(ANS - Ramaparam) - "Although we are confounded and distressed our certitude in the Lord’s power ushers us on." For more than 40 days Mathew Uzhunnalil has not heard from his brother who was kidnapped in Aden during a terrorist attack. Yet, along with the rest of his family, he trusts always in the Lord and he still finds the strength to thank everyone who has shown concern for Fr Tom, beginning with Pope Francis for his appeal, and including all those who pray for his release.

(ANS - Brussels) - "We Salesians of Don Bosco work on the inclusion of migrants and refugees in Europe and other continents and are Concerned about the implications of the Agreement between the European Union (EU) and Turkey". This is the beginning of the statement recently issued by DON BOSCO INTERNATIONAL (DBI), a platform created to facilitate a meaningful dialogue between the Salesians of Don Bosco and the European Institutions and NGOs. Below we publish the rest of the statement.

(ANS - Rome) - The Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, begins his visit to Belgium this morning. He will remain in the country until next Tuesday 19 April to meet all the Salesians in Belgium, those of the Province of Belgium North (BEN), and those who work in the south of the country and belong to the Province of France-Belgium South (FRB).

(ANS - Turin) - A new president and new perspectives in the field of international adoption for the Friends of Don Bosco. The organization is based at Valdocco in Turin, with a second house in Lecce. It is part of the great Salesian galaxy, and is active with projects on behalf of children with international adoptions in five countries: India, the Philippines, Colombia, Mongolia and Benin.

(ANS - Bellflower) - A homeless a person is defined as one who is not able to acquire and maintain regular, safe and adequate accommodation. Often homeless people end up living in special shelters, in cars, in tents or on the streets in cardboard boxes. For them, as for anyone in conditions of suffering and difficulty, it is important to receive gestures of openness, attention and solidarity. This is what some volunteers from the Salesian parish of St Dominic Savio in Bellflower, California, do every weekend.