Dateline Salesian........ throughout the world!

BOLIVIA-- EXPANSION OF SALESIAN UNIVERSITY

The Salesian University of Bolivia, inaugurated in 1998, has expanded to 1,200 undergraduates, and 71 teachers and administrators, four Salesians (SDB), one Salesian sister (FMA), two diocesan priests, and 64 laity. The regents are the directors of the Salesian houses in the territories which the university serves. It has two campuses—La Paz and El Alto.

DOMINCAN REPUBLIC-- SALESIAN PARISH PRIEST MURDERED

Fr. Ibañez Garcia, SDB, was murdered on January 26, 1999, in the city of Moca where he was parish priest. The assailant met Fr. Ibañez getting into his car. The assassin fired five shots at point-blank range and escaped in the priest’s car. Police later arrested him.

ITALY--ROME: UPS SILVER JUBILEE

On October 27, the Salesian University in Rome or "UPS" (Università Pontificia Salesiana) celebrated 25 years as a Pontifical University, and an opportunity was provided for alumni of the UPS, Salesians and friends, to send their congratulations, good-will messages and encouragement via a ‘Golden Book’ (libro d'oro) to be found at http://zeus.eulogos.it/ius [link no longer valid] which is the Salesian Universities and Colleges website. Just follow instructions once you get to the website.

PAKISTAN-- LAUNCHING OF THE SALESIAN PRESENCE

A communique to the Rector Major told of the arrival of two priests and the launching of the Pakistan experience: "A warm greeting from this land of Pakistan which has welcomed us with kindness and delicacy as the first sons of Don Bosco coming to work here. Even the difficulties connected with immigration and customs, which we had feared so much, were greatly simplified by the government agents who treated us with great courtesy and respect. We were entering a country from which other Europeans and Americans were pulling out."

INDONESIA-- WAVE OF RELIGIOUS FANATICISM THREATENS INDONESIAN STABILITY

Religious violence has swept over Indonesia, adding to existing destabilizing factors in the country, such as student activism, attacks against foreign businessmen following the financial crisis that ruined the country, as well as political unrest.

Recently groups of radical Christians attacked and set fire to several mosques, in revenge for attacks on Catholic churches and Chinese Catholics. Bishop Petrus Turnag of Kupang asked the Moslems for forgiveness and appealed for calm. The Islamic leaders called on their people to cease the violence. Both Christians and Moslems continued attacking homes and properties, heedless of the call to sanity from their religious leaders.

President B.J. Habibie and Pope John Paul II were among many condemning religious fanaticism and appealing for calm.

CHILE-- SALESIAN CARDINAL RAUL SILVA DIES

Cardinal Raul Silva Henriquez, an outspoken defender of human rights during Chile’s military dictatorship, died on April 4. He was 91.

President Eduardo Frei decreed five days of national mourning, saying Silva’s death represents "a deep pain for the entire nation."

The cardinal’s defense of human rights made the Church a prominent opponent of Gen. Augusto Pinochet’s military regime, which seized power in 1973 and ruled until 1990. Silva was one of Chile’s most forceful advocates of dialogue and reconciliation after years of a chaotic Marxist-led government and the repressive military rule.

CAMEROON-- THE CHALLENGE OF THE FIRST EVANGELIZATION IN AFRICA

The third annual meeting for Missionary Animation and Formation jointly organized by the SDB and FMA Missions Departments took place at YAOUNDE-MBALMAYO (Cameroon) from May 1 - 5, 1999. 20 SDBs and 10 FMAs took part, all missionaries in the urban or rural areas of first evangelization.

The guidelines placed emphasis on the importance of formation of young confreres, catechists and lay collaborators for this evangelical task; on the role of the Christian and educative com-munity; and on the importance of an evangelization in depth, which starts from a discernment of the cultural values of the area.

KENYA-- THE PROVINCE OF EAST AFRICA HAS ITS OWN SALESIAN BULLETIN

Easter 1999 brought a pleasant surprise: the publication of the first number of "Salesian Family Eastern Africa." The word ‘Bulletin’ does not appear in the title, but the cover proclaims loud and clear that the new publication is a "Member of the Salesian Bulletin International."

This first number carries information about the reality of the Salesian Family in East Africa, with an account of the dramatic situation in Sudan, and prospects and projects which are in development in those parts of English-speaking Africa. With the publication of the "Salesian Family" of East Africa, there are now fifty editions of the Bulletin. Three other editions have appeared since August 1998: those of Mozambique, Eastern USA (in two editions, English and Spanish), India (in the Hindi language).

SPAIN-- THE RECTOR MAJOR PROCLAIMED "OUTSTANDING GUEST" OF SALAMANCA

On April 30, the Rector Major, Fr. Juan Vecchi, visited a Salesian work celebrating its centennial. On that occasion, the Administration of the university city conferred on him the title of "Outstanding Guest" in a ceremony attended by civil and religious authorities as well as many members of the Salesian Family.

In Salamanca there are three Salesian schools, two of the SDBs and one of the FMAs. More than 200 Salesian vocations have come from the province and a similar number of FMAs. The Don Bosco foundations have moreover given to the Church (diocesan clergy and other religious congregations) a further 100 priests and religious.

URUGUAY-- REGIONAL MEETING OF PARISH PRIESTS

A course for parish priests of the "Southern Cone" Region of South America comprising the nations of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay, was held at Villa Colon, Monte-video, Argentina, with 46 priests taking part.

The course included the fundamental ideas of Salesian youth pastoral work, contained in the Department’s text Salesian Pastoral Work for Youth: A Fundamental Frame of Reference. One of the topics was the "Tacurù" work for street-children, a work which the Uruguayan Province has much at heart.

ARGENTINA-- THE SALESIAN EDUCATIVE COMMUNITY OF RIO GRANDE FIGHTING FOR RIGHTS

A large-scale peaceful and legal demonstration by the whole of the educative community of the Salesian Mission of Rio Grande, in Tierra del Fuego, occurred on April 19. With the support of the local inhabitants, parents, pupils, teachers and Salesians took to the streets for a protest march of several miles, on foot, on horse-back, and tractors, from the Salesian Agricultural and Technical School to the center of the city. At stake was the survival of the educative center. Recent governmental decisions had refused to provide the financial support prescribed by law.

The march made stops at the Offices of the Delegation for Education, the Provincial Bank, the Delegation of the Government and the Deliberative Council. At each of these offices a document was presented with the strikers’ demands. There were notable repercussions in the mass media, but the problem conti-nues and so far no solution has been found. The educative community is unwilling to give way.

VENEZUELA-- THE "DAMAS SALESIANAS" MARK TEN YEARS OF MEMBERSHIP IN THE SALESIAN FAMILY

(ANS)—The "Damas Salesianas" Association ("Salesian Ladies") is celebrating the tenth year of membership of the Salesian Family with a series of formative and cultural initiatives. (Cf. The Salesian Bulletin: Vol. I, #2: Summer 1997.)

The culminating event was the International General Assembly of the Association from June 13 to 20. The theme was: The revision of the ‘mission statement’ and the adaptation of the Association to the challenges of the Third Millennium .

The Association was founded in Venezuela in 1968, and is made up of 4,000 members who dedicate themselves voluntarily to the service of children, young people and women in greater need. They are present in 26 countries of America, Europe and Asia, and have 147 centers of integral education. The Association became a member of the Salesian Family on December 29, 1998.