(ANS - Perugia) - Yesterday, Monday, June 20, was a day of solemn festivity in Perugia: to mark the celebrations for the first centenary of the Salesian presence in the city, the Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, arrived for a visit.

Rome, Italy - June 2022 - The priestly ordination of Salesian Faustin Bahati was celebrated on June 18 in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the laying on of hands and consecratory prayer of Msgr. Enrico dal Covolo, SDB, titular bishop of Eraclea.

Moncalieri, Italy - June 2022 - On June 16 and 17, the Monastery of the Visitation in Moncalieri hosted the relic of the heart of St. Francis de Sales normally kept in the monastery of Treviso, which sent it to celebrate the fourth centenary of the saint's death. Arriving from the monastery in Pinerolo, the relic stayed two days in Moncalieri, where it was welcomed and venerated by many Christians, religious men and women on Thursday evening in a celebration specially organized for them. On Friday, June 17, at 8:30 p.m. the Rector Major, Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime, presided over the solemn Mass concelebrated by ten priests, most of them Salesians, including the General Councilor for Formation, Fr. Ivo Coelho. A large choir animated the liturgical prayer and the Monastery church, which was packed with faithful, mostly belonging to the Salesian Family. In his homily, the Rector Major posed the question that forms the backdrop of a Christian life, "At what point is my faith?" and then reread it in the gestures of love that express it: love of God and neighbor, exactly as St. Francis de Sales educated his "Visitandine" by telling them, "In the love of God and in charity toward our neighbor this little congregation should be second to none." The community of nuns participated in every way, in the way that enclosure allowed them, but with the great closeness of affection to the people of God who had been convened. Prayer then gave way to ritual photos and personal greetings to the Visitandine nuns, who provided refreshments for all participants.

Rome, Italy - June 2022 - On June 11 and 12, the annual assembly of the Salesian NGO "Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo" (VIS) was held in Rome. It was an intense weekend, rich in content and emotions for VIS staff and participants who came to Rome, enriched by the presence of Salesian Fr. Angelo Regazzo who celebrated his 50 years of priesthood. The assembly began with a report by VIS President Michela Vallarino, with the participation of her predecessor, Nico Lotta, and continued with the presentation of the 2021 social budget and VIS activities. Then a panel discussion was held on the theme "War is Madness." The following day, the 2021 operating budget and 2022 budget, 2022-2027 strategic planning, and participants' formulation of action and organizational proposals were presented. The assembly concluded with Mass celebrated by Fr Regazzo.

(ANS - Rome) - After nearly four years of typically Salesian service, that is, in favor of those most in need, the project of the Salesians of Italy "Giving more to those who had less" has come to an end, a project selected by the social enterprise "Con i Bambini" as part of the Fund for the contrast of juvenile educational poverty, which involved 14 territories in seven Italian regions (Calabria, Campania, Puglia, Sicily, Lazio, Liguria, and Marche), characterized by situations of dispersion, early school leaving, cultural deprivation, and poverty.

(ANS - Turin) - The Salesian Missionary Volunteering (SMV) Advisory Board met in Valdocco from May 31 to June 9 to draw up the first strategic plan to promote SMV in the Salesian Congregation.