SATPUR, JANUARY 18, 2011: At Christmastide due to carol singing, decorations, choir practices and other such activities of the Church, the youth generally come closer to each other, whatever differences are done away with and there emerges a feeling of going for an outing. And that is exactly what happened to the youth of St. Dominic Savio, Satpur Church. The youth, both boys and girls got round the Parish Priest Fr. Nelson Falcao, sdb and expressed their strong desire for a picnic. The question was the day-date-venue and also the . After thinking of many venues like Lonavla hill-station, Saputara, Satana, Ahmednagar, Valwanda and others the final decision was ‘Vasai’. That turned out to be a good and practical choice.
After a short prayer at the grotto of Our Lady, about thirty youth, both boys and girls left from Dominic Savio Church, Satpur at about 6.00 am on January 6, on Thursday for Vasai via Vajreshwari. By around 10.00 am the troop reached Vajreshwari where each one experienced for oneself the natural hot water springs and several people gathered at the springs for bath. It was something unusual and unique. It is claimed that baths in these natural hot water springs bring about healing for the body and mind.
After Vajreshwari the bus ride was towards Virar Phata. The youth were overjoyed to visit Agashi hospital run by SRA Nuns, Agashi Church of St. James, Jyoti Church managed by SDB Fathers, Arnala Church of St. Peter, the Arnala Sea-Shore with the camel-rides, the house of Sr, Shaila, FMA, Shirlewadi Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, Nirmal Church of Holy Cross, Jeevan Darshan Kendra, Giriz Church of St. Francis Xavier, Vasai Fort and the Churches there, the Vasai Fort Sea-Shore, Mulgaon Church of St. Mary Magdalene and the Cathedral Church of Our Lady of Grace. While we all entered the Vasai Fort Church of St. Gonzalo Garcia, a great coincidence took place: Holy Mass was going on during the Triduum of St. Gonzalo Garcia and the main Celebrant was Msgr. Francis Correia who on seeing Fr. Nelson present in the Church made known to the faithful present there about his great work of critical edition and translation of the Kristapurana and the presence of the composer of the Kristapurana Fr. Thomas Stephens, S.J. at Vasai Fort about four hundred years back (1611-1612).
