(ANS – Rome) – In March, the Youth Ministry Sector promoted 5 webinars in 10 sessions with the aim of informing, raising awareness and creating awareness on some mental health issues in young people: eating disorders, mental health of migrants and refugees, youth depression, bullying and suicide and self-harm. Eight highly competent experts offered observations and concrete indications on these issues. These psychologists, psychiatrists, and other mental health professionals also answered questions from Salesian educators.
(ANS – Buenos Aires) – The Extraordinary Visitation to the Blessed Cerafino Namuncurá Province of Southern Argentina (ARS) continues. The visitation has already touched the houses in Neuquén province, those in the middle valley of the Río Negro, Bahía Blanca, and the houses in the metropolitan area and the city of Buenos Aires. Fr Gabriel Romero, Regional Councillor for America South Cone, visited La Plata, La Pampa and some houses in the city of Buenos Aires; while Fr Alfonso Bauer, appointed by the Rector Major to accompany the Regional Councillor for America South Cone in his Visitation, was in Parque Avellaneda.
(ANS – Turin) – Among the skills with which Don Bosco was able to educate was the Strenna, that message that he announced at the end of the year to all the young people of the Oratory. His successors continued this tradition. The most recent of them by Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, for the 2024 Strenna, "The dream that makes you dream. A heart that transforms ‘wolves’ into ‘lambs’", was inspired by the famous dream that young John Bosco had at the age of nine, exactly 200 years ago.
(ANS – Livorno) – The 93-year-old Salesian from Tuscany, Luigi Zoppi, received the "Canaviglia" award on Tuesday 19 March 2024, the feast of Saint Joseph, for his commitment to drug addicts, AIDS patients and migrants. The award is a city honour from the municipality of Livorno – a city where the Salesian has been working, always at the service of the least and at the heart of the Church, for almost 50 years.
(ANS – Tirana) – For the meeting of the Executive Council of the World Confederation of Past Pupils of Don Bosco, the President Mr Bryan Magro and the General Secretary Mr Peter Kováč visited the Salesians working in Albania and Kosovo as part of their animation visits to continue to expand the organisation in more countries around the world.
(ANS - San José) - On Saturday 9 March 2024, Fr Ricardo Campoli, a member of the Sector for Social Communication and contact person for the Interamerica and South Cone America Regions, launched a series of communication workshops to be developed by the Salesian Cooperators (ASC) of the Interamerica Region, in which they will work on basic communication skills in social networks. The first meeting explored the topic “Caring for digital identity”.
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."