BIS Mumbai
BOSCO INFORMATION SERVICE # 3525
PROCLAIMING THE WORD-A SPIRITUAL ORIENTATION COURSE FOR LECTORS
By: Samantha Fernandes
NORTHERN ARABIAN VICARIATE JUNE 04, 2013: On Saturday, 01 June 2013, forty-two parishioners 
of St. Therese of the Child Jesus (STCJ) Parish successfully completed the highly acclaimed Spiritual Orientation session of the Lectors Training and Orientation Course, conducted by Rosario Fernandes. Bishop Camillo Ballin on a recent visit to the Parish was so impressed by the deep and enlightening session that he commissioned this Lectors Training and Orientation Course to be made mandatory in every Parish of the North Arabian Vicariate.
At STCJ Parish, the Lector is upheld as a significant and impactful member of the Eucharistic Celebration. All lectors are required to undergo this mandatory orientation course that comprises two sessions – Reading Skills and Spiritual Orientation.
The Spiritual Orientation course specially designed by Rosario Fernandes runs for ninety minutes and is conducted via a multimedia PowerPoint presentation. It comprises five different segments:
ü Authentication and verification of the holiness of the Bible, in the simplest and most basic way possible.
ü Celebration of the Holy Eucharist, BEFORE and AFTER the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican of 1962-1965.
ü Cycles of Liturgy for both Weekday as well as Sunday Masses; the structure of Readings, the dates for the change-over of cycles, etc.
ü Role of a Lector in the Liturgy of the Word of God.
ü Guidelines for Lectors as set up by Rev. Fr. Francis Kharjia, sdb, Spiritual Director for Liturgy at our Church.
The Spiritual Orientation Session concluded with a Lector's Acceptance Prayer.
"This spiritual training will surely help me to grow closer to God and help to serve the parish with enriched knowledge that I have gained through this spiritual training" said Sharita Misquith, as she was leaving the course. She added, "It is 
a very well done presentation and explanation." Another participant Biju Anthony exclaimed "The content and theme were good!"
On successful completion of both components, Sharita and Biju along with the other forty participants will join the team of 318 Lectors commissioned to proclaim the Word of God during Holy Mass.
Rosario Fernandes the Liturgical Coordinator at STCJ Parish and ex-student of Don Bosco's Matunga class of 1969, when asked how he developed this deep knowledge and love for the Liturgy, he said "All credit goes to my alma mater for the knowledge and guidance I received in my formative years".
The next Orientation Session at STCJ Parish for Lectors will be conducted in September 2013.