MATUNGA, NOVEMBER 13, 2010: The Shrine of Don Bosco’s Madonna, Matunga was packed to capacity on the evening of November 11 as the Salesians of Don Bosco of the Mumbai province gathered together with benefactors, relatives and friends to celebrate the jubilees of sixteen of their confreres. Among the jubilarians was Fr. Michael Fernandes, the provincial, who was celebrating the silver jubilee of his ordination. Others celebrating the silver jubilee of their ordination were Fr. George Carlos, Fr. Thomas D’Costa, Fr. Bonnie Borges and Fr. Augustine Pereira. Two confreres, Fr. Mathew Thalanany and Fr. Richard D’Souza celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of their Religious Profession. For Fr. Richard it was a double jubilee, since this year is also the Golden Jubilee of his ordination. Fr. Aloysius Furtado celebrated the Golden jubilee of his profession while as many as eight confreres, Frs. Anthony Santarita, Cletus D’Souza, James Tuscano, Jeffery Fernandes, Jude D’Mello, Manuel Murzello, Savio D’Souza and Savio Silveira, celebrated the Silver Jubilee of their profession.
Fr. Michael, the provincial was the main celebrant at the thanksgiving Eucharist. He was joined by as many as fifty concelebrants besides the other jubilarians. Fr. Aloysius Furtado was the homilist. The overwhelming mood was that of gratitude to God not only for having called our confreres to the Salesian way of life but also for all that God has done through them in spite of their limitations and failures.
The Eucharistic celebration was followed by a very well animated felicitation programme for our jubiliarians in the Don Bosco School Quadrangle. The traditional toast to each of the jubiliarians was replaced with a single common toast raised to the jubiliarians by Fr. Elson Baretto, the provincial Economer, followed by a well animated and crisp power point presentation on the Salesian life and ministry of the confreres celebrating their jubilee. Another significant feature of the celebrations this year was the personally prepared memento handed over to each confrere by the provincial containing a brief but very touching commendation of his unique personal traits and his contribution to the apostolate of the province. The provincial was handed his memento by Fr. Ajoy Fernandes, the vice-provincial.
