India: Journeying with Mary towards a Synodal Church

By Sister Florina Joseph, SCN

On Monday, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, the Rosary Church Shipyard incorporated the synodal process into its festive celebrations.

Father Nigel Barrett, parish priest of the church in Mumbai, India, shared with Vatican News his hope that the community will embrace synodality, as the second session of the Synod takes place in Rome.

“As we celebrate our parish feast, we reflect on the theme “Walk with Mary towards a synodal Church,” he declared. “Our novena prayers brought the parish community together in faith, gratitude and hope. We at Rosary Church have been blessed by our patroness Our Lady of the Rosary and we have the assurance of our blessed mother that when we face difficulties or uncertainties or simply want to get closer to our Lord, the Rosary opens the door to a deeper life. a life of faith, a closer union with our Lord and His Blessed Mother, and a richer life of discipleship.

The week-long celebration includes an all-night vigil led by small Christian communities, who will pray for the success of the synodal process, offer their personal intentions and give thanks for the many blessings.

A Bible quiz, anecdotes on the Rosary and the History of the Parish took place the next day. The celebrations will culminate on October 13, when people from various parts of the diocese have been invited to join in praying the Rosary in community.

Parishioners gather for a group photo

Fr Barrett expressed his hope that the parish community can become a “dynamic and joyful community that participates in the life and mission of the Church and reaches out to those on the margins”.

He said the parish views Our Lady of the Rosary as a guide on its path to becoming “beacons of light in a troubled world.”

The Dockyard Catholic community, said Fr. Barrett seeks to go beyond the spiritual by meeting the material needs of its less fortunate members.

Initiatives such as the Parish Food Project and the provision of medical aid help parishioners embody the values ​​of the Gospel, ensuring that all parishioners have support, dignity and care in their lives.