Fr Cyril Edamana SDB organsied a gathering of young adults at Savio House recently. One of the students who attended tells us all about it.

As we drove through the narrow roads and admired the rise and dip of the green hills surrounding Savio house, already an air of expectancy and excitement had descended upon us in lieu of the few days we were to spend in Bollington. Fr Cyril Edamana SDB had kept tight-lipped about the events of our gathering but it was certainly worth the wait.

We were 30 young people, mainly from different universities and colleges from all over the country. After grabbing a quick breakfast, our day began with spending a soul-awakening hour or two with our Lord through the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The day was split into moments of intense focus on relationship with Our Creator to light hearted entertainment in the games room. A combination of table tennis, air hockey and snooker gave the guys in our group plenty of downtime for socialising and relaxation. Heavy and humiliating defeats to Fr Cyril at table tennis provided the "humbling experience" he had promised us before coming over.

The day was appropriately themed as "reflective" as we partook in the "drawing of the well" activity which was excellently led by Chris (team leader), Fr Roman, Br Janusz and Fr Cyril. All four of them shared their personal experiences and memories, which moved the group into a time of deep inner deflection and soul searching.

We were greatly blessed with the presence of Fr Gerry Briody SDB during the gathering. He shared his visons, experiences and beliefs focusing especially on Don Bosco and the relationship between youth and church. After braving the cold, wind and mud we made our way to the top of a hill, to greet "White Nancy". Spending some time meditating on the Word of God, while high up away from the city, meant we could concentrate on hearing the promptings of the Holy Spirit. The three days we spent at Savio at the Christmas season were really enriching and uplifting. It gave us the right orientation to welcome the new year with more optimism and enthusiasm. Savio House gave us a holy, helpful and hope-filled message derived from Don Bosco.

Jake Roy (20)
Cardiff University