Milan, Italy – March 2024 - The students of the Salesian Rainerum Institute in Bolzano, continue to make milestones and confirm South Tyrolean excellence in the field of robotics. "This time it is Augusto Martino, Elisa Aricò and Elia Vismara, with the collaboration of their comrades Arianna Marrone, Matteo Colaone and Noah Perli, who won second place at the 35th FAST (Youth and Science) competition held in Milan from 16 to 18 March, earning the opportunity to represent Italy at the Genius Olympiad in Rochester (NY) in the USA from 10 to 14 June. The young South Tyroleans, led by professors Prof. Monfalcon, Prof. Finotti, Prof. Sanin and Prof. Bertotto, won the final selections with a bold and current project that looks to the future: R.E.I (Robotic Emphatic Intelligence). R.E.I. is a robot that represents an evolutionary leap in the interaction between man and machine. Through the integration of facial recognition technologies, neural networks and artificial intelligence, R.E.I. stands out as a humanoid robot capable of perceiving and communicating emotions", as stated by the Dean, Prof. Stefano Monfalcon.
Mornese, Italy – March 2024 - From Sunday 10 to Saturday 16 March, the Rectors of the Salesians of Don Bosco and Superiors of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Piedmont, Valle d 'Aosta and Lithuania gathered in Mornese for the joint Spiritual Exercises. Very intense days led by Fr Giuseppe Roggia who proposed the morning reflections starting from the Letter to the Colossians and in the afternoon the historical-spiritual reading of Don Bosco's Dream at nine years of age. The day in silence, except for dinner and after dinner, created the environment to receive the contents in reflection and prayer, but also in spiritual exchanges. Prayer together was a moment of great benefit because the seriousness and harmony of spiritual styles and needs between the SDB and the FMA was "spontaneously" verified.
Perosa Argentina, Italy – March 2024 – On 19 March, Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco, presided over the Eucharist that concluded the jubilee year for the 270th anniversary of the parish church of Santa Maria Assunta in Pinasca. On the occasion, Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime went to the cemetery in Perosa Argentina to pay tribute to three deceased Salesian priests: Fr Emilio Galliano and brothers Frs Pietro (Peter) and Luigi Zago, in the presence of their families. The Rector Major also paid tribute to Sister Ausilia Lussana Perosina, FMA, who died at a young age.
(ANS – Rome) – Registration is officially open for auditions for the Salesian Symphony Orchestra, a project coming from an intuition by Salesians and the young Orchestra Director Giuseppe Lo Presti. Beneficiaries of the project are young musicians from 16 to 30 years of age.
(ANS – Turin) – Among the skills with which Don Bosco was able to educate was the Strenna, that message that he announced at the end of the year to all the young people of the Oratory. His successors continued this tradition. The most recent of them by Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, for the 2024 Strenna, "The dream that makes you dream. A heart that transforms ‘wolves’ into ‘lambs’", was inspired by the famous dream that young John Bosco had at the age of nine, exactly 200 years ago.
(ANS – Livorno) – The 93-year-old Salesian from Tuscany, Luigi Zoppi, received the "Canaviglia" award on Tuesday 19 March 2024, the feast of Saint Joseph, for his commitment to drug addicts, AIDS patients and migrants. The award is a city honour from the municipality of Livorno – a city where the Salesian has been working, always at the service of the least and at the heart of the Church, for almost 50 years.
PHOTO GALLERY
INTERVIEWS
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Chile – Former Salesian student in the fight against Alzheimer's disease(ANS - Santiago) - Dr Nibaldo Inestrosa, graduate of the Salesian Institute in Valdivia and national prize of Natural Sciences winner, is a pioneer and expert in the study of Alzheimer's disease in the country. In this interview, he offers an insight into the current challenges, but not before reflecting on his formative experience at the Salesian Institute in Valdivia and how this influenced his interest in biology and science.
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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RMG - St. Francis de Sales Communicator: All for Love(ANS – Rome) - The figure of St. Francis de Sales, chosen by Don Bosco as an example of a communicator, teaches that communication is a matter of the heart. In his expression, "Everything in the Church is love: everything lives in love, for love, and of love," we understand his revolution in the way of communicating, and how communication becomes fruitful when it allows communion and the exchange of one's experiences in a path of accompaniment and collaboration in God's project.
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."