By Mr Franklin Coutinho for BISMumbai

The Salesian Cooperators Council of the Province of Bombay along with the Unit Coordinators met on 30 September 2023 at Don Bosco Provincial House, Matunga. The meeting was specially held to discuss the plan for the Cooperators in the upcoming months.

The meeting began with a prayer by Sr Catherine Fernandes, the FMA Delegate, invoking the assistance of Mary Help of Christians. Mr Francis Martin, Coordinator of Borivili Unit read Article 36 from the Project of Apostolic Life (statutes of the Salesian Cooperators), and Fr Diego Nunes explained the article to the gathering.

The meeting commenced with Fr Nunes quoting the Rector Major, who had asked the Salesian Cooperators to come out of their comfort zones. He urged the units to take up projects that would involve reaching out to marginalised youth. He insisted that Cooperators should be going out into the slums and collaborating with the Salesians in starting Oratories. 

Ms Pricilla Pinto, Coordinator of the Naigaon Unit shared about their project and how they started the Oratory in their unit. Mr Franklin Coutinho also shared their unit’s new project of starting an oratory in the Shantinagar zone of St Anne's Church, Ahmednagar in order to reach out to the needy. Cooperators from the Wadala East and Kurla Units also shared about their projects of going out to the slums to meet the marginalised. Some of the other coordinators present also shared their upcoming projects, working with marginalised youth. It was also decided that their spirituality should be strengthened so that they may be able to actively participate in Don Bosco’s mission.

The meeting was well attended by coordinators and representatives of the various units. It was very overwhelming to see coordinators from as far as Ahmednagar, Pune and Lonavla attend the meeting besides the units in and around Mumbai. 

The meeting concluded at lunchtime with a short prayer. It was a fruitful time spent together in planning, and the Salesian Cooperators looked forward to meeting each other at the upcoming spiritual retreat to be held at Lonavla in the month of October.