Circular 20/2025
- Nashik Catholic Diocese
- Jun 1
- 4 min read
June 01, 2025
My dear collaborators,
As we begin a new academic year, we have much to thank God for. On Thursday, May 08, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected Pontiff on the second day of the conclave, becoming the leader of 1.4 billion Roman Catholics. As soon as he came to the Vatican balcony, the newly elected Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV greeted his new followers by saying, “Peace be with you” and emphasized a message of peace, dialogue and missionary evangelization. From the reports that we have been receiving in the secular world, we can say that Pope Leo XIV is seen as a person who, like Pope Francis, embraces marginalized groups and champions the cause of migrants and the poor. As an expression of our solidarity with Pope Leo XIV, we pray that the Lord continues to guide and guard Pope Leo XIV and that he leads the Church as a missionary disciple of the Lord Jesus.
Many of our Parishes and Institutions will have new personnel this month. While I place on record our grateful thanks to all those who are transferred within the Diocese and those outside the Diocese for their selfless services, I warmly welcome all those who have been newly appointed to our Parishes and Institutions. My prayer is that the good Lord continue to inspire us to be at the service of the people entrusted to our care so that as pilgrims of hope, we inspire our people to be hope-filled, no matter what the situation is.
We have much to do during this Jubilee Year 2025. The Jubilee Cross is visiting the parishes of our Diocese. I am given to understand that many of our people are experiencing peace, joy and happiness in their lives after having prayed before the Jubilee Cross. The Heads of various Commissions have organized and will continue to organize programmes at the Zonal and/or Diocesan levels; you, in the parishes, are earnestly requested to organize some activities so as to make the Jubilee Year a memorable one for your parishioners. We have also got to implement the CCBI Pastoral Plan in the Parishes of our Diocese. The Heads of the various Committees in our Diocese will be organizing activities and/or programmes to ensure that our Parishes become more and more active and alive.
Over the past one year, I have been earnestly requesting you to visit your parishioners in a systematic manner. As we begin a new academic year, may I exhort you to set aside one day of the week when you can visit your parishioners so that our people do not feel neglected, but cared for and loved by their priests. I am sure you will visit your parishioners systematically so that no one is left out, but all the parishioners are visited and cared for. In a special way, may I request you to specially visit those people who experience loneliness and frustration in their lives; the sick and those in need; and those on the peripheries; may our brothers and sisters continue to experience joy and happiness in their lives, no matter what their situation. I am sure our people will thank God for the gift of their priests visiting them in their moments of need. Besides visiting, may I also request you to
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continue to pray daily. If possible, please spend time in the Church and/or the Blessed Sacrament Chapel so that we receive the graces required for our pastoral ministry and be effective instruments of making our parishes more and more synodal.
Besides regular visitation and daily prayer, may I gently remind you to have the monthly Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) meetings with an agenda prepared by the Executive Committee; the Parish Finance Committee must meet regularly to discuss matters pertaining to the use of finance for pastoral matters; the Parish Property Committee meetings must be held so that all the parish property matters are attended to in a systematic manner. All these important Committees must have a Secretary who will write down the minutes of the meeting in a register to be kept by the Parish Priest and/or Priest in-charge. In a special way, may I also request you to ensure that you have Sunday School for the children; Confirmation classes for those to be confirmed and Youth group meetings regularly. For the purposes of a Syllabus for Sunday School and Confirmation, may I request you to speak to Fr Prakash Bhalerao SJ, Diocesan In-charge of Catechetics (9423029406) and I am sure he will give you the required study material. For matters pertaining to Youth Ministry, please telephone Fr Kishor Vidhate, Diocesan in-charge of Youth Ministry (9881747600).
One of the beautiful traditions in our Diocese is the monthly meeting of the priests. There are some months when our Religious men and women are also invited to participate. Our first meeting of all the Diocesan priests and those Religious priests involved in parishes and pastoral activities will be on Wednesday, June 11, 2025 at the Nashik Social Service Society Hall, in the Bishop’s House compound from 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.; a special meeting only for the Diocesan priests (12.30 p.m. to 1.00 p.m.) and the Priests’ Council Meeting after lunch from 2.00 p.m. to 3.00 p.m. followed by Tea. All the members of the Priests’ Council are requested to attend.
May I request you to pray for me and my ministry of service. May the Lord continue to bless each one of us.
Thank you for all the selfless services that you render to the people entrusted to your care, and with every good wish,
✠Barthol Barretto
Bishop, Diocese of Nashik
OUR DIOCESAN WEBSITE
Please send a short report of the interesting news (Feast Mass, School Annual Days, inauguration of a significant event, yatras, Blood Camp, Youth Days, Seminars, etc.) along with two or three high resolution photographs to nashikdiocese@gmail.com and we will surely upload the same on the Diocesan website.
