BIS Mumbai
BOSCO INFORMATION SERVICE # 3320
TOGETHER IN COVENANT – A FELLOWSHIP OF YOUNG COUPLES
Amira Peter
NORTHERN ARABIAN VICARIATE JANUARY 13, 2013: On Thursday, January 10 2012, the Cherubs Team of 
the Family Ministry of St Thérèse Parish in the North Arabian Vicariate organized its monthly program for couples married in 1997. It was attended by thirty two couples and just over fifty children.
The Program began with Mass at 6.30 pm celebrated by Fr Franco Pereira. The liturgy was well prepared keeping the marriage theme in mind. The liturgical singing was animated by the melodious voices of the school children, led by Faust Nash.
Through his homily, Fr. Franco drew an interesting analogy between the cross and married life. He drew our attention to the fact that the two beams are different (in length) yet united by the presence of Christ. And just like those beams, we need to chisel our personalities, needs and aspirations so we can be merged together in perfect union. Mass was followed by a brief presentation by Sr. 
Leela Mathias on the various Parish activities to increase awareness and offer couples an opportunity to participate more actively in the parish community.
Next, over light snacks, an enrichment session was conducted by Amira Peter on “Defeating the Parasites in Marriage”. The session illustrated how certain aspects in our lives that bring pleasure, joy and comfort if not kept in check and eliminated could gradually invade our lives and marriages, ultimately destroying us.
Spiritual and practical measures for fireproofing our marriages against these parasites were also discussed. Brief sharing gave the couples an opportunity to discuss the parasites in their own marriages and the impact it has on their lives and families.
The enriching session was followed by a lively fellowship of games, spot prizes and dancing.
Ice-breaker games gave the couples an opportunity to get to know others married in the same year. The activity game musical crabs had couples dancing in various “entangled” positions much to their amusement! Through the evening, the lively music provided by Shaun Rebello kept the couples on their feet while the MC Ursula did a stellar job of keeping them all engaged and excited.
All this while, in a separate area, a special program was underway for the children to enable the couples to spend undisturbed, quality time together. The children’s program included a variety of activities ranging from an animated 
movie on Noah’s Ark, action songs and arts & crafts to Bible Bingo for the older children and coloring for the younger ones.
Towards the end of the program the children joined the party. They brought the special greeting cards they had made for their parents. After a lively game of passing the parcel, they performed an action song along with their parents.
Nourished and enriched, the happy families returned back to their homes. Several couples also volunteered to be active members in the parish by registering for the various parish activities. Feedback forms completed by the couples will help the Cherubs continuously improve the program over time.
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