Symbios October 2015

SYMBIOS

Mumbai Province October 2015,

In a never-seen-before event, YOUTH EXPO 2015 was a fitting opportunity for youth from all

over the eleven Salesian provinces of South Asia to celebrate the conclusion of the

Bicentenary of Don Boscos birth! YOUTH EXPO 2015 was ably hosted by Delhi Province at

Don Bosco High SchoolAlakananda from 29-30th September 2015. Over 1300 delegates

from the various provinces celebrated through faith, felicitations and fellowship. Our

Province of St. Francis XavierMumbai participated with a 131 strong contingent from all

the various regions of our province. This itself was a milestone!

YOUTH EXPO 2015 was, for each of us, a journey to understand better the Salesian Youth

Movement. Preparations for YOUTH EXPO 2015 began well in advance with the many

animation and training programs, the moments for fellowship and interaction, and the

timely creative sparks that were ignited when talents were discovered and enhanced.

YOUTH EXPO 2015 provided the youth of our province to look at their youth groups

through a wider Salesian perspective. Suddenly the person of Don Bosco become alive in

their hearts and youth groups. A miracle had begun.

The presence of our beloved Rector Major, Fr. Angel Fernandez Artime, the 10th successor of Don Bosco was an honor and

privilege. Language was no barrier and the scorching heat no obstacle! His warm embrace, penetrating gaze yet loving smile,

challenging words coupled with down-to-earth messages during the interview, love for youth and music were a reflection of

Don Bosco himself. Every youngster had just one wisha handshake and a selfie, and the Rector Major did oblige willingly!

Indias rich cultural heritage could well be seen during the Youth Utsav through the many dances, traditional costumes, art

and song. The various Multi Talent competitions with its many Sacred, Social and Salesian themes showcased youth potential

at its best. The presence of illustrious alumni, whether on the political or social scenes, was a story of the fruitfulness of Don

Boscos pedagogical system. The Youth Talk shows and the Catechetical Sessions touched on various aspirations and pain

points of the young! Not all answers were found, but at least the search had begun!

No doubt, much more could have been achieved. The gathering of youth from all corners of India was an opportune time to

give the Salesian Youth Movement (SYM) a greater visibility and roadmap for the future. But alas, it wasnt so! Sharing and

interaction between delegates from provinces was given little attention. I would have loved to see the YOUTH EXPO as a

wonderful avenue for taking the Salesian Youth Movement to greater cohesion and commitment. Many of our youth did

share the same sentiment too. A lost opportunity at national level, but at least, as a province we found ours.

Fr. Jose Mathew, Provincial and Convener of YOUTH EXPO 2015, Fr. Babu Varghese and his committed team of Salesians,

Staff and Students of Don Bosco SchoolAlakananda, deserve our congratulations and appreciation. No doubt, to Mrs. Nellie

Dhillon and Master Vedant, our Province Manager and assistant,

we owe a deep gratitude!

Till then, we look forward to the next YOUTH EXPO..

Fr. Glenford Lowe sdb

SYMBIOS


Bro. Avil Correa sdb interviewing the Rector Major

The excitement of attending the YOUTH EXPO 2015 at first, was out of the

mere fact of visiting the capital of India. But little did I know that, visiting

New Delhi wouldnt be the greatest of my joys. Apart from knowing that we

were celebrating the bicentenary of Don Boscos birth, I had no clue as to

what was about to take place at the event. The joy of being a part of this

event began way before the EXPO itself. The meetings that were conducted

in order to plan for the various competitions that we would participate in,

broke the ice among the youth from Mumbai and gave the opportunity to

know the minds of other young people from my age group.

Right at the start I was glad to meet up with people from different streams from within Don Bosco Centre for Learning, Kurla. It

was really nice to get to know the lives, goals and mind-sets of different people. This greatly facilitated the brainstorming of

ideas for the competitions and the cultural event. The practises helped me personally to witness the manner in which youth

function, when responsibility is entrusted to them. With a bit of motivation, youth can work wonders! The evenings that I

spent along with the others, while preparing the songs for the music event raised up my spirits. The several rehearsals

conducted for the cultural event, brought me to a better appreciation of every single person who was to participate in it. Each

meeting, practise session and the event itself was something I would look forward to everyday.

