Vientiane, Laos - November 2018 - Fr Guillermo Basañes, General Councilor for the Missions, visited the Vocational Youth Center "Don Bosco" in Vientiane. On his arrival on November 17, he held an opening conference with the Salesian community on the occasion of the monthly retreat. The following day he presided at the Eucharistic celebration in the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, the only Catholic church in Vientiane, and had a meeting with Cardinal Louis-Marie Ling Mangkhanekhoun, Bishop of Vientiane. He also visited a center managed by the FMA. On November 19, Fr Basañes presided over the community Mass at the end of which he handed over the missionary cross to the four Salesians. His talks with the students and teachers were stimulating and he invited them to share with others not only the technical competence, but above all the good manners and education and the many spiritual values of Don Bosco.

Bangkok, Thailand - November 2018 - From 12 to 17 November, Fr Guillermo Basañes, General Councilor for the Missions, is visiting the Salesians and the Salesian Family of the Thailand Province (THA), accompanied by Fr John Bosco Theparat, THA Provincial. Fr Basañes visited the Provincial House of Bangkok and the Center for the Development of the Skills of the Blind of Pakkred; he then continued in the South of the country in the diocese of Surat Thani, where he participated in the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of its foundation; he also visited the "Bangsak Don Bosco Home" and "Phanom Parish" houses. In the next few days Fr Basañes shall visit "Chiang Mai", northern Thailand, and Vientiane, Laos. Then in Cambodia from 20 to 22 November he will take part in the annual meeting of the Missionary Animation Delegates of the East Asia-Oceania Region.

(ANS – Bangkok) – The ten weeks of Extraordinary Visitation of the St Paul Thailand-Cambodia-Laos Province has concluded with a two-day session (October 30 and 31) in the Bangkok provincial house. The first of these days saw the participation of the Rectors and Provincial Council members, coordinated by Provincial Fr John Bosco Theparat and with the excellent support of Provincial Secretary Fr Joseph Kriengsak. More than 50 confreres took part in the final two days.

(ANS - Bangkok) - The Catholic presence in Thailand, a country with a large Buddhist majority, cannot help but deal with the issue of religious dialogue. And this is a task and issue the Salesians have not failed to address. At the same time, even within countries wherein Catholicism is more rooted, the spiritual Sons of Don Bosco bring, as they do, the testimony of their specific charism to the Church and to the local population.

(ANS - Rome) - World Youth Day 2018, celebrated Sunday 21 October, even as the Synod of Bishops on young people was taking place, focuses precisely on young people as heralds of the faith: "Together with the young, let us bring the Gospel to all" is the chosen motto. For the Salesian Family - always characterized by missionary longing, and strongly convinced that there is no one better than a young person to accompany another young person to Christ - it is a message and a day that give new impetus to the apostolate.

(ANS – Vientiane) – Mr. Kasanya is a young, energetic and determined man, 23 years old, sixth in a family of 8 siblings (four sisters and four brothers), born in a small village some 700 km from the Laos capital of Vientiane. He is one of the 143 Don Bosco students and 62 boarders living together with a small SDB community.