Indian Priests on Plgrimage to the Holy Land

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Indian priests on pilgrimage to the Holy Land for Year for Priests

by Nirmala Carvalho

The bishop of the diocese of Karwar, Mgr. Derek Fernandes: "The pilgrimage will
serve to celebrate the renewal of faith and vocation to the priesthood." The
importance of confession and prayer.

01/09/2010 13:27

New Delhi (AsiaNews) – Marking the Year for Priests, the Bishop of Karwar, in
the State of Karnataka, Msgr. Derek Fernandes, has invited the priests of his
diocese on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. "It will be a time of immense grace
that will help the priests to grow in holiness and spirit of service," he told
AsiaNews. "The journey to the land where Christianity was born and where we met
the Messiah will help priests to mature internal spiritual renewal, strengthen
their faith, a time of illumination and a renewal of Vocation to the
Priesthood."

Mgr. Fernandes is confident that "the pilgrimage in the footsteps of Christ and
prayer in the places of the life, death and resurrection of Our Lord will
provide moments of spiritual nourishment. The Messiah has made the apostles
fishers of men, and with them other disciples continue to proclaim the Good News
and to invite the nations to salvation. "

115 of the 125 priests of the diocese will participate in the pilgrimage. It
will be organized in two stages, from 30 January to 8 February and from 24 May
to 3 June.

The Year for Priests was inaugurated by Pope Benedict XVI June 19, 2009, during
the 150th anniversary of the death of St. John Mary Vianney. According to the
bishop, it must have moments for the renewal of faith and vocation to the
priesthood.

First, "more time should be devoted to the confession and the sacrament of
reconciliation, to always allow the faithful to make peace with God”. Then
prayer, "which is the hallmark of the diocese and will be introduced in a
vigorous manner, within the parishes and families. The Sunday Eucharist must be
preceded by Morning Prayer and vespers on Friday”. For this reason, Mgr.
Fernandes has asked for special chapels for adoration to be opened. The first
was inaugurated on 1 January 2010 in the parish of St. John the Baptist in Kumta
in the State of Karnataka.

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