The train journey to New Delhi came in with a bunch of surprises. All of us being spread across three bogies, made surprise

visits to each other. The meals that we shared, the games that we played, the eagerness of having fun made the entire journey

a memorable one. Stepping inside the capital before dawn and being welcomed by the volunteers of the YOUTH EXPO, into the

historic city was amazing. I must say, that I was overwhelmed with the city of Delhi, i.e. the infrastructure, the cleanliness, etc

but the dedication with which the teachers and students of Don Bosco High School, Alaknanda were preparing for the event

was remarkable. I was touched by their hospitality. We were served a sumptuous north Indian breakfast at Alaknanda itself.

The meals thereafter too were tasty and filling. The ice breakers and the action songs that were conducted in the morning on

the first day itself, helped me to get to know the youth from Ahmednagar and Gujarat. The rest of the first day was spent in

practising our items for the next day.

We were provided accommodation at Holy Child Auxilium School, Vasant Vihar. We did face a minor water crisis, since there

were so many of us using water for our needs. This did test our patience for a while. Nevertheless, in due time, everything was

back to normal. The pleasant nights at the Sisters convent were worthwhile. They provided us an opportunity, to share the

happenings of the day, and the space to relax. The first

challenge that we faced every morning was to rise ear-

ly, in order to reach the venue in time

SYMBIOS


Day 1 of YOUTH EXPO with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, by Bishop Anil Coutto, Archbishop of Delhi. After breakfast,

there was a Youth Talk Show. Thereafter, commenced the various multi-talent competitions. For me, the entire journey of

preparing for the music competition was an amazing experience, since it comprised of moments of togetherness which

brought a lot of happiness. Our group prepared for the competition with an intention of active participation and not with an

intention of winning the event. Sadly, since ours was the first group to perform, we were not able to balance the sound

between the various instruments and the vocals. Thus, our performance was a disappointment to ourselves.

The mime competition was next. The students from DBCL, Kurla put up the mime

based on the theme Youth Awake. Though we didnt win, it was a wonderful culmi-

nation of all the efforts that were put in. The group that participated in the rangoli

competition from our province, bagged the second prize, this was precisely because

they were able to portray the theme My Don Bosco artistically. The team involved in

the canvas painting competition too, were able to bring out the theme Youth for

Change. During the competitions, the spirit of involving oneself fully into the event

and giving out the best of what has to offer, was observed. I was reminded again of

the passion and the potential that lies within each youngster. If this energy is chan-

nelized in the right direction, no one can stop the good that can be brought about. I was also reminded of the cultural diver-

sity in which we live. The manner in which everyone was cheering for each performance again led me to an appreciation of

variety of life.

In the evening, Fr. Angel Fernandez Artime, the Rector major of the Salesians of Don Bosco, was welcomed and escorted

solemnly into the expo. The Bosco Utsav, i.e. the cultural programme was held in his presence. Together with the Rector

Major and the regional, the provincials of the all 11 provinces of the South Asian region were present. The Mumbai province

was again the first to put up their item based on the theme given to us on Social Networking. This was indeed a blissful expe-

rience. Ours was the only item that consisted of a powerful skit, integrated with a dance and an action song. We were able to

bring alive the spirit of Don Bosco. The other provinces did well in putting up cultural dance from their own regions, but

there didnt seem to be an effort put to portray the theme that was given. Thus we received appraisal from all sides, for our

item.

SYMBIOS


After a good dinner, we returned to the convent to rest, only to wake up early the next day for Day 2. A session on Youth

Catechesis was conducted in four different groups. I was a

part of a group, where Bishop Dominic Jala, spoke on Eco-

spirituality and Youth. Here the session was moderated by

Fr. Glenford Lowe. He did well in allowing youth from

different provinces to come ahead and lead the youth into

action songs and yells. It was indeed a lively start as we

grooved ourselves into some new actions. Bishop gave us

a talk, after which he was ready to answer any questions.

The responses that he gave to most of the questions were

brilliant. He used day-to-day examples that spoke to us

directly. This speaker at the end posed a challenge for us.

We were supposed to make our own little groups in our institutions to bring about a change in our ecology.

