By Fr Cedrick Sankul for BISMumbai

On 25 September 2022, Fr Biju Michael, General Councillor for South Asia, visited Don Bosco Community, Nashik. He was welcomed with much affection by the Salesians of the community.

In the opening conference, he spoke of the Salesians and highlighted three aspects of Salesian life namely Consecration, Community and Mission.

In his homily at St Dominic Savio Church, Satpur, Fr Biju Michael emphasised that it should not be too late a time to realize one’s mistakes. After the Eucharist, he planted a sapling, and was felicitated by the parishioners. Later that evening, he spent time with the boys at Don Bosco Shelter. The various groups of the parish and the youth welcomed him with a song and felicitated him. In his meeting with them, he opined that the roles different associations of the Parish play were similar to the elders of the first Christian community.

The following morning, Fr Biju Michael met the teaching and non-teaching staff of Don Bosco School and Junior College, Nashik. He was welcomed with an aarti and felicitated by staff, members of Parents-Teachers-Association and the Past Pupil's Association. A short programme was staged to welcome him.

Fr Biju Michael conveyed greetings of the Rector Major when he met with the teaching and the non-teaching staff. After listening to the staff share their views and ideas about the teaching learning process and other pedagogical methods, he exhorted them to focus on the learning of the students by arousing curiosity in their minds apart from covering the prescribed syllabus of the different subjects. He added that academic evaluation should be student centred. Finally, he appealed to the educators to give wings to the dreams of the poor children.

In the closing conference, Fr Biju Michael appealed to the community to be faithful to the Salesian Motto of “Give me Souls”, and also to live the Salesian Consecration, Mission and Community life as spelled out in the Constitutions. At the conclusion of the Visitation, he imparted the Blessing of Mary Help of Christians to the community.