In Bengali, the word 'Arunoday' means sunrise. Arunoday, dedicated to the Rising Sun, Jesus, is the pre-novitiate of the Calcutta Province of the Society of Jesus. The house is situated at Malancha, on Taki Road, near Barasat, about 30 kms from Kolkata.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Independence Day Celebration

August 15, 2007.
Today our country marks 60 years of independence. A great day to rejoice and celebrate. It was also the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We had a solemn mass at the Auxilium chapel for all the communities around.
After the mass, we had a march-past around the basket ball court in our campus. The tricolour was hoisted by Varun, the youngest of the pre-novices. Later in the morning there was a basket ball match between two groups of the pre-novices. It was a lively show.
In the evening we were invited for a get-together to the RNDM formation house. It was a fun filled evening with games and riddles, singing and dancing and lot of laughing. They had also prepared a very sumptuous high tea. The beautiful evening came to a close with a meaningful prayer service organised in their well decorated chapel.











Monday, August 6, 2007

Arrupe Day

July 31 was the feast of St Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits. We celebrated the day as Arrupe Day, remembering Fr Pedro Arrupe, SJ, former Superior General of the Society of Jesus, whose birth centenary is celebrated this year. We had a solemn Eucharist in the morning celebrated by Fr Sajeev. Sisters from some of our neighbouring communities joined us for the Eucharist. Sweets were distributed after the mass and some of the sisters joined us for breakfast.
The high point of the day was a prayer get-together at 11 a.m., during which Fr Carvalho shared with the guests, numbering about 35, some reflections on the life and times of Arrupe. The pre-novices put up an impressive short play on Arrupe’s vocation, written by Sch Sujith and directed by Sch Roshan. The performance exceeded our expectations, considering that the pre-novices are here for less than a couple of months struggling with their English. The get-together was followed by a sumptuous lunch.
There was a basket ball match in the evening, which everyone enjoyed. It was a good conclusion for a memorable day.