NEWS
(ANS - Lubumbashi) - The Councilor for the Africa-Madagascar Region, Fr Alphonse Owoudou, began his visit to the Salesian Province of Central Africa (AFC), during which he presented the Rector Major's, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, Program Letter for the six-year term.
(ANS - Rimini) - A few days after the feast day of Don Bosco, the Salesian community of Rimini publishes a boxed set containing all the publications concerning its church of Mary Help of Christians. The collection serves as a synthesis of the in-depth works developed in conjunction with two centenarians recently experienced by the community: that of the birth of Blessed Alberto Marvelli (21 March 1918), who was formed as a committed young Christian in the church of Mary Help of Christians; and that relating to the arrival of the Salesians in Rimini (1919-2019).
(ANS - Ulan Bator) - The Salesians took over the pastoral care of the mission of Shuwuu, not too far from the capital of the country, Ulan Bator, in 2016, on the proposal of the then Vicar Apostolic of Mongolia, Msgr. Wenceslaus Padilla. “When we first arrived there, we had just four gers (traditional Mongolian round houses) at our disposal. Yes, it was difficult to start apostolic activities without a solid infrastructure. We used two ger joined together as a chapel, a small ger was for the parish office and the other ger was for the kitchen,” says Salesian Fr Mario Gaspar dos Santos from Timor, who has been serving in Shuwuu since last year.
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.