(ANS – León) – The Santiago el Mayor House in León welcomed a hundred people a the weekend of 4 and 5 November 2023, who arrived there to take part in the 2nd Congress of the Youth Centres from the St James the Greater Province, Spain. It was an extraordinary forum that brought together Rectors, Coordinators and Animators from 38 centres from every corner of the province, and which was divided into different reflection groups.
León, Spain - October 2023 - The Salesian Missionary Animation and Volunteering team for the St James the Greater (SSM) Province of Spain, chose the weekend of 21 and 22 October, for the first meeting of the new course with the theme "Burning hearts, feet on the road", the same as World Mission Day. The meeting was attended by 22 volunteers who are beginning their formation for 2024, together with a group of Salesians and lay people sensitised to the Salesian mission and voluntary work. During the first day, the participants reflected on the theme proposed by Pope Francis for World Mission Day, led by theologian Pepa Torres, followed by work in groups. In the afternoon, five volunteers from the Salesian Missionary Volunteer Programme 2023 (VMS23) shared their experience of last summer. The working day ended with the projection of the documentary "Canillitas" and a moment of dialogue with its main characters, Moisés and Karen. Sunday saw the announcement of the Pastoral Campaign 23-24: A Dream for You and the presentation of the work of "Misiones Salesianas" and "Jóvenes y Desarrollo", as well as the presentation of the Salesian Missionary Volunteer proposal for this school year.
(ANS – Madrid) – "Erasmus Day", which is being held throughout Europe between 9 and 14 October, is a showcase for numerous internationalisation experiences within the European "Erasmus+" Programme. About 70 educational centres of the Salesians in Spain participate in projects under the European Erasmus+ Programme. Internationalisation is nothing new for most schools: exchanges, the implementation of bilingual teaching models, etc... are actions that have been carried out for several years.
(ANS – Madrid) – Fr Fabio Attard, SDB, appointed by the Rector Major as Extraordinary Visitor to the St James the Greater Province Spain (SSM), during his meeting with the Rectors of Salesian works in the Province, which took place in León on 9-10 October, presented the five fundamental keys to proposing the Salesian charism in today's culture. This was the first meeting at the provincial level that Fr Attard held during his Extraordinary Visitation, which began on 3 October in Aranjuez, followed by a meeting in Parla and a meeting with the Domingo Savio educational community in Madrid on 10 October.
Cordoba, Spain - October 2023 - After a month filled with activities, the 12th edition of the European Researchers' Night 2023 reached its climax with an “Intelligence Fair”. Hundreds of people poured into the gardens of the Rector's Office at the University of Cordoba (UCO) to enjoy the 33 different stands, workshops, games and scientific experiments that UCO research groups organised to explain their studies. In this context, the Salesians from Cordoba celebrated winning first prize in the 'Challenge of Knowledge' competition, in which students from three school centres presented their research work. The Salesian group 3A won with a project on the growth of microorganisms in a culture medium made from household materials. The European Researchers' Night is a science dissemination project promoted by the European Commission as part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie initiatives by the Horizonte Europa programme, coordinated in Andalusia by the Fundación Descubre with funding from the Department of University, Research and Innovation.
Spain - October 2023 - The Delegation for Social Communication of the Salesians in Spain, within the framework of the planning drawn up for the 2023-2024 pastoral year, held its online meeting on 5 October with the local Delegates from the different houses in the Saint James the Great Provine (SSM) and Mary Help of Christians (SSM) Province, Spain, and the communication representatives from the Salesian bodies (Federation of Youth Centres, Social Platforms, NGOs, Edebé...). Under the motto "A dream for you", the communication teams, coordinated by the Provincial Delegates, Fr Javier Valiente (SSM) and Fr Carlos Martín (SMX), expressed their gratitude for the work done over the past year. During the work, it was also possible to welcome new local groups and share some strategic directions to continue to grow the work in the network.
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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“Speaking with the Heart”: A great Antidote for the Ills of today’s world
‘Revolutionize the world with your kindness, by speaking with your heart’, is the dream that Pope Francis envisions for humanity through his 57th World Communication Day message, that falls on this Ascension Sunday, 21st May 2023. ‘Speak with your heart in truth and charity’, and this is the best antidote that can cure the ills of today’s society.
EVENTS
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Italy – "Labs To Future": the final event of the "Labs To Learn" project in Valdocco
(ANS – Turin) – The final event of the "Labs to Learn" project was held on Tuesday, 5 March 2024, entitled "Labs To Future: The path – The results – The challenges" . The project was selected by the "Con i Bambini" social enterprise within the framework of the Foundation for the Fight against Child Educational Poverty and came into being with the intention of combating early school leaving and preventing educational poverty, increasing the number of young people with difficulties who fulfil their school obligation, access higher education and/or job placement, and opening the way for personal growth according to their inclinations and aspirations.
SPECIAL REPORTS
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Peru – Centenary of the High Altar of the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Lima
(ANS – Lima) – The centenary of the consecration of the high altar in the Crypt of the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Lima was celebrated on 19 March, on the feast of St Joseph and in homage to Fr José Calasanz Marqués, then Provincial of the Salesians in Peru and Bolivia – now recognised as Blessed by the Church – on account of his name.
MESSAGES OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
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DREAMS THAT KEEP COMING TRUE!
THE MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR, Card. Ángel Fernández Artime, SDB
When reflecting on all this, I feel I have a little authority to say: “Dear Don Bosco, your Dream is still VERY ALIVE.”