By BIS Correspondent for BIS Mumbai

The Dominic Savio Parish at Satpur was filled with a spirit of joy and festivity on Sunday morning as the community gathered to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, 2026. The event, which was a blend of deep spiritual insight with light-hearted fellowship, served as a powerful tribute to the role of women in the family, society and the Church.

The celebration began with the 8.30 a.m. Holy Eucharist presided by Fr Rixson Nigrel sdb who through his beautiful sermon elaborated on the encounter of the Samaritan woman with Jesus, the Messiah. He stressed that much like the Samaritan woman who ran off to proclaim the good news that she had found the messiah, the women of today are called to be ‘messengers of the faith’, who, in their families, proclaim Jesus to be the one Christ who gives everyone his ‘life-giving waters’ of redemption.

Following the devout celebration of the Holy Eucharist, the gathered assembly were led into an interactive session led by Sr Assis FHIC from Nirmala Convent. Her talk was a stirring call to recognize the inherent dignity of womanhood. She stressed that a woman’s strength is not just in her actions but in her presence which is one of nurturing leadership that consists of compassion and support. She encouraged the women of Satpur to live with confidence and faith reminding the attendees that their contribution to the Church of Nashik was one of power and is irreplaceable.

The atmosphere shifted from a reflective ambience to one of fun and festivity as Fr Royal D’abreo sdb, the Rector and Parish Priest organised a series of ‘spiritual games’. The parishioners participated with high energy, proving that faith and fun go hand-in-hand.

The celebration concluded on a sweet note as refreshments for 150 people were provided. The event wrapped up by 11.30 a.m., leaving the participants feeling refreshed and appreciated.

“It was a day where the parish didn’t just talk about womanhood but there was an actually celebration of the living examples of it in our own pews”, noted one participant.

The participants thanked Fr Rixson Nigrel sdb for presiding over the Holy Eucharist, Sr Assis FHIC for her wonderful words of encouragement and love and last but not the least Fr Royal D’abreo sdb, the Rector and Parish Priest of Dominic Savio Parish for the overall arrangement and organization of the programme.