(ANS – Annecy) – From 6 to 13 April 2024, 37 Salesians from the four Polish Provinces took part in their annual Retreat held this year in the form of a pilgrimage to France on the theme “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart (Mt 11:29). With St Francis de Sales in the school of Divine Love.” Most participants were Rectors of communities and responsible for presences in the Province of Krakow (PLS), accompanied by the Provincial, Fr Marcin Kaznowski, his Vice-Provincial Fr Zygmunt Kostka, and the Provincial Economer, Fr Piotr Pawelec.
(ANS – Heverlee) – “Don Bosco Youth-Net ivzw” (DBYN), the European network of Salesian youth organisations, and its partners announce a new project for youth and the promotion of values such as intercultural and interreligious dialogue, inclusion, environmental protection and civic engagement - without forgetting spirituality and the recovery of ancient traditions and cultural elements common to the Old Continent. This is very much a Salesian project in that it focuses on young people, their energy and their ability to engage for a better world, and is entitled: "Young Pilgrims of Hope".
(ANS - Viedma) - With the motto "In prayer with Zatti, we are mission", the 10th Pilgrimage in honour of Artemide Zatti took place on the weekend of 9 and 10 March 2024 in Viedma, in the Argentine province of Río Negro, in commemoration of the 73rd anniversary of his death on 15 March 1951.
(ANS – Rome) – The stage of the preparation in view of the 2025 Jubilee at Rome for the consecrated men and women ended on Sunday, 4 February 2024. Comprising various significant moments, including the pilgrimage to the Salesian Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Rome, it gathered about 400 religious from all over the world, who received from the Holy Father the specific mandate to be “signs of reconciliation among people” where God has called them to work.
(ANS - Rome) - The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Rome had the unique grace of welcoming over 400 religious from all over the world who had come to Rome to participate in a pilgrimage "on the road to peace" aimed at renewing the commitment of religious to reconciliation and peace.
(ANS – Rome) – The Sacred Heart of Jesus Basilica in Rome is preparing to receive, on Saturday, 3 February 2024, over 400 religious from all over the world who have come to Rome to participate in a pilgrimage "on the path of peace" – aimed at renewing the commitment of religious for reconciliation and peace. The pilgrimage will start and end at the Salesian Basilica of the Sacred Heart, and will be carried out on the sidelines of the 28th World Day of Consecrated Life (2 February 2024) and as part of a broader process of preparation of consecrated men and women for the Holy Year of 2025.
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 BORORO
THE 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.