Carisolo, Italy - October 2023 - From 27 to 30 October, the first of the formation meetings for the year 2023-2024 for the Salesians and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in initial formation was held at the Don Bosco alpine holiday home in Carisolo, on the theme: "Identities re-acknowledged". The meeting was mainly structured in study days, accompanied by talks from the Salesian philosopher Paolo Zini. Fr Roberto Dal Molin, Superior of the Salesian Province of Lombardy-Emilia (ILE), and FMA Provincial Sister Stefania Saccuman were present, offering important insights into the various themes explored to make the experience even more fruitful. The programme also included time for group work, sharing in plenary session, and recollection. There were, of course, spaces for fraternity and a walk to the hermitage of San Martino and the Nardis waterfalls in Val di Genova.

Naples, Italy - October 2023 - On Sunday 29 October, on the day of the liturgical memorial of Blessed Michael Rua, patron of the Salesian Province of Southern Italy, Superior Fr Gianpaolo Roma handed over the OPP or Salesian Overall Provincial Plan to the Salesians and lay people who share responsibility for the mission: a strategic plan of animation and governance that regulates the development and continuity of the province's decisions for the six-year period 2023-2029. "There are two guidelines that give life to this document," he writes in the introduction, "the challenge of a new development and continuity with the precious heritage of the past. Drawn up since 2021 and completed during the 27th Provincial Chapter, the OPP. was codified in the work of the previous Provincial Fr Angelo Santorsola with his Council, arriving after being seen and revised by communities at the final approval by the present Provincial Council in July 2023. Accompanying the document, the recipients also received a systematic collection of the provincial plans developed in recent years in the areas of Youth Ministry, Formation, Salesian Family and Economy. It represents a valuable "compass" to guide the Salesian mission, consecrated life and pastoral actions in the territories of southern Italy, Albania and Kosovo over these six years. "My hope," Fr Roma concludes, "is that this effort may be just that: a stimulus to till and sow the soil of our Province and our EPCs so that it may generate abundant fruit for the Kingdom." The OPP, with its documents, can be consulted online from the "Resources" section of the website www.donboscoalsud.it

(ANS - Turin) - A 10 km marathon with an itinerary that crosses the most famous streets of the eternal city: this is the annual Marathon for Saints (Corsa dei Santi), an event now in its 15th edition, scheduled for Wednesday, 1 November 2023, with start and finish in St Peter's Square in the Vatican. The sporting event, which also aims to highlight the traditional commemoration of All Saints' Day and support to charitable works, this year is destined to a social development project to be implemented in the city of Kankan, in Guinea. The event is coordinated by Don Bosco Missions (Missioni Don Bosco), the non-profit Salesian Missionary Office at Turin-Valdocco, which supports Salesian missions around the world.

(ANS - Turin) - On Tuesday 24 October 2023, the Rector Major and newly created cardinal Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, inaugurated the temporary exhibit titled: "Images of a vanished world: Fr Alberto De Agostini -the Man, the nature, the Art and the science'”, curated by Prof. Fr Francesco Motto, SDB, of the Salesian Historical Institute in Rome, Prof. Nicola Bottiglieri, of the University of Cassino, and Dr Ana Martín García, the General Coordinator of the Don Bosco House Museum in the presence of a large audience, at the House of Don Bosco Museum (Museo Casa Don Bosco) in Turin-Valdocco.

Rome, Italy - October 2023 - From 24th to 27th October, the Regional Formation Commission meeting for the Mediterranean Region was held at the "San Tarcisio" postnovitiate community in Rome. The Provincial Formation Delegates of the Salesian Provinces of Portugal, Spain and Italy participated. The UPS Vice Province was also present for the meeting. The Delegate of the MOR Province should have been present, but was unable to attend because of the war situation in the Holy Land. Among the topics discussed were: a reflection on Salesian holiness starting from the canonisation of Artemide Zatti, led by Rector Major Emeritus, Fr Pascual Chávez; the sharing of provincial initiatives linked to the figure of Zatti and the 200th anniversary of Don Bosco’s dream at the age of 9 in 2024; an evaluation of missionary formation initiatives carried out in dialogue with the Missions Sector; and the revision of the Commission's Regulations. The participation in the community life of the post-novitiate and the animation of young Salesians, who enriched some moments of the meeting, were also greatly appreciated.

(ANS - Sacrofano) - "Dare to Share" was the theme of the meeting held at the "Fraterna Domus" retreat centre in Sacrofano, on the outskirts of Rome, from 19 to 23 October. The event was attended by Salesians and lay people who are committed in their Provinces to finding resources for missionary animation and evangelization programmes. A total of 80 participants, from 42 Provinces serving the population of 69 different countries, took part in the meeting, to discuss how to focus on mobilizing local resources on reducing dependency on foreign donations.