Fifty two parishioners from St. Joseph's took part in the second Lenten Pilgrimage to 14 charitable institutions. The idea behind this Lenten Pilgrimage was to mark each Station of the Cross with a visit to a charitable institutions.
Our Pilgrimage began with everyone assembling at the convent on Saturday, 21 March and we left from there at 8.40 am. We began by praying the Rosary in the bus to encourage all those present to experience God's love on this faith filled journey.
Fr. Anthony gave an introduction about each charitable home that we visited. After the introduction, the Station of the Cross for that home was read out. Concluding with a hymn, we were also given a small orientation about the home by the religious order that was maintaining and looking after them. Through our interactions with the inmates we began to appreciate how blessed and fortunate we truly are.
This experience also saw many of us bonding and empathizing with people and children who are differently abled, mentally and physically challenged, from orphaned children, to leprosy patients, children with HIV, meeting the Cloister or Carmelite nuns, to meeting inmates of old age homes.
Each institution saw us witness a humbling moment, where the people looking after these inmates always having a huge smile of gratitude and acceptance for us being there. It wasn't about what we brought along with us; it was the fact that we went to visit and spend quality time with them...
That was the difference!
Pope John Paul said every Christian is a vocation promoter. Keeping these words in mind, Fr. Anthony asked all of us to pray for vocations to the religious and missions since many of them are being run by senior people and that these institutions need young blood. This beautiful Lenten recollection was organised by Fr. Anthony and the Family Cell and all of us thank them for giving us an enriching and life altering experience.
As a Parish Councillor, I encourage the families in our parish and my PPC colleagues to pick an institute during the year and encourage people to visit as a family and/ or as a community. We pray for all those who took us through this journey of love and hope more of us take this up at a family/ community level.
Our Pilgrimage began with everyone assembling at the convent on Saturday, 21 March and we left from there at 8.40 am. We began by praying the Rosary in the bus to encourage all those present to experience God's love on this faith filled journey.
Fr. Anthony gave an introduction about each charitable home that we visited. After the introduction, the Station of the Cross for that home was read out. Concluding with a hymn, we were also given a small orientation about the home by the religious order that was maintaining and looking after them. Through our interactions with the inmates we began to appreciate how blessed and fortunate we truly are.
This experience also saw many of us bonding and empathizing with people and children who are differently abled, mentally and physically challenged, from orphaned children, to leprosy patients, children with HIV, meeting the Cloister or Carmelite nuns, to meeting inmates of old age homes.
Each institution saw us witness a humbling moment, where the people looking after these inmates always having a huge smile of gratitude and acceptance for us being there. It wasn't about what we brought along with us; it was the fact that we went to visit and spend quality time with them...
That was the difference!
Pope John Paul said every Christian is a vocation promoter. Keeping these words in mind, Fr. Anthony asked all of us to pray for vocations to the religious and missions since many of them are being run by senior people and that these institutions need young blood. This beautiful Lenten recollection was organised by Fr. Anthony and the Family Cell and all of us thank them for giving us an enriching and life altering experience.
As a Parish Councillor, I encourage the families in our parish and my PPC colleagues to pick an institute during the year and encourage people to visit as a family and/ or as a community. We pray for all those who took us through this journey of love and hope more of us take this up at a family/ community level.
