NEWS
In a spirit of profound gratitude and celebration, the Salesian Province of New Delhi gathered at the Don Bosco Provincial House to mark the Diamond, Golden, and Silver Jubilees of the priestly ordination and Religious Profession of several confreres. The event paid homage to the enduring commitment of these men, who have dedicated their lives to service in the Church, the Congregation, and especially to the young, in the spirit of St. John Bosco.
After a 13-year hiatus since the last papal visit, the parish of San Tommaso da Villanova in Castel Gandolfo was graced with a historic moment as Pope Leo XIV celebrated Holy Mass on Sunday, July 13. Entrusted to the pastoral care of the Salesians of Don Bosco, the parish welcomed the Holy Father with reverence and joy, marking a milestone in the community's spiritual journey.
“Just as the people were told to Go to Joseph in the Old Testament, the youth of today should be encouraged to Go to the Salesians,” declared Fr. Savio Silveira, Provincial of Mumbai, during his homily on the second day of the SPCSA Assembly at Don Bosco Skill Mission, Bangalore.
The Salesian Provincial Conference of South Asia (SPCSA) Assembly commenced on July 8 at the Don Bosco Skill Mission (DBSM), Bangalore, bringing together 55 participants, including Provincials, delegates, sector heads, and invited observers for a two-day deliberation on the future direction of the Salesian mission in the region.
The first plenary meeting of the newly elected General Council during the 29th General Chapter (GC29) is taking place at the Salesian Headquarters in Rome. This session serves to fulfill the General Council's specific responsibilities and foster mutual understanding among members, laying the foundation and outlining the roadmap for the work of the next six-year term.
The Vatican announced the election of Pope Leo XIV shortly after white smoke blew from the roof of the Sistine Chapel on Thursday. The Pope's birth name is Robert Francis Prevost. He is the first Pope from the United States of America.
From his earliest days in the working-class neighbourhood of Flores in Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio— Pope Francis—found joy in the simplest things: a football, a few friends, and a dusty patch of ground. He was never the strongest or the fastest on the field, but with a ball at his feet, he felt free, alive, and connected.
"He was a pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone,"
As a Salesian, one cannot help but be moved by the deeply personal and foundational connection that Pope Francis shares with the Salesian Family — a bond rooted in the earliest moments of his life and nurtured by a figure who would become spiritually pivotal to him and his family: Father Enrique Pozzoli, SDB.
In the bustling world of media and communication within the Salesian family, Fr Harris Pakkam stands out as a dynamic force, orchestrating the smooth and effective flow of information like a well-oiled engine. Currently, the Director of AGENZIA INFO SALESIANA (ANS) in Rome, Fr Harris, played a pivotal role in the dissemination of news and video content during the Salesian General Chapter (GC29), a task he undertook with precision for two months. Armed with a degree in Social Communication from the Pontifical Salesian University (UPS), Rome, his journey includes key roles such as Director of DBICA, Chennai, and a tenure at the Dicastery for Communication in the Vatican. Known for his visionary leadership and creative drive, he has also been an efficient organizer of the Don Bosco Global Youth Film Festival (DBGYFF), fostering global youth engagement through the lens of cinema.
Joining him in this engaging tête-à-tête is Dr Bastin Nellissery SDB, the Chief Editor of Don Bosco South Asia. A sharp and insightful communicator, Dr Bastin brings his wealth of experience and editorial acumen to the conversation, ensuring that Don Bosco's voice continues to resonate across the South Asian region.
The 29th General Chapter of the Salesian Congregation concluded with the Eucharistic celebration on April 12 at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Rome. The Rector Major Fr. Fabio expressed profound gratitude for the experience lived during the General Chapter, describing it as a moment of Salesian Pentecost. He highlighted how the Holy Spirit guided every phase of the Chapter through the method of conversation in the Spirit, and he invited the entire Congregation to continue on this path of listening and discernment.
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With recollected minds and hearts, the members of the General Chapter (GC 29) entered through the Holy Door and, reverentially bowing towards the Altar of the Chair at St. Peter's Basilica, settled among the pews to take part in the concelebrated Eucharist presided over by Fr. Fabio Attard, the Rector Major on Friday, April 11.
Presiding over the closing celebration of the General Chapter in Turin, Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, the former Rector Major, along with his predecessor, Fr. Pascual Chávez Villanueva, and successor, Fr. Fabio Attard, invited his fellow Salesians during the Eucharist, to be new Don Boscos for today's world: "missionaries in love, captivated by Christ, and compelled to share the love that transformed their lives."
The Rector Major Fr. Fabio Attard presented a special gift, the Medal of Mary, to the participants of the General Chapter 29. The medals were kept overnight at Colle Don Bosco, the birthplace of St. John Bosco. “This is not a pious gesture,” said the Rector Major Fr. Attard, “but a real act of entrustment to our Mother.”
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