By Mr Lionel D’Souza, Mr Lloyd Nunes and Mrs Placida Nazareth for BISMumbai

On 18 September 2022, the General Councillor for South Asia, Fr Biju Michael, visited the community of Our Lady of Dolours, Wadala.

Fr Biju Michael, meeting the children of the Sunday School, and then celebrated the Holy Eucharist. This was followed by the blessing of the renovated Adoration Chapel. He interacted with the various groups and associations of the Parish. He also made it a point to meet the Past Pupils of the St Joseph’s High School.

In the evening he met the Salesian Sisters at the Auxilium Convent, after which he spent much time with the residents of Wadala Village, the Social Workers of Dolours Centre for Empowerment (DCE) and the slums.

On the following day, Fr James Nigrel, the Rector, introduced Fr Biju Michael to the school staff and students. At the end of a well-animated school assembly, he released the Scribe Magazine of the school. Addressing the gathering, he spoke about the ‘Don Bosco Way’, and asked the teachers to look after the students well, especially the poor and neglected students.

In the afternoon, Fr Biju Michael along with the Salesian community met the staff members in the school hall. Having heard about the various activities the school offers the students, he spoke at length about the manner in which the Don Bosco model of education has to be carried out. He provided a very strong insight to the way teachers should go about educating and ‘uncovering’ the subjects. He underscored that a Salesian School is a fantastic organisation, which in the past has been and continues to be today a reference for the country's educational system.

Fr Nigrel, thanked Fr Biju Michael for his encouragement and words of wisdom, which would go a long way in helping the teachers improve their teaching methods and their concern for the children.