RMG – GSFS2017, The Rector Major: “We can return home with the feeling we are sent on a true mission: the family”
 Rome) – The 35th edition of the Days of Spirituality of the Salesian Family has come to an end. These days were held from January 19th to 22nd, under the responsibility of Fr. Eusebio Muñoz, Delegate of the Rector Major for the Salesian Family. The first activity of the last day was the celebration of the Eucharist, that was presided over by Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime, who said, “We, as Salesian Family, are in this world, in our society, to witness to the light!”
After the moment of prayer and the presentation of the video-summary of the previous day, prepared by the community of “Canção Nova”, the closing ceremony commenced, starting with the presentation of the commitments undertaken by each group of the Salesian Family to enliven the Strenna 2017.
“I realize the beauty of a Salesian Family that is alive, strong, very fruitful, and above all a united family”, Fr. Muñoz said. In his conclusions, he underscored that today more than ever, “the union of Youth Ministry and Family Ministry is necessary to offer a profound educative proposal, one of a true change”.
In his concluding words, Fr. Á.F. Artime first of all thanked all for having shared together, day by day, the work of the Salesian Family and in particular thanked Fr. Joan Lluis Playà, the organizer of this great event. “Two words can be the synthesis and the perspectives of this 2017 – the Rector Major then said – a great convergence, in all the speeches”.
Besides, he reminded the words Pope Francis pronounced in Turin-Valdocco in 2015. “You educated me with affection; do not ever lose this way of educating”. Recalling these words, the Rector Major insisted on continuing our educative work “starting from affection, which is part of our heritage and which gives birth to reception, leads to keep the doors open, above all the door of our home, and even more the door of our heart.”
At the end of the 35th edition of the Days of Spirituality, the Rector Major invited everyone of those present and the entire Salesian Family in the world: “Let us feel that we are sent as Salesian missionaries in the midst of the families all over the world”.
link: www.infoans.org/en/sezioni-eventi/item/2521-rmg-gsfs2017-the-rector-major-we-can-return-home-with-th
RMG – The Videos of Salesian Mission Day 2017
 Rome) – Renewing the attention of the urgency to announce the Lord and to care for our poorest brethren: this is the aim of World Mission Day. Since 1988 also the Salesian Congregation proposes every year a specific missionary theme, which aims at promoting missionary animation: it is Salesian Mission Day, which for 2017 deals with the theme of First Announcement in the American continent. As of today, some videos on the Salesian Missionary experiences among the Indigenous peoples of Latin America are available online.
Throughout the entire six-year period 2015-2020 the specific theme of Salesian Mission Day is the First Announcement. However, every year it is examined and proposed under a specific focus: in 2016 it was Oceania, for 2017 it is the American continent.
Through the various materials prepared by the Dicastery for the Salesian Missions, and among these videos as well, it is possible to get acquainted with the commitment of the Sons of Don Bosco among indigenous Yanomami, in two important missions of the Province of Manaus; either among the Mixes of the State of Oaxaca, descendants of the Ancient Incas from Peru, or the Chinantecos, another indigenous group who live in the same State; or again among the Mapuche, an indigenous population that resides in the most southern areas of Argentinian Patagonia.
Thanks to Salesian Mission Day, that is “the expression and engine of the missionary spirit of Salesian pastoral-educative communities all over the world”, as the Dicastery for the Salesian Missions explains, the diverse realities of the Congregation can be known and can concretely help one another, and at the same time they can also walk a common path to arouse new missionary vocations.
The videos are available on the ANSChannel of YouTube, in Italia, English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.
link: www.infoans.org/en/sections/news/item/2522-rmg-the-videos-of-salesian-mission-day-2017
France – “ALIVE: Death Does Not Stop Life”. A Multi-award Winning Short Film by a Young Salesian Missionary
 Paris) – John Paul Swaminathan is a young Salesian missionary in France, who pursues masters in film direction and producing movies for European televisions at the “EICAR” (École Internationale de Création Audiovisuelle et de Réalisation), the International Film School of Paris. His short film project “ALIVE: Death Does Not Stop Life” received three main awards last December: the Albert R. Broccoli Award, the Best Student Short Film and the Best Sound Awards, at the film fest organized by EICAR, in collaboration with “La Cinématheque Française” and the Ministry of Culture and Development in France.
By Fr Felix Suresh SDB
Albert R. Broccoli, the patron of the award, was an American film producer, co-founder of Danjag, LLC and EON productions and the noticeable producer of the JAMES BOND films. The awards were judged by a jury composed of Hollywood and French cinema celebrities. The ceremony of the first award for the short film was witnessed by Fr. Daniel Federspiel, the Salesian Provincial of France and Belgium South, some Salesians confrères and an audience of six hundred special film spectators.
What do you feel after receiving these three main short film awards as a priest in Europe?
I feel happy as a priest able to inspire mass audience in seven minutes and am convinced that God wants us to use the powerful means of visual media in a responsible way to love one another.
Can you describe your short film project?
The short film is about a humble janitor who unexpectedly becomes a hero in face of the violent terrorist attack at The Bataclan concert hall in Paris on 13th November 2015. It aims at bringing healing to the wounded and inspiring believers to love humanity. (Watch the teaser of ALIVE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtJKlH4bBys)
Would you like to state something about your team?
The team consists of members of my choice belonging to 15 different nationalities and representing Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Atheist backgrounds. I find the choice of the team to be an inspiration from Don Bosco who in his first oratory had collaborators from all religious backgrounds to work for the common good of humanity. This approach paved the way to the ALIVE crew members, an effort for a new way of relating to the world. The teamwork was the success of the film. (Watch the making of – ALIVE: https://vimeo.com/196256269)
What do you want to achieve in the visual communication media?
