By Bro. Aliester D’Souza for BISMumbai

The leaders of the communities of the Salesian Province of Bombay met on 22 and 23 June 2022 at Don Bosco Provincial House, Matunga.

The meeting began with Holy Eucharist on 22 June at 0700 hours. Fr Savio Silveira, the Provincial, was the principal celebrant. In his homily, he reflected on the day’s gospel about judging a tree by its fruit. He presented the Salesian communities as trees and indicated three fruits by which one could judge the quality of the tree: community witness, the impact of their ministry on our neighbourhood, and the alumni of the institution. During the day, the leaders were updated with the state of the Province, and were made aware of the major events during the academic year. Special emphasis was laid on the visit of the Rector Major on 21 to 23 October, and the Extraordinary Visitation which will be held during the months of August to November.

The second day of the meeting began with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. Fr Ashley Miranda, who was the principal celebrant, emphasised three stand-out qualities of St John the Baptist – his single-mindedness, his connection with Christ, and his message of repentance – and presented Don Bosco and our Blessed Mother as persons who lived these three qualities. During the day, Fr Joe Parakad SJ, the Director of Sadhana Institute, Lonavla, animated the leaders on their holistic formation.