The Holy Eucharist was celebrated during the latter half of the morning. The Rector Major, Fr. Angel Artime broke the word

for the youth, with great fervour. Since he didnt speak English, it was translated to us. The fervour that he spoke with, didnt

really come through the translating, which was sad.

After lunch, a session was conducted during which, the Rector Major was interviewed by Delegates of different provinces. I

was fortunate to be the representative from the Mumbai province. The question that I was to ask the Rector Major was: We

see the Salesian Youth Movement vibrant throughout the world, but when it comes to India, this movement is having trouble

in starting up. With all the youth and the resources that we have at our disposal, what is your suggestion for us? His response

was thus, The context is different in different parts of the world. The youth all over the world, that have benefitted from the

Salesians return to Don Bosco and help the Salesians to serve the youth. In India, similarly we need to form these little

groups of youth, motivated to bring about a change for good. We the youngsters who have received much from Don Bosco

must continue with the same spirit wherever we go, in our workplaces, homes, etc. At the same time we should be one with

the Salesians who work to save souls. This moment of interviewing the Rector Major was the high point of my visit to Delhi.

The evening witnessed a grand conclusion, where eminent personalities like Hon. Ministers Piyush Goyal and Smriti Irani

were invited who themselves were past pupils of Salesian institutions. At the end of it all, I was taken up with the spirit of

Don Bosco that was shared by the youth from all over the country. It was indeed a blessing to get to know especially all the

youth from the Mumbai region personally. Don Bosco YOUTH EXPO 2015 was, is and will be one of the best experiences of

my Salesian life.

Viva Don

Bosco!

Bro. Avil Correa

SYMBIOS


Now that the YOUTH EXPO 2015 is over. What

can we as SYMINB do?.....where can we start?

The Rector Major challenged us not to wait for Messiahs to come and set

us free from the bonds that enslave us. He reminded us that driving away

evil was not as easy as depicted in the stage performances! He reminded

that we are all needed: God, Don Bosco and Youth need us today!

A TRIPLE NEED: We are needed by GOD, Don Bosco and YOUTH!

None of us is useless. We can change the situations of poverty and exploitation around us. We

have the light within to dispel the darkness, the courage to stand for what is right and true, the

salt to add flavor to an insipid life, the wisdom to transform, and the model to imitate in Christ

and Don Bosco. SYM-INB can make a difference! SYMBIOS is here to give it life. Here we start:

SYMG: SYM Gujarat has already made their plans to strengthen the Salesian Youth Movement.

SYM Mumbai has much to offer to the Province in terms of animation and formation.

SYM-Nagar, SYM-Nagpur, SYM-Pune and SYM-MP, SYM-Nashik have just begun to take shape.

The Rector Major invited us to go back to Don Bosco and form Youth Movements for change:

Get involved in Human Rights and Environmental Groups.

Add soul to the Social Media by being evangelizers of JOY.

Volunteer at works for Marginalized and Youth at risk.

Imitate the zeal of Don Bosco for Holiness and the Sacred.

Live the Salesian Youth Spirituality daily!

SYMBIOS


It was a great experience for me to be a part of this momentous event. Truly this celebration

united youth from across borders of states and regions providing a platform for us to showcase

our talents in the form of singing, skits, painting, dance etc. and our abundant love and respect

for Don Bosco and Rector Major. The enthusiasm and zeal showed by the Rector Major to

connect with the youth was something I will never forget. Inspite of the language barrier, he

came forward with one of the most powerful language - Love; an unconditional love, the same

love which Don Bosco had shared with the youth of his time. With this wonderful opportunity to

be a part of the amazing theme- Like Don Bosco, With the Young, For the young, I take forward

to be a Disciple and Witness of the love and kindness showed by Don Bosco, With other Partners

and Educators For the Vocation and Mission of Don Bosco. - Alma Odil, DBYS, Matunga

The Holy Eucharist, Homily, Youth Talk Show, Multi Talent Competitions, Youth Catechesis, Family

Circle & Cultural Program helped me to climb up a new step adding a way to Learning of my Life.

