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SYMBIOSMumbai ProvinceSeptember 2015,

Editorial : Giving Life to SYM’s

birth at SYM DON BOSCO 2015—Turin, the INB Province 15 group

their commitment.

‘Symbiosis’

SYMBIOS is simply SYM + BIOS! Bios means LIFE or in computerlanguage, it is the program a personal computer's microprocessor

SYMBIOS is giving life to the SYM. SYMBIOS will connect youth into a

‘LIKE-WITH-FOR’ -16August 2015. 5000 SYM youngsters from 58 countries journeyed together at Valdocco and finally at Colle Don Bosco through

e

Reungoat challenged us all to be LIKE DON BOSCO Disciples and Witnesses of the Lord Jesus, WITH the Young as joyful Educa-

SYMBIOS will carry forward this message ‘LIKE-WITH-FOR’ into the next few issues. Going back to the very roots of our Sale-sian history, pedagogy and spirituality, and witnessing for our selves the very humble beginnings of the ‘dreamer JohnnyBosco’ to the great ‘Father and Teacher of Youth’, our hearts could only grow warmer while we whispered a ‘thank you’ to

plied to over 132 countries backed by a solid 450000 Salesian Family! The Salesian Youth Movement is fast shaping up intoan ecclesial movement of youth inspired by theSalesian Youth Spirituality (SYS). One could onlysense the joy, enthusiasm and commitment of the

long way to go.

the SYM and to carry it forward. We invite your

e-a way forward to building the SYM in the Province of Mumbai. God bless you all abundantly!

Fr. Glenford Lowe sdb


Interview with our Rector Major1. Rector Major, let’s begin with an easy

’s birthday?As you can imagine, dear young people, I

of you are here, young boys and girls comingfrom 58 countries. I am moved at the beau-

you, the young, show. I am moved by yourjoy and the ease with which you pass from

am moved by your sensibility and solidaritytowards the minority groups here present.And then I want to tell you that we are cele-

Why do I say this? For two reasons:

Because we cannot remain indifferent to Don Bosco’s birthday (the Bicentenary of his birth), because Don Bosco does notbelong to us, but - –

“Father and Teacher of the Young”, as he was proclaimed by Pope John Paul II in 1988;The second reason is that, in a Salesian environment and as Salesian Family, it is possible to imagine to celebrate Don

Bosco’s birthday only WITH THE YOUNG, AMONG THE YOUNG. What we cannot imagine is, for instance, if we had

For this I repeat that this seem to me a wonderful celebration of the Bicentenary.

2. How can we, the young, be of help especially to you Salesians and to the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians?

Letting the heart speak, and not only the mind, the first thing that comes to my mind is this:

My dear youth, help us to be like Don Bosco and Maria Mazzarello.Help us to be ever more generous and to give you our whole life, as they did.Remind us, every moment, with your presence among us, that the young boys and girls were always in the heart of Don

Bosco and of Mother Mazzarello.Ask us to accompany you to pray together, ask us with greater strength to be always among you, ask us to help you in the

journey of life, especially when you are most in need of it. Do not be afraid to bother us. THIS MUST NEVER BE ANUISANCE FOR A SALESIAN HEART.

Finally, I tell you the reason of what I just suggested to you: this is because we must never forget that also the boys of Valdoc-co and the girls of Mornese made Don Bosco’s heart and Mother Mazzarello’s heart greater. Let us not forget that thoseboys and girls, with their presence, their looks, their prayer … made Don Bosco’s heart and Mother Mazzarello’s heartgrow ever more with the passing of time.

And you too can do this with all those who live the precious, wonderful, beautiful challenge of being Don Bosco and MotherMazzarello today, i.e. all the Salesians (SDB) and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA) of the world.


3. Fr. Ángel, as Rector Major, what do you think would Don Bosco tell and ask the young here present today, and theyoung of the world?

Undoubtedly, he would say what he always said to his boys: to keep Jesus as the sense of their lives, as the Centre of their

in their hearts, because she will do everything for you.And he would tell you, just as I tell you now, that we believe in you, that we really believe you are good and that in the heart

of every young boy and girl there are always the seeds of goodness and kindness.He would tell you never to cease to be the true leading characters of your life.

women of goodness, to be honest, to work honestly, to be just with the others, to be people who never exploit theothers. He would tell you to have a merciful heart towards those who are suffering, those who have less (than we do),those who are immigrants, defenseless… I AM CONVINCED THIS WOULD BE DON BOSCO’S LANGUAGE TODAY.

4. And in tune with Don Bosco, what is the dream of the Rector Major for us, the young of today?

I dream, as Don Bosco would say, that God be always in the life of each young boy and girl who is in a Salesian house, andthen throughout their lives. My dear youth, the best thing we can offer is WHAT HAS FILLED OUR LIVES TO THE POINT OFCHOOSING TO BE SALESIANS AND DAUGHTERS OF MARY HELP OF CHRISTIANS;

-cultural in what isimportant and necessary to go against the mainstream. I dream of youth who, for the fact that they think and are justand have a great heart, are capable to say YES and NO with great freedom.

