Rome, Italy - Aug. 3, 2024 - "Ten good practices of evangelization in social networks, of which the last one is the best": with this catchy beginning Sister Xiskya Valladares returned to the stage of the World Social Communication Conference "Shaping Tomorrow," underway in Rome (Aug. 1-7) to offer in a quick, clear and entertaining way some tricks to be effective in evangelizing and educational communication on the web. Among her suggestions: set relevant and defined goals; know your intended audience well; create relevant and specific content for that audience; have a project mentality, plan and schedule content; capture the audience's attention from the start; optimize content for each platform; keep interaction high with a "call to action" and immediate response to comments; measure and analyze the performance of your actions, and refine your strategy accordingly; take advantage of user-generated content; and finally - most important - take care of Eucharistic life.
Rome, Italy - 2 August 2024 - The last session of the first day of work at "Shaping Tomorrow", the World Conference on Social Communication promoted by the Salesian Congregation's Social Communication Sector and the Salesian Pontifical University's Faculty of Social Communication, featured journalist Maurizio di Schino, who spoke on the theme: "communicating with migrants and refugees". The speaker, who himself, as a boy with his family, experienced the experience of being a migrant, urged those present not to recount migrations as "emergencies, since they are part of our history" and called for the responsible use of words, also providing some texts and deontological references for communicators. Then, referring to his direct experiences in the field, he also emphasized the need to tell migration stories by empathizing with migrants and refugees, because such an attitude makes it possible to discover relationships and connections in reality that otherwise would not be seen.
Rome, Italy - 2 August 2024 - The activities of the World Conference on Social Communication "Shaping Tomorrow" kicked off in the afternoon of the first day, Friday 2 August, with a captivating talk by Sister Xiskya Valladares, a Religious of the Congregation of the Purity of Mary, and co-founder of the digital evangelisation project "iMisión". Also speaking before the Secretary of the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication, Bishop Lucio Adrian Ruíz, the nun conducted a pleasant interaction with the audience, emphasising that "if we want an adolescent to understand us, without losing our identity, we have to embrace their language". On the strength of her 14 years as a "digital missionary" and her experiences on various social networks, Sister Valladares first highlighted some traits of the young people of "Generation Zeta": for example, that they are not really passive, but demanding; that they seek spontaneity understood as authenticity; or that they have a desire for immediate answers. He then indicated some of the techniques and paradigms needed to intercept them on the social networks: understanding the network as a space for conversation; developing creativity to the utmost; gamifying evangelisation (carrying it out in a playful manner); knowing how to fit in with viral trends; or, again, putting one's feelings and emotions into play. All this, not to get a few more 'likes', but to achieve a real involvement of one's followers, and to succeed in the end in really reaching people's hearts.
Rome, Italy - 2 August 2024 - After the opening ceremony, the first working session of "Shaping Tomorrow" saw the intervention of one of the central coordinators of this World Communication Conference, Fr Fabio Pasqualetti, Dean of the Faculty of Social Communication at the Salesian Pontifical University. He spoke on the topic 'Epochal Changes: Digital Culture and Artificial Intelligence', illustrating the elements of today's communication. In the face of the technical, anthropological, educational, social and political challenges it entails, Fr Pasqualetti proposed effective communication processes and solutions for the Church and the Salesian Family, starting from a reflection on Christian identity today and the communicative capacity of a witness based on coherence and credibility, as well as - in response to today's multicultural and social reality - on dialogue and merciful action. Thus, in conclusion, quoting Pope Francis, the Dean of the FSC recalled the purpose of communication to be at the service of human encounter. He further explained the theme in today’s context of young people to be different from the times of Don Bosco, as well as in the past 30 years. Speaking of Salesian context of Social communications, Fr Pasqualetti recalled the theme of last General chapter; ‘What kind of Salesian for today’ in the context of the new language of communication and the difficulties on communications today between family, society and Church.
Rome, Italy - August 2024 - More than 150 delegates and social communication experts gathered in the morning of Friday, 2 August 2024 at the inauguration of the World Conference on Social Communication "Shaping Tomorrow", promoted by the Social Communication Sector of the Salesian Congregation and the Faculty of Social Communication Sciences of the Salesian Pontifical University (UPS). Those present, gathered at the Aula Magna of the UPS, were able to listen to the welcome messages and introductory speeches by Fr Maciej Makuła, main coordinator of the event; of the Rector Magnificus of UPS, Fr Andrea Bozzolo; of Fr Gildasio Mendes, General Councillor for Social Communication; and finally of the Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Card. Ángel Fernández Artime.
(ANS – Tiruchy) – The Salesian Province of Tiruchy is set to mark a momentous milestone, celebrating the Silver Jubilee of its foundation on August 5, 2024, in Thanjavur, the historic location where the first Salesians arrived in India in 1906. The Jubilee festivities will be presided over by Rev. Fr. Stefano Martoglio, the Vicar to the Rector Major, at Don Bosco Thanjavur. The event will commence with a solemn Eucharistic celebration, featuring concelebrants such as Rev. Fr. Biju Michael, the South Asian Regional, and all the Provincials of the region. A grand cultural event will follow, showcasing the diverse mission activities of the province.
PHOTO GALLERY
INTERVIEWS
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RMG – Fr Gildasio Mendes, General Councillor for Social Communication, talks about his two new books on Don Bosco(ANS – Rome) – At the end of the International “Shaping Tomorrow” Communication Conference (Rome, 1-7 August 2024), the General Councillor for Social Communication, Fr Gildasio Mendes, publicly presented his most recent two literary works, both dedicated to Don Bosco and motivated by the bicentenary of the latter’s famous Dream at Nine Years of Age. They are As seeing him who is invisible and Parallels 15 and 20. Today he shows us in detail the meaning and perspectives of the two books.
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 – The chapel of the relics at the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Turin celebrates 90 years and celebrates them with an exhibition on the Shroud(ANS – Turin) – Again this year, on 14 September, on the occasion of the liturgical feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and the day of the Opening of the Crypt, the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Turin hosted an evening dedicated to the Shroud,, as part of the "Culture in the Basilica" exhibition, entitled "The Shroud: witness of great love".
SPECIAL REPORTS
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RMG – 100 years of Salesian holiness in the shadow of Mary: 8 September 2024 in Slovenia and Slovakia(ANS – Rome) – Don Bosco was a great lover of Our Lady and the "thread" of her strong and discreet presence as a mother, teacher and helper, never failed for each of her children. It is therefore not surprising that so much Salesian holiness is also interwoven with very deep bonds with Mary: every Servant of God, every Blessed and Saint of the Salesian Family has a special, sometimes all-encompassing bond with her, as it was for Fr Silvio Galli, SDB, or Sister Antonietta Böhm, FMA. This 2024 is also marked by two anniversaries directly connected to some figures of Salesian holiness: those of the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Raknovik, Ljubljana, consecrated on 8 September 1924, and that of the arrival in 1924 of the Salesians at the national Marian Shrine in Šaštín, Slovakia, dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows.
MESSAGES OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
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On WINGS of HOPETHE MESSAGE OF THE VICAR OF THE RECTOR MAJOR, Father Stefano Martoglio
While continuing my service as Vicar in the coming months, quietly, very simply, and completely in continuity, I’ll replace the Rector Major in leading the Congregation to the General Chapter, the 29th, in February 2025.