(ANS – Bologna) – A special moment of grace experienced by the participants in the Third General Assembly of the Community of the Mission of Don Bosco (CMB), held in Bologna from 2 to 9 July, was the pilgrimage on Saturday 8 July, to  the places of birth and martyrdom of the Servant of God Fr Elia Comini (1910-1944), one of the victims of the Nazi massacre at Monte Sole (Bologna). A young Salesian priest who during his life and until the end strove to be a good pastor, giving himself unreservedly to the good of his neighbour to the point of the supreme gift of life.

Turin, Italy – July 2023 – From 1 to 7 July a group of 33 educators, Salesians and lay people, working in the different Youth Ministry settingsl of the Mary Help of Christians Province in Spain (SMX) completed their formation in Salesian Spirituality in Don Bosco's country, organised by the Delegation for Charism and Shared Mission. After the experience at Godelleta, where the educators were able to approach Don Bosco's life in a theoretical way, the group went to the Salesian places in Piedmont to deepen their understanding of Salesian Spirituality, the Preventive System and Educational Pedagogy. The pilgrimage began at Don Bosco's birthplace at the Becchi, where the educators were able to get closer to the early years of young John's country life, rediscovering the simple life of the Bosco family, the great importance of Mamma Margaret and Fr Calosso. On the second day, the group went to Chieri to visit the most significant places in Don Bosco's life during his formative years. On the third day, the pilgrimage began with a visit to Salesian Turin. The day ended at the site of the Pinardi house, the beginning of what is now Valdocco. On the fourth and fifth days, the participants were able to learn more about the birth of Don Bosco's work in Valdocco, the evolution of the oratory, the expansion of the Congregation and the construction of the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians. In the last part of the formation, the participants experienced a morning of retreat, culminating with the celebration of the Eucharist in the Church of St Francis de Sales.

(ANS – Turin) - Following the approval of the Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, the Presidency of the World Confederation of the Past Pupils of Don Bosco officially announced an Extraordinary General World Assembly that will be held from the 3 – 6 October 2024 in Valdocco, Turin.  The theme of this Extraordinary World Assembly will be `Journeying Together – Change for Continuity‘. The theme highlights the core values and principles that have guided Don Bosco in establishing the Salesian charism and the mission with the young.

(ANS – Cuneo) – A new way of being a missionary? The people of Cuneo, always open to innovation, also convey this attitude to those who leave the province to seek their vocation elsewhere. Whether it is a specialist who goes to the big cities, an investor who thinks big, a traveller who invents a trade, the peasant DNA continuously generates skills to adapt and the search for efficiency. And it was for a Salesian born in Piasco and formed at Fossano, who took an “entrepreneurial” spirit from his homeland  that is very useful in his mission in Africa: first in Nigeria, then in Ghana, now in Sierra Leone.

(ANS – Rome) – The Faculty of Social Communication Sciences at the Pontifical Salesian University (UPS) is organising four days of theoretical and practical training on Social Media Management from 15 September,  with a view to the world of the third sector, non-profit organisations, religious institutions.

(ANS – Rome) – An international network led by Sisters from all over the world, with the aim of networking and together finding  answers to urgent and complex challenges of our time: this, in the words of Sister Patricia Murray, Executive Secretary of the International Union of Superiors General, was the meaning of the “Sister-led Dialogue on Migration”, which saw Sisters of the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) meet last 4 July in Rome with new partners to give space to the dialogue on migration, analysing its needs and potential. The panel was also attended by Sister Nieves Crespo, Daughter of Mary Help of Christians, a missionary in Ethiopia.