THE GROTTO IS BEING BUILT

Many of our parishioners have contibuted money and ideas for a Marian grotto. We all long for this symbol of our Marian devotion to become a reality. It was scheduled to come up some years ago...

Many hurdles arose and thankfully most have been surmounted....the construction is on and here are a few pictures of the current state of the project. May Our Blessed Mother use this monument to draw each of us to her Son Jesus!

PARISHIONERS AT CHRISTMAS

What have our parishioners been doing in the run up to Christmas? Here is Alice Murdeshwar in the Nashik Times...Others too have perhaps been hitting the headlines...Write in and we will be happy to publish the links...


Christmas Greetings - All peace, love and joy be yours friends!!!

OUR CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION

Here are some pictures of our hall after it was decorated for the Christmas celebrations...Thanks to Mr. Claude Noronha and his team, it looks really wonderful and provides a prayerful ambient for worship and praise to the Newly Born Babe of Bethlehem.














On the wall at the entrance there is this beautiful globe with a picture of the new-born babe in it...Below is a little poem: "Let us be silent this Christmas..."



















This is Fr. Ashley Miranda celebrating the Christmas morning eucharist at 8 am in the parish.

PARISH PROGRAMS AT CHRISTMAS 2008 AND NEW YEAR 2009

Dear Parishioners,

Here are the highlights of our Christmas programs in the parish and in the zones. May we prepare our hearts and our homes to receive Jesus who comes with gifts of peace, joy and love.

Have a Blessed Christmas and a Christ-filled New Year 2009.

The Parish Team


15th December ( 6 - 7 pm ) Practices for Carol singing

16th and 18th December – Carol singing in Zone A ( 6 - 9:30 pm )
19th and 20th December – Carol singing in Zone B ( 6 - 9:30 pm )
20th and 22nd December – Carol singing in Zone C ( 6 - 9:30 pm )

23rd December, Tuesday – 6 pm: Advent Penitential Service and confessions
Crib – Zone A
Christmas Star – Youth

24th December, Wednesday
10 am – Cleaning the hall and arranging chairs
No evening mass at 7 pm

Carol singing – 10:30 pm
Eucharistic celebration – 11 pm (Mass animation, flowers, decoration – Zone B)

25th December, Thursday
8 am – Morning mass
No evening mass

31st December, Wednesday
No evening mass at 7 pm

Thanksgiving service – 10 pm (SHTC)
Eucharistic celebration – 11 pm (Mass animation, flowers, decoration – Zone C)
Bringing in the New Year - Youth

1st January, Tuesday
8 am – Morning mass
No evening mass

4th January, Sunday
4 pm – Christmas get-together for the Sunday school children

Other general announcements:
- Grain and food for the poor can be brought to the Christmas midnight mass
- Priests will be available for confessions on other days before the evening mass
- This year as a mark of our solidarity with our suffering brothers and sisters in Orissa we will try to tone down our celebrations and send the proceeds to help them have a better New Year 2009.

CAROL SINGING

Well here are a couple of pictures of the group that went carol singing in the different zones of our parish. They went out on five nights - 16, 18, 19, 20 and 22 December. It was a humble attempt on the part of these young people to bring the message of Christmas to every house in the parish. It meant trudging along wet roads (we had strong drizzles on 20 December); getting in and out of a jeep or car; climbing up many flights of steps; enjoying the tasty sweets and other goodies offered; and, keeping every one in good cheer.

I hope that what they tried to do - bring Christmas joy and peace - will have a ripple effect. May we have ever-widening concentric circles of love, joy and peace in our homes, neighbourhoods and city. Christmas Peace and Joy be with you all!!!

DON BOSCO CHURCH, NASHIK - PARISH NOTICES - SUNDAY, 21 DECEMBER 2008

• Today is the Fourth Sunday of Advent. The Season of Advent is a time to prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of the Lord. Christmas is almost upon us. On the 26 December we keep the Feast of St. Stephen. Next Sunday 28 December is the Feast of the Holy Family.
• Carol singing in our parish will conclude on December 22 Monday (in Zone C). Other details of the Christmas programs are on the notice-board.
• On Tuesday 23 December we will have a special Advent Penitential Service with the priests available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. There is no better way to prepare for Christmas than to set right our relationships with God and others through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The reconciliation service will begin at 6 pm and end with the Eucharist celebrated at 7:30 pm.
• There will be no evening mass on Wednesday (24th December). The solemn Christmas mass will be celebrated at 11 pm. At 10:30 pm there will be the singing of carols to prepare for the Eucharistic celebration. Other details regarding the mass schedules till New Year’s Day are available on the notice-board. Please collaborate with your zonal leaders to fulfill the responsibilities entrusted to your zone.
• During the masses of Christmas you are all welcome to make your contribution of food grain and other gifts for the poor and needy. This will be a tangible sign of our desire to share the Christmas spirit with those less fortunate.
• In the recent parish council meeting there was a suggestion that in solidarity with our Christian brothers and sisters who are facing many hardships in Orissa after the recent spate of persecution, we simplify our Christmas celebrations and send some contribution to help them have a happier New Year 2008. Those of you who wish to contribute to this venture are requested to put the money into a separate envelope and to hand it in either in the collection at the Christmas masses or to your area leaders or to the parish office. We are in touch with the “Bishop's Kandhamal Relief Fund” and will send the total amount to them by the first week of December. Mr. Henry Menezes will be coordinating the collection and sending of the funds.

