'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.