(ANS – Turin) – Today, with the responses to the last five questions, we conclude the presentation of the interview that the General Councillor for Social Communication, Fr Gildasio Mendes, gave to Fr Bruno Ferrero, Editor of the Salesian Bulletin, and published at the end of 2023 in the Note di Pastorale Giovanile (NPG) Magazine. In this final section, Fr Gildasio Mendes further explores the relationship between communication and Salesian education, tracing the fundamental elements that must serve as a compass for educational and evangelising work with today’s young people.
(ANS – Rome) – From 18 to 22 January, the International Meeting of Salesian Missionary Museums will be held at Castelnuovo Don Bosco, in Piedmont. It is the first time in the Congregation that such an initiative has been carried out. It will serve to generate an enriching exchange of experiences, knowledge and, above all, of conversation and discussion on the legacy left by St John Bosco. The general theme of the meeting will be "The identity of the Salesian Missionary Museum".
A forum on Salesian missionaries in Europe was published in the January issue of the Missionary Bulletin "Cagliero11".
(ANS– Rome) – Issue 81, relating to the January-June 2023 semester, of “Ricerche Storiche Salesiane” (RSS), the biannual journal of religious and civil history, published by the Salesian Historical Institute (ISS), has been published. The RSS magazine covers a wide range of topics, from missionary and educational history to Salesian periodicals, offering an in-depth perspective on the richness and diversity of the Salesian legacy.
(ANS – Rome) – From 29 January to 4 February 2024, the St Aloysius Gonzaga Province of Brazil-Recife (BRE) will host Card. Ángel Fernández Artime, Rector Major of the Salesians. Among the aims of his visit: to celebrate the Feast of Don Bosco with the local community; to participate in the dedication of the church of the Bom Jesus in Juazeiro do Norte and to assign the posthumous qualification of Salesian Cooperator to the Servant of God Father Cícero Romão Batista.
2023 has been a year of countless blessings for the Salesian Congregation, for the Salesian Family, for individual Provinces and for young people. It was a year of development, growth, intense activities, memorable events, anniversaries and visits. Approximately 13,958 Salesians in 136 countries continue to advance, carrying out Don Bosco's mission, reaching out and addressing the poorest youth with a series of programmes and initiatives. Let us value and cherish these moments and thank God and Don Bosco as we review some of the most significant moments of the year 2023.
PHOTO GALLERY
INTERVIEWS
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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."