In a significant step towards spiritual rejuvenation and communal unity, an Ongoing Formation for the Clergy of the Diocese of Mangalore was conducted as part of the Jubilee Yātra for the Holy Year 2025 at Shanthi Kiran Pastoral Centre in Bajjodi, Mangalore. Over two enlightening days, 17 and 18 January 2024, the clergy engaged in a prayerful journey guided by the methods of the Jubilee Yātra.
Reflecting on the significance of the Jubilee Yātra, His Excellency Most Rev. Dr. Peter Paul Saldanha, Bishop of Mangalore, said, “The Jubilee Yātra is a preparation for the Jubilee 2025 through study and prayer. What we are reflecting here is not something new but are revising, revisiting what we had learned during formation, and lived in priestly ministry. This Yātra will lead us to celebrate Jesus, celebrate the Church, and celebrate us, our faith life."
Rev. Dr Yesu Karunanidhi, National Coordinator of the Jubilee 2025, facilitated the programme. He emphasized the transformative nature of the Jubilee Yātra, describing it as a journey of the heart that unites priests, religious, and lay faithful on a shared path of reflection, renewal, and rekindled hope.
“As part of the Jubilee Yātra, a total of 132 Dioceses of the Church in India are slated to be visited, culminating in the grand celebration of the Jubilee in November 2025,” said Rev. Dr Yesu Karunanidhi.
The programme, aptly titled “Pilgrims of Hope on the Synodal Journey: Integrated Pathways for Pastoral Ministry,” illuminated key aspects such as the Synodal Journey, Jubilee 2025: Pilgrims of Hope, Celebrating the Synod, and the Jubilee 2025. Participants delved into the study of the four Constitutions of the Vatican Council II, paving the way for enhanced Pastoral Ministry.
Guided by the methods of the Jubilee Yātra, the diocesan clergy embarked on a prayerful, reflective, and positive transformative journey. Group discussions, personal reflections, and the sharing of insights on the synodal way of living in pastoral life were integral components. The programme also explored personalised approaches to celebrating Jubilee 2025.
A gathering of around 75 priests from the Episcopal City, Mangalore City, Pezar, Surthkal, and Vittal Deaneries actively participated in the enlightening sessions. The remaining priests from Bela, Belthangady, Bantwal, Kirem, Permannur, Puttur, and Moodbidri are set to join the formation on January 18, 2023.
About Jubilee Yātra:
The Jubilee Yātra is not a journey on foot, but a pilgrimage of heart; it is not a physical journey, but a spiritual voyage that seeks to connect believers across the Country in a shared pursuit of hope. Renewal, reflection, and consciousness are the milestones of the journey.
The objectives of the Jubilee Yātra are: (i) To disseminate the information concerning the Ordinary Jubilee 2025 integrating it with the Synod for a Synodal Church so that more people are brought to ‘synodal-consciousness’ as our Hope Father Pope Francis puts it; (ii) To introduce the Documents of the Second Vatican Council, especially the Four Constitutions, by bringing out the key themes and making them contextual to the life-realities of the people; and (iii) To familiarise the Catholic faithful with different forms and methods of prayer. All these objectives will lead to the goal of the ordinary Jubilee 2025 that we become ‘pilgrims of hope’ in the Church and the world.
[Write-up and photo courtesy: Fr. Anil Ivan Fernandes, Mangalore]