By Br Bryce Fernandes for BIS Mumbai

Mumbai, July 2026: St Dominic Savio Boys’ Home, Andheri, celebrated Parents’ Day on July 26, 2026, bringing together boarders, parents and community members for a day of gratitude, recognition and shared joy.

The celebration began with the Eucharist at 9 a.m., presided over by the Rector, Fr Franco Pereira. Reflecting on the theme of the day’s Gospel, he reminded the gathering that children are the true treasures of their parents, and urged families to cherish and nurture that gift.

A felicitation programme followed, honouring eight boarders who had earned scholarships at school. Luke Nathan, Vinit Burakud, Edison Ghangya, Reeyan Silveira, Smith Vasaikar, Zion Malekar, Joel Montero and Abhijeet Dey each received a certificate and a cash prize from the Rector, Fr Pereira, presented alongside their parents in recognition of the shared effort behind every achievement.

The programme moved to a lively note as all 44 boarders took the stage for a group performance of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It,” met with warm applause from the gathering. The boys then presented personalised cards to their parents, many of them handwritten expressions of affection and gratitude.

The Prefect, Br Bryce Fernandes then shared a short message on Don Bosco’s dream at the age of nine, recalling how the unruly boys of the dream were transformed from wolves into lambs; an image of what patient, loving accompaniment can achieve in the life of a young person.

Parents, boys and community members shared lunch together. The Salesians of the community took the occasion to meet and interact with the parents, while the boarders were given time to spend with their families. The parents departed by 4 p.m., concluding a day marked by warmth and togetherness.

The celebration reflects the Salesian conviction that formation is a shared task between home and institution, and that the presence of parents remains central to the growth of the young.