By Royston Colaco for BIS Mumbai

The Don Bosco Lonavla community hosted a two-day “Come and See” camp on November 22 and 23, 2025, drawing 71 teenagers from Classes 7 and 8 into a setting far removed from the noise of the city’s crowded streets. With winter settling over Lonavla, the chill in the air, mist along the hillside and the quiet of the wooded campus offered many first-time participants a refreshing contrast to city life. The programme was organised by the community and coordinated by Br Royston Colaco, the Vocation Animator of the Salesian Province of St Francis Xavier, Mumbai, supported by volunteers who accompanied the students throughout the weekend.

The young participants arrived from schools and parishes across the Province: Matunga, Vasai, Naigaon, Uttan, Pune, Ahilyanagar as well as Alirajpur in Madhya Pradesh and Vadodara in Gujarat — each bringing curiosity, nervous excitement and the eagerness of a first camp experience.

The opening session, “Come and See — Jesus Calls You by Name”, was led by Fr Avil Correa, who reflected on John 1:35–39 and invited the students to imagine Jesus calling them personally. As the morning light softened the campus, the boys listened with quiet interest. This was followed by “God Has a Plan for You — Discovering My Purpose”, conducted by Fr Kiran Salve, who explained vocation as a call to love, service and a life shaped by meaning rather than mere ambition.

In “Heroes of Faith — Learning from Saint John Bosco”, Fr Blany Pinto introduced the students to Don Bosco’s life and mission, highlighting how holiness grows through ordinary acts of kindness and courage. Later, Br Royston Colaco led “Lord, What Do You Want from My Life?”, helping the boys explore the different vocations within the Church. Aspirants from Don Bosco Lonavala shared their experiences in a moderated session by Fr Blany Pinto, offering honest, simple accounts of their own journeys.

The camp featured a variety of engaging activities including ice-breakers, games, nighttime entertainment, rosary service, adoration, and meditation. Quizzes and puzzles kept participants entertained, while the Saturday afternoon's housie game generated enthusiastic laughter and spirited involvement from all attendees. “I never knew priests could be so friendly,” said one boy from Virar. Another from Matunga remarked, “This place feels peaceful. I liked learning how God calls us in small ways.”

The camp concluded with a sense of warmth, discovery and hope — true to Don Bosco’s vision of forming “good Christians and honest citizens.”