(ANS - Rome) - In the Angelus of Sunday 5 September, Pope Francis announced his upcoming trips to Hungary and Slovakia and entrusted them "to the intercession of so many heroic confessors of the faith, who in those places bore witness to the Gospel amid hostility and persecution. May they help Europe to bear witness today also, not so much in words, but above all in deeds, with works of mercy and hospitality, the good news of the Lord who loves us and saves us."

"Dear Friends!

Over the next 12 months, I will present you with a series of articles under the banner of Don Bosco, the Digital and Virtual Reality. This month  I am sharing the first part of the series with you, entitled John Bosco: his vision and education from his childhood – the roots of a great communicator." (Fr Gildasio Mendes, General Councilor for Social Communication).

(ANS - Rome) - For some months now seven young Salesians, present in Rome for study reasons and representatives of the seven Salesian Regions, have been working with Fr Silvio Roggia, of the Department for Formation, on how to reach and involve all the young Salesians of the world. Their dream is to foster the participation of all young Salesians in the process of renewing the Ratio Fundamentalis, because ever since this path was launched, through the questionnaires sent to all the Provinces and communities, they have wanted to assign a privileged listening to the views of the young Salesians. The mission of this group is thus to find a concrete way to achieve this involvement, and to dream with each region of the Congregation this adventure that has just begun.

Rome, RMG - August 2021 - The Salesians responsible for formative accompaniment in America met online to explore the theme "Formation at the present time, challenges and exercise of Salesian discernment". On 26 August the formators from the Interamerica Region and America South Cone were able to share their experiences in these pandemic times. Subsequently, Fr Manuel Pérez and Fr Luis Timossi, of the Salesian Center for Ongoing Formation of America (CSFPA), in Ecuador, motivated the reflection on "Formation in Mission: From history to Don Bosco's options" and "Formation in the Spirit and the grace of Unity, from the Salesian Constitutions”. The 50 Salesians who met online thanked the enlightenment and experience of those who animated the formative moment. On 27 August only the formators from America South Cone met to continue the reflection on the reality of formation houses. Fr Francisco Santos, a member of the Department for Formation, encouraged formators to commit themselves to the process of renewing the Ratio and to explore further the identity of the Salesian for the young people of today. The meeting was coordinated by the South Cone Permanent Formation Team (EFOSUR) in the context of annual training for formators.

(ANS - Rome) - A week full of significant commitments looms ahead for the Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime; starting Wednesday 8 September until Saturday 11, 2021 Don Bosco's Xth Successor will be the protagonist of a series of events and celebrations that will see him traveling between Turin and Pordenone. The first and most important event takes place on Wednesday at the Casa Don Bosco Museum, where Fr Á.F. Artime shall inaugurate two rooms dedicated to the Saints, Blesseds, Venerables and Servants of God of the Salesian Family.

(ANS - Castel Gandolfo) - It was the Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime who, during the Vespers on Wednesday 1 September, 2021, presided over the installation of the new Rector of the Salesian works and the community of Castel Gandolfo, namely Fr Tadeusz Rozmus, the former Councilor for the Central and Northern Europe Region in the last six-year term (2014-2020). And this was because of the decision taken by the General Council, to incorporate this Salesian house of Castel Gandolfo into the communities of the Rector Major (RMG), for which he is directly responsible.