Ratisbonne, Israel – May 24th, 2017 – On the occasion of the feast of May Help of Christians, Fr. Pier Giorgio Gianazza, Vicar of the Middle East Province, presided over the Eucharistic celebration, in the course of which two Salesians pronounced their Perpetual Vows.
Rome, Italy – May 2016 – From May 24th to 26th, at the “Salesianum” of the General House of the Salesians, the 89th Semestral Assembly of the Union of Superiors General (USG) is being held on the theme “Vocational Discernment in an Intercultural World”. 106 Superiors, among whom the Rector Major, Don Ángel Fernández Artime, are participating in this Assembly.
Luanda, Angola – May 24th, 2017 – After going on a pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Mary Help of Christians, about 20 thousand faithful participated in the Eucharist on the occasion of her feast. The celebration was held at the Salesian Vocational Centre in Luanda, was presided over by Msgr. Almeida Kanda and was concelebrated by Fr. Victor Luis Sequeira, Superior of the Vice-Province of Angola (ANG), with 20 more concelebrants.
Prague, Czech Republic – May 2017 – Every year, on the feast of Mary Help of Christians, Bohemian Salesians meet to celebrate and live a moment of fraternity. On this occasion Fr. Tadeusz Rozmus, Councillor for Centre-North Europe also arrived in Prague on a short visit. On May 21st Fr. Rozmus met Fr. Petr Vaculik, CEP Provincial, with his Provincial Council, and on the following day, the day of the community appointment of Czech Salesians, Fr. Rozmus presided over the Mass. In his homily the Regional Councillor spoke of the dream of Don Bosco of the Two Columns and recalled that without the Eucharist and Mary, the Church and the Congregation become sluggish. He then conveyed the greetings of the Rector Major and was presented by the Provincial with the gift a small cross with the image of the Good Shepherd.
Bogota, Colombia – May 2017 – The General Councillor for Formation, Fr. Ivo Coelho, together with Fr. Salvador Murguía, who is responsible for the formation team of America, visited the Salesian Theological Institute of the “San Pietro Claver” Province of Bogota. They had the opportunity to meet the formators' team and all the formandi Salesians of various provinces of the Region. The moments of work were intensive and offered the opportunity to perceive the formation processes applied in this formative phase, together with formation criteria and plans of work. Such a work of deepening and arranging formative communities, especially in formation houses, was commenced with the Extraordinary Visitation of Fr. Filiberto González, General Councillor for Social Communication, at the end of 2016; the Rector Major, during the Team Visit, motivated all the Region towards re-thinking formation, relocating formation houses and the formation of formators.
Turin, Italy – May 24th, 2017 – On the occasion of the Feast of Mary Help of Christians, Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime, Rector Major, encountered, as per tradition, the about 50 Salesian novices of Europa, in what he defines “a very beautiful initiative”. During the encounter, the Rector Major highlighted the profile of the Salesian today and tomorrow: “a Salesian who feels he is a consecrated person and a man of God; a Salesian who wants to live an attracting fraternity; a Salesian who brings his heart among the youth and the most needy. The Congregation does not need ‘business Salesians’, but Salesians who give everything to the young”.