Get Together

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,