Latest News

Presidency Meeting of the World Confederation!

The Presidency of the World Confederation of the Past Pupils of Don Bosco, the leadership and governing body of the Association, met in Rome from 21-24 June. Among those present were Francis Muceo, President; Julio Castellanos, Vice-President and Regional Officer for the Inter-American Region; Ángel Gudiña, Vice-President of the Young Past Pupils (GEX); Rajesh Gupta, Regional Officer for Asia; Antoine Musenga, Regional Officer for Africa; Rajiv Tykmany, GEX for Asia; Domenica Sapienza, GEX for Europe; Nini Cubeta, Confederation Treasurer; Sergi Rodríguez, Confederation Secretary, and Fr José Pastor Ramírez,

World Delegate. (…)

The gathering of the World presidency ended with the traditional meeting of the Past Pupils with the Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, which took place precisely on Past Pupils’ Day, 24 June. The Rector Major invited the Past Pupils to take up two major challenges: "To grow in the identity of past pupils and social commitment; and to bring the commitment of the World Presidency to the Federations and Confederations, and especially to the local unions." Full information in ANS: http://www.infoans.org/1.asp?sez=1&sotSez=13&doc=10957&lingua=2

Getting to know

World Statutes

(Article 17 c-d) Art. 17. Assamblies and meetings

c) Meeting of the Confederal Presidency. The meeting of the members of the Confederal Presidency takes place every year and is open to all Past Pupils of Don Bosco. At the invitation of the Confederal Presidency, and with a motivated decision, one or more persons, up to a maximum of 3, can be invited to attend. The invited persons do not have voting rights. d) Meeting of the Confederal Executive Council. The meeting of the members of the Confederal Executive Council takes place at least 3 times a year. At the invitation of the Confederal Presidency, and with a motivated decision, one or more persons, up to a maximum number of 3, can be invited to attend. The invited persons do not have voting rights.

REMEMBER THAT:

• Copies in Italian, Spanish, English,

French and Portuguese are available. Please write to us for send them to you wihtout costs.

• In 2015 we will approve the definitive versión so we kindly ask you to study the Statute and send us your amendments.

Appointment of Peter Hunter as Councillor for Europe in substitution of Isaac Túnez – 31 May Rome The World Council in an urgency meeting during the Salesian Family World Advisory Council, acepted the resignation of Isaac Túnez as Councillor for Europe due to working reasons, after his appointment as Vice-Chancellor of Cordoba University Inmediately was consulted the first non-elected candidate for Europe during the World Assembly, Mr. Peter Hunter, from United Kingdom Federation, who has already began his service in World Confederation.

THANK YOU ISAAC! GOOD LUCK PETER! National Assembly of Don Bosco Past Pupils and reelection of Mr. Luis A. Ventura as President in Sto. Domingo, Rep. Dominicana

On the weekend of 10-11 May, the Second National Assembly of the Dominican Federation of Past Pupils of Don Bosco took place in the Mary Help of Christians House in Santo Domingo. The Statutes were studied and approved ad experimentum and the officers of the Presidency were elected.

The Assembly of the National Federation of the Past Pupils "is the main sign of the unity of the Association of Past Pupils of Don Bosco in its diversity. It is a fraternal meeting, in which the past pupils reflect and decide together to remain faithful to Don Bosco, the Association, the Gospel, the Church and society."

Full information in ANS: http://www.infoans.org/1.asp?sez=1&sotSez=13&doc=10723&lingua=2

Rector Mayor’s voice

Interview to Rector Mayor in the Spanish TV Programme “Últimas Preguntas” (Las questions) Link to video: http://www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/ultimas-preguntas/ultimas-preguntas-salesianos-hoy/2646466/

President’s

Words

Dear friends,

We are in the Past Pupil World Day the 24th June day in which we commemorate the event from which everything started that is to say the offer of the coffee cups from Carlo Gastini and the other “Old Pupils” gathered in 1870 around his Father and Master Don Bosco.

In 1870 – as a witness explains, prof. Alessando Fabre – there was a new fact: Don Bosco, excessively busy the day of his onomastic, wished to spend a full day with his Past Pupils and give back the tribute from 24th June with lunch invitation. The first “fraternal meal” took place 19th July 1870: it was born, somehow, the “annual meeting”, what it is until today, organized in every Salesian house at least once a year and that could be defined as the typical demonstration of our association life.

First National Congress of Paraguay Fedeartion of Don Bosco Past Pupils.

As training theme it was presented the history of

the Past Pupils movement worldwide and at

national level, the rol, principles and values of Past

Pupils Associations and its levels of participations

within the national, regional and worldwide in the

World Confederation.

In a second moment there was a debate on the mission

and identity of Don Bosco Past Pupils on the present

time and the need of widening its action.

In the Congress took part leaders coming from the

cities of Ypacaraí, Pedro Juan Caballero, Concepción

and Asunción. Pilgrimage to Fátima of Salesian Family and SYM During the Pilgrimage of Salesian Family to Fatima, the Rector Mayor had a meeting with

leaders of Past Pupils Federations of Portugal and their families.

