Kochi, India – December 2016 – Don Bosco Vaduthala witnessed a two-day meeting of Salesian Co-operators from six southern Salesian provinces on 10 and 11 December 2016. The programme was organised by the SPCSA National Council along with the host province of Bangalore. There were 42 co-operators who participated from different provinces. Apart from them, eight Salesian fathers – among whom Fr. Noel Madichetty sdb, the Salesian Delegate of the National Council of Co-operators – and four Salesian Sisters took part in the meeting. Strenna 2017 on Family was presented and, during the discussion that followed, the members unanimously felt the need to focus for the coming years on Family with varieties of ministries directed to the family by co-operators. The focus was centred on family spirituality, counselling, education of the children and morality.

Lyon, France – December 2016 – More than 50 Salesians and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in France participated in the IV edition of the annual encounter on the theme “From the Pastoral Care of Projects to a Pastoral Project". The encounter was guided by the Provincial Delegates for Pastoral Care in France and Belgium South, Sr. Anne Orcel, FMA, and Fr. Xavier Ernst, SDB.

Vientiane, Laos – December 11th, – As decided by Pope Francis, on December 11th there was in Vientiane the beatification of 17 martyrs of Laos. The celebration was presided over by Cardinal Orlando Quevedo, OMI, Archbishop of Cotabato, in the presence of two thousand faithful and priests and was concelebrated by 15 Bishops and Cardinals coming from Thailandia, Cambodia and Vietnam.