(ANS – Turin) – On Tuesday, April 1, 2025, on the occasion of the 91st anniversary of the canonization of Saint John Bosco (1934-2025), the renovated Piazza Maria Ausiliatrice in Turin will be inaugurated. This significant redevelopment project has enhanced the historical and cultural value of the site, which has long been a destination for citizens, pilgrims, and tourists due to the presence of the Salesian community and the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians. The reorganization of the space has improved its livability, making it even more welcoming. The ceremony will also mark the completion of the restoration and conservation work on the two bell towers of the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians.
The 29th General Chapter of the Society of St. Francis de Sales has elected the new Rector Major, Fr. Fabio Attard.
(ANS – Turin) – On the morning of 27 March 2025, Fr. Fabio Attard, the 11th successor of Don Bosco, chose a deeply symbolic and heartfelt way to celebrate his second Mass as Rector Major. He visited the infirmary of the Mother House at Valdocco, where the elderly and sick Salesians of the ICP Province reside, to celebrate the Eucharist with them. This thoughtful gesture underscored his profound sense of responsibility and care for all members of the Salesian Congregation, particularly those who, due to their age or health, can no longer actively engage in the fieldwork of the mission.
Turin, Italy – March 2025 – On March 25, the 29th General Chapter of the Society of St. Francis de Sales elected Fr. Fabio Attard as the new Rector Major. He is the 11th Successor of Don Bosco, entrusted with leading the Salesian Congregation and continuing its mission of serving young people, especially the poorest and most vulnerable, across 136 countries worldwide.
On the evening of March 25, upon his arrival from Rome to Turin, the new Rector Major was warmly welcomed and greeted. This was followed by the formal act of the profession of faith, the most solemn and institutional moment of the occasion. Fr. Attard then delivered his first address, outlining his vision and key directions for the Congregation. The day after his election, he also celebrated his first Mass as Rector Major in the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Valdocco, Turin.
(ANS-Turin) – This morning marked a significant moment in the history of the Salesian Congregation: Fr. Fabio Attard, the new Rector Major and 11th Successor of Don Bosco, presided over his first Mass at the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Valdocco, Turin. It was a solemn and deeply spiritual occasion marked by gratitude and reflection, during which the Salesian Family gathered to give thanks to God for the gift of the Eucharist and to meditate on the mission and vision of Don Bosco’s successor.
(ANS – Turin) – This was a special moment, a formal but necessary ritual, a time of great joy and unity, but also a chance to give meaning and depth to the beginning of a new journey that the Congregation has started with this 29th General Chapter. It all happened on Tuesday, March 25th, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, at the Grand Auditorium in Valdocco. That’s where Fr. Fabio Attard, the new Rector Major and the 11th Successor of Don Bosco, took the oath of faith.
PHOTO GALLERY
INTERVIEWS
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RMG - Preparation, objectives, challenges and perspectives of GC29: in dialogue with the Moderator, Fr Alphonse Owoudou(ANS - RMG) - Just a few days before the beginning of the 29th General Chapter (GC29) of the Salesian Congregation, Fr Alphonse Owoudou, Councillor for the Africa-Madagascar Region and Moderator of GC29, recounts in detail, through an articulate interview, the work preceding and underlying this responsibility, indicating the spirit that will animate it and the attitudes and conditions to make it truly a Cenacle in which the Holy Spirit can act, for the benefit of the Congregation, the Salesian mission and the youth of the world.
EDITORIAL
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RMG – Don Bosco: “The Fascinating Saint”(ANS - Rome) - Don Bosco is perhaps the most amazing and fascinating saint, history has ever produced. The humble work which he began for the welfare of his poor and abandoned boys in Italy has produced astonishing results, and today there are nearly 14000 Salesians working in 138 countries, and there are more than 200,000 members belonging to the 32 groups of the worldwide Salesian Family sharing the charism of Don Bosco and reaching out to the needy young people.
EVENTS
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Italy – Don Bosco’s Letters Return back to Valdocco, Turin!(ANS – Turin) – On Wednesday, April 2, 2025, the city of Turin, particularly Valdocco, will commemorate the publication of “The Letters of Don Bosco” (edited by Francesco Motto, Rome, LAS 1992-2024). Two distinct events will be held: one in the morning, open to the general public, and another in the evening, exclusively for Salesian family members and well wishers. These events will serve as a platform to highlight the significance of Don Bosco’s letters.
SPECIAL REPORTS
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United States – World Water Day: Salesian Missions highlights projects that ensure clean water for youth(ANS – New Rochelle) - Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins humanitarian organizations and countries around the globe in celebrating World Water Day. Led by U.N.-Water, the organization that coordinates the United Nations’ work on water and sanitation, the day has been honored on March 22 every year since 1993.
MESSAGES OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
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WE ARE DON BOSCO TODAYTHE MESSAGE OF THE VICAR OF THE RECTOR MAJOR, Fr Stefano Martoglio, SDB
Dear friends and readers, members of the Salesian Family, for this month's greeting in the Salesian Bulletin I will focus on a very important event that the Salesian Congregation is holding presently: General Chapter XXIX. This assembly, the most important one that the Congregation can experience, occurs every six years along the Salesian Congregation’s journey.
