Circular - September 2026

September 01, 2026

My dear collaborators,

As we begin a new month from today, we bring to mind that the month of September is a month dedicated to our Blessed Mother. All the parishes in our Diocese will be busy with the 9-day Novena in preparation for Our Lady’s Birthday on September 08. I am sure a number of our children, youth, adults, parents and even senior citizens will be participating in the Novena services during these days. As we celebrate Our Blessed Mother’s birthday, we need to remember that this day is also dedicated to the Girl Child. We should remind ourselves that children are a gift of God to us and if so, then we need to respect and treat all the girls with respect and dignity. I have seen and read in the newspapers that a number of men commit atrocities against women. As baptized into the Body of Christ, we should not be silent spectators, but we should do something concrete so that girls and even ladies are treated as persons. I am proposing something which we could do in our parishes: could we, with the help of the Parish Pastoral Councillors, do something concretely during this month so that our society does not take girls for granted, but treat them with dignity. I am sure you will rise to the occasion and put my proposal into practice. I believe if we do this, we will surely experience blessings from God our Heavenly Father in our lives. May our Blessed Mother continue to intercede for us so that we become dedicated disciples of the Lord Jesus in our parishes and in our Diocese.

Pope Francis of revered memory on the occasion of the 10^th anniversary of Laudato Si declared the Season of Creation from September 01 to October 04 (Memorial of St Francis of Assisi, Patron Saint of Ecology). As we move around in our Diocese, we see a number of trees being cut for road widening, etc. Creation is groaning under the weight of human indifference and abuse by acts of deforestation and biodiversity loss: rainforests are being devastated displacing indigenous communities and threatening biodiversity. Added to this, is the coastal displacement, air pollution and health impacts, agricultural crises and other ecological tragedies. All these have affected our country’s poorest and most vulnerable communities: coastal families whose homes are washed away, farmers who can no longer grow crops and a number of us are suffering from polluted air and water. As stewards of God’s creation, and in particular, during the Season of Creation, could we motivate our parishioners towards an ecological renewal by educating people in our Small Christian Communities about the importance of caring for the earth and not to indulge in cutting of trees, not to waste water, etc.? I am sure you will do something to conscientize your parishioners to care for creation and to engage in some acts so that creation is not exploited, but preserved for a long time to come. I am confident of your wholehearted support and collaboration in this regard.                                                                                       

The Conference of the Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) has issued a circular that the third Sunday of September, henceforth, will be observed as a Day for the Care of Creation. I will be sending you the Liturgy in due course and I expect all the parishes to celebrate the Day for the Care of Creation, this year, on Sunday, September 20.

I have been repeatedly encouraging you to visit your parishioners. This is an important aspect of our priestly ministry. If we are priests after the heart of Jesus then we should do what Jesus did in HIS earthly ministry. Jesus visited the sick and all those who needed HIM most: the poor, the destitute, the needy, etc. Can we not follow the example of Jesus, our Lord and Master and set aside one day of the week to visit our parishioners? You do not know the joy and happiness that our brothers and sisters will experience in their lives each time we visit them? I plead with you to set aside one day in the week and visit your parishioners. When you visit your parishioners, please encourage them, listen to them and bless them. If anyone is sick and needs financial assistance to pay his/her medical bills, please write to me on the letterhead of the Church and make the request known to me. Also, please indicate on the letter how much the Church has contributed towards the medical bills of your parishioner(s). We need to remember the words of Jesus who said: “whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters you do it unto me; for when I was hungry, you gave me to eat………….” (Matthew 25……….. )

I have been often thinking of you during my personal prayer and reflection. There are a number of you who are doing a lot of work in your parishes. Please take time to rest and take care of your health. We need you; the Church needs you and the Diocese needs you. Take time out of your busy schedule and rest from time to time.  Eat healthy and please take care that you do not suffer from burn-out in ministry.

As I conclude, I thank God for the gift of each one of you to our Diocese. I pray that the Lord may continue to inspire us to be at the service of our brothers and sisters entrusted to our care and that through our priestly ministry, our parishioners may experience the Living Christ in their lives.

God bless you and with every good wish,

Yours in Christ,

✠Barthol Barretto

Bishop, Diocese of Nashik