Whispered

Words of

World

Delegate In this edition of our Newsflash we have

decided to do a small homage to whom usually

writes to us in this section, Fr. José Pastor

Ramírez, who celebrates his 25th Anniversary of

priesthood the current 22 July 2014.

To commemorate such event there have been

organized the following homages:

- Dominican Republic Federation of Past

Pupils (Fedebosco) led by his President

Luis Alberto Ventura organized last 11th

May 2014 a Holy Mass in D. José’s

hometown Jarabacoa and lunch to celebrate

the event. In it took part over 700 people

apart from the family of our Delegate.

- World Council in occassion of the Salesian

Family World Advisory Council ( 30, 31

May and 1 June) and in presence of Rector

Mayor, gave him a small present.

- The Community of Generalate homaged

him the 24th June together with the

confrairs who celebrate other anniversaires.

Thousands of Supporters for the Salesian Nomination for the Prince of Asturias Award for Concord

Thousands of emails and messages are coming to the Prince of Asturias Foundation supporting the request for the award of the "Prince of Asturias Concord 2014" prize to the Salesians. The petition was filed last April by the World Confederation of Salesian Past Pupils. In addition to personal messages of support there were those of the Daughters of Charity and the Messengers of Peace who were Prize winners in this category in 1994 and in 2005. It is important to remind the whole Salesian world that this nomination for the Prince of Asturias Award is not just about the Salesians in Spain, but is of a global character and involves the Salesians in the 132 countries where the Salesians of Don Bosco continue their mission. Almost15,000 messages of support have already been sent through the website www.change.org alone. Full information in ANS: http://www.infoans.org/1.asp?sez=1&sotSez=13&doc=11026&lingua=2

Don Bosco Alumni donate Aqua Pure Water Project to Mumbai students The Don Bosco Matunga, Alumni of the 1969 group, in the city of Mumbai, have donated a system of providing clean drinking water to

students of their Alma Mater, through a project termed “Aqua Pure Water Project” of the Eureka Forbes multinational company. The project will provide nearly 3,500 children of the school clean drinking water on their school premises.

Solidarity Corner During the lasts months World Confederation has organized a call in order to chose the Solidarity Project for 2014. Considering the urgency of the needs detected and the quality of the project presented the Evaluation Commission has chosen the Project:

FREE MEDICAL UNIT Managed by Past Pupils of Lilluah, Kolkata (India) will be the economically supported in 2014, and that provides medical services to the poorest amongst the poor in Lilluah. Our objective: raise the number of patients catered for free (about 100 people a week)

The objective: put into practice the mandate of Don Bosco that Rector Mayor remembered to us: Create a Society of Mutual Help. You may collaborate in the following bank account: Bank: POSTE ITALIANE. SWIFT: BPPIITRRXXX. IBAN: IT53O0760103200000043261007

National Assembly of Spanish National Confederation of Don Bosco Past Pupils From 6 to 8 June, a meeting took place in Madrid of the Council of the Spanish National

Confederation of Don Bosco Past Pupils. The event, which was held in Madrid, was attended by about 75 past pupils, male and female, from six regions of Spain. In the afternoon, all the participants went to the Salesian House at Atocha to attend the meeting of the Salesian Family with the Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime. He told the participants that it is essential "to know and love the Salesian Family and open our doors to them, while respecting their autonomy and share responsibility with them to ensure the growth and identity of individuals and groups of the Salesian Family."

The Sunday Eucharist was presided over by the Rector Major and concelebrated by Fr Stefano Martoglio, Councillor for the Mediterranean region, the two new Provincials in Spain - Fr Cristobal Lopez and Fr Juan Carlos Pérez Godoy.

Calendar of events 2014

Brazil: mid-August (Itajaí, Santa Catarina) Argentina: from 3rd to 5th October near Córdoba Slovakia: from 10th to 12th October in Bratislava Chile: from 31st October to 2nd November (venue to be determined) School of Leaders East Timor: from 12th to 14th September in Fatumaca

Assembly & Bicentennary Pilgrimage

3 – 6 October 2015 – Rome

6 – 9 October 2015 - Torino

SalesianFamily

Advisory Council Representatives of the groups of the Salesian Family gathered from 30 May to 1 June at the Salesian Generalate in Rome for the annual meeting of the World Advisory Council. Among the topics discussed were: sharing of plans, projects and experiences of the different groups; reflection on the significance for the Salesian Family of the Bicentenary of the birth of Don Bosco. Calendar of events for the years 2014-2015; presentation of the Frame of Reference for Salesian Youth Ministry; collection of proposals for the animation of the Salesian Family in the six-year period 2014-2020; evaluation of the organization of the Spirituality Days.

There was a total of forty people, representing twenty-three of the thirty groups that make up the Salesian Family. Among the participants were Superior Generals and founders Ángel Gudiña, Youth Vice-President of the World Association of Past Pupils of Don Bosco, then spoke about the initiative promoted by the World Confederation of the Past Pupils of Don Bosco in requesting that the 2014 Prince of Asturias Concordia prize be awarded to the Salesian Congregation.

