Bareilly: As Mother Teresa has become a saint this year, the Catholic diocese of Bareilly has decided not to observe annual programmes in any of their schools situated in the nine districts of both Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
The money saved from it will be distributed among the poor.
Father Derick Pinto, parish priest, St Alphonses Cathedral Church, told Times of India, “We have decided not to organize annual programmes in any of the 30 schools run by the Catholic diocese of Bareilly in the nine districts to save money. The money saved as a result will be utilised in developing a leprosy colony and shelter homes of women and children.”
These schools are situated across Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Pilibhit, Udham Singh Nagar, Nainital, Almora, Bageshwar, Pithoragarh and Champawat districts.
Meanwhile, bishop of the Catholic diocese of Bareilly, most reverend Ignatius D’Souza, in his Christmas message said the world is constantly caught up in power struggles. “Nations use military power to achieve their ends even when they threaten the stability of the entire world.
Political parties use the power of communication, especially on the internet, as they vie for control in the chambers of government.
Wealthy candidates use the power of money to get elected to political office.
Corporations use their wealth and prestige to influence public opinion to make profit.
Even on a smaller scale, we see the use of power to control, to manipulate or to influence in the home, on the playground and in the workplace, evidenced in domestic violence, bullying at school and ruthless tactics to get promoted,” the reverend said.
D’Souza added, “The secret of God’s power is love and the incarnation celebrates God’s love for us, a love that is more powerful than absolutely any power in heaven or on earth. When we return God’s love, trust in God’s love, hope in God’s love and abide in God’s love, we become the power of God’s love in our fragile world.”