I want to inspire the world towards peace and healing and encourage living together as one human family.
link: www.infoans.org/en/sections/interviews/item/2502-france-alive-death-does-not-stop-life-a-multi-award
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Letter from Fr Filiberto
Dear Provincial Delegates for SC:
A Happy New Year, full of hope and blessings for all.
This time, in my message to greet you, I will also refer to the Salesian Bulletin, the Strenna on the Family, the World Day for Social Communications and the preparatory work for the international meeting on youth and family ministry.
The Salesian Bulletin is part of the Salesian Social Communication System of the Congregation and of every Province. Therefore it is part of the PPSC (Provincial Plan for Social Communications) under the animation of the delegate for SC. I congratulate all the directors of the Salesian Bulletin that, having taken into consideration the guidelines of the international meeting in May 2016, have already put the logo of the Salesians of Don Bosco on the cover and they have always put the article in the Rector Major, and they have also included a selection of news from ANS that show how vast is the scope of the Salesian Congregation and its mission, because it is not exhausted just by the news of their own province.
Is important to make the strenna widely known in a strategic and pedagogical way, starting with the video and continuing with the deepening of the document. In order that the Salesians and other members of the Salesian Family become familiar with such an important issue, creativity should come into play with the objective to positively affect families and young people and to create opinion in society.
On the 24th of this month, Pope Francis will release the message for the World Day of Social Communications for the year 2017. I invite you to study it yourself, with your team and other communication coordinators, urging every province to hold a Provincial SC Day when appropriate. The theme is "Fear not, for I am with you" (Is 43.5). Communicate Hope and confidence in our time." The topic touches the heart of a Christian and Salesian communication. We are simply not the repeaters of events, we are prophets of God that pierce the facts and offer a sense of history.
Finally, the Departments of SC and YM have issued an announcement where we ask you to prepare and submit a short video interview or a testimony of a family, or a young man or a teenager, parent or educator who narrates the experience of what he does in his work or living environment in relation to youth and family ministry. I invite you to make a high-quality work and an excellent cooperation between sectors.
I wish you happy feast days of St. Francis de Sales and of Don Bosco, their holiness encourages us to grow in fidelity to the Salesian charism and to spread it through communication.
The Salesians and lay collaborators of the SC Department greet you all.
Fr. Filiberto.
email: webmaster@sdb.org
Information:
Italy - Course of Superior Formation on the Theory and Technology of Social Communication
Bari, Italy – January 13th, 2017 – On January 13th, the “Course of Superior Formation on the Theory and Technology of Social Communication” commenced in Bari. This is formative path organised at the Salesian House of “Redentore (Redeemer)” in Bari by the “Don Bosco Today Workshop”, together with the Provincial Library of the Capuchins of “Santa Fara”, under the patronage of the Salesian Pontifical University (UPS), of the Faculty of Theology of Puglia, of the Archdiocese of Bari – Bitonto, of CISM and of Tele Radio Padre Pio. The course comprises five theoretical modules, and a sixth practical one, and will be held in San Giovanni Rotondo, in the headquarters of Tele Radio Padre Pio, from June 30th to July 2nd". For further information refer to informazioni.
link: www.infoans.org/en/sections/news-photos/item/2477-italy-course-of-superior-formation-on-the-theory-a
Production:
Italy – What if Don Bosco wrote to you on WhatsApp? The first e-book of Salesians for Civil Society
 Rome) – “Father, Teacher and Friend” is the trinomial that in the Salesians world immediately brings one’s thought to Don Bosco. Too often today there is a lack of paternity, of guidelines of reference, of true and real friendship. This is where even today Don Bosco can come to our help with his educative and benevolent word and his experience with the young. Being fully aware of this, the “Salesians for Civil Society - Federation SCS-CNOS” has launched its first: “Cosa ti direbbe lui? 30 cit.Azioni alla #DonBosco maniera” (What would he tell you? 3o Quotes in the #DonBosco way), 30 pieces of advice of Don Bosco in a modern key.
The book is a publication planned and realized to celebrate the month dedicated to the Saint of the Young. It consists of 30 pieces of advice of Don Bosco, re-read in a modern key, suitable for any situation of the day.
At the origin of the text there is an idea, an intuition, a dream: that the protagonist of the situation might get in touch with or might me contacted on WhatsApp by Don Bosco, just as his boys did in Valdocco, to establish a dialogue with that father, teacher and friend who really cares for their happiness.
“We did not want to simply collect Don Bosco’s quotes, as others have already done, but we wanted these thoughts to speak to our daily life. So, why not do it with a modern means of communication like chats? The e-book contains 30 situations in which a person can find themselves, in any age of life”, is what we read in the presentation of the book.
The e-book was prepared by Mariana Ciavarro, a social educationalist and animator of the Salesian oratory of Sulmona (AQ), while the internal drawings have been done by Stefania Gagliano, a childhood illustrator and Salesian Co-operator.
“We thought of this e-book to celebrate our father, teacher and friend Don Bosco, the apostle of good publications, as he was defined – underscored Fr. Giovanni D’Andrea, President of the Salesians for Civil Society –. With the publication of this book we think we are at one time in the furrow of memory and innovation”.
Since last Friday, January 13th, the e-book can be downloaded for free on the site of the Salesians for Civil Society in ePub format (for readers of digital books) or in .pdf (for Windows or Macintosh).
link: www.infoans.org/en/sections/news/item/2483-italy-what-if-don-bosco-wrote-to-you-on-whatsapp-the-firs
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