NEWS PHOTOS
Porto Alegre, Brazil – November 2024 - Adolescents and young people of the Salesian Youth Movement (SYM) in the Salesian Province of Porto Alegre Brazil (BPA) participated in simultaneous meetings in Guarapuava (PR), Rio do Sul (SC) and Viamão (RS) on 16 November. With about 460 participants, the events dealt with the theme "A life, a dream and a mission: the oratory of Don Bosco" and promoted times for reflection and fun. The workshops held in the meetings covered important moments in the life of Don Bosco on which the young people reflected on the tenacity and faith of Don Bosco in the face of difficulties and on how he dedicated his life to the mission of educating and evangelising young people. The goal was to inspire participants to overcome personal challenges, guided by values such as patience and devotion.
Piła, Poland – November 2024 – On 16 and 17 November, at the Salesian House in Mound, a meeting of the National Centre for Youth Ministry (CK DM) took place with the participants in the Salesian Youth Synod held in Valdocco last August, representatives of young people from each Province of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and the Salesians of Don Bosco. Among the topics addressed during the days were the involvement of young people in the organisation of youth ministry at the national level, participation in the Jubilee of the Year 2025, a national festival of young Salesians (summer 2025) and the operation of the CK DM.
Quito, Ecuador – November 2024 - In an atmosphere of fraternity, the Salesian Rectors from the Sacred Heart of Jesus Province of Ecuador (ECU) met from 13 to 15 November to draw up guidelines for the journey of the Province. The meeting, which took place in the Provincial House, promoted dialogue, planning and strengthening of the Salesian mission in the current context of the country. The agenda of the meeting included spaces for prayer, formation and socialising and important activities related to provincial animation for the year 2025. Fr Marcelo Farfán, ECU Provincial, encouraged and accompanied each of the activities included in the agenda. One of the central moments was the presentation of each of the provincial plans and documents that fall within the Overall Province Plan (OPP) 2023-2029. The provincial delegates from each of the sectors briefly presented the projects that will shed light on educative and pastoral work of the future. In the same way, the official presentation of the Pastoral Motto 2025 was held: "Like Don Bosco Missionaries of Hope" and the space generated on the institutional site was shared, where formation materials will be available throughout the year. On the last day, Dr Rocío Amores held a conference on the theme "Keys to animation and government to ensure healthy and safe ecclesial environments". Fr Juan Flores, ECU Vice-Provincial, shared the processes, standards and formation for the prevention of abuse of minors and vulnerable adults at the provincial and local levels.
Medellín, Colombia – November 2024 - On 15 November, the El Sufragio Salesian College in the San Luigi Beltrando Province of Medellín Colombia (COM), celebrated the opening of Sufragio Sound, a modern recording studio designed to promote creativity, youth leadership and digital communication. The project arose from the joint effort between the student representatives, the families of the 2024 class, the communication area and the administration; consolidating itself as a multimedia centre where students create podcasts, live broadcasts and digital programmes, to share messages that evangelise and connect with current audiences. During the ceremony, broadcast live throughout the Eductive and Pastoral Community, Fr Óscar Holguín, rector of the school, highlighted the relevance of this project for the Salesian mission: "St John Bosco was a great communicator who, through his writings, shared a pedagogical and evangelising proposal. From the Salesian El Sufragio College we want to promote a space for evangelisation using new trends, social networks and multimedia channels. Today, what is not communicated does not exist, and that is why we make it available to our students at the centre of this proposal, so that they transform and make visible everything that is done in our institution, sowing in them the ability to dream of projects that affect life and mark society." Also present at the event were Fr Fabio Díaz, Provincial Delegate for Social Communication, and Fr Edward Páez, Provincial Delegate for Vocations, who congratulated the community on this initiative.