GEX Corner Eurogex 2014: European Congress of Young Past Pupils, Past Pupil Presidents and Delegates From 1 to 4 May the European Congress of

EuroGex, the Association of Young Pupils, and the meeting of Past Pupil Presidents and Delegates from Europe took place in Auschwitz, Poland. It was attended by about fifty Salesian Past Pupils, Presidents and Delegates from eight countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, France, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. The EuroGex meeting opened on the evening of 1 May, with introductions and greetings from Fr Dariusz Bartocha, Provincial of the host Province (Poland Krakow) and the Rector of the Salesian House in Oswiecim, Fr Bogdan Nowak. Also present were the World President of the Past Pupils, Doctor Francis Muceo, and the President of the Local Union of Oświęcim, Mr. Wieslaw Sojka

The aims of the meeting were to reflect on human rights, values, and the Social Doctrine of the Church in Europe; to promote knowledge of significant people from Europe and the world; to strengthen the unity and growth of the Local Association of Past Pupils; to get to know the reality of the centenary of the Salesian Family in Poland; to promote the community formation of the Salesian Past Pupils, and the Presidents and Delegates from Europe. There were various interventions over the next few days: Mr. Ángel Gudiña, World Youth Vice-President, spoke of the example of blessed Stephen Sandor, and Fr Giovanni Gondro, Delegate for the Salesian Past Pupils of Wrocław, spoke about the five young martyrs of the Salesian Oratory of Lublin and about the identity of the Past Pupils; Alessia Clement, from the World Organization of the Past Pupils for Catholic Education, spoke of good practice in the defence of human rights; Mr. Woiciech Mroczek presented a report on the work of the Don Bosco Network on the topic of Human

Rights; Fr José Pastor Ramírez, World Delegate of the Past Pupils intervened twice, about the new leadership in the Association of Past Pupils of Don Bosco and on the profile of the young past pupil in relation to the Social Doctrine of the Church, human rights, values and needs; Domenica Sapienza, Confederation Councillor for communication, spoke of fundamental values and human rights in the Salesian Family. On the afternoon of 2 May, the participants paid a visit to the Holocaust Museum at Auschwitz and Birkenau, which turned out to be one of the central experiences of the whole gathering, and in the evening they attended a prayer vigil. On 3 May, there was time for a tourist visit to the city of Krakow, in memory of St. John Paul II.

The meeting concluded with Sunday Mass celebrated by Fr Luis Fernando Alvarez, National Delegate of Spain.

The EuroGex meeting was coordinated by the Vice-President of the Past Pupils in Poland, Ms Ewelina Matyjasik, and her team which consisted of members of the various local unions in Poland.

Formation Corner AVAILABLE FORMATION TOPICS OF WORLD CONFEDERATION Formation Commission coordinated by Councillor Isaac Túnez and mentored by World Delegate is ellaborating a series of Formation Topics that we detail below:

- Topic I: Past Pupil

- Topic II: Association, Federation and Confederation

- Topic III: Our Mission

- Topic IV: Development of our Association Topics are in tranlsation phase to italian and english and any help provided for its translation from native speakers or into french and portugueses will be appreciated.

GETTING REAY FOR BICENTENNARY!

Programme of Bicentennary Opening Friday 15th August 2014 18:00 – Celebration of Holy Mass in Castelnuovo “Don Bosco and its Marian faith in his homeland”. Presides: Rector Mayor Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime 19:15 – Procession of “Madonna del Castello” de la Virgen del Castillo in Castelnuovo don Bosco Saturday 16th August 2014 8:00 – Pilgrimage from Castelnuovo to Colle don Bosco 9:30 – Meeting with Authorities in Piazza del Colle with espectacular welcome – band – standard-bearers - historical group of Castelnuovo – jugglers and feast moment 11:00 – Celebración of Holy Mass in Superior Basilica Colle. Presides: Fr Rector Mayor don Ángel Fernández Artime. The event will be transmited in streaming at 18:00 (CET) in missionidonbosco.tv, in Telepace via satellite and in Rete7Piemonte in digital terrestrial TV. 13:30 – Lunch with authorities in the restaurant “Mamma Margherita” More information in: http://www.bicentenario.donboscoitalia.it/apertura-bicentenario/

Announcements

DATABASE OF NATIONAL AND PROVINCIAL/REGIONAL

LEADERS From this Presidency we would like to be closer to your reality in the Association, both at national and provincial/regional level, with that purpose we kindly ask you to send us some contact data from your President and other referent people of your movement to reach them. We need the following data:

• Full name • Mail address • Email address • Telephone number and cell

number • Language(s) for communication • Birth date (to send you our

compliments)

DIPLOMAS OF 25 AND 50 YEARS OF FIDELITY TO DON BOSCO!

World Confederation has available for all Local Unions and Federations diplomas of fidelity, that go together with the don Bosco button, that you can see below. Its cost is of 10 € per diploma and button (including the expenditure costs to your local Union or Federation)

You can ask them writing to: World Delegate – Fr. José Pastor (rjpastor@yahoo.com) Vicepresident GEX – Ángel Gudiña (angelgudina@gmail.com) (angelgudina@gmail.com)