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Glimpses of Events Organised by the Crusaders – November 2022

GLIMPSES OF EVENTS ORGANISED BY THE CRUSADERS

MONTH OF NOVEMBER 2022

RECEPTION TO MARK THE CLOSING OF THE JUBILEE YEAR OF THE ACJM

The closing of the Jubilee Year of the ACJM was marked by a grand reception on 11th November 2022 at Blueberry Hill, an open-air banquet hall located on a plateau in Verna-Goa. The life-size images of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary along with other well-lit decorations at the entrance were indeed a welcoming sight.

The ambiance inside the open-air hall was just right for a Christian fellowship gathering with tables spaced out and a number of LED walls around the place displaying everything that was happening on the dancefloor.

Hundreds of Crusaders from all over Goa thronged to the venue. A number of special invitees, benefactors, and well-wishers also joined in the celebration which began at 7:30 pm with live music played by a popular Goan band named 'Big Country Band'.

The event kickstarted with the processional march to the tune of 'O when the saints go marching in'. It was a wonderful sight to see a seemingly unending trail of married couples of all age groups, youth, and children marching in procession.

With almost all of the Crusaders on the dancefloor, the young married couples of the Christ Every Home Crusader put up a cha cha cha dance performance to the tune of the global hit song 'Jerusalema'. The dance performance then flowed into a musical act depicting how in marriage, the relationship between the husband and wife gets strained and almost reaches a breaking point when Jesus is left out; and finally, it is God who in His mercy, works towards restoring the marriage. The musical act ended with a slow dance performance to the tune of 'I'll be faithful' sung by the band.  The rest of the crowd was seen joining in the dancing after that.

The next performance was by members of the Crusaders Music Ministry. The lyrics of some of the popular traditional Goan mandos (songs sung in Konkani language) were given a spiritual twist and were based on various scenes from the Bible.  While everyone enjoyed the familiar Goan tunes and the melodious singing, there was no doubt that the gospel message was conveyed effectively through these lyrics that fitted so well in place of the original lines of the Mandos.

After a few rounds of dance numbers played by the band, the members of the Widows Ministry put up a lovely song performance in Konkani to the tune of a classic gospel song titled 'Footsteps Walking with Me'. Again, the lyrics of the song were put together to describe the emptiness a widow feels in life until she encounters Christ, her true Bridegroom.

Next what followed was the cake-cutting. The Founder Coordinator General Br. Edmund Antao, the current Coordinator General Br. Marlon D'Cruz and the leadership of Vasco, Panjim, and Margao zones were called at the centre of the dancefloor. A number of priests and nuns present for the event also joined in around the cake-cutting table and the cake was cut to the count of 25. The night sky was lit by a colorful display of fireworks.

Soon after the cake cutting, Br. Edmund Antao addressed the gathering. He explained wonderfully with the help of placards how with all our career, beauty, education, etc, we are zeros in the eyes of God. Value is added to our lives only when we place Jesus first. And as more and more people, who give Jesus the first place in their lives, gather together, the value keeps on increasing. And that has been the story of the Association.

The grace before meals was said by Fr. Duming Gonsalves, executive secretary to the CCBI Commission for Catechetics and also the administrator of Shanti Sadan, the CCBI Secretariat located in Benaulim.

While the music continued with a number of youth dancing on the dancefloor, the rest of the crowd helped themselves from the generous dinner buffet spread.

The event was indeed a memorable one, especially for all the Crusaders, who made good use of this God-given opportunity to gather together for Christian fellowship after a long spell of the pandemic.

Click here to view the video clips of the event.

Retreat at a School in Margao

Separate retreats were conducted by the Crusaders School Retreat Team at a school in Margao on 16th and 23rd of November 2022 for the students of Class V and VI respectively. The retreat modules are specially designed to provide a firm foundation of the Word of God that will help the schoolchildren to face the many challenges that they are faced with in both their personal as well as school life.