Shillong 9 February: The Extraordinary visitation of St. John Paul II Province - Shillong began 08th February 2023 with a warm welcome of Father Biju Michael SDB at Don Bosco Provincial House, Mawlai. The visitation will last for three months and it will reach its conclusion on 27th May 2023. Father Biju Michael reached Don Bosco Provincial House at 04.00 pm. Fr. Paul O Lyngkot, the Provincial and the Provincial council members along with many confreres gathered to welcome him and then had tea together with the visitor. At 05.00 pm, Fr. Biju met the Provincial Council and discussed about matters pertaining to the Extraordinary Visitation. On the following day, Fr. Biju animated the assembly of leaders of INS communities which comprised of Rectors, Parish priests and Incharges. The day began with the Holy Mass wherein he was the main celebrant. He invited them to be ‘Astute’ like the Syrophoenician woman in the Gospel (Mk. 7:24-30). He stated that the woman was considered astute because even in the face of strong criticism from Jesus she maintained her cool and made use of the situation to seek for help from Jesus. Father Biju invited the leaders of communities to also cultivate such astuteness; to be able to handle sensitive situations and prevent them from going out of hand. He also narrated an incident from the life of Don Bosco about being astute. After the Mass he met them in the hall and animated them on the theme “Our Role in transforming systems through the six-year plan’”. He also gave them a bird eye view of the ‘Extraordinary visitation’ and explained in detail about the procedure of the entire exercise. There were around 45 participants. After the meeting, the visitor left for Guwahati Airport to fly to Aizawl inorder to begin the visitation, in earnest, from Mizoram region.