Vatican City, Vatican - September 2023 - The new catechetical year is about to begin in parishes throughout Italy and after the Angelus prayer on 10 September, Pope Francis blessed the Elledici initiative, the Salesian publishing company which "today is giving people in St Peter's Square a booklet for catechesis entitled 'Step by Step': it is a beautiful gift!" The Pope took the opportunity "to thank the catechists for their valuable work and to wish the boys and girls attending catechism the joy of meeting Jesus." "Step by Step" is an original catechetical project that accompanies families in the Christian education of their children aged 7-12. It is designed for today's children, young people and families, tested extensively by catechists and parish priests, and put together with an innovative and engaging methodology. It is based on workshops and activities for children and young people, parents and catechists, structured in 6 interactive aids and 6 guides for the catechist.
Alessandro Di Bussolo
Vatican News
(ANS – Ulanbaatar) – Pope Francis left Mongolia at 12.03 local time and is scheduled to return to Italy this afternoon, 4 September, at the Leonardo da Vinci airport in Rome-Fiumicino. For the Holy Father, these were days full of commitments which allowed him to embrace the different realities of the Mongolian Church and society and to meet the authorities of the country and local religious leaders.
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia - September 2023 – Pope Francis' Apostolic Journey to Mongolia, the first by a Pontiff in this country, has come to an end. The Holy Father left at about 12 noon (06.03 in Italy) from the Chinggis Khan International Airport in Ulaanbaatar. During these days, the Holy Father had the opportunity to meet the authorities of the country in the capital Ulaanbaatar and the small local Christian community at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, as well as the local religious leaders and the workers at the "House of Mercy". In taking his leave, Pope Francis thanked Mongolia for its generous hospitality. Then, in a telegram to President Khürel Sükh Ukhnaa, he assured him of his prayers for the peace, unity and prosperity of the nation.
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia - September 2023 - Pope Francis began the 43rd apostolic journey of his pontificate in Mongolia under the motto "Hoping together". He is the first Pontiff to visit the country. The Pope was officially welcomed at the Chinggis Khaan International Airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs Batmunkh Battsetsege; by Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar; by a woman in traditional dress who offered the Holy Father a cup of dry yoghurt, a typical gift of the country; by the Guard of Honour. Also present was Bishop José Luis Mumbiela Sierra, Bishop of the Holy Trinity Diocese in Almaty, in his capacity as President of the Central Asian Bishops' Conference. After the welcoming ceremony, the greeting of the official delegations and a brief conversation with the Minister, Pope Francis moved on to the Apostolic Prefecture of Ulaanbaatar, where he was welcomed by some children who presented him with flowers, and by a group of elderly and sick people.
(ANS Ulanbaatar) – From 1 to 4 September 2003 Pope Francis will be in Mongolia for his apostolic visit. The media will focus on the public events. Behind the scenes, many have been working since the Pope announced his visit to the "land of the eternal blue sky". Many Salesian Cooperators, Salesians of Don Bosco and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians are involved in these preparations, together with other religious of the Apostolic Prefecture. Among these there are also a Salesian brother and an FMA sister.
(ANS – Vatican City) – The director of the Vatican Press Office, Matteo Bruni, presented the 43rd apostolic trip of Pope Francis, which will be held in Mongolia from 31 August to 4 September. The first Pope in this country sandwiched between Russia and China, he will meet the representatives of the institutions and of the Church that today experiences its origins after being "reborn" in 1992. Central will be the Mass in the Steppe Arena, which will be attended by 1,500 local faithful plus a thousand from neighbouring countries, as well being an interreligious event
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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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.