Sarasvita is the FCJ Centre of Spirituality and Human Development in Yogyakarta. The name Sarasvita is taken from Sanskrit and means Living water. From Sarasvita’s beginnings we have hoped that it will be a spiritual oasis for all those who are thirsting for the love of God.
We are happy to welcome a variety of groups to Sarasvita, people of all faiths, of all types and ages. It was a particular joy to welcome several groups of children in April and May 2019.
On 29 April thirty students from Canisius Elementary School, Sengkan, had an afternoon of fun in Sarasvita. The students are members of the school’s Green Club, which is an extracurricular activity. They learnt to recycle plastic into things they could use such as pencil cases, book covers, coin purses, etc. The training was given by Maria, who is one of the FCJ Companions in Mission. She taught the students how to make patterns out of cardboard and how to cut out shapes from the plastic. Maria then did the finishing touches by sewing and turning the plastics into the finished products. The students were very enthusiastic and enjoyed this activity. Both teachers and parents agreed that this activity was very meaningful for the children.
Some two weeks later, on May 11th, a second group of students from Sengkan Primary spent a whole day in Sarasvita. Ninety seven students and a large number of accompanying staff came for a seminar on Sex Education. Agnes Dini FCJ welcomed everyone to this special day. Input was given by psychologists from Sanata Dharma University who are also parents in the school. The day was a good combination of ‘ice-breakers’, games, input, power points and short videos. There was, of course, a good supply of snacks, food and drinks! The day was a wonderful one.
On Sunday 19th May, Sarasvita hosted two separate Recollection Days for Gonzaga Parish, Yogyakarta. One day was for children who were preparing for their First Communion and the other was for their parents. Twenty children and most of their parents accepted the invitation to take part in the Recollection Days. The children were accompanied by Mei FCJ, assisted by one of her friends. They were helped by young people from the Parish. The Recollection Day for parents was led by Irene FCJ and Meita FCJ. It was good to see how enthusiastic and committed both parents and children were about taking part in their respective days.
