Youth group picnic

The youth group is organizing a PICNIC on Sunday, 11 July 2010, to Igatpuri. The plan is to spend a couple of hours in the swimming pool of Golden Resort, which is a rather beautifully situated place and quite reasonable in its rates, and then perhaps walk around, celebrate the Sunday eucharist in the parish, have lunch, and so on.

We are planning to take advantage of the passenger train to and from Igatpuri, which is very economical - below Rs 10.

Lunch to be carried by each one. Snacks will be provided.

We are still calculating the per head charge.

Those interested in coming please contact NIKHIL JOHN, at 93719.38798. 

Divyadaan re-opens

Divyadaan began its new academic year on 11 June 2010, with Fr Ajoy Fernandes, Vice provincial of the Mumbai province, presiding at the inaugural Eucharist.

Fr Robert Pen, Principal, read the annual report, and Fr Edison Fernandes gave the inaugural lecture, summarizing his PhD thesis on discrimination suffered by foreign students in the Philippines, and applying it to formation.

The number of students is down this year - somewhere between 50 and 60. But the new feature is the presence of the Capuchin students, with their own residence on the campus. A new beginning.

Fr Vinod not well

Fr Vinod Mascarenhas has not been well - a few days ago he suffered another bout of vertigo. He seems better now, and even celebrated the evening parish Eucharist yesterday. He told me that the last time was 3 years ago, in Rome... Our prayers, Fr Vinod.

Absence

Tomorrow morning I leave for Boston, where I will present a paper at the Annual Lonergan Workshop at Boston College run by the Jesuits. I will be back by 1 July 2010.

My paper is entitled "Retrieving Good Work: De Smet on Sankara". I am attempting to read the work of Fr Richard De Smet on Sankara by using the method of interpretation provided by Fr Bernard Lonergan, SJ.

On a more practical note: even if I am absent, I hope the SCC's will continue... May I invite the area leaders to begin again for the new academic year?

Schools re-open

Schools have begun today in our parish... As I write I hear the honking of vehicles and the excited din of youngsters as they finish their first (half) day of school. All the best to you management, staff, and students, for the coming year. A year of challenge to move from extrinsic to intrinsic education, given that all students have to be compulsorily promoted up to Std VIII. We have to help them to learn for the sake of learning - to awaken in them their God-given inborn desire to know, to learn, to explore...

Bro Neville leaves

Bro Neville D'Souza arrived from home yesterday, and left the same evening for Jhabua, M.P., where he will be doing his practical training at Jyoti Bhavan Hostel. All the best, Neville, and thanks for your presence in our community, our parish, and especially for all the good work with the youth at Satpur.

Bro Rickson's grandmother

Bro Rickson Fernandes lost his paternal grandmother in the early hours of Sunday morning, 13 June 2010. The funeral is today. Our condolences to Bro Rickson and his family.

Welcome to our brothers

The latest SDB provincial circular assigns three brothers to Don Bosco community, Nashik: Ajay Shelke, Rickson Fernandes, and Velasli Bandya. The three are already here, and are busy trying to get admissions in neighbouring colleges. Let's hope all goes well, and that they get admitted to the colleges of their choice. In the meantime, a very warm welcome to all of them.

Bro Johnson has already reached Don Bosco Kawant, where he will be doing practical training. Bro Neville is at home, and will be here 13 June, on his way to Jyoti Bhavan hostel, Jhabua.