The four Strenna dissemination programmes were conducted at Sacred Heart College, Tirupattur (10 January 2026); Don Bosco Orphanage, Vellore (12 January 2026); Holy Spirit Church, Tagore Nagar, Puducherry (17 January 2026); and Don Bosco, Egmore, Chennai (19 January 2026). Together, they gathered around 700 participants from different parts of the Province. Each programme followed a common pedagogical rhythm of prayer, reflection, group discussion, and reporting, allowing participants to progressively internalise the Strenna both personally and communally.
Rooted in the Marian inspiration of the Strenna, the reflections highlighted attentive listening to the Lord, freedom in discernment, and concrete service as essential attitudes of Salesian life and mission, particularly in responding to the realities of todayโs youth, families, and communities.
The journey unfolded through four interconnected movementsโLook, Listen, Choose, and Actโwith each stage animated by members of different branches of the Salesian Family. This shared approach brought out the richness of vocations and perspectives within the Salesian Family, offering a comprehensive reading of reality, discernment through listening, responsibility in choice, and generosity in service.
A significant element of all four programmes was the reflection on the 150th anniversary of the Salesian Cooperators, recalling Don Boscoโs vision of an active and co-responsible laity at the heart of the Salesian mission.
The Strenna dissemination programmes concluded with group sharing guided by key questions, leading to renewed personal and community commitments. Together, these four gatherings marked a strong and coordinated beginning of the Strenna journey in the Province, orienting the Salesian Family of Chennai toward a year lived in attentive listening, free discernment, and joyful service.
The โLookโ dimension was animated by SDB confreres: Fr Bosco Augustine (Tirupattur), Fr Augustine Arulraj (Vellore), Fr Deva Anbu (Puducherry), and Fr Xavier Packiam (Chennai). They invited participants to look at reality with the eyes of faith, recognising the challenges faced by todayโs youth as well as the signs of hope present in families and communities.
The โListenโ phase featured reflections by Sr Elisa Samala Rayappan (FMA), Sr Sagaya Mary Tharcius (FMA), Mr Leo (Salesian Cooperator), and Sr Isabella (FMA), who stressed the importance of listening to the Word of God, to young people, and to one another as the foundation of discernment and authentic service.
The โChooseโ aspect was presented by Mr Ravi, Mr Arockia Arasu, Mr John Peter, and Sr Jancy (SMA), highlighting that faith becomes real through concrete choices inspired by Gospel values in daily life.
The journey culminated in the โActโ phase, animated by Mr Christopher (Past Pupil), Ms Sudha (VDB), Sr Sharmila (SMA), and Sr Theresa (VDB), whose testimonies showed that service flows naturally from inner freedom and attentive listening to the Lord.
A significant highlight of the programmes was the reflection on 150 years of the Salesian Cooperators, presented by Fr John Alexander at all four venues, recalling Don Boscoโs prophetic vision of lay participation in the Salesian mission.
The programmes concluded with group discussions and reporting based on five guiding questions related to the Strenna. The Provincial, Fr L. Don Bosco, in all four regions, exhorted participants to renew their commitment to live as believers who listen, discern, and serve with freedom and joy.
