Pedro Arrupe Institute RAIA

20/01/2026

Orientation Programme for
Carmels HSSC (Batch 3) at Pedro Arrupe Institute, Raia ✨
On 9-1-26

🎓 🌱 💫 📚 ✨

20/01/2026

Report of The Recollection, ‘A Date with Noah’ by Fr. Savio Abreu SJ on 18th January 2026

The recollection began with Fr. Savio explaining why we need to spend our entire Sunday morning studying Noah. He illustrated the point that the story of Noah is perceived to be fit only for the amusement of children by showing a movie clip from ‘Evan Almighty’. He then enumerated several profound truths that emerge from this story to emphasized the importance of studying Noah. To make his audience understand the story of Noah, he gave an Introduction to Pentateuch, taking them on a journey from 10th to 5th c BCE, when the Pentateuch was written by different authors. From the forest he then moved to the tree by analyzing the Primeval History contained in Genesis 1-11. He explained the importance of myths to understand transcendent realities and showed the similarities & difference between the Epic of Gilgamesh & the story of Noah & the Flood. He then gave a brief commentary on Gen 6:1- 9:29, where we find the Yahwist & Priestly traditions are interwoven. He drew out the conclusion that the primeval history in Genesis is a history of the sinfulness of humanity balancedby God’s mercy &forbearance seen when each divine chastisement is tempered by care, protection & restoration. The 2 sessions that went over 3hours & witnessed a lot of interaction ended with discussion in smaller groups on the application of the story of Noah for today’s times. The Recollection culminated with a meaningful Eucharist (participants of Magis Youth Weekend combined with the Recollection) celebrated by Fr. Menoy D’Souza & Fr. Savio delivering the homily. On the whole it was a Sunday well spent where the world of Noah & the Ancient Near East became alive.

27/12/2025

Report of the Recollection, ‘A Date with Ezra’ held on 9th November 2025
Pedro Arrupe Institute, Raia conducted a Recollection on 'A Date with Ezra' on 9th November, 2025 from 9.00 am till 1.00 pm for people who came from different parts of Goa, as far away as from Porvorim, Socorro & Siolim. The Resource person, Fr. Savio Abreu SJ took 2 sessions on the topic dwelling on the following sub-topics: - 1) Background of the Historical Books, 2) Historical context to the Book of Ezra, 3) Restoration of the Temple (Ezra 1-6), 4) Restoration of the Worshipping Community (Ezra 7-10), 5) Theological emphases& 6) Significance for our contemporary period.
There was a lot of interaction during the sessions and the discussion in smaller groups at the end witnessed very enthusiastic participation from the audience. The participants were very happy with the sessions as reflected from their positive comments such as, ‘your explanation made us understand the Bible much better than when we read it’, ‘though we were sitting for so long we did not feel tired’ ‘we learnt so many new things today’. The Recollection concluded with the Sunday Eucharist followed by a fellowship meal.

27/12/2025

Fr. Savio Abreu SJ directed a retreat based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius for 17 religious sisters. 16 of them belonged to the Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross (SCSC) & were celebrating 45 years of religious profession and the remaining one belonged to the Sisters of the Holy Cross Menzingen. The retreat which focused on the theme “Looking back with gratitude and gazing ahead with hope” helped the retreatants to focus on their long journey of religious life in the light of God’s unconditional love. Each day had a specific theme & grace and the talks were delivered using power point presentations and illustrated with stories, songs & videos. The daily Eucharist was also celebrated keeping in mind the day’s theme. The culmination of the day was the Holy Hour, where the retreatants shared the experiences of their prayer. Fr. Savio met each retreatant at least once for spiritual direction & also provided the sacrament of confession for them. The sisters were very happy with the way the retreat was conducted, and enjoyed the beautiful place, the silent atmosphere, the tasty meals and all the other arrangements for their stay.

