WADALA-MUMBAI, AUGUST 3, 2013: Parents Day was celebrated at Our Lady Of Dolours Parish on 27th July 2013 with a Thanksgiving mass at 7.00 p.m. followed by a get together. In a departure from tradition the Parish Council took the decision to give our parents and grandparents an evening of fun and entertainment, rather than a cultural program.
The celebrations, that followed a well animated and attended Eucharistic celebration, commenced with a brief welcome by Fr. Godfrey the Parish Priest. The Altar Servers set the tone for the evening with a dance rendition of the popular song "You raised me up" by Westlife. When the thunderous applause of the almost 200 parents and grandparents toned down, the Family Cell made a short presentation on 'Good Parenting, through a video of an actual family situation in Mumbai prepared by the Diocesan Family Centre. A short moment of reflection and sharing followed the presentation. The comperes for the evening Ms. Eugenia D'Cunha and Ms. Vijeta Shah led the gathering through the grand Wedding March, a couple of games and a host of spot prizes.
The Parish Youth were not to be left out. They set feet tapping with a bollywood masala that received an encore, after which 6 pairs of parents tried some of the steps and the winners were adjudged by the youth. Delicious snacks were served and the young and old then took to the floor with the Mumbai masala and some East Indian favorites provided by DJ Aurelius. The Children who accompanied their Parents for the evening were entertained separately with a movie and snacks. The Cultural Cell, the Family Cell and the Youth combined together to give the parents a super duper celebration.
The next morning, the Parents and Grandparents of the parish were present for a session on "Parenting", with the resource person Mrs. Rachel Valles conducting an interactive session with a short power point presentation. The sizeable number of parents, who were present, were thankful that they made it to this interesting and informative session. This was followed by the Children's Mass, where the children thanked the Lord for the gift of their parents and grandparents and prayed for them.