The celebrations of the bi-centenary of Don Bosco’s birth which began worldwide as well as in the Konkan province from August 16 last year, will conclude on Sunday. The main programme in Goa will be held at Margao’s Ravindra Bhavan at 9.30 am.
For the Salesian community, the preparations for the bi-centenary began three years ago, with the themes being Don Bosco’s history, his system of education and spirituality.
As the focus this year was on his system of education, it is worthy to recall his preventive system of education that is more centered on the child, on the limitations of his or her age, and therefore calls for a constant and loving assistance by the educator or teacher who like a father or mother is there present, gives advice, guidance, and lends support.
Don Bosco chose the preventive method for another reason. Not only did he wish to manifest the total break from the repressive system, so common during his time, but he also saw prevention of physical and moral harm through education and love an indispensible solution to the problems of abandoned youth.
His presence, practical insight, charm and charisma may be translated into three essential components of holistic growth. They are rapport, reason and religion, or to put it in another way, they are the attitudes of loving kindness, reasonableness and religious integrity.
The basic idea behind the bi-centenary celebrations was to offer an opportunity to the Salesians to grow in knowledge, appreciation and imitation of their Founder, to their lay collaborators and members of the Salesian family to share this enthusiasm and to re-launch collaborative efforts in the mission of Don Bosco through the EPC, to the youngsters of their own settings to be enthused about the person of Don Bosco and to make Don Bosco known outside their circle.
The activities planned were spiritual, educative, cultural and promotional, aimed at obtaining the listed objectives.
The Salesians came to Goa in 1946 with the arrival of three Italian pioneers, late Rev Fr Vincent Scuderi (the founder), late Rev Fr Joseph Carreno (the Builder) and Rev Fr Joseph Moja. Their first mission was to acquire land so that they could build an oratory for their activities with the youth, a Shrine and a school.
With the help of government authorities, they acquired around 40,000 sq mts of land in Panjim where presently lies a beautiful shrine, a magnificent school and college building, an oratory, and sprawling playgrounds. A chapel in honour of Our Lady of Fatima was built in 1949. However it was to be in 1972 that the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima was built in the Gothic style and in the Italian design.
The school was inaugurated in June 1947 with 36 students and three teachers. Fr Moja was the headmaster. Today, as we look back, 68 years later, one can only thank God for bringing them to Goa where they have made an indelible mark on the lives of the youth, the poor and the marginalized. Through the years, the Salesians have provided abundant opportunities for higher achievements in academics and social reformations.
