Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Ahmedabad (Fides Service) - More than 60 lay Catholics from the diocese of Ahmedabad, in the west Indian state of Gujarat, took part in the traditional Easter Pilgrimage to a place of suffering. This year the destination was a state leprosy centre on the outskirts of the town. It was an Easter Sunday with a difference, a time to show concern for the most abandoned of people and to pray together with the patients and rejoice with them for the Lord’s resurrection.
The group was accompanied by parish priest at the cathedral Father Valerian Saldanha who said lay Christians are called to meet and serve Christ in the most marginalised: “Sharing our time with them, comforting them, praying and signing with them to rejoice at Easter is a good work which is done to Christ himself. Let us hope that more and more people learn to show solidarity with the needy”. One of the prayer intentions was for Pope John Paul II and his health. The highlight of the visit was a shared meal with the distribution of gifts to the inmates of the leprosy centre”.
The tradition of making a pilgrimage to shrines of suffering on Easter Sunday was started by a married couple about 50 years ago. The centre for people with leprosy, the destination of Easter 2005 pilgrimage, is state owned but run by Salesian Sisters of Mary Immaculate.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 30/3/2005 righe 24 parole 225)
