Panjim : The Archbishop of Goa and Daman Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrão inaugurated the new pastoral year 2024-25 and released the Pastoral Letter 2024-2025, after a solemn Eucharist, presided over by his eminence, in the parish Church of Our Lady of Miracles, Sanguem, on 02 June 2024, at 9.am. The Letter is addressed to the Priests, Religious, Lay Faithful and the people of Goodwill in the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman. The Letter elaborates the Pastoral theme of the Year “Go, proclaim the Good News” (Mk 16:15).
The pastoral letter was released in the presence of representatives from Sanguem deanery, committee for the Exposition of Saint Francis Xavier and parishioners of Sanguem, along with other priests and religious.
Reiterating the importance of this Pastoral Year, the Archbishop says: “This Pastoral Year holds a very special meaning for our Archdiocese. On the one hand, we are preparing ourselves for the celebration of the Ordinary Jubilee Year 2025 along with the Universal Church and, on the other hand, also for the solemn Exposition of the Sacred Relics of Saint Francis Xavier. Both these events, we hope, will help rekindle in us the fire of God’s love, to celebrate our faith and to become zealous missionaries of the Good News”.
Expressing the mind of Pope Francis, the Archbishop in his Letter says that the Church not only ‘has’ a mission but ‘is’ mission and that every disciple of Jesus is a missionary. Every baptized is consecrated and sent to carry forward the mission of spreading the love of Christ. Every Christian, every family, has a responsibility to be the ‘Good news’ and to instil hope in everyone around them.
Earlier during the Mass the Archbishop in his homily highlighted that we as Christians need to be service oriented followers of Christ. He also called the faithful to follow the commandment of Love thus extending kindness and forgiveness to each other. He emphasised that Just as Jesus wished that all may be one we need to be united and do away with all kinds of divisiveness.
Fr. Leo Fernandes the executive secretary of Pastoral Secreteriat of the Archdiocese coordinated the event along with the Parish Priest of Sanguem Parish, Fr. Romeo D’Silva (SFX) whereas Fr. Henry Falcao gave a brief summary of the Pastoral letter.
