The Diocese of Nashik inaugurated the Ordinary Jubilee Year 2025 in St Anne’s Cathedral, Nashik on Sunday, December 29, 2024 in the presence of a large number of Diocesan priests, Religious men and women and 10 representatives of Lay Faithful from all the parishes. The inauguration ceremony began with a procession led by the altar servers, the Diocesan Officials and Bp Lourdes Daniel, Emeritus Bishop of the Diocese of Nashik and Bishop Barthol Barretto who presided over the ceremony. On reaching the place where the pilgrim cross was kept, Bp Barthol unveiled it and began the ritual service. After reading the Bull of Indiction, Bp Barthol sprinkled the pilgrim cross with holy water, incensed it and carried it in procession to the Cathedral where he placed it in the sanctuary. In the meanwhile, the Litany was being sung in the Cathedral. Fr Kishor Vidhate, Coordinator, Jubilee Committee, Nashik Diocese reminded those present in the Cathedral that just as the Saints followed the Cross of Christ, we too are journeying with the Cross during the Ordinary Jubilee Year 2025.
At the end of the Litany, Bp Barthol began the solemn Eucharistic celebration which was bilingual (Marathi and English). In his homily centred around the Holy Family of Nazareth, Bp Barthol emphasized that just as Jesus, Mary and Joseph respected and revered one another and there was an atmosphere of sacredness in the family so also we need to pray and respect the members of our families which in today’s time is lacking in a number of our families. Bp Barthol also highlighted the point that as pilgrims we are called to bring hope to the people beginning with our families where we have our grandparents/parents/children who may be experiencing hopelessness in their lives. He motivated the priests and religious men and women to make it a point and visit the people entrusted to their care at least once a week so that our people who are experiencing hopeless situations will experience the hope of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
After the post Communion prayer, Fr Kishor Vidhate thanked a number of people who helped in making the Inauguration of the Ordinary Jubilee Year an event to cherish. He exhorted those present to participate in the parish/zonal/Diocesan programmes planned by the Jubilee Committee of our Diocese. In his concluding remarks, Bp Barthol thanked the Jubilee Committee by calling out their names and requesting those present to participate in the programmes planned by the Committee. He also motivated the priests to take up the themes proposed by the Committee for the Novena days and/or yatras celebrated at the parish level.
At the end of the Eucharist, the people were given a packet of snacks and refreshments as they moved out of the Cathedral. It was a good moment to see a number of priests, religious men and women and lay faithful mix up and exchange pleasantries. We hope that the Ordinary Jubilee Year 2025 will be an occasion for us to radiate the hope of Christ to those whom we minister to in our daily lives.
Fr Briston Britto SDB