BIS Mumbai
BOSCO INFORMATION SERVICE # 3321
ANNUAL YOUTH FEST AHMEDNAGAR DISTRICT
Bento D’Souza
BHINGAR -AHMEDNAGAR, JANUARY 14, 2013: January 12 evening to 13 dawn 2013, three hundred youth from the District spent an awesome 
and exhilarating night of youthful energy’ in experiencing the Second Annual Youth Fest here in the Bhingar Campus.
The energetic youth from different parishes in the Ahmednagar District arrived with their Co-coordinators for registration at sundown. Bishop Daniel Lourdes inaugurated the event at 7.45 pm.
Fr. Thomas D’Costa, the Rector gave the opening talk. Bishop Lourdes Daniel was there to officially welcome the youth and give a talk to the receptive youth at 9 pm. The English Kristapurana was launched and introduced to the young people and released by the Bishop of Nashik.
Fete games lasted until midnight. The introduction, preaching and the vocation story were all told by the New Ordinandi during the evening to the youth. What began with fun and frolic, ended with feasting in the Lord. A midnight candlelight procession accompanying the World Youth Day Cross got all into the atmosphere of praying the rosary on the road. Fr. Nelson Falcao gave a session at 1.30 am.
As the theme was Vocation, the Kristapurana Version of the Call of the apostles was read and explained with relevance to the life-situation and choices made by the young. Fr. Sanjay Brahmane, Fr. Michael and his music ministry from Aurangabad led the youth in praise and worship all through dawn beginning from 02 am to 05 am.
Confessors sat through the night in the confessionals and the listened to penitents who made their confessions was a catharsis experience of the priests. Healing prayer over each individual was the climax of the night of prayer. Many swooned as a result of being prayed over. The newly ordained priests, Fr. Jesu, Fr. Charles and Fr. McEnroe concelebrated Eucharist at 5.30 a.m. with Bishop Lourdes Daniel as principal celebrant. The youth were happy to be a part of this youth fest gathering in Bhingar and left asking for more.
Bro Ramesh, BGVK and Fr. Nelson Falcao administrator of St. John Baptist Church Bhingar, partnered closely in making this event come alive in the darkness. Frs. George, Gohil and Bento were the core team for executing the various aspects of the night event. The Parish Council of St. John’s were present to care for the logistics, fete games management, distribution of food and preparation of tea, and all Night Salesian assistance required for an annual mega-event of this magnitude, the all night youth vigil, brand event of Ahmednagar Youth Services.
Being the feast of Baptism of Jesus, this event immersed (Greek Baptisma) the Youth into the dimension of their Christian Life and the Salesians into the depths of a new form of relevant youthful ministry. Many priests and sisters accompanied their parish youth groups.
At 8 o’clock in the morning Fr. Jesu celebrated Eucharist in Bhingar church for the first time.
BIS INFORMATION SERVICE (BIS) MUMBAI
Don Bosco Provincial House,
Matunga, Mumbai - 400 019. INDIA
Email: bis@donboscomumbai.org
Website: www.donboscomumbai.org
News Blog: http://bismumbai.blogspot.com