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The Media Group that attended the course
As part of the preparation for the coming of Don Bosco Relic a media course was carried out in Provincail House. In all there were 18 particpants coming from our different houses. The Seminar was conducted by Luca and Br Antonio who came specially for the occasion. Five novices representing the four countires of AFW together with Ireland, attended the course as part of their training.

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GATHERING OF NOVICES AT THE SIMON SRUIGI COMMUNITY

On Friday the 7^th of October 2011 the Simon Srugi community invited all the current novices from all the male and female religious orders in the local Sunyani area to join the novices from for an afternoon of prayer, recreation and faith-sharing as a way to build up solidarity with one another. In attendance was the Order of Franciscan Minors (OFM) Religious of the Virgin Mary (RVM), the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus (HHCJ), the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) and the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit (SSHS)

The various different groups arrived by about 2pm and we all gathered under the shade of the tree facing the entrance to the novitiate house. The afternoon program began with the opening prayers and a few words of welcome given by Fr Sam SDB. This was followed by an icebreaker activity; a lighted hearted game with the intention of helping everybody to become better acquainted. It was held out on the front lawn. Each person had to select an envelope from the table in the centre of the lawn which contained a nametag of a person in the group whom they had to locate and present with their nametag. Meanwhile they also had to wait to meet the person who had chosen their nametag from the bundle. After a few minutes of frantic enquiry and circulating the group everybody was untied with their partner and received their nametag. It was a lively little game and created a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere for the afternoon putting everybody at their ease before we proceeded to the next activity.

Tempus Fugit

NIGERIAN DAY OF INDEPENDENCE

Almost all the sovereign states in the world remember especially the day of their independence and celebrated it as a nation or as an individual or a group. Nigeria is one of these countries who celebrates her birthday anniversary annually and this year was no exception.

On the first of October the entire community of Simon Srugi joined with Don Bosco community Odumase to celebrate together the birthday anniversary of Nigeria. As a sign to show that we are one the national anthem of Nigeria was sang immediately after the Eucharistic celebration. Today we also kept the memorial of Mary Queen of Nigeria.

The remaining part of the celebration took  place after a brief power point of the work the Salesians do in Nigeria as a was to see how some parts of the county looks like. After this the national anthem was sang. Then we left for supper. There was an abundance of food and some good Nigerian songs to mark the special occasion. The Srugi community was also joined by the other community and the volunteers.

Nigerians as we know are lively and with a good number of them among the 15 novices this adds liveliness to the celebration with their good songs and dances. But as it is said in Latin: Tempus Fugit (time flies).

 The whole event came to an end. Finally everybody was happy for such a splendid celebration. And as a community we were called and reminded to always pray for the country of Nigeria and her citizens.
Jóshua

Br John Patrucco, was one of the members of the first group of Salesians who arrived in Nigeria to start the Salesian presence in that vast country. This year he has joined the novitiate community with whom he feels very much at home. Forza Br Giovanni, 

Here I am Lord

Entrustment, Renewal of Vows and First Profession

On the 7th September, 2011 in the chapel of the Odumase community in a simple but meaningful ceremony, 15 new novices for 2011-2012 were entrustment one by one to their new novice master Fr. Silvio Roggia SDB. The provincial Fr. Jorge SDB who presided over the ceremony addressed the novices and spoke to them about the nature of the Salesian vocation. He remarked that the young are God’s gift to the Salesian family: they are not merely beneficiaries of our activity; they are our vocation, they are the first and principle targets of our mission. He emphasized that the year of novitiate- unlike any of the other years in formation- is a very beautiful year where each novice has the opportunity to deepen his motivation and choice for this way of life and to become expert in the life of Don Bosco.

Next, Fr Jorge invited each novice to approach their new novice master and by placing his hands in those of the novice master declare his intention to place himself completely under his guidance in a spirit of openness and humility. Each of the new novices was then presented with a copy of the African Bible.

In addition, four post-novices namely: Acquaye Anthony, Dike Kenneth, Enu Bernard, John Paul Aneke and Okon Cornelius also renewed their religious vows for a further year during the ceremony.

The newly Professed Salesians with the Provincial Fr George Crisafulli (centre), the novice Maste Fr Silvio Roggia (left) and their assistant Fr Sam Obu (lower middle) together with other confreres in fornt of the Church of Mary Help of Christians.

The following day in the parish church of Mary, Help of Christians and on the Nativity of Mary, Our Mother the community rejoiced and welcomed 16 newly professed Salesians to the congregation. During the Eucharistic celebration Fr. Jorge addressed the newly professed and told them “today you will say your first yes to God”. Mary was also faithful to her “yes” till the end.  He remarked that faithfulness to God requires consistency to live in accordance with what one believes; to be faithful to the constitutions and charism of the congregation; and to adapt one’s own life to accept misunderstandings and sufferings and persecutions that are part and parcel of our daily life. This, he highlighted is consistency. Similarly, he added that faithfulness also requires constancy. It is easy to be consistent for a day or two. It is difficult and important to be consistent for one’s whole life.

Likewise, he pointed out that it is easy to be consistent in an hour of enthusiasm; it is difficult however to be in the hour of tribulation. And only consistency that lasts throughout the whole of life can be called faithfulness.

He appealed to the newly professed to look to Mary’s fiat at the annunciation which finds its fullness in the silent fiat that she repeated at the foot of the cross. Immediately after the celebration of the Eucharist there was a reception in the parish hall for the newly professed Salesians.

Many of the young people from various oratories provided entertainment, dances and made presentations to the newly professed. Later on that evening an evening, a celebration at the Simon Srugi community was held to mark the occasion whereby parents and friends were in attendance to welcome the newly professed to the congregation. What a beautiful end to end such a special occasion! We wish the newly professed confreres every joy and happiness on the road ahead and assure them of our constant prayers for their intentions.

At the end of the Profession Mass the new set of Novices where presented to the Parishoners. They are 16 in all coming from Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone and also one from Ireland.