(ANS – Gabutu, Port Moresby) – On 18 February, the entire community of the Don Bosco Technical School in Gabutu, Port Moresby gathered in Korungku Hall to celebrate the beginning of the holy season of Lent. The Eucharistic celebration was presided over by Fr Joseph Sewiss, Secretary of the Apostolic Nuncio, and concelebrated by Fr Ambrose Pereira, Rector of the school, in the presence of numerous Salesians. In his homily, Fr Sewiss emphasised the three pillars of Lent – prayer, fasting and almsgiving – and added a fourth dimension: doing all this in secret. He pointed out that God calls us to pray, fast and give in silence, without seeking recognition or praise. The homily was followed by the imposition of ashes, a gesture rich in meaning. Ashes remind us of humility, our dependence on God, but they also carry a message of hope. This solemn celebration, therefore, invited the school community to welcome Lent not only as a time of sacrifice, but as a time of renewal and grace.
