(ANS – Rome) – “The Venerable Don Bosco, in educating youth, made such effective use of the ‘good word‘ spoken each night with loving fatherly simplicity, that he was able to ensure that this very important educational medium was uniquely effective on the last day of the year. It was the ‘Strenna’, that is, the Christmas or New Year's gift, which seemed more precious to our good father than any other gift and therefore he enjoyed offering it to his beloved boys (...). Those dear moments remained indelibly imprinted in our hearts.” These were the words the Second Successor of Don Bosco, Fr Paul Albera, used in 1916, to describe the meaning, value and effectiveness of the Strenna.
(ANS – Rome) – Next Sunday, 17 December 2023, Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, SDB, Rector Major of the Salesian Society of Saint John Bosco, will take possession of the Deaconry (Lati Diaconia) of Santa Maria Ausiliatrice in Via Tuscolana, assigned to him by the Holy Father Pope Francis during the consistory on 30 September.
(ANS - Rome) - Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco, presided over Mass for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Rome.
(ANS - Turin) - In the beautiful setting of the Sanctuary of the Consolata in Turin, the most important sanctuary of the city and of the Archdiocese, the much awaited meeting of the people with Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco, took place on the evening of Monday 4 December. The event served to reflect together on the theme "The Youth of today, the great educational challenge" and represented the conclusion of the cycle of public meetings organized at the Consolata by the diocesan weekly "La Voce e Il Tempo".
(ANS – Rome) – For the Christmas greetings 2023 and New Year 2024 by Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, Rector Major of the Salesians, a large detail of a painting by the painter Giuseppe Rollini (1842-1909) depicting the Archangel Gabriel was chosen.
(ANS - Rome) - The sixth video in the series "It's time for Chapter 28", in which Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, Rector Major of the Salesians, illustrates the sixth Programmatic Line delivered after the 28th General Chapter: "TOGETHER WITH THE LAY PEOPLE IN THE MISSION AND FORMATION. The charismatic strength offered to us by the laity and the Salesian Family".
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.