After the difficult years of the pandemic, which imposed "virtual" celebrations, the faithful around the world returned to churches, squares and streets everywhere to celebrate Mary Help of Christians. Indeed, Salesian communities paid homage to She Who "did everything" with numerous initiatives, making devotion to Mary Help of Christians, a distinctive feature of the Salesian charism, more alive than ever.
(ANS - Rome) - "Auxilium Christianorum," "Help of Christians," is a title proper to the Litany of Loreto of the Holy Rosary and is a patrimony of the universal Church. At the same time, this title has a very special value for the Salesian Family, given the great devotion that Don Bosco manifested toward Mary invoked under this very title.
(ANS - Turin) - "Strongly recommend devotion to Mary Help of Christians": this was one of Don Bosco's main consignments and is a reality in every Salesian house in the world. And to say May in the Salesian Family is to speak of a central month in the annual calendar. It is the best time to remember Mary Help of Christians, whose feast is celebrated today, the 24th of the month, and to organize all kinds of activities in her honor. On this special day, among the various celebrations, of particular note is the launch of a new website entirely dedicated to Mary Help of Christians.
Lubumbashi, D.R. Congo - May 2022 - A pilgrimage in honor of Mary Help of Christians of the Salesian Family of the Salesian Province of Central Africa (AFC) was held in Lubumbashi on Sunday, May 22. An atmosphere of prayer, devotion, and joy of finding each other as sons and daughters of Mary Help of Christians, two years after the COVID-19 pandemic, characterized the pilgrimage. Young and old walked 6.5 km while praying the Rosary, animating and singing songs dedicated to Mary.
(ANS - Rome) - The World Novena to Mary Help of Christians promoted by the Salesian Headquarters concludes today, Monday, May 23. Each day's videos, available in multiple languages, have each recorded thousands of views on the various digital channels used, a sign of a universal devotion that transcends the Salesian Family and expands throughout the world. Tomorrow, the day of the liturgical feast, the eyes of all those who venerate Our Lady with the title of Help of Christians will be fixed on Valdocco and on that basilica built for "Our Lady of difficult times" by her greatest apostle, Don Bosco.
Next May 24 will mark the feast day of Mary Help of Christians, an anniversary particularly awaited by Salesians and members of the Salesian Family around the world.
PHOTO GALLERY
INTERVIEWS
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RMG – Interview with Fr Francisco Lezama, Provincial of Uruguay(ANS – Rome) – Fr Francisco Lezama was born in the city of Montevideo on 11 September 1979. He got to know the Salesians in the Salesian work of Las Piedras, where he took part in youth groups and parish activities.
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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Spain – 2024 Pastoral and Theological Updating(ANS – Santiago de Compostela) – The two Provinces of the Salesians of Don Bosco in Spain, Saint James the Greater (SSM) and Mary Help of Christians (SMX), are organising their Theological and Pastoral Updating meetings this year for the second part of July. This is an event that has become traditional, organised by the Formation Delegates of both Provinces, and aimed mainly at cultivating spirituality and ongoing formation among Salesians throughout the country.
SPECIAL REPORTS
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Solomon Islands – Salesian presence in the country(ANS – Honiara) – The presence of Don Bosco has reached every continent in the world. We can say that only Antarctica is missing, and even in the islands of Oceania the Salesian charism, which is well adapted to the different cultures and traditions, is spreading.
MESSAGES OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
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WHEN AN EDUCATOR TOUCHES HIS CHILDREN’S HEART— OR THE ART OF BEING LIKE DON BOSCOTHE MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR, Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime
The art of being like Don Bosco: “Remember that education is a matter of the heart, of which God alone is the master, and that we can achieve nothing unless God teaches us the art and hands us the key” (The Biographical Memoirs of Saint John Bosco, XVI, 376).