(ANS - Rome) - Exhorted by the Rector Major, father and center of unity of the Salesian Family, and in communion with the whole Church, the various groups that share the charism of Don Bosco have these days been pleading for the intercession of Mary Help of Christians to implore God for the cessation of the pandemic, relief for those afflicted by it and the eternal salvation of those whom the Lord has called to Himself. Today, March 24, the monthly commemoration of Mary Help of Christians, this spiritual journey finds fulfillment in the Act of Entrustment to Mary Help of Christians.
(ANS - Rome) - At the end of the extraordinary novena to Mary Help of Christians, prayed throughout the Salesian world, the Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, invites us to make an Act of Entrustment, renewing our trust in Our Lady, with the heart of Don Bosco, in this hour of trial and suffering due to the coronavirus pandemic.
(ANS - Rome) - Faced with the emergency for the spread of COVID-19, Fr Pierluigi Cameroni, World Delegate of the Association of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA), and the Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, from the courtyard of Valdocco invited everyone to recite an "Extraordinary World Novena to Mary Help of Christians." This is why Fr Cameroni invites us today to live and trust fully in God and to put ourselves in the hands of Mary Help of Christians.
(ANS - Rome) - Considering the emergency created by the spread of Coronavirus across most of the globe, the Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, invites the Salesians, the members of the Salesian Family, and the young people to renew their trusting faith in Mary Help of Christians, following the example of Don Bosco in similar circumstances. For this reason he proposes to experience an extraordinary novena from March 15 to 23 and to conclude it on March 24, the monthly commemoration of Mary Help of Christians, with a prayer of entrustment.
(ANS - Talca) - On 12 November last, we learned and reacted with shock and anger that a group of vandals had attacked the church of Mary Help of Christians of Talca. They burned images, paintings and benches to make barricades. The only image left without a scratch was the portrait of Mary Help of Christians, the mother who surely, like Our Lady of Guadalupe, will have told the young people who committed this barbarism: "Am I not here, your Mother? Aren't you in my shadow and refuge? Am I not the source of your joy? Aren't you also under my mantle? Is it something else you need?"
PHOTO GALLERY
INTERVIEWS
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Belgium – Isaac Kimeli, Past Pupil of the Don Bosco Institute in Hal, Olympic athletics finalist: "My past has made me who I am today"
(ANS – Hal) – Belgian athlete Isaac Kimeli has competed in two Olympic finals in Paris: the 5,000 and 10,000 metres. In the first, he ranked eighth, in 13'18″10. Isaac arrived in Belgium at the age of 15 and was welcomed by the Salesians in Hal, near Brussels. In an interview with Don Bosco Magazine, he reviewed his career and his time at the Salesian school.
EDITORIAL
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Myanmar – Tragedy of Innocent Children in the midst of Armed Conflicts
(ANS – Naypyidaw) - Myanmar finds itself immersed in profound grief and anguish as innocent lives, particularly those of children, continue to be mercilessly lost in the enduring armed conflicts. Families are left devastated by the tragic loss of their loved ones while the relentless violence shows no signs of abating. This week, a heartfelt plea from Myanmar reached our community, shedding light on the heart-wrenching death of a young girl Juliet in a military airstrike, prompting a unified call for prayers and action.
EVENTS
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Brazil – 22nd National Meeting of Schools of the Salesian Network Brazil and 15th National Meeting of Local Economers
(ANS – Brazil) – The 22nd National Meeting of Schools of the Salesian Network Brazil (ENARSE) and the 15th National Meeting of Local Economers (ENEL) took place online on 28 and 29 August. The event brought together the leaders of the schools and Provinces of the Salesian Network Brazil (RSB), with the aim of promoting ongoing formation in the managerial, pedagogical, pastoral, communicative and administrative-financial dimensions to strengthen the Salesian Educational Mission in the Network.
SPECIAL REPORTS
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Peru – From dreams to jungle: a spiritual and cultural journey in the unknown Kuyuntsa
(ANS - Kuyuntsa) – Several decades ago, young Salesian missionary Luis (Luigi) Bolla left his life in Italy, driven by an inner voice that called him to explore lands unknown to him, but known to God. "You will have to walk a long way, carrying my Word," said the mysterious character who would change the course of his life.
MESSAGES OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
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Between Admiration and Pain
THE MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR, Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime
I cordially greet all Don Bosco’s friends who come here with interest. Today, I greet you for the last time from this page. As of August 16, the day on which we commemorate Don Bosco’s birth (August 16, 1815), my service as Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco ends. There’s always a reason to give thanks, always. Thank you! Thank you—to God, above all, to the Congregation and Salesian Family, to so many dear people, and to so many friends of Don Bosco’s charism, many of them benefactors.