From The States

Skip Velankanni pilgrimage to vote: Cardinal Ferrão

Card. Filipe Neri Ferrão, archbishop of Goa-Dama, has urged his people to refrain from undertaking a pilgrimage to the Marian shrine at Velankanni in Tamil Nadu a day before the general elections in Goa. “It is universally recognized, espe-cially in a democracy, that the responsibility to make choices in political life rests with each individual, […]

Discuss, Discern And Vote: Bishop Udumala

The Catholics of Warangal diocese, in the southern state of Telangana, on April 21 received a pastoral letter from Bishop Bala Udumala during the Sunday liturgy. The bishop, who is also the chairman of the Telugu Catholic Bishops’ Council’s Commission on Theology and Doctrine, called for an urgent conversation among the laity, religious and clergy […]

Abdul Kalam’s Mentor Dies At 100

Jesuit Father Ladislaus Chinnadurai, who had taught former Indian President Abdul Kalam, died at 5 pm on April 10 at Beschi Illam, Dindigul, in Tamil Nadu. He was 100.According to the Jesuit Madurai province, the funeral services will be held at 3 pm on April 11 at Beschi. “At this time of his sad demise, […]

Indian Nuns Urge Govt To Trace Missing Girl

A group of nuns in the eastern Indian Jharkhand state has asked a top government official to trace a missing girl, who has accused them of trying to convert her. “Indra Kumari [name changed] came to our center last July and was under-going training in tailoring. But since Good Friday [March 29] she has been […]

Secular Institute Changes Street Children’s Future In Bengaluru

In the past three decades, a tiny secular institute of con-secrated laywomen has changed the fate of hundreds of street children in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru. “We are only 12 members in India, and three of us work among street child-ren with the Salesian fathers,” said Silvy Lawrence Pazheri-kal, a member of the […]

When foot-washing became an act of liberation

Drawing inspiration from Pope Francis’ initia-tive and in response to the Gospel command of follo-wing Jesus in servant lea-dership, the Kerala unit of the Indian Christian Wo-men’s Movement (ICWM) – an autonomous collective of women from different churches – has conducted foot-washing ritual in public spaces since 2017. On March 27, this ritual was celebrated […]

Four Catholic Priests Beaten, Looted In Odisha

Unidentified miscreants looted a Divine Word mission in Odisha, eastern India, after attacking four priests, teachers and workers living in the campus. The April 10 incident took place at the mission at Bagdehi, more than 20 km northeast of Jharsuguda, the headquarters of the Divine Word congregation’s India East province. The police have launched a […]

Church becomes makeshift hospital for bedridden, elderly

A Catholic church in Kerala was recently transformed into a makeshift hospital to help elderly and bedridden people participate in religious ser-vices during the Lent. The St Joseph’ Church parish in North Chalakudy under the Irinjala-kuda diocese on March 15 brought to the church some 90 elderly people to honor and recognize them. They included […]

Salesians elect Maltese priest Fabio Attard as Don Bosco’s 11th successor

Pope Francis does not accept Cardinal Koch’s resignation: could continue at least until anniversary of Council of Nicea