(ANS - Buenos Aires) - Sunday 10 November, inside the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians of Buenos Aires, filled with faithful from 36 countries attending the VIII World Congress of Mary Help of Christians, the Father of the Salesian Family, Rector Major Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, announced the decision to stage the next International Congress, the Ninth, in Portugal, in Fatima, in August 2023.
(ANS - Buenos Aires) - "We are gathered to celebrate Mary as a believing woman for young people. The whole Salesian Family knows that we are sons and daughters of Mary Help of Christians. This is why we propose Mary as a model of Christian life." With these words, yesterday, November 7, Fr Alejandro Gómez welcomed the participants of the VIII International Congress of Mary Help of Christians, scheduled until Sunday 10 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Buenos Aires, Argentina - November 2019 - The temple dedicated to St. Charles Borromeo and Mary Help of Christians, in the neighborhood of Almagro, in Buenos Aires, was started in 1899, with Pope Leo XIII who was the patron of laying and blessing the first stone, sending in his representation, Msgr. Antonio Sabatucci. The inauguration took place 11 years later, in 1910. Fr Ernesto Vespignani, a well-known Salesian architect, was responsible for the work of this magnificent Minor Basilica.
Buenos Aires, Argentina - 1910 - Chapel of the Institute of Mary Help of Christians, run by the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, in Yapeyú street, at that time a street with no name. It was the first shrine dedicated to Mary Help of Christians in America, and was built in 1883. It stands in front of the "Pio IX" Institute of the Salesians, in what is now identified as the neighborhood of Almagro, in Buenos Aires.
(ANS - Buenos Aires) - Just one day before the start of the International Congress of Mary Help of Christians, we meet Fr Daniel Antúnez, Economer of the Province of South Argentina, who is part of the Congress organizing committee, scheduled in Buenos Aires from 7 to 10 November. "It will be a congress that will remind us of the great past of Argentine history and that deep love for the Virgin under the title of Help of Christians that the first Salesians brought us," he said.
The Congress is promoted by the Association of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA), in the year of its 150th anniversary.
It was organized on the 140th anniversary of the arrival of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in the neighborhood of Almagro, Buenos Aires (26-01-1879).
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 PainTHE 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.