“Like Don Bosco, with the Young, for the Young”–2015, and for the youth of the whole world, this message “for the Young”?

This message does not only have much significance, but rather it has ALL ITS SIGNIFICANCE for you, because you are not theyoung people of the Salesian environment only to receive, but also to GIVE and to GIVE YOURSELVES. I am convinced that forthe fact that you are here you have a special sensibility, to understand that many thousands and thousands of youth all over

reach out, to the encounter with others. Well, you have a lot to give and to offer to other youth.

CAL: well, to my mind, the concrete Salesian way to be radical,both for you and for us is this “being-for-the-others”, trying toreach out to those who are far away, making concrete andvalid choices for the poorest, the “outcast”ULTIMATELY, WE MUST FEEL UNEASY AS LONG AS the poorare beside us, or even far way from us, (as long as there are)homeless people, persons who suffer from violence, personswho are exploited.

I CANNOT THINK OF A BETTER WAY THAN THIS FOR BEING THEYOUTH OF SALESIAN ENVIRONMENTS, OFFERING SOMETHINGVALID AND BECOMING THE VOICE OF THE VOICELESS.

This is all, from me. I thank you, dear youth, for your welcome and your listening. Many thanks.


Bicentenary Celebrations: I was there...Pearl Dsouza DBYS - Mumbai

We all know Don Bosco to be a visionary par excellence and a friend of the young. We know about the immense love

Lord? What made John Bosco, the young boy, Don Bosco the teacher and friend of the youth? To find answers to these ques-

’s birth in Turin, Italy. Of this largenumber, 15 of us happened to be from the Mumbai Province. We spent a week in Turin and Becchi, the places where Don

in this SYM DON BOSCO 2015.

The theme for the week was LIKE Don Bosco, WITH the young and‘Like – With -

For’. Each day was devoted to understanding and internalizing

songs, interviewing an experienced and famous Salesian like the

sub-theme of the day and people from different countries, playingdifferent roles in the Salesian movement sharing their experienc-

of the Holy Eucharist. Post-various groups were taken to visit various important Shrines, Basilicas and places of religious importance, especially those

place that was very special to me and to most of us on this pilgrimage was Valdocco. Valdocco is where the Shrine of Mary

Bosco’

houses Don Bosco’s room with its original furniture well preserved andthe chapel behind the main altar where Dominic Savio was elevated

been given the opportunity to be inside the holy of holies.

A similar feeling enters one’s heart at Colle Don Bosco and at

clapping of all the 5000 youth as we hiked from Colle Don Bosco to Bec-chi. Even the heavy rains could not dampen our spirits. If anything itmade us feel all the more like soldiers on a victory march going to claimour reward. The opportunity to visit the ancestral house of DominicSavio en route to Becchi was like icing on the cake. Once there at Becchitwo things struck me deeply:


Firstly, gratefulness to Mama Margaret, Don Bosco’s mother, for it was her guidance, prayers and upbringing that made DonBosco the kind of man he was. She becomes a role model for all parents especially in a world today where parents want their

son most of all to be a good and loving person, a person of God. In thatvery place of Don Bosco’s birth I thanked God for Mama Margaret, withoutwhom all of this would not have been possible. The second thing thatstruck me was the humble origins of Don Bosco. Looking at his house andthe area around, which even today is not very developed, I think of DonBosco’s ability to dream big and his fore-sightedness. That someone with

takeup God’of Becchi even on that cold stormy night had vibes of warmth, love and laughter as if Don Bosco and Mama Margaret them-

Bosco’s welcoming embrace. Something that I have felt with all Salesian priests I’Don Bosco took place just as Don Bosco would have liked it, with a lot of youth,fun, laughter, games, cheerful dance and song and thanking God for him.

Having seen and felt for ourselves what made Don Bosco the great Man he wasand the place where the seeds of this massive tree of the Salesian Youth Move-ment were sown, we are now ready to take up new challenges just like DonBosco to strengthen the roots of this Salesian Youth Movement in our respec-

ment and make them a part of the Salesian family we the youth from theMumbai province have decided that each of us will get at least 10 more of our

friends to join the movement. We shall organize events and gatherings at Salesian houses across Mumbai to familiarizeyouth with the Salesian Youth Movement and Salesian spirituality. We also plan on having our very own Salesian YouthMovement cross to be circulated around the different Salesian houses of the Mumbai province, which could become a sym-bol and torch of the movement. Most importantly like Don Bosco we shall never be disheartened or discouraged whenthings don’are determined now more than ever to be ‘Like Don Bosco, With the Young andFor the Young’.

