Circular 9/2025 March 01, 2025
My dear collaborators,
I am writing to you with joy in my heart as a new month has dawned upon us; a month as well as a special season in the Church’s year, I believe that will surely help us deepen our relationship with God and our relationship with one another. With the celebration of Ash Wednesday, on March 05, we will enter into the Season of Lent – a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. I am sure we will spend much time in reflecting on how we can come closer to God and to our brothers and sisters. We are fortunate that in the Ordinary Jubilee Year 2025, as pilgrims of hope, we can strive to become beacons of hope to our people, beginning with the members of our Teams/Communities and overflowing into our relationship with our brothers and sisters. May I continue to exhort you to make it a point to visit your parishioners. Visiting is an important aspect of our ministry and when our parishioners see us visit them, they will certainly experience joy and happiness in their lives. I am sure, our parishioners too will be inspired to visit those who live in their neighbourhood. May I make a special request to you particularly as we are in the Jubilee Year 2025: during this Season of Lent, could you make it a point to visit those who have left the Church, those whose marriages are not regularized, the bereaved, the poor, the suffering, the many people who are on “the peripheries”, etc. As disciples of Jesus, we need to visit our brothers and sisters and invite them to be part of the mainstream of the Church. I am confident of your support and collaboration in this regard. Enclosed, please find Pope Francis’ pertinent message for Lent 2025.
Another area that I wish to bring to your attention is to strengthen our Small Christian Communities (SCCs). Could you please appoint animators for each of the Communities of the parish and ensure that they are trained well to see that regular meetings (once a month) are held in the Communities, that no one is in want and left out as we belong to the Body of Christ? In case you are having difficulties, you may invite Fr Vishal Tribhuvan (Director, SCCs, Diocese of Nashik; Mobile Number: 9588423670) to come to your parish and/or a cluster of parishes so that he motivates the Animators to have the SCC meetings in their respective Communities regularly. I am sure Fr Vishal will also inform the Animators what are the activities and/or programmes that could be organized at the SCC level.
As we will soon enter into the Season of Lent, may I also request you to organize Prayer Services or Lenten Retreats or Confessions or Adoration Services, etc. so that our people are not deprived of any spiritual exercises. It is my desire that our brothers and sisters in the SCCs are strengthened by the spiritual exercises and experience the hand of God in their lives particularly in their moments of suffering and/or other crises in their lives. May we offer them the spiritual food they require as they journey on the rough paths of their lives, face difficult moments and at times experience total abandonment from their loved ones. It is to such people that we must minister to and bring them closer to the Church and help them to experience God’s love in their lives.
Thank you for having attended the meeting at Bishop’s House on Thursday, February 20 when the Diocesan Auditors helped us understand what is expected of us, as Trustees of the Church Trust. May I exhort you to ensure that you form a good Finance Committee (people who have some knowledge of financial matters; people who are selfless and committed to working for the Church without any selfish interests; people who are God fearing, sincere and honest to the core) who will support and guide you in financial matters. Please have meetings with the Finance Committee (one of the members must be the Secretary who will maintain the proceedings of the meeting) regularly – at least once in a quarter. Should you require points for the Agenda, you may contact Fr Anil Gonsalves OFM Cap, Financial Administrator and he will be happy to be of service to you. When I come to visit the parish in the new academic year, I will be interacting with the members of the Parish Finance Committee.
One of the points that is of utmost concern for me is property matters. As already mentioned to you in a circular dated April 23, 2024 (Circular 5/2024), I had requested you to ensure that you maintain proper property files containing documents (7/12 extracts; payment of land and property taxes; immovable and moveable properties). I hope you have done the needful. Please see that you also have in your custody a copy of the Property Card with the name of the Church Trust clearly mentioned and Building occupancy certificate); the open properties are fenced either with a wall and/or barbed wire with a board indicating the name of the Church Trust: Plot bearing CTS No./Survey No……………. belongs to …………………. (name of the Church Trust). I am confident you will attend to this important matter with diligence and promptness.
In conclusion, I thank you for your wholehearted support and collaboration. I believe that the Good Lord is using us to take the Diocese forward and transform it into a reflection of His Kingdom here on earth. God bless you and with every good wish and blessings for a very Spirit filled Season of Lent.
Yours in Christ,
✠Barthol Barretto Bishop, Diocese of Nashik