27/12/2025

Report of the 8-days Ignatian guided Retreat for the Ignatian Laity group from 17 to 24 November 2025.

A unique retreat for 10 lay people from different parts of Goa was held at Pedro Arrupe Institute from 17th to 24th November. While most of the retreats are attended by religious and priests, this retreat was unique as it was exclusively for lay people, all of them family people & most of whom had never done a retreat before. With the theme “Looking back with gratitude and gazing ahead with hope” Fr. Savio Abreu SJ, the retreat director, facilitated the spiritual journey of the retreatants as they discovered & faced boldly many areas in their past life, hitherto unnoticed, in the light of God’s unconditional love.
Each day had a specific theme & grace and the talks were delivered using power point presentations and illustrated with stories, songs & videos.
Each day began with a guided meditation, followed by the celebration of the Eucharist at noon focusing on the day’s theme. The culmination of the day was the Holy Hour, where the retreatants shared their deep & poignant experiences of how God touched them during the day.
The daily personal interviews with the retreat director gave direction & reassurance to the retreatants most of whom were new to retreats. They were very happy with the retreat as they felt it was a life- changing experience for them and helped them to deepen their encounter with God. Their hunger for such deep spiritual experiences has increased & they expressed that they look forward to such programs in the future.

27/12/2025

The recollection was conducted through two reflective talks by Fr. Patrick Viegas SJ, drawing inspiration from the Book of Nehemiah. He highlighted significant themes such as prayer as the foundation of action, attentive listening to God’s will, and responsible leadership in times of crisis. The figure of Nehemiah was presented as one who responds to brokenness with faith, courage, and perseverance despite resistance and discouragement. Fr. Patrick related these biblical insights to contemporary realities, where individuals and communities often face moral, spiritual, and social fragmentation. He emphasized the importance of interior renewal as a prerequisite for meaningful external engagement. The role of unity, cooperation, and shared responsibility in rebuilding was also underscored. The recollection invited participants to examine their own attitudes toward mission, commitment, and hope in the present context. Overall, the session encouraged a renewed trust in God’s guidance and a deeper sense of personal and communal responsibility.
The Recollection culminated with a meaningful Eucharist emphasizing the theme of Joy as we commemorate Gaudete Sunday.

27/12/2025

27/12/2025

Christmas Get-together for Pedro Arrupe Staff, held on 23rd December 2025

To show our appreciation for the hard work & dedicated service of our staff, the Management of Pedro Arrupe Institute organised a special Christmas Get-together for them on 23rd December, 2025. The previous day the Pedro Arrupe Jesuit Community visited the houses of all our staff & ushered in the Christmas spirit by singing Christmas carols. The joyful faces of our staff & their warm hospitality reflected their appreciation & gratitude for our Christmas visits.
The Get-together began with a warm welcome from Fr. Savio Barreto SJ, the Superior of the Jesuit Community where he appreciated the work done by our staff with a smile on their faces. Then we sang a few Christmas carols to get us into the festive mood. Br. Ashwin& Fr. Menoy then conducted two games which were very entertaining & brought smiles on the faces of our staff. To recognize & appreciate their efforts throughout the year the Jesuits of Pedro Arrupe Institute gifted each staff member with a gift & bonus. In a touching gesture the staff gave gifts to the Jesuits. Then the Administrator of Pedro Arrupe, Fr. Menoy addressed the gathering stressing that Pedro Arrupe is doing well because of the efforts of the staff.
The Christmas Get-together concluded with a table fellowship with everyone enjoying sumptuous snacks, Christmas sweets & refreshments. On the whole this get-together radiated the Christmas theme of love, joy & hope.

12/09/2025

✨ Medicinal Plant (Advance) Workshop ✨
📍 Venue: Pedro Arrupe Institute, Raia
📅 Date: 28th September 2025
🌱 Explore the wisdom of natural remedies
🌿 Hands-on learning about medicinal plants
💚 Nurture health the natural way!