Piła, Poland - October 2023 – The Salesian parish of Piła, celebrated its three decades of service through the celebration of the event and the consecration of the new Church of St John Bosco on Saturday 21 October. The parish, placed under the patronage of St John Bosco, is one of the youngest in the diocese of Koszalin-Kolobrzeg. It was established in 1993 by the decree of Bishop Rt. Rev. Czesław Domino and entrusted to the Salesians of Don Bosco, with the commitment to build and run a Catholic school as well. In the following years, first a temporary chapel and a religious house were built and then the construction of both the school and the church began. On 23 May 2000, the foundation stone from St John Bosco's birthplace was blessed and placed in the wall behind the main altar. The consecration of the church, presided over by Bishop of the Diocese of Koszalin-Kolobrzeg, Rt. Rev. Zbigniew Zielinski. The event was attended by many parishioners and Salesians who have shaped the local community over the past thirty years. The following day, the faithful of the parish of St John Bosco celebrated a thanksgiving Sunday. The event also celebrated the of the patron of the Salesian Primary School, which bears the name of St John Paul II.
(ANS - Warsaw) – 22nd October marked the 75th anniversary of the death of the Venerable Cardinal August Hlond, Salesian, Primate of Poland and founder of the Society of Christ for Polish Emigrants. Several commemorations were held in Poland in places linked to the Servant of God.
Krakow, Poland - October 2023 - The 97th World Mission Day was celebrated on 22 October, on the theme: "Walking along with Hearts Aflame (cf. Lk 24:13-35)". All the activities of the Churches of the world focused on various initiatives and fundraising for the missions, and so did the Salesian Missionary Volunteers "Młodzi Światu" (SWM) from Krakow, of the Salesian Province of Poland-Cracow (PLS). The volunteers, accompanied by ten Salesian priests who also celebrated several Masses and preached homilies, went to 13 parishes of the Archdiocese of Krakow, where they offered their testimonies and asked for support for the project of building wells in Angola, Ghana and Namibia.
Photo: SWM Facebook
(ANS - Warsaw) - The Councillor for Youth Pastoral Care, Fr Miguel Angel García Morcuende, visited the "Saint Stanislaus Kostka" Province of Poland-Warsaw (AWP) from 20 to 23 October, commencing with the Day of Unity of the Salesian Family. Together with the Regional Councillor, Fr Roman Jachimowicz, and the Provincial of AWP, Fr Tadeusz Jarecki, he inaugurated the new school building in Sokołów Podlaski. During the Mass, he addressed a few words to the confreres celebrating their anniversaries of religious profession or priestly ordination, reminding them that "the Lord does not frighten, nor does he undermine the personalities that He Himself created, but offers a new meaning to life, gives the opportunity to be fully realized in serving Him without reserve. The centre of every vocation is Christ. He is the beginning, the dispenser, and the end. Vows are not a renunciation of something, but an embrace of Someone".
Bydgoszcz, Poland - October 2023 - The School for Salesian Animators entitled: "Media Animator" took place from 13 to 15 October 2023. The meeting was organised at the "Dominiczek" oratory in collaboration with the Salesian College (Collegium Salesianum) of Bydgoszcz, belonging to the Salesian Province of Poland-Piła (PLN). The main objective of the meeting, attended by more than a hundred young people, was to acquire skills in managing social media profiles. During the workshop, the participants discovered the nuances of photography, elements of online marketing, and learnt to make the oratory's social profile more interesting and interactive. The senior animators, on the other hand, deepened their knowledge of data protection and on how to write press releases in crisis situations. There was no shortage of typical Salesian elements, such as praying the Rosary, community Eucharist, sports and dancing. Screening of films as part of the 'Don Bosco Global Youth Film Festival' was also a feature of the meeting.
Tarnowskie Góry, Poland - October 2023 - On 13th and 14th October, a meeting of Principals and Vice-Principals of the Schools of the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA) of Poland took place in Tarnowskie Góry. The meeting began with a moment of spiritual formation and the entrustment of the schools to the Lord, during the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The following day, those present took part in lectures on important issues affecting Salesian schools in Poland and shared their experiences. In Poland, Salesians and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians run a total of 111 educational centres (kindergartens, elementary schools, middle schools, technical institutes, high schools...) and 8 boarding schools, with a total of 17,881 pupils and 2,132 teachers/educators involved. (Photo and text: Fr Łukasz Auguściak SDB)
PHOTO GALLERY
INTERVIEWS
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Democratic Republic of Congo – Fr Owoudou on the situation in the eastern parts of the country: “No matter how dark the night may seem, dawn will inevitably come”(ANS - Goma) - During his latest phase of the Extraordinary Visit to the "Mary Most Holy Assumption" Province of Central Africa (AFC), Fr. Alphonse Owoudou, Councillor for the Africa Madagascar Region, conducted an interview with the magazine "JAMBO VIJANA," representing the youth engaged in the Salesian works of the Province's Eastern Delegation. Addressing the ongoing violence and conflicts in the region, Fr. Owoudou expressed hope, saying: "No matter the length of the night, dawn will inevitably come."
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.