Lisbon, Portugal – April 2024 – The UCI Cinema room, within El Corte Inglês in Lisbon, hosted the fourth edition of the "Short Film Festival" of the Salesian Visual Arts Course in Lisbon on Friday, 12 April. In the presence of many students who filled the room, eight films competed for the various awards: "Special Jury Prize", "Best Screenplay", "Best Cinematography", "Best Editing", "Best Production" and "Best Film". The latter was awarded to "Tília", directed by Emília Dias, Maria Lousan, Matilde Fernandes and Tomás Coelho. The jury was made up entirely of past pupils who have attended the Visual Arts Course over the years, such as Diogo Gonçalves, now a music teacher, Joana Carvalho, a designer, Matilde Alagoa, who specialises in architecture, Rodrigo Moreira, an acting student and Maria Pinto, an expert in plastic arts. Finally, the "Family Award" was given to the Salesians of Lisbon as a thank you for supporting the festival.

Bogotá, Colombia – April 2024 – In the week from 7 to 12 April, the Salesian Saint Petero Claver Province of Bogotá held its 30th Provincial Chapter, in preparation for GC29. Common work with the communities and the participation of young people and lay people engaged in the Salesian mission were highlighted during the meeting. At the end of the Provincial Chapter, Fr Rafael Andrés Lasso was elected as Delegate for the General Chapter, while Fr Luis Fernando Velandia Urrego was elected as substitute. At the conclusion, Fr John Jairo Gómez Rúa, COB Provincial, expressed his gratitude to the provincial community and the Chapter members, for their fidelity to the call to give themselves passionately to Jesus Christ and to dedicate themselves to young people, thus realising the dream of St John Bosco.

Catania, Italy – April 2024 – The "CGS Life" in Biancavilla (Catania) has been engaged in human and Christian growth for many years, dealing with animation and, above all, evangelisation through theatre, musicals and cinema. The works, original in texts and music, are made with a youthful style and performed in various Italian and European theatres, provoking reflection on the themes of faith and current affairs. The group has an orchestra with professional musicians, dancers, actors, but above all young people who want to speak to the hearts of other young people. The latest work, entitled "From the end of the world", is a musical dedicated to the figure and message of Pope Francis. The show, which premiered on 28 February at the "Ambasciatori" theatre in Catania, has already been a great success and has received several requests from several Italian cities. A copy of the text and music was also delivered to the Holy Father himself, who welcomed the initiative with great interest. "It is our desire" write the organisers of the show "to be able to offer this musical in Rome, to the Holy Father, on the occasion of the celebration of the Jubilee, for one or more performances."

Córdoba, Argentina – April 2024 – A meeting of the Educational Assistants from schools in the Salesian Province of Argentina Nord (ARN) took place on 4-5 April. 60 participants gathered to strengthen the accompaniment of school boys and girls through various tools. Some of the workshops proposed concerned problematic consumption, encouragement of digital communities, emotional education, role of the educational assistant, among others. The event was attended by Fr Horacio Barbieri, SDB, Superior of the ARN Province, who expressed his joy for these spaces that promote fraternity among the members of the Salesian Family. In addition, he highlighted the importance of providing new tools and approaches that enrich the daily work of those who work in Salesian schools.

Goiânia, Brazil – April 2024 – The Salesian Apprenticeship Centre (CESAM) in Goiânia, belonging to the Province of Belo Horizonte, Brazil (BBH), celebrated its 50 years of educative and pastoral activity with young people with the mission of promoting personal and professional development. The event took place at the headquarters of CESAM, involving over two thousand people, including apprentices and their families, former apprentices, partner companies, volunteers, bodies and social partners, representatives of political and ecclesiastical authorities. The festival featured many exciting moments such as the message sent for the occasion by the founder of CESAM Goiânia, Fr Jairo de Matos Fonseca, who retraced the history of the institution. Fr Natale Vitali, Superior of the BBH Province, said in his address that "The Salesian mission contributes to the construction of a just and fraternal society so that all apprentices have the possibility of decent work." The Rector of the Salesian presence in Goiânia, Fr Wagner do Amaral Gama,  reinforced the feeling of gratitude for the institution's commitment throughout its history to the youth and adolescents of the region. Currently, CESAM plays a strategic role in the personal and professional development of young people with institutions from different sectors of the economy in the states of Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Goiás and the Federal District. In the last 10 years these four Salesian units have exceeded 45,000 beneficiaries with the aim of helping to introduce adolescents and young people into the labour market in a protected way.

Catania, Italy – April 2024 - The Fortieth National Assembly of Youth and Social Tourism APS (TGS) concluded a few days ago, with about 25 participants in attendance, at the headquarters of the Salesian Province Italy – Sicily (ISI). The work began on 15 April with a formation session held by Dr Rosario Papale, who traced the pastoral proposal of 2004, # sullastradadeisogni, inviting participants to understand what the concept of association really is and how it has reason to exist only if projected towards the future, only if those who design and manage, but also those who participate only as volunteers, build day by day only if those who plan and manage, but also those who only participate as volunteers, build small bricks day by day that are a launching pad for tomorrow. The orientation towards the future, based on the world of the TGS, was the guiding thread for the rest of the day, in which the assembly took care of approving the Mission Report and the Budget. Once again, what normally becomes a depersonalised reading of projects and figures, has taken a completely different form. The discussion around the Mission Report and the budget itself were an opportunity for formation, for discovering the present and future activities, for comparing the initiatives but also for becoming aware of the future objectives of the association, of the path undertaken in recent years by the management. On 6 April, at the Salesian San Gregorio house in Catania, an older structure always dedicated to hospitality, the participants were involved in a technical training activity linked to the novelties but also to the precepts of the Single National Register of the Third Sector (RUNTS), led by Lawyer Giancarlo Gargano.