Turin, Italy – April 2024 - The Week dedicated to Legality was held from 15 to 19 April,sorganized by the Salesian Michele Rua Oratory with the support of the Municipality and the Foundation for Culture in Turin and in collaboration with the Forces of Order, the schools of the city and other institutions. On the stage of the Teatro Monterosa, owned by the Salesian work, various personalities from the world of culture, entertainment, experts and city authorities alternated, including the Deputy Mayor of Turin Michela Favaro who, on the opening day, opened the "Bench of Legality" designed and coloured by the children of the oratory, coordinated by Numinato Dario Licari, educator and project manager of the event. Over 800 attended, from children in kindergarten to primary school, adolescents in middle and high schools, while the final evening was dedicated to young people and families in the area of the great suburb of Turin where the Michele Rua Oratory is located. "The issue of legalityis absolutely central to the challenges that today's society is called to fight" the director Fr Stefano Mondin, SDB stressed, "starting with the fight for a more just and democratic society, in which all citizens are equal before the same system of rights and duties."

Kopiec, Poland – April 2024 – The meeting of the Salesians in their Quinquennium from all four Polish Salesian Provinces took place from 18 to 20 April at the Novitiate at Kopiec (PLO). The meeting was dedicated to how to respond to crisis situations that priests may encounter in their ministry among young people and adults. The invited guests shared their knowledge and, above all, their experience of accompanying people in crisis situations. Fr Krzysztof Raj, a psychologist from the Diocese of Kalisz, gave a conference on adaptive response measures, specific details of such and their appropriate choice. He also focused on addictions - the model of their formation and possible solutions to their causes. During this he shared his experience of accompanying people in difficulty. The second main block was a workshop on resolving the difficult situations that Salesians face in ministry. The seminar was led by Anna Migalska, director of the John Paul II Family Formation Centre in Lubin, and Fr Janusz Kamiński SDB, parish priest and psychotherapist.

Photo: PLS Archive)

Chișinău, Moldova – April 2024 - “Like Dominic we love to serve others in the world.” This was the slogan of the Romanian Salesian youth meeting (M.T.S- mișcarea tineretului salezian, in Romanian) last weekend (19-21 April) held at the Salesian house in Chișinău (Moldova). The annual event, which involves numerous leaders from the Salesian houses in Romania and Moldova, about 130 this year, aims to bring them together to share with each other the passion for Don Bosco and the Christian faith. On 19 April after the reception, the dances, games, songs and the atmosphere of Valdocco began on the playgrounds, in the courtyards and in people's hearts. Salesians, young people and Salesian Cooperators, all together sang, played and prayed, making the meeting a Salesian formative experience where the young people could fully breathe Don Bosco's Preventive System. On Saturday, the afternoon workshops focused on the figure of Saint Dominic Savio, the tournaments, the Mass and an evening of play and entertainment was held. Present at the event were Fr Igino Biffi, Superior of the Salesian North East Italy Province (INE) and the Bishop of Chișinău, Bishop Anton Cosa.

Maturacá, Brazil – April 2024 - The educational community of the Imaculada Conceição Indigenous School in Maturacá, AM, organised closing celerbations for Indigenous Peoples' Week on 20 April. The celebrations, which began on 15 April, continued throughout the week with conferences, health activities, writing and painting activities on indigenous culture. To conclude the program, the teachers decided to represent the traditional "Reahumou", as the ancient Xaponos did. “The Reahu festival is our most important festival. It summarises Yanomami culture and the way of community coexistence, as the ancients lived it", commented Prof. Rogerio Lins. The preparatory tasks for the celebration were divided among all school classes from 4th grade primary to 3rd Year middle school, with the help of educators. Each person, according to their age, was assigned responsibilities and learning topics. On the eve of the event, students and teachers brought together the elements to create small artifacts representing a traditional xapono with the typical divisions of the time and the characters of each group: prowë-prowë; patayoma, ihiru, moko-moko, huya-huya. The performance, which lasted about three hours, took place in the courtyard of the Salesian mission under the attentive gaze of those responsible: leaders, tuxaua, hekura, community leaders; in addition to the guests from local institutions, municipal school leaders, health workers, associations and the entire country. The audience expressed their approval with laughter and applause.

Manaus, Brazil – April 2024 - A Salesian Quinquennium Meeting was held on the theme "The human dimension: affectivity" from 14 to 19 April at the FMA Mornese retreat house in Manaus. Opportunities for discussion, conversation and reflection enabled the 41 Salesians from the 6 Provinces of Brazil to explore the dimensions that the theme offered. Fr Josué Nascimento, pastoral coordinator at the Don Bosco school in Manaus, reflected on the "Anthropological and theological components of love and affection in the Bible". Teacher and psychologist César Lobato worked on Formation in "Affectivity, community life and Salesian mission" and, concluding the course, psychologist Marly Paixão reflected on "Developing and expanding humanisation and respect in affections". In addition, the participants had a day of leisure to learn about the natural beauties of the Amazon. Time to learn about the local culture, customs and work done by the Salesians in the Region.

Quito,Ecuador – April 2024 – Salesian Youth Ministry Week is a formative proposal that allows those who take part to grow in charismatic identity through study and experience. For six days, from 14 to 19 April, 47 collaborators from different sectors and settings in the Salesian Province of Ecuador (ECU) together experienced and were active in a continuous learning process that called them to a renewed commitment of shared responsibility, between Salesians and lay people, for the mission of Don Bosco in Ecuador. Fr Mauricio Leime, Provincial Delegate for Youth Ministry, explained that through such initiatives they try to "bring participants closer to a deep experience of God, in the street, in the playground, in the oratory." Several conferences were held  during these days,  including one by Daniel Llanos on "The world of young people", another by Fr Wladimir Acosta, entitled "The challenges of education today", and by Fr Leime, "The God I believe in", as well as a  conference by Fr Luis Timossi called "Like Don Bosco". Fr Marcelo Farfán, ECU Provincial, also attended the event, presiding over the Eucharist and sharing a moment of fraternal sharing with the participants.