NEWS
(ANS – Lahore) – With 450,000 Catholics, the archdiocese of Lahore is Pakistan’s largest. The city, sadly, is known for having been the location of various violent attacks: like the one at Easter 2016 that killed 78 people e wounded 300, most of them Christians; or like the double attacks of March 15, 2015, against Protestant and Catholic churches in the Youhannabad neighborhood. In that last case, a young Salesian past pupil, Akash Bashir, sacrificed his life to prevent a massacre of the faithful gathered in St. John’s Catholic Church. Now the vicar general of the archdiocese has asked that his cause as a martyr be opened.
(ANS - Madrid) - For the whole Salesian Family January is the month dedicated to Don Bosco (1815-1888), its founder. In Salesian centres he is remembered with various activities of all kinds: religious, sporting, cultural, and so on. Among the most important initiatives in the Province of St James the Greater in Spain this year there is a vocations campaign to help young people to reflect on how they want to live their lives.
(ANS – Nzaikoni) – Father Thomas Punchekunnel SDB, an Indian missionary in East Africa for 36 years, one of the pioneers who was part of the builders of Salesian East Africa, went to his heavenly Father whom he served, on 4th January at the age of 69. The cause of his death was a heart attack.
PHOTO GALLERY
INTERVIEWS
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RMG – The missionaries of the 155th Salesian Missionary Expedition: Mouzinho Domingos Joaquim Mouzinho, from the Mozambiqueice-Province (MOZ) to Albania (AKM)(ANS – Rome) – Not only priests or aspirants to the priesthood: the missionaries who left with the 155th Salesian Missionary Expedition also include Mouzinho Domingos Joaquim Mouzinho, who will travel from Mozambique to Europe to be a missionary in the new Provincial Delegation of Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro (AKM), belonging to the Province of Southern Italy (IME). Following the example of the Venerable Simon Srugi, his dream is to be a sign and bearer of the love of God to the young.
EDITORIAL
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Myanmar – Tragedy of Innocent Children in the midst of Armed Conflicts(ANS – Naypyidaw) - Myanmar finds itself immersed in profound grief and anguish as innocent lives, particularly those of children, continue to be mercilessly lost in the enduring armed conflicts. Families are left devastated by the tragic loss of their loved ones while the relentless violence shows no signs of abating. This week, a heartfelt plea from Myanmar reached our community, shedding light on the heart-wrenching death of a young girl Juliet in a military airstrike, prompting a unified call for prayers and action.
EVENTS
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Italy – The chapel of the relics at the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Turin celebrates 90 years and celebrates them with an exhibition on the Shroud(ANS – Turin) – Again this year, on 14 September, on the occasion of the liturgical feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and the day of the Opening of the Crypt, the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Turin hosted an evening dedicated to the Shroud, as part of the "Culture in the Basilica" exhibition, entitled "The Shroud: witness of great love".
SPECIAL REPORTS
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United States – World Teachers’ Day: Salesian Missions highlights support for Salesian educators around the globe(ANS – New Rochelle) - Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins humanitarian organizations and countries around the globe in honoring World Teachers’ Day, which has been celebrated each year on Oct. 5 since 1994. The day honors the vital role that teachers play in the lives of their students and commemorates the anniversary of the signing of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers.
MESSAGES OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
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On WINGS of HOPETHE MESSAGE OF THE VICAR OF THE RECTOR MAJOR, Father Stefano Martoglio
While continuing my service as Vicar in the coming months, quietly, very simply, and completely in continuity, I’ll replace the Rector Major in leading the Congregation to the General Chapter, the 29th, in February 2025.