Thousands of faithful from across Goa converged on Sancoale in the early hours of Sunday, for the annual Lenten Walking Pilgrimage.
Participating in a collective act of penance and sacrifice under the theme “Followers of Christ, Pilgrims of Hope,” the massive gathering— which included Archbishop Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrão, Auxiliary Bish op Simião Purificaçao Fernandes, Bishop-Elect Fr Agnelo Pinheiro, priests, religious and lay faithful — marked a prayerful start to the Holy season of Lent. The 10 km walk, which began around 2 am at various centres, saw participation from around 28,000 people of all age groups. The Archbishop, Auxiliary Bishop and Bishop elect of Sindhudurg partic ipated in the walk from Goa Velha Centre. The walking pilgrimage is an opportunity for the faithful to set aside time for prayer, person al conversion and spiritual renew al. It is also a time to reflect upon the Gospel values and take steps to be true followers of Christ. The walk culminated at the Façade of the Old Church of Our Lady of Health in Sancoale. At the beginning of the Mass as the Archbishop welcomed the faithful, he reminded them that Christ himself sacrificed, fasted and prayed before and during his ministry. He urged the faithful to use these aids to be true follow ers of Christ. In his homily Fr Lucio Dias, Episcopal Vicar of Fabricas and Confraternities in the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, urged the faithful to use the same means that Jesus used—fasting, prayer, and the Bible—to overcome temptations, renew one’s life and be true followers of Christ. He also reminded the faithful that through their holiness and service they can truly be pilgrims of hope to all. Special scenes depicting the love and mercy of God were dis played at the venue. These were specially prepared under the guidance of Fr Myron Fernandes and his Vasco parishioners. These scenes enhanced the spiritual ambience of the place. At the end of the Mass, Fr George Ratos, event convenor thanked God for His blessings in making the walking pil grimage a success. He thanked the Archbishop and Auxil iary Bishop for their support and encouragement for the people to participate in this pilgrimage. He offered special thanks to government officials, the po lice, especially the traffic police, for all their support. He thanked the Diocesan Youth Centre, Diocesan Lay Apos tolate, Diocesan Centre for Social Communications Media and other centres, priests and lay faithful for their role in organising the event. He thanked the choir conducted by Fr Olavo Caiado, altar servers, volunteers, and the parish priest and parishioners of Sancoale and neighbouring are as. He thanked the press and electronic media for covering the event for the benefit of the Public. The Archbishop finally thanked the Convenor and the or ganising committee for successfully organising the pilgrim age and wished a grace filled and blessed Lenten season for all the faithful of Goa and Daman.
