Saint Mary's Way (english)

 SAINT MARY'S WAY

by: Krisna

Powered by: Saint Mary Junior High School (SMP Santa Mria)

Last Saturday, my group and I visited the Santo Yusup Nursing Home as part of our Grade 9 Cocurricular project and the Saint Mary’s Way activity. We chose to visit the nursing home to meet and spend time with the grandmothers living there.

Before the visit, we prepared several activities at school with the help of our supervising teachers. We planned simple games that the grandmothers could play safely, created a rundown, and arranged the schedule for music, games, and breaks. Even though we faced a few small problems, our preparation went smoothly.

On the day of the visit, I arrived at the church very early and had to wait for a long time. While waiting, I went to the nearby Indomaret to buy bread for breakfast because I had forgotten to eat at home. After almost two hours, some of my group members arrived, and we waited for the rest. Unfortunately, some of our friends couldn’t join us, so we continued the activity without them.

When we entered the nursing home, the staff welcomed us warmly. we facing some of a problem when we are arrived there. However, we managed to adjust and continued the program smoothly.

At the beginning, we helped the grandmothers move to the hall, especially those using wheelchairs. We started the event with a prayer, followed by singing religious songs together. The grandmothers seemed happy and excited.

After singing, we played a memory game using a plastic ball. The ball was passed around while the music played, and when the music stopped, the grandmother holding the ball had to answer a question about her past. After the first game, we gave the grandmothers bread for a short break and talked with them.

Next, we continued with another game where we asked the grandmothers about their beautiful memories, their feelings, and their backgrounds. Listening to their stories made me feel happy and grateful, and they also shared advice with us.

Then we gave them fruit for another break. While they ate, we sang religious songs again. I went around offering more fruit to those who wanted extra. After the break, we continued singing, and one grandmother confidently performed a song in Mandarin. Her voice was clear and beautiful, and I enjoyed it very much.

Time passed quickly, and soon it was the closing session. We prayed again, sang the final song, and said goodbye. I felt sad because we had to leave, but I was also happy to receive meaningful advice from the grandmothers.

From this experience, I learned that memories always stay with us, especially the joyful moments from childhood. Through the games we played, the grandmothers were able to recall their happy memories once again.

We do not miss being a child — we miss the happiness we felt back then.

This visit reminded me of what Mother Mary teaches: serving others with humility, offering comfort, and spreading love.