Rome, Italy - June 2018 - On 25 June, at the Salesian Headquarters in Rome, a joint meeting was held between the Dicastery and the Salesian Youth Ministry, coordinated by Fr Fabio Attard, SDB, and Sr. Runita Borja, FMA. The meeting, which has been repeated for years every six months, allows the two organs of world animation of Youth Ministry of the Salesians of Don Bosco and of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians to explore and discuss themes of common interest, share processes, coordinate programs and common events. This last meeting, for example, represented an opportunity to study closely the theme of the next Synod of Bishops on "Youth, faith and vocational discernment", in light of the participatory process animated by the Secretariat of the Synod in recent months and of the recent publication of the Instrumentum Laboris. Among the common projects at the center of the agenda were the participation of the Salesian Youth Movement at the World Youth Day in Panama in January 2019, the animation processes of the Salesian Schools in America, the international coordination of the Salesian Youth Sports associations and participation in the International Congress entitled: "Youth and life choices: educational perspectives", to be held from 20 to 23 September 2018 in Rome, thanks to the collaboration between the Salesian Pontifical University and the Pontifical Faculty of Educational Sciences "Auxilium".
Thimpu, Bhutan - June 2018 - The Taekwondo team of the "Don Bosco" Salesian Secondary High School of the Guwahati Province won 5 gold, 6 silver and 1 bronze medals at the International Taekwondo Championship, held from 2 to 4 June.
Ayagualo, El Salvador - June 2018 - For the 25 years of the Regional Center of the Salesian Brothers (CRESCO), the Salesian brothers of Central America met from June 18 to 22 to mark a mid-year break, with moments of reflection and sharing.
Yaoundé, Camerun - June 2018 - On 24 June, Salesians Offor Simon (Nigeria) and Modekpo Paterne Antheime (Central African Republic), students of Theology, made their perpetual profession at the "Mary Help of Christians" parish in Mimboman. Fr Alphonse Owoudou, Provincial of the Vice Province of Equatorial Tropical Africa, presided at the celebration.
Turin, Italy - June 2018 – On June 16, the past, present and future of basketball at the Oratory of the Crocetta met in Via Piazzi to celebrate their first 70 years of activity. After the children's mini-basket games, there was a parade of all the current young "crocettine" teams. The celebrations then moved from PalaBallin, the sports stadium, to the Oratory Theater, the event presented by the twins Giorgio and Paolo Viberti, both established journalists and former basketball players of Don Bosco Crocetta. The President of the Coni, the Italian sports governing body, Giovanni Malagò, sent a message of good wishes, as did the President of the Italian Basketball Federation, Gianni Petrucci in a video wherein he traced and praised the long path of the Salesian “Crocettini”. Also present were the Piedmont Region President, Sergio Chiamparino, and the Regional Councilor for Sport, Giovanni Maria Ferraris, who consigned a plaque to the President of Crocetta, Roberto Romagnoli, as a sign of gratitude for the work carried out with and for young people in all these years.
Titletown, United States - June 2018 - The 2018 Catholic Media Conference was held from 12 to 15 June, and was attended by over 300 people of Catholic faith including journalists, publishers, communication directors, producers, media company managers, advertising companies, advertisers, and three bishops. Representing the Salesian Province of the United States East and Canada (SUE) were Jakeline Magalhães, Provincial Delegate for Social Communication, and Fr Mike Mendl. The aim of the meeting included: sharing best practice, studying new possible developments, learning about the latest successes and the deepening of one's own faith. The over 300 men and women, 95% lay people, expressed firm conviction of their mission in the Church as evangelizers.