“It was a wonderful opportunity for me to see the Eifel Tower, to visit the holyplace of “Lourdes Pilgrimage”, Padua’s St. Anthony, Valdocco and Colle DonBosco, the Major Basilicas in Rome, St. Peter Church and finally to meet the Holy

these places. Overall the experiences with the youth for a direct exchangebetween young people coming from different parts of the world; to share the

” - Royal Dsouza, DBCL—Kurla


The Heart of Don BoscoMarina D’Costa, Antop Hill

said you will be cheerful if you are with this saint. I really didn’t understand what she

nected to the heart of Don Bosco and that is exactly what I carried back from Becchi. It isthe heart of Don Bosco, it is the willingness to be ‘LIKE’ Don Bosco. It is impressive to see aman born in 1815 can actually move 5000 youth who gathered from 58 countries in 2015.Times have changed, people have changed, but what remains alive is the heart of DonBosco that beats in all young people who have experienced his warmth closely.

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had one reason to celebrate, that was the joy of having this saint in our lives. Don Bosco said, “Give me souls, take away therest”, such a deep thought to reflect on. I ask myself, What will I do to save a soul? What will I do to educate the hearts ofthe young? What will I do to help young people find meaning in life? If I have to be like Don Bosco, I need to have a heart likeDon Bosco. Young people need that smile, that warmth, that someone who can hear them out. Don Bosco was there, his du-

’had in her made me believe that it is her love and presence in the life of Don Bosco that made him so strong. It is true, Don

have connected to the life of Don Bosco standing in places where he once dwelt, that was the hallmark of SYM 2015. Young

connect to the life of Don Bosco and also reflect on my own being. Don Bosco’s story is so simple, yet it is so powerful. Hewas right when he said, “ ”. That is what I am called to do in my daily life. Mywalk to Colle Don Bosco in the rains is something I will always cherish. Also dropping at the house of St. Dominic Savio on theway, who is the patron saint of my Parish made me feel so special. It is indeed a blessing when I know that I was the chosen

thank you lord for Don Bosco, in him we see the wonders of your love. We thank you lord, for the Salesian family.

“SYM 2015 (Salesian Youth Movement) event was lively and well planned. Got to visit all theplaces where Don Bosco began his first Mission. We got an opportunity to share, deepen,and look at the future of the experience of the Salesian Youth Movement in the world. The

Don Bosco” - Francis Dsouza, DBYS Matunga


Back to where it all began….Judeline Rodrigues, Mahim

Si Vede We seeSi Sente We hear/ feelE Don Bosco e presente That Don Bosco is present here

The presence of Don Bosco was truly felt through the euphoria amongst the 5000 Salesian

the youth were welcomed by Rector Major with a warm hug and loving smile. Just the way DBwould have greeted the youth. It was a wonderful experience seeing so many youth whocame to celebrate the bi-centenary birth of our ever loved San Bosco, Living the Salesianspirituality with Joy & cheerfulness. The theme of our gathering – LIKE Don Bosco, WITH theyouth, FOR –

th successor ofDon Bosco and seeing Papa Francesco was an icing to my cake.

My most memorable part of this trip was when I got separated from my group at Colle DB andwas guided by a volunteer to enter a bus which took me to Valodocco and this gave me some

th birth cele-

…

"Da mihi animas, catera tolle" Rebecca Pereira,

many values that are important for to follow in today's life.generosity, fear of God, courage among the young... So can we!

youth from across the globe. It was a totally different experience with different countries, different

at the birth place of Don Bosco. During this program, we visited Basilicas and the Oratories of Don-08-2015, at

the stroke of midnight, joy flooded, church bells rang....the most awaited day had arrived. The church was lit up with the face

ished! The world is a big place but with Don Bosco it is small. We are all one big family. NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE OR WHERE


Looking forward to...YOUTH EXPO 2015

The INB—Region Animator M F Arrival Departure

Alirajpur (9) Fr. Osborn 5 3 29/9 at 4:30am, Swaraj Exp 01/10 at 9:30pm by Sarvodaya Exp

DBCL—Kurla (18) Mr. Royal 10 6 28/9 at 4:30am, Swaraj Exp 02/10 at 10:40pm by NZM TVC SF Ex

DB Gujarat (27) Fr. Mayank 15 10 28/9 at 4:30am, Swaraj Exp 02/10 at 10:40pm by NZM TVC SF Ex

DB Nagar (16) Fr. Vishwas 5 9 28/9 at 10:00am Karnataka Exp 01/10 at 9:00pm by Karnataka Exp

DBYS (30) Fr. Cleophas 16 11 28/9 at 4:30am, Swaraj Exp 02/10 at 10:40pm by NZM TVC SF Ex

DB Nagpur (13) Fr. Allwyn 6 6

DB Pune (7) Fr. Cletus 5 1 28/9 at 4:00pm 01/10 midnight to Agra

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