Belgrade, Serbia – 6 March 2017 - Ján Volko (centre of photo),  past pupil and current leader at the Salesian Centre at Trnávka in Bratislava, in the Province of Slovakia (SLK), won the silver medal in the 60 meters race at the European Indoor Athletics Championships, held in Belgrade. His time of 6.58 set a new record for his country.  Afterwards he said: "I set myself the goal that my athletics would be for the glory of God." 

Johannesburg, South Africa - April 2017 – On 1 April, the Mary Help of Christians school of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Booysens, Johannesburg, celebrated the 50th anniversary of its foundation. The students put on a show with dances, poems, songs and music, written by Sister Therese Pietersen, FMA, inspired by the beginning of the FMA, and by Maria Mazzarello and Don Bosco.

Mar del Plata, Argentina - April 2017 - On 1 April, in the parish of San Pablo, Bishop Antonio Marino of Mar del Plata, presided at the ordination of the Salesian Matías Amed, in the presence of Fr Honorio Caucamán, Provincial of Southern Argentina.

Kansebula, R.D. Congo - April 2017 - On 2 April, the young missionaries of the Province of Central Africa held a day of prayer and meditation on the theme of friendship and mercy in the family. The meeting ended with a pilgrimage to the grotto of Mary Help of Christians in Kansebula.

Caracas, Venezuela - March 2017 - The Network of Don Bosco Houses in Venezuela organized Lenten retreats for educators, administrators and adolescents. The first retreat, 3-5 March, at the Salesian novitiate in San Antonio de Los Altos, was attended by 40 educators. It was conducted by Fr Luis Germán Prato Quintana, SDB, vice-president of the Network of Don Bosco Houses and Fr Guido Machado, SDB, Director of Novices. The second retreat, 10 - 12 March, in the House of Santa Maria Mazzarello in Los Teques, was attended by 16 coordinators. It was conducted by Fr Prato Quintana, on the theme "Solidarity and service." Finally, on the weekend 24-26  March, also in Los Teques, 31 teenagers participated in the retreat led by Fr Ramón Roa, SDB, on the theme  of service, under the motto "Healed by Jesus, to Serve."

Frosinone, Italy - March 27, 2017 - "White, black and yellow, all are important." This was the unanimous shout of the children from A. Maiuri primary school in Frosinone on 27 March last when they attended a lecture on children's rights. The meeting, organized by the Salesians, involved all the children of the elementary classes in games, stories and videos about the main points of the Rights Convention (1989). The Salesian Outreach - SCS / CNOS Federation is working on behalf of many children and young people in difficulty, with 31 family homes, 30 day-care centres and 17 reception centres for Unaccompanied Foreign Minors, scattered throughout Italy. In preparation for the meeting the children were told the story of Don Bosco and a tree was decorated with colourful balloons and some important quotes from Don Bosco.