(ANS – Turin) – One of the first boys in Valdocco, Carlo Gastini, became homeless after losing both parents and ended up living on the streets with his younger sister. When Don Bosco encountered Carlo, he promptly invited him to stay at Valdocco. Many recall the story of the time Don Bosco visited the barber shop and insisted that the young boy shave his face for the first time!

(ANS – Bologna) – The Salesian and Dehonian Families share in the memory of the Church of Bologna and the civil communities as they remember the 80th anniversary of the Monte Sole massacre. Among the many victims of those days shone the testimonies of two priests, the Servants of God Fr Elia Comini (1910-1944), a Salesian, and Fr Martino Capelli (1912-1944), a Dehonian.

Macerata, Italy – September 2024 - From 13 to 15 September, the young Salesians of Don Bosco and young Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in the SDB and FMA Provinces of Sicily took place at the Salesian house in Macerata. It had been a long time since SDB and FMA in formation have shared such a prolonged space of formation and the experience in the Marche has allowed them to renew the charism of their founders to be at the service of young people, especially the poorest and most abandoned of Sicily. The camp began with a stop in Assisi, where in prayer before St Francis and St Clare the participants were able to take a break to recharge their spirits. In Macerata, the group learned about the reality in which an SDB community and an FMA community coexist, listening to the testimonies of the experience of sharing, being impressed by the simplicity and the predisposition to welcome by the whole house. The meeting with the two communities and also with the various lay people, has further spurred the desire of the group to live and work together for the good of young people. As a last stage of these days, the group visited the holy house in Loreto, where they asked Mary, who was the first to make Jesus feel at home, to also be their place of welcome and shelter for all those who will need it.

Messina, Italy – September 2024 - The 2024-2025 academic year of the San Tommaso Theological Institute Messina was officially inaugurated with the solemn Eucharistic celebration presided over on 25 September by Archbishop Giovanni Accolla, Archbishop of Messina, Lipari, Santa Lucia del Mela and a member of the Board of Directors of ITST, . Fr Giovanni Russo, Director of the Theological Institute and the Higher School of Bioethics and Sexology, together with the UPS in Rome, in his opening greeting expressed a deep welcome and thanks to those present and, in particular, to Archbishop Accolla. During the homily, the Archbishop of Messina stressed the importance of an increasingly profound and dialogical approach to the study of theology, highlighting how today, more than ever, it is necessary for theological reflection to dialogue with the complex challenges that the contemporary world is facing. In addition, Archbishop Accolla invited students and teachers to consider the study of theology not only as an academic path, but as an opportunity to respond with wisdom and faith to the questions of our time. During Holy Mass, teachers made their Profession of Faith, a solemn moment that enshrines their commitment to theological teaching according to the principles of the Catholic faith. At the end of the celebration, Archbishop Accolla urged everyone to cultivate a living fraternity, based on the knowledge of Christ, which must remain the centre and point of reference of every path of study and life.

Turin, Italy – September 2024 - The members of the 155th missionary expedition have reached their final preparations before the missionary send-off on 29 September in the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians. On Saturday, at sunset, they will receive the final transfer letter to their new Province with effect from 29 September. After dinner on 28 September they will have a meeting with the Vicar of the Rector Major, Fr Stefano Martoglio, and with the Mother General of the FMA, Mother Chiara Cazzuola, together with the FMA missionaries. "We continue to accompany them with our prayer," said Fr Alfred Maravilla, General Councillor for the Missions.

(ANS – Amsterdam) – On the occasion of the prestigious "Google Leader Series Summit" 2024, held in Amsterdam from 24 to 25 September, three representatives of the Salesian St Mark Province of Italy-Northeast (INE) presented the innovative "Gemini@Salesiani" Project. Fr Alberto Poles, Provincial Economer, Alberto Grillai, Delegate for Vocational Training, and Fr Lorenzo Teston, Delegate for Schools, illustrated the details of this initiative that will bring about a significant transformation in the world of Salesian education.