Madrid, Spain - 1970s - This black and white photograph, probably from the mid-1970s, shows a football team in the courtyard of the Salesian house in Atocha. On the left of the photograph is Fr Crescencio Santidrian Moral, a Salesian who was much loved and respected by the pupils who knew him. In the Salesian school in Atocha, sport has always had a very important educational function, so much so that football, basketball, volleyball and other teams were created.

(ANS – Sliema) – The Maltese Association of Social Workers (MASW) is the professional body for social workers in Malta. Each year they award social workers and social work organisations for outstanding achievements in the field, thus promoting the values cherished by this noble profession that knows its beginning to the Catholic Church in Europe.

(ANS – Polur) – On 30 November 2024, a significant symposium on the Vatican II documents took place at the Don Bosco Higher Secondary School in Polur, Tiruvannamalai District, organised by Deepagam, the Catechetical department of Chennai province, with the purpose of deepening the understanding of the Second Vatican Council’s teachings.

(ANS – Rome) – Near the opening of the Holy Year, on 24 December 2024, the Salesian San Callisto Community in Rome, responsible for the catacomb complex of the same name, invites the entire world Salesian Family to visit, the Catacombs of San Callisto during the Jubilee Year, a unique treasure chest of hope entrusted to the Congregation.

Santiago, Chile – December 2024 - Representatives of the Salesian schools in Chile participated in a meeting of administrators held at the Provincial House of the Salesians in Chile on 4 and 5 December. The meeting was held with the aim of strengthening transformational leadership, accompanying the transition to new integrated software and communicating the results of the ministerial, fiscal and accounting processes. The event opened with a welcome from the Provincial of the Salesians in Chile, Fr Nelson Moreno, who expressed the importance, on the part of the participants, of being not only experts in the financial part, but to dialogue with the finance team at the central level for next year's budget and to work on the theme of solidarity economy, Christian and Salesian principle. The Provincial Economer, Fr Néstor Muñoz, commented: "We want to promote the strengthening of administrative leadership, which is so important within this culture of administration". During the morning, the Head of Administration and Finance, Andrés Berríos, presented the Closing of the 2024 processes and the 2025 Financial Statements. Subsequently, a workshop on educational leadership was held, promoted by Oscar Soto, psychologist of organisations. In the afternoon, the head of the Accounting Department, Kristhel Peralta, presented the declaratory processes, the payment of suppliers and the accounting closure 2024. The work of the first day ended with the presentation of the Head of Human Resources, Karen Henríquez. On the second day, the participants worked on formation in the SIE declarative processes, on the School Improvement Plan and on the Preferential School Allowance.

SOURCE: Salesian Communication Chile

Ayagualo, November 2024 – From 25 to 29 November, the social communicators from the Salesian Province of Central America (CAM) had their annual meeting at the Sacred Heart retreat house, in Ayagualo, El Salvador,  under the motto "Communicate +: connect, evangelise and transform". The activity brought together more than 40 participants from Salesian houses in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and El Salvador. Among the topics addressed, the "Strategic Vision of the CAM Province" stands out, curated by Fr Julio Navarro, CAM Provincial, who offered his valuable support for communication throughout the Province. Dr Roberto Damas, head of university pastoral care at Don Bosco University, also spoke on the subject of Don Bosco the Comunicator . Fr Marcelo Navarrete, Provincial Delegate for Vocational Animation, shared his presentation on "Vocational accompaniment". Alejandra Rodríguez, Provincial Delegate for Social Communication, spoke on "Knowing and communicating with the new generations (Gen Z and Alpha)". Finally, Lucía Sánchez, head of the Province's digital media, presented "Best evangelisation practices in social networks". During the meeting, the communicators exchanged experiences by sectors: parishes, oratories, educational centres and youth centres, to share best practices and address common challenges. The event was the ninth Meeting of Social Communicators in Central America, whose objective was to unify criteria, establish priorities and define commitments for 2025, all framed by the objective of cultivating hope, a value that must be reflected in every message, video and image disseminated throughout the Province.