Namaacha, Mozambique - June 2017 - On June 20, the Curatorium of the Novitiate of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Namaacha, Mozambique, the 25th anniversary was celebrated. Among the many participants were Fr. Marco Biaggi, Superior of the MOZ Vice Province, Fr. Victor Luís Sequeira Gutierrez, Superior of the Vice Province of Angola (ANG). The Namaacha novitiate has 16 novices, of which 13 Angolan and 3 from Mozambique.

Argentina - July 2017 - From April to June - in Ushuaia, Cipoletti, Ramos Mejía and Comodoro Rivadivia - regional meetings took place with the social communication managers of the Salesian Province of Argentina (ARS) in the presence of teachers, directors and animators interested in the subject. Among the various topics covered: the identification of the communication needs of the works, social communication and Salesian mission, dissemination of events and information processes, guidelines for information and management of communication in the event of a crisis.

Munich, Germany - June 26, 2017 - 42 young German adults between the ages of 18 and 28 will start a volunteer year as "Don Bosco Volunteers" in September in Salesian works in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ivory Coast, Benin, Ghana, Malawi, Rwanda, India, Albania, Moldova and Montenegro. For a year, volunteers were trained through seminars at Benediktbeuern's Aktionszentrum center and Bonn's Don Bosco Mission. At the center of the Don Bosco Volunteers work there will be children and marginalized children, especially street children. "We see the 'Don Bosco Volunteers' as a social learning service. Our volunteers are not humanitarian workers. Each of them contributes to projects with their talents and interests and is integrated into a team of religious and collaborators from various fields of work," said Fr Stefan Stöhr, Coordinator for the Don Bosco Salesian Volunteer Service in Germany. For any kind of service, both in Germany and abroad, young volunteers must go through a period of 25 days of accompaniment and training.

New York, United States - June 2017 - Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, SDB, ordained four Salesians priests on June 24. They are Fr. Paul Phuoc Trong Chu, Fr. Minh Duc Dang, Fr. Jean Wilgintz Polynice, and Fr. Dieunel Victor. The rite was celebrated at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Pelham Manor, New York. The church was packed with several hundred Salesian priests, brothers, and sisters, Salesian Cooperators, Don Bosco Volunteers, Salesian parishioners, the ordinands’ families and friends, and young people from various Salesian works. Frs. Chu, Dang, and Victor studied theology at the Ratisbonne Institute in Jerusalem from 2013 to 2017. Fr. Polynice studied at Seton Hall University’s Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange, New Jersey, in the same years. Fr. Chu, 34, was born in Vietnam and came to the U.S. in 1992. His family’s home parish is St. Paul the Apostle in Springfield, Massachusetts. He entered the Salesians in 2007 and made his first profession of vows on August 16, 2009. He has been assigned to Don Bosco Prep High School in Ramsey, New Jersey, as coordinator of campus ministry. Fr. Dang, 34, was born in Vietnam and came to the U.S. in 1992. His family’s home parish is Nativity in Burke, Virginia. He entered the Salesians in 2006 and made his first profession of vows on August 16, 2009. In 2013 his offer to be a missionary was accepted by the Rector Major, and he was assigned to the Middle East Province. Fr. Polynice, 43, was born in Haiti and came to the U.S. in 1998. He became a member of St. Joseph’s Parish in Spring Valley, New York. He entered the Salesians in 2004 and made his first profession of vows on August 16, 2007. He has been assigned to the retreat team at Don Bosco Retreat Center in Haverstraw, New York. Fr. Victor, 34, was born in Haiti and came to the U.S. in 2000. His family joined St. Jerome’s Church in Brooklyn, New York. He entered the Salesians in 2004 and made his first profession of vows on August 16, 2008. He has been assigned to Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School in Takoma Park, Maryland, as coordinator of youth ministry. At the end of the ordination Mass, the four new priests together gave their first blessing to Cardinal Rodriguez. A reception dinner followed in New Rochelle, New York, where each of the newly ordained spoke brief words of gratitude to God, Mary Help of Christians, their parents and family, their confreres, and their friends.

Bogotá, Colombia - June 2017 - From 21 to 23 June, in the "San José" of Mosquera prenovitiate, there was a Communications course for the pre- and post-novices of the Bogotá Province (COB). The themes discussed were: Salesian Social Communication System, Provincial Plan for Social Communication (CS), Programming of the CS 2017 Delegation, Salesian Bulletin, Essential Elements of Communication, Message of the Holy Father for the LI World Day for Social Communications, tips for the use of social networks, news, photos and radio. The course was led by Carolina Triana, CS Provincial Delegate, Pilar Porras, CS Assistant, and Linna Chaparro, for the radio workshop.

Youndé, Cameroon - June 2017 - On 25 June, four Salesian Theology students professed perpetual vows at the parish of Mimboman. The celebration was chaired by Fr Alphonse Owoudou, Provincial of the Vice-Province of Tropical Equatorial Africa.