Santiago de Cuba, Cuba – February 2024 - From 16-18 February the Salesians in Cuba celebrated a communication meeting at the María Auxiliadora community in Santiago de Cuba, where representatives of the Camagüey and Santa Clara communities, as well as various guests participated. With the fraternity that characterises the Salesian charism, the community welcomed Fr Pablo Abreu, Delegate for Social Communication in the Salesian Province of the Antilles (ANT), and engineer Philippe Madé, Delegate for Communication at Maria Auxiliadora in Santo Domingo, who presented the Rector Major's 2024 Strenna and the Provincial Communication Plan. The General Councillor for Social Communication, Fr Gildasio Mendes, sent a greeting to the participants, urging them to use creativity to continue communicating, just as Don Bosco did in his time: "It is very important to understand digital culture today. Don Bosco was creative and we have to communicate with the creativity he had." Similarly, Fr Ricardo Campoli, from the Social Communication Sector at Rome Headquarters, recalled that "to communicate is to connect with others". Together with Fr Carlos Luis Fernández, Coordinator of Communication in Cuba, participants explored a strategic and effective communication that embraces and includes all Salesian work, thus strengthening the commitment to young people.
Kibeho, Rwanda - 19th February 2024 - This morning, Monday 19 February 2024, the Superiors of the 15 Salesian Circumscriptions (6 Provinces and 9 Vice Provinces) of the Africa-Madagascar Region, accompanied by their Provincial Councillors and led by the Regional Councillor, Fr Alphonse Owoudou, made a pilgrimage to the Marian shrine of Our Lady of Kibeho. After a welcome and the presentation of the shrine and Marian apparitions, more than 100 Salesians present took part in the Eucharist presided over by Fr Owoudou. The pilgrimage to the shrine of Kibeho had been decided and fixed by the meeting of the Conference of the Provinces and Vice Provinces of Africa-Madagascar (CIVAM) last October, to constitute a moment of spiritual preparation in view of the beginning of the Visitation of the Region, which kicks off tomorrow, Tuesday, 20th February.
Copacabana, Colombia - February 2024 - With the aim of integrating formation processes in accordance with the guidelines of the Province’s Salesian Educative and Pastoral Project (SEPP) and the Provincial Missionary Animation Plan (PIAM) for the strengthening of the Salesian mission in western Colombia, a meeting of the Youth Ministry and Missions sectors of the St Louis Bertrand Province of Medellín (COM) was held in Copacabana (Antioquia) from 14 to 16 February. This formation session was attended by 25 people, including lay people and Salesians, who received formation on the theme: "Inhabiting the culture of today's youth", led by Dr Gustavo Adolfo Muñoz and Dr Elvia Arango. This gave participants an insight into the situation of youth in Colombia, in order to respond to the needs and expectations of children and young people who are part of the formation processes. The orientations of Youth and Vocational Care and the articulation of the Environmental Management System with Pastoral and Missionary Animation were other topics the participants worked on during the meeting, as well as the planning of Missions and Youth Ministry for 2024.
Battersea, Great Britain - February 2024 - Salesian Paulin Tcha-Eigoulou Meba made his perpetual profession before Fr James Gerard Briody, Superior of the Province of Great Britain (GBR) on Sunday 11 February, in the parish dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus near Battersea. Salesians from all over the country, Salesian Cooperators and parishioners were present at the celebration.
Children’s conclave 2024 was conducted in Don Bosco college Sulthan Bathery, on 18 February 2024 in the college auditorium. The Children’s Conclave was a platform for discussion on various topics such as rights given to students, devaluation of education, challenges faced by justice system, safety of children in buses, problems faced by tribal students, gender violence, equality, role of media, etc.
La Guajira, Venezuela - February 2024 - "Days spent in an atmosphere of closeness and trust": this is how Fr Hugo Orozco, Councillor for the Interamerica Region, described his Extraordinary Visitation to St John Bosco community at El Molinete, in La Guajira, from 9 to 11 February. During his stay there, Fr Orozco had the opportunity to engage in fraternal dialogue not only with the religious and volunteers active in the presence, but also with several teams of people of great importance in the development of the work, as they are part of the school and agricultural staff, and with the workers of the various vineyards made up of the various rural communities served by the Salesians in La Guajira. The Regional Councillor also had a meeting with the Salesian Cooperators and with the young people in the Salesian Youth Movement, bringing them a message of encouragement and closeness, along with the Eucharist, rich in cultural expressions typical of the local Wayúu culture. Fr Orozco visited the educational and agricultural facilities, much of the area served by the Salesians, thus getting to know in depth the situation in the area. The visit ended with various orientations and motivations to encourage the Salesian community.