Talisay City, Philippines – December 11th, 2016 – The Salesian house  “Don Bosco Formation Center – Lawaan”, feasted the 40 years of its existence with various celebrations: the blessing of the first stone for a new chapel for the novitiate and the “Balay ni Don Bosco”; the celebrations in honour of Fr. Eduardo Espirtu and Fr. John Peter Clifford, pioneers of the Salesian house, and the blessing of the main building, with the repetition of the ceremony performed on the inauguration day, on December 7th, 1976. The Institute, that was born as a minor seminary for senior high school students, has now become a formation centre for Salesian aspirants and the see of the Centre for the Lay and the Young, with a program for catechists and religious formation, an office for social communications and a house for retreats.

Dili, Timor East – December 2016 – On December 16th, there was the ceremony of the awarding of diplomas to 317 students of the “Don Bosco Training Centre Comoro”, who have completed theirs studies in the diverse formation fields: metal fabrication, carpentry, masonry and plumbing, automobile mechanics, computer science, electricity and air conditioning. It is worth mentioning that there has been a great increase of students who choose the Salesian school: in previous years the number of graduates was about 130/170.

Santiago, Chile – December 17th, 2016 – On December 17th, in the Temple of St. Francis de Sales of the Don Bosco Youth Centre in “La Florida”, through the imposition of hands of the Archbishop of Santiago, Salesian Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati, Salesian confrère Oliver Villarroel was ordained a deacon. Fr. Alberto Lorenzelli, Superior of the Salesian Province of Chile, and his Council were also present at the celebration.