(ANS - Rome) - Historians recall that in 1934 Mario Giuseppe Francesco and Regina María Sívori, daughter of an Argentine and a Piedmontese, met in the Salesian Oratory of San Antonio, in the Argentine neighborhood of Almagro. The two went to Mass and in those environments the love that they professed forever was born. They were married on 12 December 1935; on 17 December 1936 Jorge Mario was born, the first child of four others: Alberto Horacio, Óscar Adrián, Marta Regina and María Elena, the Pope's only surviving sister.
(ANS - Rome) - Yesterday, 16 December, as part of the winter plenary session of the General Council, the Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, with the agreement of his Council, appointed Fr Gildásio Mendes dos Santos as the new Provincial of the Salesian Province of Brazil Belo Horizonte (BBH) for the six-year term, starting in 2020.
(ANS - Rome) - As part of the work of the winter plenary session of the General Council, the Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, with the agreement of his Council, has appointed Fr Joseph Pauria as the new Provincial of the India-Calcutta Province. Fr Pauria, who until now has been Provincial Vicar, will start in his new role on 31 May, taking over from Fr Nirmol Vincent Gomes.
(ANS - Rome) - There are 62 days to the beginning of the 28th General Chapter, which will take place in Turin-Valdocco from 16 February to 4 April 2020. With the approach of this important date, the last of the videos designed for narrating, describing and promoting Salesian historical places is available. This last video focuses on Colle Don Bosco, and is presented to us by Fr Luca Barone.
(ANS - Rome) - As part of the work of the winter plenary session of the General Council, the Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, with the agreement of his Council, appointed yesterday, 12 December, the Superiors of three Provinces: Fr Siegfried Kettner, for Austria (AUS); Fr Peter Timko, for Slovakia (SLK); and Fr Janoš Andrasfalvy, for Hungary (UNG).
(ANS - Rome) - 50 years have gone by. It was December 13, 1969, just four days before his 33rd birthday, when Jorge Mario Bergoglio was ordained a priest. His vocation dates back to 21 September 1953, the Feast of St. Matthew. In the his memories of this priest, today Pope Francis, the prayer he wrote for that memorable day has remained impressed upon him: "I believe that in the story, which was pierced through by the gaze of God's love, on the day of spring, September 21, He came forth to invite me to follow Him ... And I hope in the surprise of every day, in which love and strength, betrayal and sin manifest themselves, that they will always accompany me until that final encounter with that marvellous face that I do not know how it is, which constantly escapes me, but which I want to know and love."
PHOTO GALLERY
INTERVIEWS
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RMG - Preparation, objectives, challenges and perspectives of GC29: in dialogue with the Moderator, Fr Alphonse Owoudou(ANS - RMG) - Just a few days before the beginning of the 29th General Chapter (GC29) of the Salesian Congregation, Fr Alphonse Owoudou, Councillor for the Africa-Madagascar Region and Moderator of GC29, recounts in detail, through an articulate interview, the work preceding and underlying this responsibility, indicating the spirit that will animate it and the attitudes and conditions to make it truly a Cenacle in which the Holy Spirit can act, for the benefit of the Congregation, the Salesian mission and the youth of the world.
EDITORIAL
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RMG – Don Bosco: “The Fascinating Saint”(ANS - Rome) - Don Bosco is perhaps the most amazing and fascinating saint, history has ever produced. The humble work which he began for the welfare of his poor and abandoned boys in Italy has produced astonishing results, and today there are nearly 14000 Salesians working in 138 countries, and there are more than 200,000 members belonging to the 32 groups of the worldwide Salesian Family sharing the charism of Don Bosco and reaching out to the needy young people.
EVENTS
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Spain – 33rd Edition of the Edebé Prize for Children's and Young Adult Literature: Here Are the Winners(ANS – Madrid) – The 33rd edition of the Edebé Prize for Children's and Young Adult Literature has been awarded to Beatriz Giménez de Ory (Madrid, 1972) for her novel Tres niños tristes y medio unicornio (Three Sad Children and Half a Unicorn) and David Lozano (Zaragoza, 1974) for his novel La cacería (The Hunt).
SPECIAL REPORTS
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United States – CATHOLIC WORLD DAY OF THE SICK: Salesian Missions highlights medical programs for people in need around the globe(ANS – New Rochelle) – Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins Catholic organizations around the globe in honoring the Catholic World Day of the Sick. Every year on Feb. 11, the Pope marks the day with a special message calling for spiritual and physical closeness to all those who are ill. Saint John Paul II instituted the day “to encourage the people of God, Catholic health institutions and civil society to be increasingly attentive to the sick and to those who care for them.”
MESSAGES OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
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GOOD, FAITHFUL, AND COURAGEOUS SERVANTSTHE MESSAGE OF THE VICAR OF THE RECTOR MAJOR, Fr Stefano Martoglio, SDB
During this Jubilee year, in this difficult world, we are invited to rise up, set out again, and, in newness of life, make our journey as human beings and believers.