Tampa, FL, United States – October 2024 – Fr. Hugo Orozco, SDB, the regional councilor for the Interamerica Region of Salesians, visited Mary Help of Christians Tampa this week. During his visit, which happens only every six years, Fr. Hugo met with each Salesian confrere at Mary Help of Christians Center to check in on them individually. As part of his brief visit to Mary Help, Fr. Hugo shared lunch and fellowship with some members of the Salesian Family. Representatives from the Cooperators, Salesian Sisters, Salesian young adults, long-time parishioners, and the Korean Catholic Mission of Tampa were present at the luncheon. Fr. Hugo listened, laughed, joked, blessed, and encouraged all those present, as well as the entire Salesian Family of the Tampa Bay area. As the gathering came to a close, Fr. Hugo imparted a few words to everyone: “I want to tell you two things: One, be proud of our Salesian charism because it is beautiful! Two, always remember that we love and serve the young for the sake of loving God.” Fr. Hugo’s final words were: “Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime asked for the prayers of the Salesian Family, and I ask you to keep me in your prayers too”.

Rome, Italy – October 2024 – The solemn inauguration of the 2024/2025 Academic Year of the Pontifical Salesian University (UPS) in Rome was celebrated on 23 October. The theme chosen for this year, "On a journey with young people, pilgrims of hope", inspired the entire event, underlining UPS's mission to accompany students in the challenges and opportunities of their educational and personal journey. The Eucharist celebrated in the parish church of Our Lady Seat of Wisdom by Fr Stefano Martoglio, Vicar of the Rector Major and Grand Chancellor of the UPS, opened the event, which then continued in the Aula Magna of the university with an address by the Rector Magnificus, Fr Andrea Bozzolo, and the introduction by Prof. Isabella Guanzini, theologian and philosopher, professor of Fundamental Theology at the Catholic University of Linz. The event continued with awards for deserving students and ended with the solemn proclamation of the opening of the 2024/2025 Academic Year announced by the UPS Grand Chancellor, Fr Stefano Martoglio.

Bengtol, India – October 2024 – The parish of Bengtol, in the Bodoland regional territory, hosted a meeting on 19 October between priests, religious and lay people, united to support the growing population of migrant workers in the region. The meeting was opened by Fr Francis Bosco, SDB, National Director of Migrant Services in South Asia, and aimed to highlight the urgent need to create comprehensive and effective support systems for these vulnerable people. Fr Francis Bosco, who has decades of experience working alongside migrants, highlighted the crucial role of pre-migration advice and training. His presentation also included information on the free telephone line designed to provide immediate assistance to migrants in difficulty and illustrated the extensive network of Salesians throughout India who are dedicated to assisting migrant workers. In conclusion, the meeting gave rise to several key initiatives, such as the creation of a WhatsApp group to facilitate communication and coordination between participants. Parish priests are also encouraged to raise awareness among migrant workers and collect their data, to better understand and address specific needs.

Portugal – October 2024 - The first meeting of local heads of Social Communication of the Salesian presences in the St Anthony Province of Portugal (POR) took place on 10 October. A moment of preparation for the new educative and pastoral year and strengthening networking. Led by the Provincial Delegate for Social Communication, Fr Álvaro Lago, and the coordinator of the Communication team from the "Fundação Salesianos", Miguel Mendes, the meeting was held as a videoconference involving local people and members of the Provincial Social Communication team. “The purpose of the meeting is to get to know each other and understand the mission,” said Fr Lago, “and to remember that, both from an internal point of view, in bringing people together, but also from an external point of view, a process of sharing life needs to take place.” Miguel Mendes then presented the functions and responsibilities of local heads of Communication and recalled some fundamental documents, tools and internal flows of the Fundação Salesianos, which regulate this "vital area of the Educative and Pastoral Communities". The Salesian Social Communication System, under review, was then examined, which  brings together a series of guidelines from the Congregation's Social Communication Sector; and the Provincial Communication Plan, currently being developed, which constitutes the basic document for developing communication strategies, internal and external, in order to improve communication between Salesians, the Educative and Pastoral Community and society in general, promoting Salesian spirituality and focusing on the quality of the content produced.

Mambucal, Philippines – October 2024 - From 4 to 6 October, students from Don Bosco Technical College (DBTC) undertook a significant retreat, combining reflection, service and friendship. The retreat began with a visit to the Don Bosco Technical Institute and the Church of Mary Help of Christians in Victorias, followed by a warm welcome by Fr Rosmon Miguelangelo Valenciano, at the Salesian parish of Mambucal. Upon arrival at the Don Bosco retreat house, the students prepared for two days of reflection and spiritual growth. On the second day they immersed themselves in the daily life of the families of Purok Katugasan Dos, where, welcomed by the community, they learned about the work carried out by families in the area for their livelihood, namely the cultivation and sale of ornamental flowers. The experience offered students a deeper understanding of the value of hard work and real life. The retreat ended with a time for reflection, a Mass celebrated by Fr Antonio Velarde, SDB, and a special group activity to strengthen friendships.

Cuenca, Ecuador – October 2024 – "BoscoCamp 2024" took place from 16 to 18 October at the Baguanchi Congress Centre in Cuenca, with 58 participants from 14 communities of the Salesians of Don Bosco and 11 participants from 3 communities of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. The event allowed participants to explore and acquire tools and skills to face the challenges of evangelisation in the digital age, through communication workshops focused on the use of mobile devices for audiovisual production and sound and graphic production with the use of AI. Through practical sessions in different "Bosco Labs", young communicators learned to create multimedia content, videos for social networks and effective strategies to capture the attention of young audiences, and above all they understood the importance of being authentic and creative in the processing of content. The work organised in groups to develop projects and share experiences and visions was also fundamental. The activities were carried out by a team of teachers and students from the Communication Faculty of the Salesian Polytechnic University.