By Rhea Vaz for BIS Mumbai

A Day of Learning, Prayer and Joy for the altar servers was organised by the Don Bosco Youth Services Mumbai, bringing together 140 altar servers along with their animators from the Salesian houses across Mumbai, representing eight parishes on Sunday, January 18, at the Don Bosco High School, Matunga.

“The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10) was the theme enlightening a joy of our Lord in the hearts of the young Altar Servers, guiding them on how to serve the Lord with joy and promoting it as their strength. In his 2026 messages, the Pope has emphasized that true witnesses are "humble and free", which in relevance to the theme, encouraged the altar servers to serve humbly and freely not only on the altar but towards everyone they meet.

The day began on a prayerful and welcoming note with the invoking of God's sustaining grace followed by the address of Fr Edwin D’Souza the Rector of the Shrine, who inspired the young altar servers to "Serve the Lord with Gladness" asking them to serve with commitment, reverence, and joy. One of the highlights of the day was the session conducted by Ms Joynel Fernandes from the Archdiocese Heritage Museum leading them through a meaningful reflection on Nehemiah 8:10, emphasizing how true joy comes from a close relationship with God and by sharing examples of saints like St. Carlo Acutis, St. Lawrence, St. Francis of Assisi, understanding that serving is not merely a duty, but a privilege that should be carried out with happiness and a willing heart. 

The event featured themed presentations performed by the parishes, including a skit on how to be a good altar server by Dominic Savio Church, Antop Hill, and an action song on “Kaun hai” by Jyoti Mata Church, Virar, and other performances in synergy with the DBYS youth, keeping the spirits high with action songs at each interval. This was followed by a short yet powerful movie on St. Carlo Acutis, shown to motivate young people to pursue holiness in ordinary life, making a deep impact and encouraging them to grow in faith and make good use of modern means to spread the love of Christ.

The latter half of the day was filled with lively, well-animated games, thoughtfully prepared by the DBYS youth, creatively linked to altar service, reinforcing learning through fun, teamwork, and active participation.

The event was then concluded with the Holy Eucharist celebrated by Fr Joyston Machado, who shared a few motivating words, urging the altar servers to remain close to God through prayer and to allow joy to reflect in their service and daily lives. This event was marked as a hallmark for young altar servers to mimic the life of saints, and learning to joyfully serve the Lord not only on the altar but also in the outside world, reminding them that the joy of the Lord truly is their strength.