'austraLasia' #39
SALESIAN FAMILY GATHER TO STUDY STRENNA
By Fr. C. M. Paul
CALCUTTA, 23 January (DBIS) -- Over 150 people gathered at the annual
Salesian family day held on the State Holiday, the birthday of Netaji
Subhash Chandra Bose, national hero of Indian Independence, 23 January.
The Provincialate of the Salesian Sisters near Dum Dum airport Calcutta
hosted the day organized by the Salesian Cooperators.
The sessions started with registration, coffee and ice-breaking sessions
for members from all over the province. The reports of the SDBs, FMAs,
Cooperators, Past Pupils, Sisters of Mary Immaculate, and the Missionary
Sisters of Mary Help of Christians on activities to carry out the strenna of
the year followed.
Fr. Luciano Colussi, SDB, the Vicar General of Krishnagar diocese, gave
the key note address explaining the strenna '98 "Together with the
young, let us rediscover the presence of the spirit."
Members divided into ten groups spent time in getting to know each other
and discussed on practical ways to implement the strenna in the
pluri-religious context.
Fifteen priests joined the Eucharistic celebration in honour of St.
Francis de Sales presided over by Fr. Francis Alancheril, the provincial. In his
homily on the Salesian Family he stressed on the need of collaboration
and reinstated the question asked in the Cooperator's report: Are we ready
to accept collaboration?
The day ended with the release of a video cassette on Don Bosco dubbed
for the first time in Bengali. The Cooperators maintained their traditional
fare of a sumptuous lunch with mouth watering dishes.
Fr. John Berger, the vice provincial was the man behind the entire
programme. This year, unlike other years, had a large number of
Salesians participating in the Family day. Thanks to Salesian College Sonada
Brothers on holiday in Calcutta.
The Salesian Sisters and the Cooperators in Dum Dum went out of the way
to arrange the venue exquisitely. The hall and the chapel decorations
need special mention. Well prepared singing and liturgy added to the
simplicity and grandeur of the occasion.
