(ANS - Rome) - Being alert and conscious communicators, knowing that presence on the Internet is one of the signs of the times to be accepted and used as a gift of God - this was the central theme of the 2016 Salesian Communication Days. This is now the fifth year of this initiative which took place in Rome at the Salesian Pontifical University on 29 and 30 April. Over 160 members of the Salesian Family in formation took part to study the Pope’s message for the 50th World Social Communications Day.
(ANS - Rome) - Among the tens of thousands of young people who met in Rome for the Youth Jubilee from 23 to 25 April, there were also more than 1,200 members of the Salesian Youth Movement from central Italy.
Roussillon, Italy - April 2016 – A day in honour of Venerable Stephen Ferrando was celebrated on 16 April in his birthplace Rossiglione (Genoa). The attendance included the local people, members of the Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians, founded by him, and members of the Salesian Family all of whom came to give thanks for the missionary life and evangelical witness of this son of Don Bosco.
(ANS - Rome) - "To what extent are we prepared to take on other people's suffering, limiting our own lifestyle to make room for those in need?" This is the question some of the Salesian Cooperators in central Italy asked themselves. Their answer was that in the face of the horrors of war it is worth facing the bureaucratic complications and difficulties to restore serenity and dignity to those who are seeking help.
Rome, Italy - April 2016 - In line with the decision of the 27th General Chapter, the first Seminar on Salesian personal accompaniment was held from 22 to 24 April. There were 35 participants, including one lay person, from all over the Salesian world. The seminar was organized by the Departments for Formation and Youth Ministry and led by the respective councillors Fr Ivo Coelho and Fr Fabio Attard. The Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández, also participated at the opening session.
Bari, Italy - April 2016 - On April 16th a new multimedia room was inaugurated at the Salesian Oratory of the Redeemer in the Libertà area of Bari in the presence of civil and religious authorities, and personalities from the sports world. It includes a cinema and a multipurpose room, and was made possible thanks to the "APS MARCOBALENO, the friends of Marco and Fabrizio Partipilo". With over two hundred square metres and a capacity of about 70 seats the new space will allow for educational programmes on cinema and also space for young people to run dance and music workshops. Every day the Salesian Oratory of the Redeemer of Bari, directed by Fr Francesco Preite, SDB, welcomes hundreds of young people from the Libertà neighbourhood who see the Oratory as an educational space for growth and joy.
PHOTO GALLERY
INTERVIEWS
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RMG – “Do Elderly Salesians have a role in the Digital Culture?”The answer in the letter “Sharing wisdom and hope in digital culture” from the General Councillor for Social Communication
(ANS – Rome) – In view of the current digital reality, and due to the presence, especially in some regions of the Salesian world, of a large number of elderly Salesians, the General Councillor for Social Communication, Fr Gildasio Mendes, has decided to dedicate a special letter to them, entitled: "Sharing wisdom and hope in digital culture". Here is how he explains to ANS readers today the origins, significance and perspectives of this document.
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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Latin America – Strengthening Vocational and Educational Commitment Today: 30 Years of the Salesian School in Latin America(ANS) – Since the first meeting in Cumbayá (Ecuador), 30 years ago, educational processes on the continent have found a collaborative epicentre which has given rise to the Salesian School in (Latin) America – ESA, in Spanish – as a forum for reflection and a common path. Many Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA) and other groups of the Salesian Family (SF) have enriched this synodal journey, focusing on young people and their integral development. What are today's demands of us in the educational field? How are we building the Salesian School of the future? Can we further strengthen this great Salesian educational network in America? Some FMAs and Salesians who were at the first meeting in 1994, share their experience and their vision of how this journey has allowed a growth in the understanding of the youth reality, in the strategic decisions within the Provinces themselves and in the challenges that emerge for Salesian education.
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.