The Catechetical Association of St. Thomas Church, Aldona, India, organized a spiritual concert at the Kala Academy in Goa with the theme "Bhorvanxeachim Yatrekaram’ (Pilgrims of Hope) on February 18.
The event aimed to deepen children's faith while highlighting their talents.
Archbishop Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrão of Goa and Daman presided over the event, with Simião Fernandes, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, as the guest of honor.
Among the special invitees were Fr. Henry Falcão (Episcopal Vicar for the Central Zone), Fr. Marcelin Rodrigues (director of the Diocesan Catechetical Centre), and Fr. Mario Leitão (dean of Aldona Deanery).
In his address, Cardinal Ferrão encouraged the faithful to strengthen their relationship with Jesus and embrace the call to become pilgrims of hope.
The spiritual concert is part of the Jubilee Year celebrations. The Church marks a Jubilee every 25 years, and last year, on May 9, Pope Francis issued a Bull of Indiction titled Spes non confudit (Hope Does Not Disappoint Us).
He emphasized that the Jubilee should be a time of personal encounter with Jesus, the ‘door’ of salvation, whom the Church is called to proclaim as hope.
As president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) and the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conference (FABC), Cardinal Ferrão reflected on the inspiring lives of St. Thomas the Apostle, St. Francis Xavier, and St. Teresa of Kolkata, encouraging attendees to follow their example in living as pilgrims of hope.
He said, "This Jubilee Year is a God-given opportunity to experience Jesus more deeply and proclaim Him as our hope."
He added, "In this spiritual concert, we witness how Jesus is the dawn of hope. Many saints, through their lives, became shining stars of hope."
The event opened with a lamp-lighting ceremony and a prayer dance based on the theme.
The Sunday School children, the parish choir, and the children's choir, sweet voices of St. Thomas’, performed a variety of spiritual presentations, including songs, dances, enactments, and live music conducted by Fr. Tomas Lobo.
A special souvenir commemorating the event was released by Cardinal Ferrão, symbolizing the community’s collective effort in organizing the concert.
Euan Ferrão, Aileen Vaz, Rosh D’Cruz, and Emmanuela Colaco narrated the event, while Sandhya Fernandes, Catechetical Animator of Aldona Parish, welcomed the guests and thanked them.
The concert was graced by the presence of Carlos Ferreira, MLA for Aldona Constituency, along with priests, nuns, and parishioners.
The event was led by Fr. Tomas Lobo, parish priest of St. Thomas Church, Aldona, and Episcopal Vicar for the North Zone, with valuable support from Fr. Agnelo Simoes (assistant parish priest of Aldona), catechists, parents, and parishioners.
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