8 April 2017 saw the gathering of young people for the ‘Youth Meet’ on the occasion of the visit of Mother Yvonne Reungoat, FMA Superior General at Auxilium Convent Nongthymmai - Shillong. Young people came from different places of our ministries which numbered around two thousand. The arrival of Mother to the venue brought joy and enthusiasm to everyone present. The NCC cadets and Guides of Sacred Heart Girls’ Higher Secondary School, Mawlai gave her a piloting welcome.

Present on the occasion were Fr. Maria Arokiam Kanaga SDB, Regional Superior for South Asia, Fr. George Maliekal SDB, Provincial of Shillong Province, Sr. Mary Concepta Dkhar, Provincial of the MSMHC, Shillong Province and other guests.

The climax of the day was the celebration of the Holy Eucharist in which Fr. Maria Arokiam Kanaga, SDB was the main celebrant. The Holy Mass began with an entrance procession in which the Word of God was held high and brought to the altar by Fr. James Poonthuruthil SDB, followed by Sr. Isabella Suja Provincial bearing the Institute’s flag and Mother General brought forward the icon of the theme of the visit. Amidst the dancers the priests proceeded to the altar and the assembly joined in one voice singing the entrance hymn to the rhythm of the traditional musical instruments.

At the outset Fr. Maria Arokiam exclaimed that only the Salesian Sisters could command God for a fine weather. In his homily he spoke on the two beautiful words ‘Hope and Joy’. We hope because we have a loving Father, he said, and invited young people to be missionaries of hope like Mary. He showed the example of Mary how she was called at her tender age to be the Mother of His Son. Thus he invited the young people to stay close to God as did Mary because they are the hope of the society.

The Cultural Programme was an icing to the cake and a feast to the eyes. The tribes belonging to the ministry of the Province were well presented through their dances. Mother in her message to the young people repeated many times the importance of being Jesus to others, to be his countenance, his language, his hands and feet. At one moment she asked the assembly to keep silence for a minute to listen to Jesus and after a while asked them to say one word to Him in their heart. Mother also encouraged the young people to be missionaries of hope and joy always by being cheerful.

The young people went home carrying in their hearts the message of Hope and Joy having been enriched the whole day on these two keywords. Even before the Holy Eucharist, Sr. Rosina Susngi, animator of St. Mary Mazzarello Jowai animated them on the theme of the Meet, “With Mary, Missionaries of Hope and Joy”.