(ANS – Tijuana) – Over the past few weeks, the ‘Proyecto Salesiano Tijuana’ - the body that coordinates the social activities of the Salesian presence in the city - has experienced several significant moments, with the visit of illustrious personalities, the strengthening and renewal of the projects that have been launched, and the exciting expression of the creativity of the youngest and most vulnerable recipients of Salesian apostolic activities. These are as follows:

(ANS – Vatican City) – On Tuesday, 3 December 2024, the Theological Consultants of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, during the Peculiar Congress, answered in the affirmative regarding the Positio super martyrio of the Servants of God Jan Świerc and 8 Companions, Professed Priests of the Society of St Francis de Sales, killed in odium fidei in the Nazi death camps in the years 1941-1942. The Positio had been delivered on 21 July 2022, with  Father Szczepan Tadeusz Praśkiewicz, OCD as rapporteur,  Fr Pierluigi Cameroni, SDB as Postulator, and  Dr Mariafrancesca Oggianu as Collaborator. The nine Consultants were called upon to answer the question concerning the reputation of martyrdom and its foundation, that is, martyrdom and its cause. On the basis of this judgement, the Cardinals and Bishops, Members of the Dicastery, will be able to subsequently express their judgement on the martyrdom of the Servants of God.

(ANS – Vijayawada) – Navajeevan Bala Bhavan, a Salesian community under the Province of St. Joseph, Hyderabad, based in Vijayawada, received a certificate of recognition from the Andhra Pradesh State AIDS Control Society (APSACS) on December 1, World AIDS Day 2024. This accolade specifically acknowledges the NGO’s exemplary nutrition support programs for children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, setting a benchmark for impactful community-driven initiatives.

(ANS – Rome) – The work for Salesian Missionary Volunteering is going on in all Provinces. Guided by the SMV Advisory Team, two meetings were held on-line, one in Spanish and the other one in English, on 25 and 28 November. Around 35 people participated from all over the world: Salesians, lay SMV coordinators, young volunteers and SMV Advisory Team members.

(ANS – Bo) – People who were victims of a devastating fire in Bo City, Sierra Leone, received support and resources to ensure their safety, thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. Many of the people have a disability, such as blindness or a physical disability, and do not have jobs.