“Love is expressed more in deeds than words”, said St. Ignatius of Loyola.
St Ignatius used his talents to serve God and his people using teachings on love, compassion, service and importance of helping the needy. With these principles and others he founded the Society of Jesus (SJ).
Loyola High School, a Jesuit school at Margao, is run on St Ignatius’ ideology. Recently, the nine members ‘Liturgy Committee’ under the guidance of Fr Simon D’Mello SJ, held an outreach programme visiting old age homes and slums around Margao distributing essential commodities. The parents supported this initiative wholeheartedly.
The visits to old aged homes:
Loaded with their collected items, students set out to achieve their task. To the onset, they were moved to witness the stark contrast between their own environments as compared to the less fortunate. While receiving blessings from the elderly students remembered their aged grandparents specially those who had left early.
They spent time, distributed goodies, shared conversations, listened to the aged, assisted with daily work, moved wheelchair bound elderly, and keenly conversed with nuns and those who took care and familiarised with administering medical dosages, meals, baths and care of the sick. The students questioned why anyone would the aged in old age homes.
The next stop was a Nun run orphanage housing children, sickly and destitute with some having diverse illnesses and require immediate attention, tender love and care.
In slum areas students were taken aback to observe children running to welcome them and accept the goodies happily. They presented a cultural entertainment program for the aged and sick. The elderly joined in games, riddles, sing song, some even danced.
Feedback of the visits:
Back to school, students had an interactive session and shared how the visit touched them. Every student had different experiences and vouched to take care of the elderly and never abandon them. They appreciated those who at a huge personal cost create a supportive environment and have tremendous patience in their work for others, especially nuns.
On a day well spent students took home unique experiences moved by the plight of the vulnerable, applauding those working in the field and vowing to undertake these visits more often in the next academic year.
The places our students visited are:
1. Nazareth Home, Navelim-Salcete,
2. Sisters Convent at Raia,
3. St. Anthony’s Orphanage, Verna,
4. St. Joseph’s Home, Fatorpa,
5. Divine Providence Home for Aged, Benaulim, 6. A slum Opp Margao Railway Station.