Rev. Fr. Angel Fernandez Artime, his presence helped me to ponder upon the way of life I am

living. My Jesus, now I can proudly say that YES the presence of Rector Major helped me to feel the

presence of Don Bosco in my Life. Salesians are blessed with Youth and the Youth are blessed

with Salesians. .e. a two way relationship that we are blessed keeping Jesus in the centre. Every-

thing in this world is connected with each other. In the same way the connections with all the

Salesians that I met was a beautiful moment which will never be forgotten by me.

- Johnson Pillai, Don Bosco - Baroda

We were full of enthusiasm to see our RECTOR MAJOR, Fr.

ANGEL FERNNDEZ ARTIME for the first time. He was such a

down-to-earth person! He always wanted the youth with him,

his views regarding the youth was remarkable. The songs he

sang and the interaction with the youth fulfilled us with joy.

He challenged and guided us on how to grow within the Sale-

sian family and Youth Movement in our own premises schools

and parish. The Youth Talk show was awesome! Different

speakers shared views related to technology, society, and the

Thiar jail experience shared by sister made youth think about

their life and future!

The choir was good and the

prayer dance on both day

was mind blowing -

Stanley Singar, Pune

Some memories are unforgettable, remaining ever vivid

and heartwarming thats the experience of Delhi YOTUH

EXPO 2015. I felt so blessed to be having such a great

experience of Delhi YOUTH EXPO 2015. I was extremely

fortunate to meet our real Don Bosco for today in our

beloved Rector Major, Rev. Fr. Angel Fernandez Artime. I

experienced real Salesian Spirit and joy in the get together

of the Salesian Family. The time spent together with the

entire youth was opportune and meaningfully added colors

in my life. I am proud to be part of the circle of Salesian

Family. Long live SYM

- Sushil Parmar

SYMBIOS


The two-day YOUTH EXPO 2015 event pulled out hidden talents of the youth, inculcated the teachings

of Don Bosco in them, increased their confidence level, gave them an opportunity to interact with new

people, explore different cultures at one common platform and return back home being a positively

changed person! The event was full of culture , entertainment , colour, creativity, passion towards

ones talent, an eye opener to the teachings of Don Bosco, positive vibes, energetic, well organized and

perhaps the best event any youth has attended so far. We at DBIT Kurla group are now chal-

lenged.we can set up a camp to help the needy street children and poor people and provide them

with required things like food ,clothes, medicines, etc. - Siddhi Prabhu, DBIT Kurla

YOUTH EXPO 2015 was a wonderful experience overall. It was new and an excellent opportunity I got. Through this EXPO, I learnt many new things namely; how to interact with youth from differ-ent multicultural backgrounds. I had a great chance to meet our Rector Major. I feel very fortu-nate to meet him as a person and to know what he felt about the youth in India and what are his expectations from us. I really enjoyed all the programs organized i.e. Youth Talk Show through which we could know different opinions from experienced persons. Thanks to Fr. Mayank and Fr. Michael for allowing me to be part of such a wonderful experience!

- Dhonisha Silvester, DB Borada

Young people of India are highly talented and full of energy.

The Salesian Family is our real wealth and strength. They are precious to us.

We are fortunate to be graced to be living with you young people!

Commit yourself to society to chase out evil from our lives.

God has a DREAM for each one of you. Discover that dream in you.

The future of India needs messiahs like you with your work, honesty, upbringing, faith and youthfulness.

God needs you, Don Bosco needs you, the Youth needs you!

SYMBIOS


Congratulations to

Bro. Michael Gaikwad sdb.

Our young missionary to

Cambodia!

This Mission Sunday pray for him.

Don Bosco Youth Services (DBYS)Mumbai

Invites all young people to

contribute your suggestions to the

PROVINCIAL CHAPTER 2016

so as to enhance our YOUTH MINISTRY

in the Mumbai province, especially in the

areas of: Education, Skills Training,

Higher Education, Youth Centres,

Youth at Risk Projects,

Parishes and Missions,

Social Communications and

Formation of Salesians to Missions.

Ms. Marina DCosta has been

appointed to represent the

Youth of the province at the

Provincial Chapter discussion.

Please send in your interventions to:

Ms. Marina DCosta at [email protected] or to Fr. Glenford

Lowe [email protected] at your earliest convenience. The

first session begins on Oct 15, 2015. The second session will be

held at Don Bosco Lonavala from 7-12th February 2016.

Symbios October 2015

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