Sailing Towards a Stronger Faith.

On the 16th– 17th of November, 2013, the Salesian Youth Movement [SYM], Virar organised an All Night Vigil at the Resurrection Parish, Virar [East] from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
The Night Vigil had the theme of “Sailing towards a Stronger Faith” in context with the Year of Faith.
The opening message was given by Fr. Lawrence D’Souza , sdb, with a few inspiring stories of how our faith can be tested, but how we m
ust stay strong.    
The ‘ Vigil Lights & Praise ’ group conducted the Praise and Worship sessions which got the whole congregation dancing and singing and energised for the Lord.
The first session of the night was given by Fr. Lester Fernandes, sdb. This session was based upon faith in context with adults. The session was quite meaningful. The Vigil Lights & Praise group animated the praise and worship sessions throughout the night, which kept the congregation along with the youth, rejoicing unto the Lord.
The SYM Virar had also put up a skit. With dance performances Choreographed to different songs, the skit depicted how the life of a youth can be tested in this modern world of material desires, how God is willing to accept us no matter how we are and how he fights evil to get us back to him. The skit was creatively enacted. After the skit, we had a tea break.

The tea break concluded with the beginning of the session by Fr. Cleophas Braganza, sdb, who spoke on the topic of faith in context with the youth. He showed us various slide shows depicting pictures of the World Youth Day held at Rio, Brazil in July 2013. The session was an interactive one as he told us to form groups to discuss the questionnaire that was distributed to every person in the congregation. He concluded the session by leading us into dancing for the song “Shout to the North”.
After the session, there was the Taize prayer of worship. Three volunteers from the Don Bosco Youth Services ( DBYS ) came to our parish to conduct the Taize Prayer. The prayer session was conducted very meaningfully. The whole congregation participated by coming in front with lighted candles and kneeling before the cross,  beautifully surrounded by silk drapes.
After another beautiful praise and worship session by the Vigil Lights & Praise, the congregation got ready for mass. The mass was celebrated by Fr. Lester and concelebrated by Fr. Lawrence D’Souza, sdb, and Fr. Cleophas Braganza, sdb. The mass was animated beautifully with the Vigil Lights & Praise group singing for the mass.
The mass ended with a vote of thanks proposed by one of our youth. All in all, it was an amazing and a beautiful experience in prayer just one week before the start of the season of Advent.

THREE POPES AT :

THE RESURRECTION CHURCH, VIRAR

Gratitude, was the sole-cause. The Church in Virar, felt the need, for all that Pope Benedict XVI did and was, as Vicar of Christ. His fatherliness, his understanding, his nobility in being so humble, than when, incapable of executing his responsibility as the Pope, he stepped down. This made the Church come together  in the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, on 13 March 2013, from 6.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. Great many people, inspite of work, joined in the thanksgiving Hour of Adoration. Our Gratitude to a Pope. This was the first Pope we remembered on 13th March.
Just around midnight, we were happy to hear of the election of a  new-Pope for the Church, at the conclave of the cardinals in Rome. The Pope elected  is Pope Francis.
The second Pope, remembered at the Resurrection Church ,Virar.
 On the 14th March, Resurrection Church Virar, was privileged to have the visit of the Relic of Blessed Pope John Paul 2nd. And the crowd of the faithful that kept coming, to venerate, was indeed a blessed occasion.  The Third Pope remembered!
Long live the Popes.                                                                                                                                                                       Long live the Church.                                                                                                                                                               Long live the Catholic-Faith.

By An Admirer of the Church

MIRACLES AT RESURRECTION CHURCH  BLESSING / CONFIRMATION                                                                                                                       

On the 27^th of January, 2013, fifty- one candidates; belonging to the Resurrection Church, Virar (East)              and the Mary, Help of Christians Church (Naigaon – East) received the Sacrament of Confirmation, administered by the Bishop of Vasai Diocese, His Grace Archbishop Felix Machado, in a solemn Eucharistic ceremony, concelebrated by Rev. Fr. Michael Fernandes, sdb, the Salesian Provincial of the Mumbai Province; and Rev. Fr. Orville Coutinho, sdb, the Parish Priest of the Mary, Help of Christians Church, Naigaon (East); Rev. Fr. Lawrence D’Souza, sdb, the Parish Priest of the Resurrection Church Virar (East) and Rev. Fr. Osborn Furtado, sdb, the Assistant Parish Priest of the Resurrection Church, Virar (East).  

After a warm welcome by the First Holy Communicants, the Parish Pastoral Council Members, the Eucharistic Ministers, the Catechism Teachers and the Salesian CoOperators, His Grace Archbishop Felix Machado and Rev. Fr. Michael Fernandes, sdb, proceeded to bless the newly – installed life – size statues of Mary, Help of Christians and St. John Bosco respectively.                                                                                                     The Church, most beautifully adorned with fresh  flowers, was packed to capacity and outdoor seating arrangements with a huge screen were provided for parishioners, who followed the service outside the Church.  In his homily, His Grace Archbishop Felix Machado dwelt on the analogy of the human body used by  St. Paul in his Letter to the Corinthians, ( 1. Cor. 12:12 – 30 )to drive home the message that each of us, plays, a vital role in the Church – no one should consider themselves insignificant as each of us contributes to keep up the vitality and the vibrancy of the Church, Christ being the Supreme head. The newly confirmed candidates were encouraged to always be actively united with the Church.         Fr. Lawrence D’Souza,sdb, expressed his gratitude to His Grace, Archbishop Felix Machado,  & the Salesian Provincial, Rev. Fr. Michael Fernandes, sdb, and the Catechists of the two Parishes. The Vice – President of the Resurrection Church Parish Pastoral Council Mr. David Castellino officially thanked our esteemed celebrants for the occasion.                                                                                                                                            After the Eucharist, a variety of home – made snacks and beverages were sold by our parishioners on the church grounds to satiate their hunger.                                                                                                                                                  We pray that with the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the newly – confirmed candidates will experience in a special way the richness and the fullness of a grace – filled Christian life.