By Br Aliester D’Souza for BISMumbai

The administrators of the institutions of the Salesian Province of Bombay (INB) met at Don Bosco Provincial House, Matunga, from 22 to 24 August 2023. The meeting was convened by Fr Gregory D’Almeida, the Provincial Economer, and was facilitated by the Economer’s Office.

On 22 August, the new administrators had sessions training them in the basics of administration skills. Led by Mr Savarino D’Souza and the team from the Economer’s Office, the sessions focused on reminding the administrators of their responsibilities and also acquainting them with the various staff of the Office.

On 23 August, the day began with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, presided over by Fr D’Almeida. During the homily, he focused on the inclusivity of people, especially the poor and the marginalised, in the work of the Kingdom. At 9:00 a.m., the Provincial, Fr Savio Silveira, began his address by thanking the administrators for their important service to the communities. He commended the communities that contributed aid to Manipur, and exhorted others to do the same, reminding them of the generosity for which the Province of Bombay is known. He also mentioned that the Province has undertaken the training of 100 youth from Manipur in various institutions and invited many more initiatives in this regard. Fr Silveira went on to suggest some administrative matters that all should focus on reiterating continuously that the Salesian institutions are meant for the poor and marginalised.

The other sessions of the day were very informative, as they were conducted by experienced resource persons. Whether it was Mr Amrish Upadhyay, the ex-Charity Commissioner, or Mr Brijesh Shah CA, from Rajani Shah and Co., or Mr Arunaagiri Mudaaliar, a renowned author and global trainer, the administrators were given an intellectual treat in finances, accountancy, and economics. All sessions had a delicate balance of theory and discussions of practical difficulties faced by the administrators. 

On 24 August, the day began with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, presided over by Fr Silveira. During the homily, reflecting on the call of Nathanael, he spoke of the need for optimism and initiative in ministry. The first session of the day was taken by Mr Roy Gonsalves, who spoke on the need for the care of records and the possibility of digitising old records. Mr Sunil Pereira, an architect, took the last session of the meeting and spoke on the various aspects of property matters and building construction.

Fr D’Almedia, in conclusion, thanked the administration for their participation, and the resource persons who enriched the understanding of the gathering. These were days of much learning of new compliances, much relearning of stewardship, and definitely much unlearning of void practices.