Salesians 2023

“Salesians 2023”

Video on the Salesian mission in action last year

(ANS – Rome – Jan. 8, 2024) – 2023 was full of blessings, intense activities, and significant events for the Salesian Congregation. With 13,958 Salesians present in 136 countries and thousands and thousands of consecrated and lay members of the Salesian Family, Don Bosco’s mission has continued to be carried out successfully in countless initiatives aimed at the most disadvantaged young people, through hundreds of programs and initiatives. To appreciate the value of these 365 days of attention and dedication according to the charism of Don Bosco, the Salesian Congregation’s Communications Department for has created the “Salesians 2023” video, which sums up and celebrates the work done over the past year.

The video, which lasts about 21 minutes and consists of images collected throughout the year, recalls the most significant events that took place globally: trips of the Rector Major, team visits of the general council, the most important meetings of the Salesian Family, and other world events or really special, if not exceptional, events which took place, such as, first of all, the appointment of the Rector Major as cardinal.

The global outlook adopted does not neglect the peripheries of the Congregation. There is, in fact, also room for key moments experienced in the provinces, such as the opening of institutes and local festivals in different parts of the world. And, of course, a section dedicated to the various gatherings, congresses, and youth festivals that put Salesian spirituality and passion at the center of their activities could not be missing; nor those dedicated to commemorating the initiatives on the theme of unity, peace, and holistic development and solidarity carried out by Salesian communities, including emergency interventions in places such as Syria, Ukraine, Sudan, or in natural disasters.

Commenting on the video and explaining its meaning, Fr. Gildasio Mendes, general councilor for communications, said: “I am very pleased with the initiative of this video commemorating a whole year of work for the Congregation and the Salesian Family. It allows us to take an objective, authentic look at the Salesian world and will remain in the future as a historical-visual documentation on 2023.”

For his part, Fr. Harris Pakkam, director of the iNfo Salesiana Agency, who directly oversaw the creation of the “Salesians 2023” video: “This video highlights Salesian activity in the world and sheds appropriate light on what is being done, sometimes in silence, at all latitudes of the globe, in the name of Don Bosco. Looking at it, we have a true perception of the vitality of the Salesian charism today and I hope that it also serves to make known to the outside world how alive, active, and exciting the Salesian mission is still today.”

The video is available in Italian, English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese on the respective ANSChannel language channels. The Polish version will also be released shortly.

Anyone interested in making a translated version of the video “Salesiani 2023” in different local languages can request the text of the script by writing to: direttore@infoans.org