BIS Mumbai
BOSCO INFORMATION SERVICE # 3354
CELEBRATING DON BOSCO IN THE NORTHERN ARABIAN VICARIATE
Stanley D'souza
NORTHERN ARABIAN VICARIATE, FEBRUARY 05, 2013 : The Salesian family in Kuwait knew there would be a blast, but did not expect the 
magnitude it turned out to be. The entire Salesian Community was floored completely with happiness and joy celebrating the feast of their Alma Mater St. Don Bosco. The spiritual celebration began with the novena to Don Bosco. The cooperators animated the Novena by screening a portion of the movie on the life of Don Bosco. The main celebrant during the novena days shared their reflections on Don Bosco.
The festivities commenced with the Holy Mass on January 31 with Fr. Lionel as the main celebrant. He shared the life of Don Bosco from his childhood to his priesthood and the challenges he had to face during his entire life while working with the youth. Like Don Bosco, Fr. Lionel targeted the youth with his ammunition of encouragement, motivation and "Don Bosco" the model for the youth. Fr. Lionel with his roaring voice and funny antics kept the entire parish in splits and yearning for more on the life Don Bosco.
He mentioned that today there are Seventeen thousand priests, Fifteen thousand sisters, a battalion of Cooperators and Past Pupils that carry the 'jihad' of Don Bosco's mission to save and serve the youth. It was amazing to know that Don Bosco in his life time had Two hundred and fifty homes whereas today there are a huge number of institutions around the world. For the Salesian community in Kuwait, it was the guiding force of Don Bosco that brought them to the Gulf, to spread the love and awareness of his mission and devotion to Mother Mary and his motto, 'Give me souls and take away the rest'.
The Choir brought back memories for many of the 'Past Pupils of Don Bosco', who once were like these children in the choir lifting the spiritual aspect of Mass to a higher level. The mass was followed by distribution of cake by the Salesian Cooperators following the teaching of Don Bosco "to share".
It was a known fact that Don Bosco was a prankster and a comedian which Fr. Lionel had reiterated during his sermon at Mass, so it is obvious that, products of his institutions besides making him proud, also do imbibe 'his madness and fun'. So as they grow to adulthood in the façade of gentlemen and even well-mannered ladies, the streak of 'madness' never dies. To the extent the Past Pupils of Don Bosco even refused to accept Don Bosco was 'no more in their midst' and even sent him an invitation, through his representatives the priests. For them each priest is Don Bosco. So to protect their façade of gentleness they had a blast of fun, music and a Jam Session in the school basement.
The army of Past Pupils ensured the event was memorable. In all the fun pranks could not be far away, just that 
this time the tables were turned against Don Bosco (the priests) who were made to play a game of hula‐hoop, and those who thought Priests don't cheat it was wild treat to see Fr. Franco trying to hold the hula‐hoop with a paper stuck in his pocket. Fr. Blany tried to twist the hula‐hoop on his waist and it landed on his knees, while he kept insisting it was on his waist. Fr. Franco charmed the audience with his craziness and fun.
Focus was kids and the youth and it was a joy to see a live band of youngsters below Fourteen years of age entertaining the audience. Fr. Franco announced the 'dinner open' with very motivational talks from Don Bosco's life, and encouraged the youth to think about looking at being a religious as a vocation.
Dinner brought back memories for the Past Pupils of their boarding days where they broke bread together in the refectory. A deluge of gifts rained during the jam session with many walking away with prizes in one category or another. The entire Salesian family thanked Don Bosco for all the blessings in their lives. Messages from the Priests just got them back to introspecting their duties and responsibilities of sharing with the less privileged, and ensuring their homes be a house of prayer which would sow seeds of vocations.
Today the Salesians have reached Kuwait, who knows tomorrow it could be one of our kids steering to Timbuktu, with the blessings of Don Bosco, asking him 'Don Bosco be with us, Don Bosco watch over us, Don Bosco forever our model be.
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