Tuesday 13 August 2019

St. John Vianney Feast Day Celebration

FRANCIS SUNIL ROSARIO

Kolkata: The diocesan clergy of Calcutta assembled at Christ the King Church, Park Circus on August 6th to celebrate the feast of St. John Mary Vianney, patron of the Parish priests and all the priests in the Universal Church. Nearly 70 priests came from the four corners of the Archdiocese to
take part in this annual Feast day celebration.

His Grace, Most Rev. Thomas D'Souza was the chief  celebrant. It was also an occasion to felicitate the Ruby Jubilarians, who completed their 40 years of priestly journey, serving the people of God in various capacities. The four Jubilarians were, Rev. Henry Saldanha, Rev. Rudolph D'Souza, Rev. Patrick Rodrigues and Rev. Francis Sunil Rosario.

The call to be a Diocesan priest is a special call given by God to serve the People of God in their respective dioceses administered under the Diocesan Bishop. The specific charism of the diocesan clergy is to love God wholeheartedly in His people and in the context of socio-cultural and pastoral realities. Finding the will of God in varied situations and challenges, they are the agents to bring transformation in society and the Church.


Their own personal sanctity inspires all, following in the footsteps of Christ through many trials and sufferings of the post-modern days, they bring fulfillment to God’s plan of salvation. “It is not you, but I have chosen you,” says Jesus while He invites them to be partners in God’s mission to save the world. Thus, the call of Diocesan priesthood is to remain united with God 24/7, loving people from various ethnic, socio-economic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, to build fellowship among the fellow clergy of the Diocese and being obedient to God’s will by accepting the leadership of the Bishop, who represents Christ visibly in the creative and saving plan of God.

This year the feast of St. John Mary Vianney was on Sunday, August 4th. The
Archdiocese chose the nearest day, August 6th, to celebrate their common feast day. Soon after
the Mass, a felicitation program was held in the Parish hall and the day’s program concluded with a fellowship lunch.

This yearly event was organized by the Diocesan Priests Welfare Committee (DPWC). It was to bring the Diocesan clergy together to share their joys of priesthood and build communion among the clergy. The priests, serving the four deaneries, i.e. Kolkata, Midnapore, North 24 Parganas and Howrah-Hooghly, came together to share their fellowship. Rev. Fr. Basil Bimal Mandi, present Parish priest of Christ the King Church, helped in facilitating the day’s event.

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