Circular No. 29/2025
- Nashik Catholic Diocese
- Aug 1
- 4 min read
August 01, 2025
My dear collaborators,
The month of August is a special month for us priests and in particular for those who are involved in pastoral ministry. On Monday, August 04, we celebrate the Feast of St John M. Vianney, Patron Saint of the Pastoral Clergy. We thank God for having called us to be HIS priests and for having planted us in the Diocese of Nashik so as to be pastoral in our ministry following the example of the Cure or Ars, St John M. Vianney: listening to the joys and struggles of our parishioners, reaching out to them particularly when they are down and out; steeped into issues beyond their control, etc., visiting them especially the sick, elderly, lonely, those on the peripheries as Pope Francis of revered memory would often remind us, being available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the confessional and most importantly, to be men of prayer, and priests after the heart of Jesus, our Lord and Master. I am enclosing the message of Pope Leo XIV released on the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests (June 27, 2025) which includes among many other points, a call to a renewal of the YES, we made to God and to HIS holy people on the day of our Ordination, to be pilgrims of HOPE: to be men of prayer and men close to the poor by visiting them. Besides our Feast, we also celebrate the Feast of St Alphonsus Liguori (Founder of the Redemptorists on August 01); St Peter Julian Eymard (Founder of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament Fathers on August 02); the Solemnity of the Transfiguration of the Lord on August 06; the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Independence Day of our country on August 15 and other Memorials. For those in the parishes, our priests will begin the Novena in preparation for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary from August 30.
As already communicated to you, I am inviting you to a special day of prayer and reflection on Monday, August 04 which will be held at St Anne’s Cathedral, Nashik from 10.30 a.m. till lunch time. There will be the usual Prayer Service, a special talk, confessions, Benediction, a few business points and a fellowship meal at the Bishop’s House. As is the practice, this invitation is being extended to the priests: Diocesan and Religious and the Religious Women too. I am looking forward to meeting all of you.
One of the points which I have been stressing thus far is the need to pray. For us priests, one cannot eliminate and/or diminish the importance of prayer. We need priests who pray; holy priests so that the people whom we minister to may be transformed and they too become a holy people of God. Please, and I plead with you to be men of prayer. Another point that I have been emphasizing is the need to visit your parishioners. Could you you please set one day aside in a week when you can visit your parishioners systematically? It has been my experience as a priest and now, as Bishop that when I visit my parishioners, I continue to experience innumerable blessings from the Lord.
Some of the parishes in our Diocese have already taken the Jubilee Cross and have had Prayer Services for the parishioners. I am sure that our people will have experienced blessings from the Lord and have become hope-filled. For those parishes that will be taking the Jubilee Cross in their parishes, may I request you to motivate your parishioners and take part in the Prayer Services which you will be organizing. Perhaps, you could organize a special Mass for the sick and homebound of your parish, getting the youth of the parish to bring the elderly for the Mass and/or Prayer Service.
The Heads of the Commissions and Committees will be organizing programmes keeping the Jubilee Year 2025 in mind. They will also be introducing the National Plan of the Conference of the Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) to you. Please attend the meeting, as and when organized, as I desire that our Diocese becomes truly synodal where no one is left out and all of us are journeying towards one goal, having one mission in mind.
As I come to the end of all that I had planned to communicate to you, I desire to express my gratitude to you: thank you for your selfless service which you offer in many ways to your parishioners. I am aware of the fact that a number of you are returning home late night after having celebrated the Eucharist in the villages and/or vastis. Without your pastoral services, I am sure that our people would feel abandoned and deprived of the Sacraments. While we do have a small number of our parishioners who have left the Church, may I request you to keep the flock entrusted to your care united. Please see that they do not leave the Church, but are members of the Church. They will surely remain with us if we keep some time aside and give them a listening ear to what they want to speak to us. Be assured of my support to you. And please do not forget to pray for me.
God bless you and with every good wish,
Yours in Christ,
✠Barthol Barretto
Bishop, Diocese of Nashik
