Ressins, France - January 2025 - The celebrations for St John Bosco at the Etienne-Gautier high school in Ressins, in the Loire Valley, were marked by the promise of Florence Prulière as Salesian Cooperator. In her work at this school specialising in agriculture, Florence's mission is to help students in difficulty or with disabilities. The celebration was presided over by Fr Célestin Brunellière, a Salesian of Don Bosco and rector of the local community, and Florence Prulière's Promise was accepted by Danielle Sciacaluga, provincial coordinator of the Salesian Cooperators of France. ‘This commitment to young people is a great joy for her and an encouragement to continue her work with young people,’ Sciacaluga stressed. Florence Prulière testified that it was during a trip with some colleagues to Turin that she really understood the concept of Salesianity: ‘I realised that one is truly animated by the Blessed Sacrament. That trip was also marked by a meeting, in Lourdes, where she goes every year to serve the sick, with an Italian teacher who was a follower of Don Bosco and with whom she struck up a close friendship.

Asunción, Paraguay - February 2025 -  A meeting of Rectors, Councillors and Provincial Delegates was held at the headquarters of the Salesian Province of Paraguay (PAR) on 10 and 11 February. These were days of reflection on the spirituality and common mission of the Salesian consecrated religious. Time was dedicated to prayer and the Eucharist, as well as sharing among the participants. Likewise, each Provincial Delegate presented the current state of the sector and together the path to follow was reviewed.

Shillong, India - February 2025 - Salesian institutions in the Shillong, India Province (INS) reaffirmed their commitment to actively implement the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) with a workshop held on 11 February. Don Bosco Technical School organised a workshop and animation programme for the staff of St Anthony's L.P. Schoo’ and Don Bosco Technical School (ITI), aimed at promoting awareness and understanding of the basic laws on child protection. After the opening prayer, Fr Raphael Tham, SDB, Principal of St Anthony's L.P. School, welcomed the facilitators and participants, giving an overview of the importance of the programme in ensuring the safety and well-being of children. The day saw a series of impactful sessions, starting with a presentation by Fr Kenny Pakma, SDB, Director of RRTC Umran, on Child Protection Policies where each participant had the opportunity to review and clarify guidelines and protocols to safeguard children. Mary Sangma, a police officer, spoke to lead a session on POCSO legislation and emphasised the crucial role educators play in protecting children from sexual offences, the responsibility of each staff member in enforcing the law and promoting a safe environment. At the end of the workshop, all participants signed the Child Protection Policy Commitment, demonstrating their responsibility to live the values outlined.

Guadalajara, Mexico - February 2025 - ‘During this Jubilee Year we have been invited to “set out”, to embark on a journey that leads us towards conversion guided by Jesus, the Good Shepherd’. With this spirit, at the end of the retreat, the members of the Provincial Council and the leaders of the Province of Guadalajara, Mexico (MEG), urged the Salesian Family in Guadalajara to participate in a pilgrimage for the Jubilee Year. Around a thousand people took part in the visit, including a large number of children, adolescents and young people belonging to the Salesian Youth Movement (SYM). The pilgrims aimed to pass through the ‘Holy Door’ of the cathedral, as a gesture in which Jesus is recognised as ‘the only door’ that leads to God the Father. The pilgrimage started from the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, where participants gathered to begin this celebration, listened to a catechism on the Jubilee and had the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Afterwards, amidst singing and applause, the pilgrims walked along the ‘Fra Antonio Alcalde’ path - with the Jubilee Cross and the banner with the image of Mary Help of Christians at the head of the contingent - until they reached the cathedral in Guadalajara, Jalisco. Having arrived at their destination, Fr Filiberto González, MEG Provincial, led a moment of prayer and blessed them as they passed through the ‘Holy Door’. Finally, the Eucharist was celebrated by the Provincial and concelebrated by the Salesian priests present.

Chosica, Peru - February 2025 - After three days of enriching work, the 2nd Meeting of Salesians and Laity, held at Casa Tabor, in Chosica, came to an end. This space for dialogue and reflection enabled us to strengthen communion and shared mission, renewing our commitment to adolescents and young people. Fr Juan Pablo Alcas, Superior of the Province of Peru (PER), thanked everyone for their participation and emphasised the importance of consolidating the sense of belonging and shared responsibility within the Educative and Pastoral Community (EPC). He emphasised the need to adopt an overall pastoral perspective and processes, thus ensuring the animation and responsible management of the educative and pastoral environments in Salesian works. Key to this fraternal meeting were the role of the Salesian Rector; shared work; autonomy and management; recruitment and diversity; clarity in roles; the role of the management team. This meeting reaffirmed the commitment to continue building, in the Salesian spirit, educational communities where shared responsibility and a sense of belonging are fundamental pillars.

Madrid, Spain - February 2025 - Last weekend, from 7 to 9 February, the Salesians in Spain who are in the Quinquennium phase held their annual meeting in the recently opened Don Bosco House in Madrid. During the meeting, in addition to sharing personal stories about their experience in the Quinquennium, they reflected on the book ‘Risks and Drifts of Religious Life’ by Dysmas de Lassus, under the guidance of Fr Koldo Gutiérrez. This text served as a central axis for dialogue and deepening of the challenges of consecrated life. The work then developed in seminar mode, allowing personal contributions to enrich the collective reflection. Among the themes addressed were community life, obedience, renunciation, accompaniment within the Congregation, fraternity in the community, the fatherly role of the Rector and care of the person. One of the most significant moments was the participation of the two Spanish Provincials, Fr Fernando García (SSM) and Fr Fernando Miranda (SMX), whose presence provided a valuable perspective to the meeting. Similarly, a number of participants in the Vocational Congress of the diocese of Ciudad Real met in the house, including the bishop, Bishop Gerardo Melgar, who presided over the morning Eucharist. It is worth emphasising the importance of the spaces for prayer and silence, which not only fostered a personal and profound encounter with the Lord, but also became the backbone of the weekend experience.