By Mark Fernandes for BIS Mumbai

The annual spiritual retreat for Salesian aspirants of Classes VIII to XII was held at Don Bosco, Lonavla, from September 11 to 13, 2026, for three days of prayer, reflection and discernment.

Guided by Fr Mylin Noronha (Province Delegate for Social Communications and Exec. Director of Don Bosco College Kurla), the retreat provided the aspirants with a spiritual break from their regular academic routine schedules. Through a carefully structured programme of prayer, reflection and personal engagement, the retreat fostered an atmosphere of deep listening and discernment while encouraging participants to reflect more intentionally on their vocation and faith journey.

Centered on the scriptural journey of the prophets Elijah and Elisha, the retreat explored how divine guidance and vocation often emerge not through grand spectacles or dramatic signs, but through quiet discernment in the ordinary moments of daily life.

Drawing on the experiences of Elijah and Elisha, Fr Noronha invited the aspirants to examine their inner motivations, deepen their commitment to prayer and discover purpose even during periods of spiritual dryness. Reflections on the widow’s flour and the ravens highlighted humble reliance on God’s unexpected providence, while the sessions challenged the boys to leave behind past attachments and embrace a vocation of dedicated service.

Prayer and sacramental life formed the heart of the gathering. Alongside the daily celebration of the Holy Eucharist, the aspirants participated in Eucharistic Adoration, the Rosary, Night Prayer and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. They also experienced a variety of contemplative prayer traditions, including Taizé prayer, Lectio Divina, the Ignatian Examen and spontaneous prayer.

The retreat’s impact emerged clearly in the participants’ own reflections. “I learned new ways to pray, like Taizé, while also discovering the importance of accepting what God grants in His time and learning from the example of the ravens,” said aspirant Ansh Jamra. 

Another aspirant Bladen said the retreat helped him view vocation in a new light. “It’s not important that there are big signs for a vocation, but God calls us through ordinary ways,” he said.

The retreat concluded with the writing of personal resolutions, a closing prayer service and a collective act of thanksgiving. The aspirants returned to their formation journey renewed by the spiritual break, followed by a day-long excursion trek to Kune, fully rejuvenated in mind and body.