Udupi: Bishop Gerald inaugurates Year of Divine Mercy with opening of Holy Door of Milagres Cathedra

By Richard DSouza
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi,13 Dec 2015:The diocese of Udupi inaugurated the year of Mercy 2015-2016, at Milagres Cathedral, Kallianpur by His Lordship Most Rev Dr. Gerald Isaac Lobo, Bishop of Udupi diocese on Sunday, 13th December, 2015 with opening the Holy Door of historical Milagres Cathedral.

Prior to the opening the door, prayer services were held at the portico of the cathedral. Bishop read out the message of Pope Francis to the faithful who had gathered at portico of the cathedral. Deacon Lobo was readout the word of God in the Bible. Rev Fr. Rollwin Aranha compered the brief programme before opening of Holy Door of the Cathedral.

The faithful entered through the Holy Door to the Eucharistic celebrations. Prior to the Eucharistic mass Bishop blessed the Holy water and sprinkled to the faithful in the Cathedral. Then the Eucharist mass was concelebrated by Bishop Gerald Isaac Lobo along with Rector of Cathedral Very Rev Fr. Stany. B. Lobo, Vicar General Mosgr. Dr. Baptist Menezes, Rev Fr. J.B. Sequeira OFM Capuchin Episcopal Vicar for Religious, Very Rev Fr. Dr. John Mendonca,Judicial Vicar of Diocese of Udupi,  Very Rev Fr. Hilary Fernandes Episcopal Vicar for Pilar Fathers, Rev Fr. William Martis Director of Inter Religious, Diocese of Udupi, Rev. Fr. Stephen D’Souza Diocesan Head for Catechetic commission and other priests.

During in his homily Bishop said that during the present world there is no respect for human being. We would hear the some of the conditions we were in when we were exposed to the love of Christ – Divorce, addicts, cheats & liars, broken and full of heart ache and sinners which lost without God. Sadly more often than not we must hit bottom before we look up to Christ. Christians began to forget the Jesus, the love of God. So Pope Francis gave us wakeup call to be ever more sincere in turning away from sin and sincere in turning away from sin and growing faith in and love of Jesus and declared Divine Mercy year started from 8th December 2015 to 16th December 2016.

 

Further more,  Bishop said that God is Divine Mercy. God is our sole model and Jesus mercy is the face of God. God loves those who lost everything. Jesus would emphasizing the God’s mercy. The Divine Mercy is not the pardon of a judge, but the embrace of a lover. God is love. The unconditional love of God, the Divine Mercy which is always available to us. Our sin is too great for the mercy of God. We must compassionate for others.

Bishop said that we have lot of programmes to be conducted in the diocese on the occasion of Divine Mercy Year which inaugurated from today. He conducted the prayer on Divine Mercy with faithful at the end of mass.

Very Rev Fr. Stany B. Lobo gave weekly announcements and gave gratitude to Bishop and all concerned on the occasion of opening the Holy Door of the Cathedral. The deanery parishes representatives and large number of parishioners of Cathedral were participated the Eucharistic celebrations.

Meanwhile the ceremony of Holy Door opening will be held at St. Lawrence Shrine, Attur, Karkala in the evening prior to Eucharistic mass which will be concelebrated by Bishop of Udupi.