Castelnuovo Don Bosco, Italy - August 2020 - Nine pre-novices from Croatia, one from Portugal and four from Spain are currently gathered at Colle Don Bosco, in Castelnuovo Don Bosco, for an intensive Italian language course and a community life experience of six weeks. Between the end of June and July, the pre-novices attended the online lessons, with the teachers now continuing the course in attendance until September 6, when one group will begin their novitiate in Colle Don Bosco and another in Genzano di Roma. This year there are 23 pre-novices in Italy, who will begin their novitiate on 8 September.
Bova Marina, Italy - 23 July 2020 - The "Don Bosco" Salesian Oratory of Bova Marina has joined the "plant your tree" initiative launched last autumn by the "Mondoverde Club", an environmental association. Thursday, July 23, as part of the Summer 2020 activities, around 60 children, young people from the "Don Bosco" oratory, joined in the shared planting of saplings. The four teams that make up the Summer Youth Camp participants have "adopted" a sapling each.
Bari, Italy - July 2020 - Yesterday, Thursday 30 July, Piazza Redentore was inaugurated in Bari in the presence of the city's Mayor, Antonio Decaro, the Director of the Salesian Institute "Redentore", Fr Francesco Preite, SDB, and with the blessing of the parish priest Fr Antonio D'Angelo, SDB. During his speech, Fr Preite said: “Piazza Redentore is a symbolic place, before being urban and physical: it is the place of life, of sociality, of the redemption, especially of the little ones. It is the place of a community and an administration that have listened to the voice of children, dedicating care and attention, with games and spaces. Now it is everyone's responsibility to take charge of this common good: let us live the square respecting the rules. Next to urban regeneration there is a need for an educational regeneration, of civilization that affects everyone. Let us not allow anyone to steal this living space from us.”
(ANS - Mirabello Monferrato) – Being celebrated - in addition to the centenary of the birth of Fr Egidio Viganò, VII Successor of Don Bosco at the head of the Salesian Congregation - is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Fr Pietro Ricaldone. Rector Major from 1932 to 1951, he was born in Mirabello Monferrato on July 27, 1870. For this occasion, his hometown remembered him with two days of celebration.
(ANS - Tivoli) – A processional luminous cross by the iconographer Domenica Ghidotti was blessed on the occasion of the 48th anniversary of the death of the Servant of God Msgr. Giuseppe Cognata, (22 July 1972). It coincides this year with the announcement of the consent of Pope Francis to the opening of the cause of beatification and canonization of the Salesian bishop. The blessing took place in the Mother House of the Salesian Oblates of the Sacred Heart (SOSC) in Tivoli.
Sesto San Giovanni, Italy - July 2020 - On 27 July Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, Rector Major of the Salesians, accompanied by his Vicar, Fr Stefano Martoglio, Fr Stefano Vanoli, Secretary of the General Council, and Hilario Seo, representing the Dicastery for Social Communication, visited the Salesian house in Sesto San Giovanni. Before the greeting to Fr Francesco Cereda, former Vicar of the Rector Major, and currently Director of the Salesian community and parish priest of the parish of "Mary Help of Christians", Fr Á.F. Artime went to the city cemetery for a commemoration and prayer for the late Fr Agostino Sosio, Director of the parish of Sesto and Superior of the Lombard-Emilian Province. Then, once returned to the Salesian work, Fr Artime greeted collaborators, the Salesian communities, visited the entire structure.
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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India – INS youth solemnise Don Bosco’s Feast Day with ‘Ka Sur Kynud S-3’ Grand Finale(ANS – Shillong) – The Youth of St John Paul II, Shillong Province, celebrated the Feast Day of St. John Bosco with the Grand Finale of “Ka Sur Kynud, Season 3.” Organised by Don Bosco Media Network Television, the Social Communication Department of the Province, at Don Bosco Youth Centre, Laitumkhrah, Shillong, this two-month-long singing competition, which imitates the global singing competition The Voice, concluded on 31 January 2025, coinciding with the Solemnity of St John Bosco.
SPECIAL REPORTS
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United States – CATHOLIC WORLD DAY OF THE SICK: Salesian Missions highlights medical programs for people in need around the globe(ANS – New Rochelle) – Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins Catholic organizations around the globe in honoring the Catholic World Day of the Sick. Every year on Feb. 11, the Pope marks the day with a special message calling for spiritual and physical closeness to all those who are ill. Saint John Paul II instituted the day “to encourage the people of God, Catholic health institutions and civil society to be increasingly attentive to the sick and to those who care for them.”
MESSAGES OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
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WHAT A GIFT TIME IS!THE MESSAGE OF THE VICAR OF THE RECTOR MAJOR,
Fr Stefano Martoglio, SDBThe beginning of the new year is illuminated in our liturgy by the ancient formula with which the Israelite priests blessed the people: "May the Lord bless you, and keep you. May the Lord show His face to you, and have mercy on you. May the Lord turn His countenance to you, and give you peace."