SALIGAO SEMINARIANS CELEBRATE GRANDPARENTS DAY AT OLD AGE HOME
“Do not despise your mother when she is old” Proverb 23,22.
When most of our catechism students celebrate their grandparents day at their respective parishes along with their grandparents, the Seminarians from the Saligao-Pilerne Seminary celebrated it in a unique way at Old Age Home, Calangute. On 30 th evening under the guidance of Seminary Priests,
the Seminarians with great joy and enthusiasm went to celebrate the grandparents day at Mother Mary Haven, an old age run by the Religious Sisters of the Congregation of the Handmaids of Christ (HC). The main aim and objective of the visit was to celebrate the World Day for Grandparents and Elderly which was observed by the Catholic Church on 24 th July, 2022. The celebration began with a beautiful song by seminarians named “Amchea mogachi” which made everyone emotional with tears of joy in their eyes. It was followed by a game which gave the precious ones opportunity to smile and interact with the seminarians. In a short while, a skit named ‘Zantteachem Ghor, Ekvottachem Dor’ was performed by the seminarians which conveyed the plight of living in an old age home, where you are forced to adjust and reside with the unknown people which is often quite challenging. However, with Divine Providence everyone can live in unity as one family. Later after cutting the cake, seminarians wished all the inmates with personal cards and token of love. After distribution of snacks seminarians took the blessings of the inmates through which one could see
their real affection, joy and love for the Seminarians. Creating beautiful memories in our hearts with the precious grandparents and elderly the seminarians returned back to the Seminary. When asked about their experience some seminarians expressed “This visit strengthened my vocation as one lady said to me ‘you will be a good priest, I will pray for you”, “As I was interacting I could feel their pain and desire to be with their children”, “When I saw one bedridden lady, it made me realize about our future and to live each day happily thanking God”.