthful and popular condition" (CS, 118)."
(ANS - Jerusalem) - The wonderful and thrilling "Formative Experience in the Holy Land" (EFTS), which took place from 11 to 23 August, has come to an end. It was led by Fr Juan José José Bartolomé and Fr Francisco Enríquez de Zulaica, and saw the participation of 37 Salesians from all over the Hispanic world. It was a necessary experience for the Salesians and a proposal that comes from the Formation Department and is supported by the Salesian community of Ratisbonne, in particular by Fr Matteo Balla, SDB.
(ANS – Jerusalem) – What have the fruits of the 8-day pilgrimage of the General Council in the Holy Land been? It was a unique opportunity to touch the places of Jesus, to walk in the places where Word was made Flesh and lived among His people!
There is a Salesian oratory in Heaven. The door is always open. The latest arrival is Saged Mezher, a "Muslim" boy from our electronics school, who comes from the Dehesha refugee camp in the West Bank. He was studying for his diploma, when soldiers entered the camp to arrest people and began violent gun battles. It's difficult to stop men with submachine guns in hand. People, screaming, ran to hide. The cries of the wounded reached the sky and also the heart of Saged, a member of the Camp's First Aid group. He left school, put on the vest with the group's name and logo and ran to help a few injured men lying on the ground. He was trying to lift a stricken man when a bullet tore through his chest. They took him to the Hussein hospital and then to a specialized hospital. Three frantic hours of intervention. But there was no way to save him.
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.