Staff picnic

NASHIK CALLING!

-Ms. Sunita D’Souza

St. Joseph’s High School,

Wadala

6^th Jan 2014

On 6th evening, at 3.15 p.m., a group of 36 enthusiastic, fun-loving and excited staff members set out for Nashik, the land where the Shrine of Infant Jesus stands tall, and the Kumbh Mela beckons. The staff picnic commenced with a thrilling journey peppered with sing-song sessions in the bus en route to Nashik that kept everyone happy and cheerful. Upon reaching 'Divyadaan' and the Don Bosco parish, the Salesians showered us with their amazing hospitality making us feel welcome and comfortable. After dinner, the action-packed singsong session set the tone for an eventful outing

Up early the next morning, and braving the cold weather, the staff members proceeded to the Shrine of Infant Jesus to seek His blessings as members of one family. After breakfast, we were off to yet another holy place – this time a place of great religious and historical significance to the Hindus, Panchvati. It is a sacred place where many temples are situated, and many devotees throng to bathe in the sacred waters for personal sanctification.

The Sula vineyard and winery was our next destination. The vision of one man, enterprising Stanford-trained engineer, Rajeev Samant, the vineyard also houses a resort to live amid the winery that is open to visitors, who can enjoy a tour, tastings, courses, and fun events. We did get a wonderful tour of the winery under a bright, knowledgeable guide; and a peep into the taste room!  We got a chance to buy some wine from our own 'homegrown grapes'.  

After a sumptuous lunch, the staff thanked all the Salesians for making their stay cozy and awesome. We then assembled for a special thanksgiving mass in the majestic Divyadaan chapel and offered gratitude to God for all the blessings received during the picnic. It was soon time to depart and everyone was indeed grateful to experience such a wonderful and spiritually enlightening picnic. The journey back to school was refreshing as there were some exciting quizzes that witnessed an eager participation from the two teams in the bus - the Dazzling Josephites and the Sparkling Josepites!  Once home at Wadala, our profuse thanks and appreciation were expressed to Fr. Bernard Fernandes (Principal) and Ms. Nicole Britto (Vice-Principal) who made sure that every moment spent was truly magical!  "Thank you for the gharam chai and for giving us a new high! Thank you for listening to our needs, we appreciate your kindness, in words and deeds!"