Team Herald
PANJIM: The Salesian Family of Don Bosco is waiting for the visit of Fr Angel Fernandez Artime, the 10th Successor of Don Bosco for the first time to the Province of Panjim from March 27 to April 1.
Fr Fernandez will meet the Salesians, the Salesian family, the youth, parents of the Salesians, benefactors and the beneficiaries of the Salesian works, says a press release.
Fr Avin Carvalho, the chief organiser of the visit of the Rector Major, said, he is happy to have the successor of Don Bosco in the province. He wishes that ‘his spirit rubs on to each one of us’. Fr Felix Fernandes, Provincial of the Province of Panjim said, he is ‘extremely happy that the representative of Don Bosco is visiting the province.’ “It is a moment of grace and the revival of the Salesian Charism in our province”, he said.
Fr Fernandez will put in many hours of his stay for serious reflection and evaluation of the various activities of the Salesians of Don Bosco in the province. “For us it is a moment of celebration around the Successor of Don Bosco. He has called each of us to be holy”, Fr Avin concluded.
On March 30, Fr Fernandez will concelebrate mass at 6 pm in the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima along with the Archbishop of Goa and Daman Filipe Neri Ferrao and Bishop of Sindhudurg Alwyn Barreto.
Fr Fernandez was elected for this office at the 27th General Council of the Salesians in Rome in 2014. Fr Fernandez, a Spaniard, was provincial of Leon in Spain (2000-2006), Provincial of South Argentina (2009-2014), and provincial of Seville in Spain in 2014 before he was elected as the General Superior (Rector Major) of the Salesian Congregation the same year. He is the head of all the Salesian institutes of the Salesians of Don Bosco worldwide. Don Bosco is present today in 132 countries having 15,000 institutions.
Salesians came to India in 1906 and started their first institution at Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu. The first institution in Goa was opened at Panjim in 1946.
Fr Vincent Scuderi and Fr Joseph Carreno were the pioneers of the place. They first started the Oratory of Don Bosco where the youth would play and pray. Soon carpentry was added. Then the primary school, the tailoring classes, the English medium school with 36 students and the four classes of the Portuguese school were the humble beginnings of the work of Don Bosco in Goa.
With their printing press, the Salesians published the monthly magazine, ‘Oratorio Salesiano’ and the ‘Aitarachem Vachop’, a weekly in Konkani. Fr McGlinchey aired a religious programme named ‘Hora Catolica’ on All India Radio.
Today, the Salesians have 10 houses in Goa, 3 in Sindhudurg and 6 in Karnataka. The Salesians have 9 schools, 3 higher secondaries, 3 National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), a night school, a vocational training institute, a technical school and a public library. Recently, they have also entered into the higher education with Don Bosco College in Panjim, College of Engineering at Fatorda and a College of Agriculture at Sulcorna.
Salesians look after the street boys, the youth at risk at Paliem-Ucassaim, have boarding for children and a hostel for men. They are also engaged in social work. They empower women through self help groups and various developmental works through Konkan Development Office at Odxel.