JUBILEE NEWS

To all parishioners here are a couple of links to news bits that have come up on the jubilee celebrations for Fr. Diego Nunes - principal of Don Bosco School Nashik and assistant Parish Priest.

BIS reported the event with some pics.....

And then some things that came up on mattc's blog...first this came up and then there was a follow up of pictures on the felicitation and then the mass.

DON BOSCO CHURCH, NASHIK - PARISH NOTICES - SUNDAY, 14 DECEMBER 2008

• Today is the Third Sunday of Advent. The Season of Advent is a time to prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of the Lord.
• 17 December will mark exactly 25 years to the day Fr. Diego Nunes was ordained a priest. It is a wonderful opportunity to thank God and to congratulate Fr. Diego. As a parish we will solemnize the evening eucharist at 6:30 pm and then felicitate Fr. Diego. All of you are invited to this celebration of fidelity and dedication.
• 17 December is the birthday of Fr. Solomon Rapol – Rector and Novice-Master in STI. We thank him in a special way for his pastoral services in our parish. We wish Fr. Solomon God’s choicest blessings for a long and fulfilling life of service in the Lord’s vineyard.
• Carol singing in our parish will begin on December 16th and 18th (in Zone A), 19th and 20th (in Zone B); and 20th and 22nd (in Zone C). There will be a practice for those who wish to go carol singing on Monday December 15th at 6 pm. Other details of the Christmas programs are on the notice-board.
• In the recent parish council meeting there was a suggestion that in solidarity with our Christian brothers and sisters who are facing many hardships in Orissa after the recent spate of persecution, we simplify our Christmas celebrations and send some contribution to help them have a happier New Year 2008. The modality of making this collection will be announced next Sunday. For now let us plan to set aside some contribution as families for this purpose.
• Admissions are beginning for the pre-primary in Don Bosco School. Parents who are interested please see the notice-board for details.
• The Mission Sunday envelope collection from the parish amounted to Rs. 8,680/. As mentioned earlier it has been sent along with other contributions to the Salesian Mission of Suket in Rajasthan. A letter from Fr. Paul Antao – thanking us for our generosity has been posted on the notice-board.

DON BOSCO CHURCH, NASHIK - PARISH NOTICES - SUNDAY, 7 DECEMBER 2008

• Today is the Second Sunday of Advent. The Season of Advent is a time to prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of the Lord. The Church in India also invites us to celebrate Dalit Liberation Sunday as we pray for our Dalit brothers and sisters and work for a more just and equitable society in our nation.
• We are in the novena of the Immaculate Conception. The last 3 days before the feast are being solemnized in the parish at the evening mass. This Sunday 7 December we will have a Marian Academy after the evening mass. All of you are encouraged to attend the masses and the academy. The Feast Day mass will be at 7 pm on Monday 8 December. We greet in a special manner all the Franciscan Hospitallers of the Immaculate Conception sisters and novices; and, the Ursulines of Mary Immaculate sisters and novices in our parish on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. May our Blessed Mother continue to protect and guide them.
• All the youth of the parish are invited to a meeting on Sunday 7 December at 5:30 pm.
• Next Saturday 13 December at 5:30 pm there will be an important meeting of parents whose children are due to receive their First Holy Communion this year. Please make it a point to attend.
• Admissions are beginning for the pre-primary in Don Bosco School. Parents who are interested please see the notice-board for details.
• St. Patrick’s Parish Devlali is organizing a food festival on 5, 6 and 7 of December at their church premises all of you are encouraged to attend. Please see the banner for further details.

DON BOSCO CHURCH, NASHIK - PARISH NOTICES - SUNDAY, 30 NOVEMBER 2008

• Today is the First Sunday of Advent and the beginning of a new liturgical year. The Season of Advent is a time to prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of the Lord.
• Special thanks to all those who organized and participated in Christ the King procession last Sunday making it a prayerful and significant moment in which we manifested our faith in Jesus and his universal kingdom.
• There will be a Konkani mass on Wednesday 3 December - the Feast of St. Francis Xavier - at Holy Cross Church. For details please see the notice-board.
• December 5 is the First Friday of the month. There will be a mass at 7:30 am for the students of Don Bosco School. Parishioners who wish to join the mass are most welcome. In the evening at 6:30 pm we will have Eucharistic adoration and it will be followed by mass at 7 pm.
• The next parish council meeting will be held on Saturday 6 December at 5:30 pm. All parish council members are reminded to attend this important meeting to plan our parish Christmas programs.
• We are in the novena of the Immaculate Conception. The last 3 days before the feast (5,6,7 December) will be solemnized in the parish at the evening mass. Next Sunday 7th December we will have a Marian Academy after the evening mass. All of you are encouraged to attend the masses and the academy.
• The scripture classes on St. Paul will take a winter break. Regular scripture classes will resume in January 2009.
• Admissions are beginning for the pre-primary in Don Bosco High School. Parents who are interested please see the notice-board for details.
• All youth of the parish are invited for a meeting on 7 December at 5:30 pm.
• St. Patrick's Parish Devlali is organizing a food festival on 5, 6 and 7 December at their parish premises. All are invited to attend. Please see the banner for further details.