Quito, Ecuador – September 2024 - Delegations from all continents have arrived in Quito to participate in the great "Eucharistic Feast" that began on Sunday, September 8, on the esplanade of the Bicentennial Park. About 25,000 people gathered in this place to be witnesses and protagonists of this unforgettable and unrepeatable ecclesial event. The opening Eucharist of the 53rd International Eucharistic Congress involved the Archbishop of Quito and Primate of Ecuador, Bishop Alfredo José Espinoza Mateus, SDB. The opening Mass was concelebrated by the Apostolic Nuncio in Ecuador, Archbishop Andrés Carrascosa Coso; the Delegate Bishop of Spain, Archbishop Leonardo Lemos; the Auxiliary Bishop of Quito, Archbishop David de la Torre, SSCC.; and the Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney, Archbishop Richard Umbers. Also present were Cardinal Baltazar Porras Caardozo, papal legate; bishops from abroad and from Ecuador; priests, deacons, seminarians, altar servers and hundreds of men and women religious. This ceremony was also special because more than 1,600 boys and girls received their First Communion accompanied by their parents and catechists. Before the Mass, a video message from Pope Francis was screened during which he stressed that fraternity is "an essential condition for a new world, a more just world, a more humane world".

Lahore, Pakistan – September 2024 - On Saturday 7 September at the Don Bosco Technical and Youth Centre in Lahore, the ceremony for the delivery of technical training certificates in various specialisations to the over a thousand students who completed the courses in the Technical Centre during 2024 took place. The event was attended by the President of TEVTA (Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority) Muhammad Sajjad Khokhar and the Vice-President of the Pakistan Chamber of Commerce, Zaki Ejaz, along with other personalities from the world of politics, business, and interreligious dialogue. The ceremony began with the prayer attributed to St Francis of Assisi and the national anthem. The students then created a festive atmosphere with greetings and dances from the cultural heritage of the provinces of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Gilgit Baltistan. During the award ceremony, Fr Noble Lal, SDB, Rector of the Lahore community, recalled that the Don Bosco Technical Centre has contributed to the education, technical development and skills of young people over the last 24 years. So far, the Technical Centre alone has graduated more than 8,000 young people. Next to the Technical Centre is a school with 400 students and, shortly, the school for professional nurses will also be opened. The young people who attended the Salesian house in Lahore are living a dignified life in society and spreading the name of Don Bosco throughout Pakistan.

Chennai, India – September 2024 – The Salesian Don Bosco Kalvi Solai work launched the "Butterfly Express" campaign on 6 September, aimed at establishing libraries in rural areas. Prominent personalities participated in the launch, such as N. Ram of "The Hindu", Dr. Jayakumar Reddy and Joshua Madhan, as well as Archbishop George Antonysamy, Archbishop of Madras - Mylapore, who took the opportunity to present the book "Are You Ready to Love?", by Fr John Alexander, Vice-Provincial of the Salesian Province of Chennai. The initiative, which symbolises the transformative impact of reading, aims to establish well-stocked libraries in the villages and offer children knowledge and new opportunities. People can give away books or make a donation to buy new ones. The name "Butterfly Express" is a metaphor that indicates the transformation that children undergo through reading. Just as caterpillars become butterflies, rural school libraries act as "cocoons", where students discover the great possibilities that life offers, page after page.

Krakow, Poland – September 2024 - Summer 2024 was really intense for the Salesian Province of Krakow (PLS), which organised 87 activities in the summer months, with almost 4,000 young participants. More than 500 leaders and educators and almost 50 Salesians were involved in the activities carried out throughout the province and in trips to various parts of Poland and Europe. For example, trips were organized on the Baltic Sea, in the Masurian Lake District, and in Italy. Participants took sightseeing tours, kayak trips and learned to sail. In addition, the oratories were active with various activities for the little ones.

Julia Stankowska
PLS YM Sector

Messina, Italy – September 2024 - From 2 to 7 September, the first phase of the course of preparation for perpetual profession was held in the Salesian house of the San Tommaso theologte in Messina. The house welcomed the 34 young people from four continents, more than 25 nations, with open arms, a breath of salesianity from all over the world. After the first years of temporary profession spent in study and mission, young Salesians are now preparing for perpetual profession. Starting from the joys and challenges of the Salesian mission with the group work proposed by Fr Alberto Anzalone, the Salesians then reflected on the meaning of consecration to God through the meditations of Fr Giuseppe Cassaro and Bro. Paolo Zini. There were many insights,including pointed ones, that serve to awaken love for God in the awareness of the seriousness of consecration. In conclusion, before the summary and sharing, there was an afternoon of retreat led by Fr Franco Di Natale, and personal reflection, to assimilate the words heard in one's own life and choices. There were obviously moments of sharing to get to know the points of view of the various nationalities, and also of leisure to chat and share  the beauty of Salesian life in the informal fraternal moments.

Caracas, Venezuela – September 2024 - The celebration of the priestly ordination of Salesian Meyber Espinoza, held on Saturday 7 September in the Chapel of the María Auxiliadora College, was a deeply emotional and significant event. Bishop Jonny Reyes, SDB, Bishop of the Vicariate of Puerto Ayacucho was the ordaining prelate, accompanied by Bishop Juan Carlos Bravo, Bishop of Petare and Bishop José Ángel Divasson, SDB, Vicar Apostolic Emeritus of Puerto Ayacucho, as well as a group of Salesians, family members, young people and lay people engaged in the mission.