(ANS - Rome) - In the municipality of La Florida, in Chile, the Patio Don Bosco Punitaqui (Oratory), a work of the Fundación Don Bosco Chile, is a concrete response to the Salesian call to accompany and transform the lives of children, girls and adolescents (NNA, in Spanish) in situations of great vulnerability. This space is not just a physical place; it is a home where every corner screams the essence of Don Bosco: ‘Here, young people feel loved, valued and guided towards a future of hope,’ its leaders report. Here, then, is the fourth social work presented in view of the Feast of Don Bosco 2025.
(ANS - Rome) - On the third day of the journey to get to know the shrines dedicated to Don Bosco around the world, the focus is on the Don Bosco Basilica in Panama City. This is a shrine of continental importance, a promoter of devotion to the Father and Teacher of Youth throughout Central America and beyond, which also played a leading role, precisely because of its patron saint and spirituality, in World Youth Day 2019, celebrated by Pope Francis precisely in Panama City.
(ANS - Rome) - From the centre of the Church to the city dreamt of by Don Bosco, that is, from Rome to Brasilia. The second stage of the journey of knowledge of the Saint of the Young through his sanctuaries leads to a symbolic place in Salesian geography, the capital of the most populous country in Latin America, seen in a vision by John Bosco well before it was built and still today the nerve centre of Salesian devotion on the continent.
(ANS – Rome) – The winter plenary session of the General Council, the last before the 29th General Chapter, concluded on the morning of Thursday, January 23, 2025. It was presided over by the Vicar of the Rector Major, Fr Stefano Martoglio. After the evening Vespers, the Salesian Community of the Central Headquarters gathered around Fr Martoglio to listen to the traditional “good night,” during which he outlined the work carried out over nearly two months of sessions, from December 2 to January 23, expressing words of gratitude towards his collaborators and confreres.
(ANS – Rome) - The figure of St. Francis de Sales, chosen by Don Bosco as an example of a communicator, teaches that communication is a matter of the heart. In his expression, "Everything in the Church is love: everything lives in love, for love, and of love," we understand his revolution in the way of communicating, and how communication becomes fruitful when it allows communion and the exchange of one's experiences in a path of accompaniment and collaboration in God's project.
(ANS - Rome) - The San Luigi Community in Gorizia, based on Salesian pedagogy, represents a light of hope for unaccompanied foreign minors (MSNA). Located in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, a migratory crossroads, since 2015 it has been offering a welcoming environment for adolescents who have faced difficult journeys: from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Albania and Kosovo. It is not just a refuge, but a place of learning, growth and integration, embodying the educational spirit of Don Bosco. This is the Salesian social reality that ANS presents to its readers today, as we journey together towards the Feast of Don Bosco 2025.
PHOTO GALLERY
INTERVIEWS
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Chile – Former Salesian student in the fight against Alzheimer's disease(ANS - Santiago) - Dr Nibaldo Inestrosa, graduate of the Salesian Institute in Valdivia and national prize of Natural Sciences winner, is a pioneer and expert in the study of Alzheimer's disease in the country. In this interview, he offers an insight into the current challenges, but not before reflecting on his formative experience at the Salesian Institute in Valdivia and how this influenced his interest in biology and science.
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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India – INS youth solemnise Don Bosco’s Feast Day with ‘Ka Sur Kynud S-3’ Grand Finale(ANS – Shillong) – The Youth of St John Paul II, Shillong Province, celebrated the Feast Day of St. John Bosco with the Grand Finale of “Ka Sur Kynud, Season 3.” Organised by Don Bosco Media Network Television, the Social Communication Department of the Province, at Don Bosco Youth Centre, Laitumkhrah, Shillong, this two-month-long singing competition, which imitates the global singing competition The Voice, concluded on 31 January 2025, coinciding with the Solemnity of St John Bosco.
SPECIAL REPORTS
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RMG - St. Francis de Sales Communicator: All for Love(ANS – Rome) - The figure of St. Francis de Sales, chosen by Don Bosco as an example of a communicator, teaches that communication is a matter of the heart. In his expression, "Everything in the Church is love: everything lives in love, for love, and of love," we understand his revolution in the way of communicating, and how communication becomes fruitful when it allows communion and the exchange of one's experiences in a path of accompaniment and collaboration in God's project.
MESSAGES OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
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WHAT A GIFT TIME IS!THE MESSAGE OF THE VICAR OF THE RECTOR MAJOR,
Fr Stefano Martoglio, SDBThe beginning of the new year is illuminated in our liturgy by the ancient formula with which the Israelite priests blessed the people: "May the Lord bless you, and keep you. May the Lord show His face to you, and have mercy on you. May the Lord turn His countenance to you, and give you peace."