Ayagualo, El Salvador – September 2024 – A total of 76 Salesian Cooperators (ASC) from El Salvador – CAM North Province, gathered at the Sacred Heart Retreat House in Ayagualo to participate in the annual retreat held on 7 and 8 September. Based on "The Salesian lay significance in synodality", the retreat was preached by Salesian Fr David Panezo, ASC National Delegate.

Formosa, Argentina – September 2024 – How many lives were inspired by Don Bosco's dream? The number of people whose journey has been marked forever by the Salesian charism is incalculable. This production by Radio Manantial, the Salesian radio station located in Formosa, Argentina, belonging to the Argentina North Province (ARN), seeks to make known those life experiences transformed by Don Bosco. During the episodes you can learn the story of people from all over the world who dedicate their time to working in different areas of the Salesian Family. The podcast stems from the need to reflect in an attractive and accessible way on the theme of the Rector Major's Strenna 2024, as well as serving as inspiration and motivation for everyone. "We are a living dream" already has five episodes in which you can find everything, from the story of Franco, a young doctor from Corrientes who volunteered in Angola, to that of María Laura, a young woman who works in the community in Havana, Cuba. Find the episodes on Spotify through the following link: https://open.spotify.com/show/1DNlhfDbFt0FxusUKbX4OA?si=c3c119cfab9944a6

Every two days a new story!

Krakow, Poland – September 2024 – The first formative meeting of the Youth Council in the Salesian Krakow Province (PLS) was held on 14 and 15 September at the Salesian Seminary in Krakow in this new school pastoral year 2024/2025. This was also the first meeting for the new members of the IRM: Martyna Cieślik (Pogrzebień), Magdalena Szczypczyk (Pychowice), Alina Dubyk (Krakow - School), Piotr Gorajski (LSO), Łukasz Adamus (Krakow - Różana) and Janek Pyrdoła (Oświęcim), who replaced the previous members, who were thanked for their work. During the meeting the participants discussed next year's planning and the events that will take place in the Province, and also elected a new member of the Youth Ministry Commission: Kinga Majka was elected to represent the IRM in this Commission.

Text: Miłosz Sadkowski
Photo: Facebook PLS

Argentina – September 2024 – An online meeting of the School Pastoral Coordinators in the Salesian Province of Argentina South (ARS) took place on 16 September. There many many objectives: to meet and celebrate the educational vocation at the service of pastoral care; to face up to the paths and challenges of school pastoral care throughout the continent; to discern together the policies for the coming years in this field and specific service; to share information. After a prayer ed by Rocío Manceñido, Oscar Pérez Sayago, Secretary General of the Interamerican Confederation of Catholic Education (CIEC), spoke, providing a global overview of school ministry in the continent and sharing what, in his opinion, are the four great challenges that pastoral care faces today in Argentine schools. In the third part, led by Gabriela Gómez, Provincial Delegate of the School Sector, the participants worked in groups to reflect on the challenges and propose suggestions for policies that, in this specific field, they would like to explore in the coming years. The meeting was also an opportunity to share the progress made on the framework document for School Pastoral Care and other documents.

Sao Paulo, Brazil – September 2024 – A Meeting of the National Commission for Salesian Youth Ministry took place on Saturday 14 September at the Santa Inês College in Sao Paulo (SP), involving Delegates and Provincial Coordinators of Salesian Youth Ministry in the Provinces of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and the Salesians of Don Bosco in Brazil. During the program, there were moments of planning the journey, with a view to optimising pastoral processes. Youth Ministry is the heart of the Salesian educational mission that seeks, through faith processes, to educate by evangelising and to evangelise by educating. The meeting of the National Commission for Youth Ministry is a space rich in synodality, where SDB and FMA share their experiences in the various realities of the country and spell pout guidelines to promote a pastoral path that responds to the needs of today's young people.

Castelnuovo Don Bosco, Italy – September 2024 - The Salesian Youth Movement (SYM) meeting on 14 September brought together young people and leaders for an event inspired by the Rector Major Ángel Fernández Artime's Strenna for 2025, "Anchored in hope, pilgrims with young people". It was a time of gathering at the beginning of the pastoral year and sharing, divided into different age groups, each committed to exploring how to face the resumption of the daily routine with renewed hope through games and activities. As a testimony to a promise of Love that lasts forever, before lunch the young people had the opportunity to listen to talks from the two newly professed, Giorgio Ramundo and Fabrizio Spina, who entrusted their lives to the Lord according to the charism of St John Bosco in the upper Basilica of Colle don Bosco in the afternoon. The celebration was presided over by the Councillor for the Mediterranean Region, Fr Juan Carlos Pérez Godoy, and was attended by the families and friends of the young confreres: Fabrizio Spina (Italy – ICP), Faraz Masih (Pakistan), Freymoe Win (Myanmar), Giorgio Giuseppe Domenico Ramundo (Italy – ICP), John Phyo Thura Aung (Myanmar), Volodymyr Basarab (Ukraine). The SYM Meeting thus offered a powerful reflection on the theme of hope, expressed at the time of the traditional Salesian Goodnight, at the end of the day, by Fr Leonardo Mancini, ICP Provincial.