Year of Faith concludes

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI had announced the Year of Faith in October 2012.

New Delhi:  Dioceses across India organized events to conclude the Year of Faith, which Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI announced last October aiming to deepen faith of Catholics across the world.

It was done to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the opening of the second Vatican Council and the 20th anniversary of the promulgation of catechism of the Catholic Church.

During the Year of Faith, Catholics were asked to study and reflect on the documents of Vatican II and the catechism so that they may deepen their knowledge of the faith.

Around 5,000 people attended the concluding Year of Faith celebrations in Amboori Forane church in Changanacherry Archdiocese, Kerala, on Sunday.

Archbishop Joseph Perumthottam was the main celebrant of the liturgy.

While a number of vehicles rallied from Thiruvananthapuram and other places in the archdiocese, the parishioners of the church rallied on the foot in colorful uniforms and echoed the streets with the slogans of “Christ the King” coupled with “the Faith Year.”

In the past one year, the archdiocese has conducted various faith renewal progarams such as home mission- popular mission retreats, bishops’ teams answering people’s questions on bible, theological questions and questions concerning church institutions, special interventions for saving the alcoholic addicts, special quiz programs on Second Vatican Council.

The Agra Archdiocese too organized on the celebration of the Solemnity of Christ the King that marked the end of the liturgical year and the conclusion of the Year of Faith in Agra.

This year, the twin celebrations were also significant as it would be a pilgrim event for the entire diocese.

Responding to the call of Archbishop Albert D’Souza to make the day an Archdiocesan Day of Pilgrimage, pilgrims from all the parishes and mission stations of the archdiocese flocked to the Cathedral campus in the city yesterday.

While the pilgrims were engaged in silent adoration of the Eucharistic Lord in the church, praise and worship sessions were going on in St. Peter’s college.

Arrangements were made for the pilgrims to make their Confession in the Church of Pieta (the historical Akbari Girja).

The Holy Eucharist of the Solemnity of Christ the King began at 4 p.m. in te college. The archbishop was the main celebrant along with more than 50 concelebrants.

Some 2,000 lay faithful besides bishops, priests and religious from twelve dioceses of the Agra Ecclesiastical Region gathered in the city for two days to celebrate the Festival of Faith.

The first day was a day of community prayer, talks on faith, personal witnessing of faith and life, skits and dances based on the theme faith.

The second day, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio attended the event.

Source: press statement