Ivato, Madagascar - September 2017 - The annual meeting of the Regional Formation Commission of Africa and Madagascar took place from 19 to 23 September at the Madagascar Vice-Province's office (MDG). During the meeting, chaired by Fr Ivo Coelho, General Counselor for Formation, assisted by Fr Silvio Roggia, Member of the Dicastery, and Fr José Elegbede, a number of topics were presented and analyzed including: the new ratio of the Catholic Church for Formation, the CIVCSA document "For new wine, new opportunities", Salesian consecration in its presbyteral form, formation as a life-long activity and the creation of a regional training center, the mission shared with lay people, the next synod on "Young people, faith and vocational discernment." During the meeting, the 1st Congress of the continent's Salesian Coadjutors, and the course for the Pre-novitiate Directors, both organized in Nairobi, were presented. In addition, the new Coordinator, Deputy Coordinator and Secretary of the Commission were chosen, namely Fr Innocent Bizimana, Vicar MDG, and Fr Chuks Akubueze of the Anglo-Africa West Province (AFW).

Italy - From Japan, 36 Sisters on Fr Vincenzo Cimatti's trail
Faenza, Italy - September 2017 - A group of 36 Sisters of the Daughters of the Holy Trinity embarked on a journey from Japan to Europe with the aim of finding traces and testimonies of their founding father: Vincenzo Cimatti. On September 6, they arrived in Faenza, in search of "Marco Pescatore", a musical work composed by Fr Cimatti, whose score is preserved in the Manfrediana Library of Faenza. During his life, Fr Cimatti was also a renowned musician and composer. "Mark, The Fisherman" is in fact one of the musical works written by the missionary, if not the most famous, certainly the most beloved by the 36 sisters who, armed with headphones and a simultaneous translator, ventured to discover the music of the man who inspired their order.

Source: https://www.ilbuonsenso.net

New York, United States - September 2017 - On Wednesday, September 20, the Holy See signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Signing for and on behalf of the Holy See was the Vatican foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher. The Treaty was adopted last July 7 at the end of the United Nations conference to negotiate a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination. The text would enter into force 90 days after at least 50 countries both sign and ratify it. According to a UN statement, the nuclear threat has today reached "its peak since the end of the Cold War." "There are still always about 15,000 nuclear warheads in the world," said UN Secretary-General António Guterres, of Portugal. The aim of the new pact is to strengthen the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which entered into force in 1970, and the Treaty on the Total Prohibition of Nuclear Testing, which the Vatican adhered to in 1996, but has yet entered into force.
Source: Zenit

Buenos Aires, Argentina - September 2017 - On September 21, Fr Filiberto González, General Councilor for Social Communications, chaired the meeting of Argentina's Salesian Bulletin team.

Bari, Italy - September 2017 - The final exam of the Masterclass in Theory and Techniques of Social Communication offered by the "Laboratorio Don Bosco Oggi" took place on 14 September at Bari's Salesiano Redentore Institute. Held between this past January and May, the course ended with its over 30 students submitting their final projects consisting of articles, essays, projects, or videos on themes of their choice. Visibly satisfied with the initiative, Fr Francesco Preite, the Director of the Redentore Salesiani Bari, greeted the audience and placed emphasis on that concept of unity oft-repeated by Pope Francis: "We must act in the plural and not in the singular in all walks of life, be it personal or professional. One mustn't think 'I', but 'we'."

Montevideo, Uruguay - September 2017 - Fourteen Provincial Delegates for Formation from Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Brazil, plus a representative of the Salesian Coadjutors, meet 19 - 22 September for the Formation Commission's Annual Meeting for the America South Cone Region; with them, the Formation referent of the Conference of Brazilian Provinces, the Provincial of Belo Horizonte, Fr Orestes Fistarol. Headed by Fr Cleofás Murguía, of the Education Dicastery, the meeting addresses many issues: statistics regarding first formation in the region; formation at the Rector Major's meeting with Salesian Provincials, July 2017; provincial project to re-size formation starting from the Team Visit, Paraguay 2017, and the priorities and guidelines of the formation sector; Provincial Qualification Plan for Salesians; study of the text "Identity of the Salesian Religious" by Fr Andrea Bozzolo, in view of the region's 2018 teacher formation; reshaping the region's formation centers and the experiences of the Curatorium; Protocol (ACG 425) of the Congregation on the Protection of Children; various events promoted by the formation sector and in the Region.