austraLasia #3182
India and Philippines: 24 January 2013 -- Happy
Feast day of St
Francis de Sales! With a backlog of news items piling up, we
have to
make some selection at this point, and hopefully over the next
few days
it will be possible to clear the backlog.
From India comes an interesting online development
known as faithonline.
While the spiritual
guides selected are well-known and established personalities
in the
South Asian Salesian world, both male and female, it is good
to see
that much of the effort at the technological level is coming
from the
younger fry. The website was developed by Br. Leon Cruz and
was
officially inaugurated for the 'Youth Fest' held at Borovili
(Mumbai
Province) recently. As the innovator himself describes
it: "This website provides a
safe and reliable
access to good Catholic spiritual guides for the youth and
the lay
faithful. A panel of spiritual guides is made available for
the youth
who can seek guidance and spiritual help.
The universality of the web makes this website reach out to
many
Catholics breaking geographical and time barriers. Even
though this new
concept of online spiritual guidance is at its nascent stage
the
initial responses have been quite positive".
From the Philippines comes news of the opening of
Diamond Jubilee
celebrations (60 years in that part of the world = Diamond)
for Don
Bosco Technical College Mandaluyong, Metro Manila.
An alumnus, Mr Rex Francis Coz, writes:
"January 21, 2013, Don Bosco Technical College (DBTC),
Mandaluyong,
Philippines – Paths were lit leading to the football field,
where over
2,500 souls composed of Salesians, students, alumni, and other
members
of the Educative Pastoral Community gathered for the first
Grand
Eucharistic Adoration.
With the institution turning 60 on January 31, 2013, the Grand
Eucharistic Adoration marked the beginning of the Diamond
Jubilee
celebrations for DBTC. “Home” was chosen as the theme for the
Grand
Eucharistic Adoration as a way of bringing everyone closer to
the true
Source of inner peace.
The prayer service started with the procession of the Blessed
Sacrament, led by DBTC’s rector, Father Martin M. Macasaet,
SDB from
the school’s Small Chapel to the football field. Immediately
following
was the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, and a short but
inspirational message touching on the theme from Father Edwin
Soliva,
SDB. Minutes passed and prayers of thanksgiving and adoration
were
offered. In an ambiance of prayerful silence interspersed with
songs
led by the choir, everyone found sanctuary on the grounds of
the
football field.
The event, along with the monstrance purchased from Italy, was
sponsored by the Don Bosco Days with the Lord Movement, a
group of
young, passionate individuals dedicated to the task of
bringing their
families and peers to a deeper and more authentic relationship
with the
Lord".