(ANS – Urnieta) – The Extraordinary Visitation by Fr Fabio Attard to Spain’s St James the Greater Province (SSM) has continued in March. In recent days he visited the Salesian houses of Logroño, Pamplona, Urnieta, Donostia, Azkoitia and Madrid-Estrecho, meeting with the Salesian Family, lay people with positions of responsibility in the different sections, parish councils, Salesian family groups and young people from Salesian schools and youth centers. In Pamplona, he also met the Archbishop of Pamplona and Tudela, who has just begun his service for the diocese.
(ANS – Valencia) – Since the end of March 2024, the "Ángel Tomás Solidarity Initiative" Foundation has been renamed "FISAT Salesianos Social", a name change that does not affect the essence of the organisation.
(ANS – Alexandria) – Almost a hundred Egyptian youngsters are participating in the Socio-Sports School project carried out in collaboration with the Misiones Salesianas Mission Office with the Real Madrid Foundation at the Don Bosco institute in Alexandria. Through the practice of football and basketball, and with psychological and social support, boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 17, through the practice of sport, learn and put into practice healthy values and also improve their school performance, in an environment conducive to teamwork.
(ANS – Kami) – One hundred and fifty young people from the indigenous communities of rural areas of Kami, Bolivia, received education and formation thanks to the project developed by the Spanish Salesian NGO "Bosco Global" and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians on the spot. The project has made it possible to consistently improve the work and social opportunities of the young people involved.
(ANS – Madrid) – The Third National Day of Salesian Educational Sport was held at the headquarters Spain’s St James the Greater Province (SSM) in Atocha, Madrid, on Saturday, 16 March 2024.
Burgos, Spain – March 2024 – "For a better world" was the motto of the second edition of the Intermediate Vocational Training Competition, held on 20 March at the Salesian Padre Aramburu Work in Burgos. The jury, composed mainly of entrepreneurs from Burgos, highlighted the quality of the projects and presentations. Fifty participants, including young people, teachers and entrepreneurs, shared a morning of intense work to present the projects carried out by the boys and girls of the Salesian centres of Saint James the Greater Province (SSM). The "Water Use" installation created by the students of the first middle grade of the electricians course of the Salesians of Pamplona won the competition, followed by the "Bomba-Mecate" project of the Ciudad de los Muchachos in Madrid. The other projects presented were "Electronics with style" and "Electrical panels" by "P. Aramburu", "QR Bracciali" Pamplona; and "Smart Chair" by the Salesians in Aranjuez. Isabel Alonso of the Federation of Business Associations (FAE, in Spanish) of Burgos said that "participating in this competition is a source of pride because at FAE we promote Vocational Training and believe it is necessary for the business community. We like that boys and girls in Vocational Training see the applicability of their qualifications in the world of work. And these research and development ideas are fantastic!"
To learn more about the competition projects, visit the website: https://www.salesianos.es/certamenfpgm/
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.