It was a grace-filled and Spirit-filled moment for the people of God of St Mary’s Church, to be visited by Bishop Barthol Barretto on Tuesday, July 23, 2024. He visited the Convent of Jesus and Mary, and thanked the Sisters for their committed mission to the parish and the Church, through their pastoral, medical, educational and social work. Then he went to meet the Jesuits at Dnyanamata, listening to their joys and challenges of the Education ministry.
Being a “pastor that smells of his sheep,” he visited two families who were graced to experience his presence, loving interaction, and participating in their joys and painful moments. He blessed the families and urged them to pray for the Church and hand over the tradition to their young ones.
During his meetings with the Parish Council and the Youth, Bp Barthol sat in a circle as one among them. He invited the PPC members to share their experiences; having listened to them, he shared the aims of the Parish Council.
The meeting with the youth was fruitful. The youth shared that they have a greater responsibility in the building of the parish. Bp Barthol urged them to have a youth activity once a month, and visit other youth as a team to build the youth group. The youth were encouraged and vowed to implement the Bishop’s advice.
Bp Barthol met with the priests and expressed his concerns about building a renewed parish community that will participate in the mission of the universal Church.