Indian Church to pray for world’s health

Bengaluru: The Latin Catholic Church in India will hold a one-hour National Prayer Service on August 7 to pray for the health of the world.

The prayer will be conducted from the tombs of St. Thomas, St. Francis Xavier and St. Teresa of Kolkata and from the Marian Basilicas of Bandra (Mumbai), Sardhana (Meerut), Hyderabad, Shivajinagar (Bangalore) and Vailankanni.

This special service with a Eucharistic Benediction will be telecast on Catholic satellite television channels like Shalom TV, Goodness TV, Madha TV, Divyavani TV, Atmadarshan TV, Ishvani TV, CCR TV and Prarthana Bhawan TV. It will also be streamed through leading Catholic YouTube channels.

Auxiliary Bishop John Rodrigues of Bombay will sing the opening hymn with the choir from the Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, Bandra, Mumbai. The initial part of the prayer will be recited from the tomb of St. Thomas at Santhome Cathedral Basilica, Chennai, by Archbishop George Antonysamy of Madras-Myalapore.

The Gospel will be proclaimed from St. Mary’s Basilica, Shivajinagar, Bengaluru by Father Raymond Joseph, secretary of the Commission for Vocations under the Conference of Catholic Bishops in India. Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the Archbishop of Bombay, will give a reflection from the Holy Name Cathedral, Colaba, Mumbai.

The Prayers of the Faithful will be recited in seven languages from the Basilica of Our Lady of Graces, Sardhana, Uttar Pradesh. Father Chetan Machado, secretary of the CCBI Commission for Youth, will lead the intercessory prayers.

Jyotsna D’Souza, president, ICYM; Montfort Brother Alex Diamond Raj,director, Montfort Bhavan, Meerut; Valentia Nongtdu, Finance Secretary, Jowai Diocese; John Paul, Member, ICYM; Sister Sudeepti, nurse of the Our Lady of Graces Hospital, Sardhana, Brother Prem Murmu, assistant director, Montfort Bhavan, Meerut, and Sister Lisa, a doctor in Our Lady of Graces Hospital, Sardhan,a will recite the prayers in Hindi, Tamil, Khasi, Telugu, Kannada, Santali and Malayalam.

Archbishop Anthony Poola of Hyderabad will recite the prayer for the control of Coronavirus from the Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption, Hyderabad. Archbishop Thomas D’Souza of Calcutta and Missionaries of Charity superior general Mary Prema Pierick will lead the Litany of Supplications from the tomb of Mother Teresa, Kolkata.

The program also include special prayers for deceased bishops, priests, religious and lay faithful, who could not get a decent funeral because of the pandemic restrictions. Bishop Vincent Aind of Bagdogra, West Bengal, will lead the prayer for the departed souls.

All people in India will be consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Archbishop Anil Joseph Thomas Couto of Delhi, secretary-general, CCBI, will recite the consecration prayer from the Sacred Heart Cathedral, New Delhi.

Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrão of Goa-Daman, CCBI president, will give the Eucharistic Benediction from the Basilica of Bom Jesus, Goa (tomb of Saint Francis Xavier). The concluding prayer song will be delivered from the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health, Vailankanni. Bishop Devadass Ambrose of Thanjavur and Father M. Prabakar, the rector of Shrine Basilica, will sing the famous Marian prayer “Salve Regina” (Hail Holy Queen) in Latin.

The circular, issued by the CCBI president, requests everyone, particularly families and religious communities, to join the prayer service.