Alumni Meet to Honour 100 Years of Salesian Legacy

Darjeeling, October 12, 2024: A significant number of alumni are participating in the Don Bosco Mission Seminar at Salesian College Sonada, running from October 9 to 12, to commemorate the centenary of the Kolkata province, the first Salesian province established in India in 1926. The Salesians of Don Bosco first arrived in Shillong, Northeast India in 1922 and the Kolkata province has since grown to encompass four provinces in the region.

The seminar, titled “Rejuvenating the Mission - 100 Years of Salesians in Kolkata,” commenced with a solemn Eucharistic celebration presided over by Vicar General of the Darjeeling Diocese, Fr. Victor George Fernandes, in the college chapel. 

The inaugural session featured prominent attendees including the Kolkata Salesian provincial, the Principal of Salesian College and Rectors from both the Siliguri and Sonada campuses alongside a bishop and an archbishop, both of whom are alumni of Salesian College Sonada, founded in 1938.

In the opening address, Kolkata provincial, Fr. Dr. Joseph Pauria, offered a brief history of the Kolkata province, highlighting the contributions of its illustrious pioneers.

The event has attracted around 120 participants, including over 60 Salesian brother students, resource persons and alumni from across the country, with a majority being graduates of Sonada. 

Notably, Bishop George Palliparmbil of Miao, an alumnus from the batch of 1976 delivered the keynote address, while Archbishop emeritus Thomas Menamparampil of Guwahati, former Dean of Studies at Salesian College, presented the presidential address.

The inaugural ceremony concluded with the centenary anthem by the college choir, composed by alumnus Fr. Jacob Iruppakattu based in Kolkata.

By Fr. C.M. Paul