Mérida, Venezuela – October 2024 – On 3 October, the Salesian San Luís School in Mérida celebrated its 75th anniversary with an exciting religious ceremony presided over by Archbishop Helizandro Terán, Metropolitan Archbishop of Mérida. The educational institution, founded by Fr Tomás Foronda in 1949, has been a pillar in the formation of generations of young people in Mérida. During the Eucharist, Archbishop Terán stressed the importance of Catholic education in today's society and highlighted the school's commitment to the integral formation of its students. In the same way, he invited them to continue working to form competent and committed Christians in their community. The celebration was attended by former students, teachers, parents, religious and friends of the institute, who gathered to thank for the 75 years of history and path of the school.

Mexico City, Mexico – September 2024 – At the end of September, Fr Ignacio Ocampo Uribe, Superior of the Mexico-Mexico Province (MEM), accompanied by Fr José Antonio Hernández Valdez, SDB, Head of the Vocational Training Centres in the Tláhuac and Tlalpan area, Fr Davide Tonini, local parish priest, and Fr Carlos Barbosa Castillo, Director of the Central American Institute (ICA), led a programme of activities that formally opened and launched the new Salesian-Tlapan ‘San José Obrero’ Vocational Training Centre. More than 80 guests from different Salesian houses in the metropolitan area attended the presentation of the project, the delivery of awards to those who have already completed some training standards, the message of the Provincial, the blessing of the structures, the cutting of the ribbon; there were also some tasting lessons, tasting gastronomic products made at the VTC and a gala concert offered by the "Río Sabina" string quartet. In the words of Fr Miguel Ángel Lezama Rojas, it was a "Day of hope and motivation to join forces on behalf of the young recipients of the project".

Dimapiur, India – October 2024 – The Association for Integrated Development in the Indian States of Assam, Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh (ANMA-AIDA), in collaboration with the National Career Services Centre for the Disabled of the Ministry of Labour and Employment and with several employment agencies, organised a job fair that took place at the AIDA Don Bosco Campus. The event was a great success, attracting almost 400 job seekers and six recruitment partners, for over 600 open positions. The fair was an essential platform to connect local talent with potential employers. Minister Moatoshi Longkumer, Counsellor for Labour and Employment, Skills Development and Entrepreneurship and the Nagaland Department of Excise, attended the fair as a main guest. In his speech he stressed the importance of skills development and employment for young people in the region and encouraged them to make the most of the opportunities offered. The entire event was coordinated by the Director of AIDA, Fr Roy George, and by Mr. Sebi Chacko, regional coordinator of the Don Bosco Job Placement Network, Dimapur.

Darkhan, Mongolia - October 2024 - On 5 October, Fr Marcello Baek, Superior of the Salesian Province of South Korea (KOR) and two of his Councillors arrived in Darkhan, at the Maria Auxilium parish which is part of the Salesian Delegation of Mongolia. The Provincial and the two Councillors arrived as the faithful prayed the Rosary and attended the Mass celebrated by the Rector of Darkhan. After the celebration, the people welcomed them according to the Mongolian tradition and Fr Baek was invited to bless the new statue of Mary Help of Christians, in view of the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on 7 October. The new statue of Mary Help of Christians was made in Darkhan by two Vietnamese craftsmen, it is 2.5 metres high and is made of cement and local material. The roof above the statue is typical of the Mongolian Yurt and is placed on a base shaped like two hands joined in prayer; three doves symbolise peace, hope and purity. The Salesians arrived in Mongolia in 2001, and then settled in Darkhan in 2005. Six years later, a real church was built under the title of Mary Help of Christians and now the faithful have a new "sanctuary" of Mary Help of Christians, where they can entrust their lives to her.

Łódż, Poland – October 2024 - On 5 October, the Salesians in Łódź hosted the Salesian Family Forum on the theme "The Preventive System - dream or reality". The event, organised by the National Centre for Youth Ministry, brought together dozens of members of the Salesian Family from all over Poland, eager to deepen their knowledge of St John Bosco's Preventive System. Among the speakers were Fr Franciszek Janyga, SDB, who focused on the spiritual dimension of the Preventive System; Dr Magdalena Wilczek-Karczewska, SSW, who spoke about the role of the Preventive System in the Salesian Family; Sister Natalia Roman, FMA, who presented the profiles of the five young Blessed oratorians of Poznań, as a result of the work based on the Preventive System. Jakub Szajkowski instead spoke about the future of the Preventive System in the context of the media. After the lectures, the focal moment of the day was experienced with the celebration of the Eucharist. Immediately afterwards, the participants took part in the workshops led by the speakers, which allowed the practical application of the knowledge acquired and stimulated the discussion. It was a fruitful moment of encounter, prayer and reflection on the Salesian legacy.

Text and photo: Facebook PLS

Barcelona, Spain – October 2024 – From 1 to 3 October, the 42nd edition of "LIBER", the Spanish-language International Book Fair, was held at the Fira de Barcelona, on the Gran Vía Campus, involving some 250 publishers, more than 600 invited professionals from 65 countries and 7,000 visitors. LIBER's aim was to promote the Spanish market abroad, a key event for the promotion and export of new publishing, as well as to promote the updating on different topics related to the book industry, as the Fair offers a very complete programme of activities for professionals in the sector. As is the case every year, "EDITORIAL CCS" participated in LIBER, making their educational and pastoral resources known to customers in Latin America and looking for new forms of business, including the marketing of digital books in educational institutions. "Without a doubt, this is an opportunity to give visibility and value to editorial production," the publisher stressed. "Edebé" also participated, its vast catalogue of new products receiving great interest and numerous visits from those at the fair, with particular expectation from the Latin American market.