‘Canonisation of St Joseph Vaz a memorable event’

‘Canonisation of St Vaz a memorable event’

Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Sunday, 18 January 2015 AT 11:36 PM IST

    

St Joseph Vaz, Canonisation of St Vaz

Pune: For Fr Denis Joseph, who was among the group of 15 Puneites who recently flew to Colombo, witnessing the canonisation of St Joseph Vaz and watching Pope Francis from up close was an exciting and memorable experience.

“At the canonisations ceremony, I was hardly two feet away from the Holy Father. He is so humble and has an infectious smile,” says Fr Joseph, Principal of St Joseph School in Ghorpadi. The canonisation ceremony of Goa-born missionary Joseph Vaz was held on January 14.

Fr Joseph said that over a million people from Sri Lanka, India and other parts of the world had assembled to witness the ceremony, presided over by the pope.

“The flags of Vatican City and Sri Lanka greeted the visitors on a nearly 100-km stretch of road leading to Colombo. It was such a wonderful experience,” he says.

“St Joseph Vaz, the only Goan to be declared a saint, has done tremendous work in Sri Lanka. During our short visit there, we could see the fruits of his hard work in the island nation,” Fr Joseph told Sakal Times.  “That is why St Joseph Vaz, the pride of Goa, was also described at the ceremony as a gem of Sri Lanka,” the  priest added.

Pune churches to join June 2 prayers to set world record

Pune churches to join June 2 prayers to set world record
- CAMIL PARKHE Saturday, 1 June 2013 - 11:09 AM IST Sakal Times, Pune
Tags: prayer, Bishop, catholics, christian community, Corpus Christi, world record, Pune Camil Parkhe

PUNE: Bishop Thomas Dabre will lead Catholics in Pune diocese in prayers on the feast of Corpus Christi on June 2, as a part of the simultaneous global prayers to be presided over by Pope Francis at the Vatican. The feat is likely to create a world record.

Parishes in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, along with parishes all over the world, are slated to simultaneously hold prayers on that day.

Pope Francis will lead the prayers to mark the feast of the body and blood of Christ at St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican on Sunday evening. In India, churches have been asked to join the prayers on Sunday at 8.30 pm to coincide with the Roman clock (5 pm local time).

Bishop Dabre will celebrate a mass at St Xavier's Church in Pune Camp on June 2 at 5.30 pm, followed by an adoration service at St Anthony's Shrine.

Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) president, Mumbai's Cardinal Oswald Gracias has appealed to Catholics in the country to join in the prayers. The global prayer is also being held to celebrate the ongoing Year of Faith and the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council which introduced many reforms in the 2000 year-old church.

The Feast of the Corpus Christi is observed to commemorate Jesus Christ's suffering with bread and wine that symbolise his body and blood.

If you are good citizens and good Christians, then you must vote: Cardianal Oswald Gracias

Cities >> Pune
Published in Sakaal Times
Voting is a must: Cardinal Gracias

Camil Parkhe
Sunday, October 11th, 2009 AT 11:10 AM
Tags: Pune, Maharashtra, Mumbai Cardinal, Oswald Gracias
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Mumbai Cardinal Oswald Gracias


PUNE: If you are good citizens and good Christians, then it is your duty and responsibility to vote on October 13, a circular issued by Mumbai Cardinal Oswald Gracias to Maharashtrian Christians has said.

Gracias, whose ecclesiastical jurisdiction runs over Mumbai archdiocese and suffragan dioceses of Pune, Nashik, Kalyan (Syro-Malabarese rite) and Vasai, said that exercising franchise is everyone’s responsibility in the temporal field. He stressed that the Second Vatican Council, the last epoch-making conclave held by the Church in 1960s, insisted on this.

Gracias is among the six Indian cardinals, two of whom are posted in Rome while one has retired after completion of 80 years.

Gracias, vice-president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, has urged the faithful to pray at home and at Sunday masses so that the state gets good leaders. The cardinal’s circular outlined three duties of Christians as to pray for a good government, to vote and to vote wisely. On the issue of ‘wise’ voting, he asked people to vote for those who are clean and have a record of working selflessly for people. Vote for people who are not divisive and will work for uplift of the poor and underprivileged, he said.

There are at least 16 Christians in Mumbai and Thane district, who have entered the poll fray. Congress is the only major party to nominate two Christians - sitting MLA Annie Shekhar in Colaba and Janet D’Souza in Ghatkopar West.