(ANS - Košice) - “I thank those who carry out this work of integration which, in addition to involving not a few hardships, sometimes also receives incomprehension and ingratitude, perhaps even within the Church. Dear priests, religious and laity, who dedicate your time to offer integral development to your brothers and sisters, thank you! Thank you for all the work with those on the sidelines ...," said Pope Francis in Košice, the second largest city in Slovakia, in the east of the country, where yesterday afternoon, September 14, he met the Roma community and the Salesian Family that has accompanied it for 13 years.
On the occasion of Pope Francis' Apostolic Journey to Hungary and Slovakia, the Bulletin of the Press Office of the Holy See made public some statistics regarding the Catholic Church in the two countries.
(ANS - Rome) - In the Angelus of Sunday 5 September, Pope Francis announced his upcoming trips to Hungary and Slovakia and entrusted them "to the intercession of so many heroic confessors of the faith, who in those places bore witness to the Gospel amid hostility and persecution. May they help Europe to bear witness today also, not so much in words, but above all in deeds, with works of mercy and hospitality, the good news of the Lord who loves us and saves us."
(ANS - Budapest) - A Sunday for two countries, two capitals, two peoples: Pope Francis began his apostolic journey yesterday, 12 September, the first in Europe after the pandemic, and he reached Budapest where, among the various appointments, he presided over the concluding Mass of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress; and then Bratislava, where he began his visit under the theme "With Mary and Joseph on the way to Jesus".
Budapest, Hungary - September 12, 2021 - The 34th Apostolic Journey of Pope Francis began yesterday (September 12). After the first stop in Hungary, the Holy Father moved to Slovakia, where he will remain until Wednesday the 15th. In the first part of the Journey, at Budapest, Pope Francis met the Hungarian President János Áder and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, to officiate at the concluding Mass of the International Eucharistic Congress. After Mass at Heroes' Square, the Pope then went to the airport and left for Bratislava. In Slovakia, meetings are planned with the authorities, with the Jewish communities, the clergy, young people, and with the Roma community.
(ANS – Košice) – The Salesian Family has been active providing pastoral care to the Romani people in Slovakia for 30 years now. Towards the occasion of the meeting of Pope Francis with the Roma at Luník IX in Košice (www.lunik9.sk) on September 14, 2021 (www.navstevapapeza.sk), the Salesians have prepared a 13-minute-long documentary about this work. It is a part of the cycle Pocket Faith, from the Salesian production. The current topic titled “Don Bosco and the Roma” in Slovakia can be viewed on the Salesian YouTube channel, in the original Slovak language, and with subtitles in English and Italian.
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.