Senior Citizens Pilgrimage
Stations of the cross in Vasai Diocese
18th March 2008
The bus was overbooked in advance. 52 participants for the pilgrimage waited in eager anticipation for a whole week for the 18th of March to arrive. Would these 52 participants have an experience that would satisfy their eagerness? Judge for yourself by reading the report given in the next few paragraphs
The 7.00 a.m. mass was more crowded than usual on 18th March 2008. Yes, there were a lot of senior citizens present for the mass. At 7.30, all the participants were provided with tea and a roll call was taken. Not a single person on the list was absent!
Fr. Ronnie flagged of the pilgrimage with a short prayer and a pep talk and the bus was on its way with the eager participants reciting the rosary and singing hymns
The First Halt
1st Station : Jesus is condemed to death
2nd Station: Jesus receives his cross
On the Mumbai Ahmedabad highway, at Kashimira, the bus turned left and started climbing a small hillock. Soon in the distance, an ancient church came into view, it was St. Jerome Church, a heritage structure more than 200 years old. Since the doors were locked, the gathering made the first two stations of the cross at the entrance of the church. But the Lord was kind because as the prayers were over, the Parish priest came down after completing his mass in the chapel and opened up the church. What a sight it was, a beautiful heritage structure which took you back 200 years as you knelt down in the ancient pews to pray. The Parish priest enlightened the gathering with a brief history of the church and blessed them to have an enriching pilgrimage.
The Second Halt
Breakfast
The bus proceeded on the highway, and after crossing the Bhayander creek, it made a halt at a highway restaurant where the participants broke their fast with Idli sambar chutney and tea. It was very nourishing and everyone was charged up for the rest of the pilgrimage
The Third Halt
3rd Station: Jesus falls the first time
After a small holdup on the highway because of an accident, the bus left the highway and turned left towards Nala Sopara. The narrow roads resulted in a severe bottleneck but Fr. Allwyn rose to the occasion and got down from the bus and in his own inimitable style became an impromptu traffic policeman and in no time the traffic jam was cleared without anyone loosing their tempers. We finally arrived at the Church of St. Joseph, Umralla, P.O. Sopara
Church of St. Joseph
Erected in 1970
Parish Priest: Fr. Leo D'Monte
Parish Members: 2500
Vision: To see Christ in others
The serene atmosphere with the statue of Jesus with the crucifix put every one in the right state of mind to pray. It was observed that Jesus Christ with the crucifix was present in all the churches that were visited
The Fourth Halt
4th Station: Jesus meets his Mother
5th Station: Simon helps Jesus to carry his cross
The mood of the participants had by now picked up and every one boarded the bus which meandered throug the narrow roads until it arrived at The Church of St. Peter, Arnala
Church of St. Peter
Erected in 1931
Parish Priest: Fr. Robin D'Silva
Parish Members: 4000
Vision: To create a community of believers in Jesus Christ and to make Jesus known to all through his teachings.
A group photo was taken in front of the beautiful altar
The Fifth Halt
6th Station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
7th Station: Jesus falls the second time
We were in for a surprise. The next halt was at a place which looked familiar in the sense that the design the get up reminded us of an SDB institution which it was. It was Our Lady of Light church, an SDB institution at Jyoti, Agashi
Our Lady of Light Church
Not only was the get up of this church an SDB getup but also the hospitality offered was typical SDB. All 54 members of the group were offered tender coconut water which was a great relief under the hot afternoon sun
The Sixth Halt
8th Station: Jesus consoles the weeping women of Jerusalem
9th Station: Jesus falls the third time
After being refreshed at Jyoti, we continued our pilgrimage and arrived at the Church of the Holy Cross, Nirmal. The imposing church with thirty steps leading to its entrance from the main road raised doubts in the minds of some whether it would be possible to climb the same. However, a road leading to the rear of the church reduced the climb to the church considerably and everyone was pleased to enter this 400 plus year old church
Church of the Holy Cross
Erected in 1558
Parish Priest: Fr. Thomas Lopes
Parish Members: 1300
After the tiring climb, the serenity and calm this church offered was ideal for prayer.
The Seventh Halt
Lunch
It was past 1.00 p.m. and the bus took us to Bangli Naka, to the house of our very own Fr. Allwyn where a sumptuous meal was laid out for us.
The aroma roused our appetites
The impeccable service offered by all members of the family needs a special mention here
The cool atmosphere under the shade of the trees enhanced our appetite
The Eighth Halt
10th Station: Jesus is stripped of his garments
11th Station: Jesus is nailed to the cross
After the sumptuous meal, a short walk was suggested by Fr. Alwyn, and that we did to the Church of St. Thomas, Sandor, the parish of Fr. Alwyn
The Church of St. Thomas
Erected in 1566
Parish Priest: Fr. Cajetan Rodrigues
Parish Members: 7000
Vision: To strengthen the faith of the people through their involvement in parish activities and bring them closer to Christ in the footstep of our Patron St. Thomas who by his deep faith preached Christ and brought Christ to India.
The gold plated background of the Altar was a sight worth travelling miles to see
The Ninth Halt
12th Station: Jesus dies on the cross
13th Station: Jesus is taken down from the cross
No pilgrimage to Vasai is complete without a visit to the Vasai Fort. The added perquisite to this Fort is the almost completely restored Vasai Fort Church of St. Gonsalo Garcia
The Church of St. Gonsalo Garcia
Erected in 1536
In ruins after various battles
Now being restored by the Government as a Class I heritage site
The was the largest church we visited in Vasai
Praying in this imposing structure was an out of earth experience
The Tenth Halt
14th Station: Jesus is laid in the tomb
15th Station: Jesus rises from the dead
All good things come to an end and it was apt to end the pilgrimage at The Cathedral of Our Lady of Grace, Papdy
Cathedral of Our Lady of Grace
Erected in 1574
Parish Priest & Rector: Fr. Wilson Rebello
Parish population: 7000
Vision: A people bonded in love and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, striving to promote the brotherhood of man, as man is created in the image of God.
Once again, the Portuguese architecture and the gold inlaid altar of this church was mind boggling
From Papdy, the bus made a non-stop journey to Borivli. Nobody wanted this pilgrimage to end but time and the condition of some of the senior citizens demanded that the journey should end.
This pilgrimage would not have been possible without the efforts put in by Fr. Allwyn. May God bless him and give him the strength and energy to continue with his mission on earth.
Special thanks to Mr. Milton and Mr. Cyril who conducted the prayer services in the bus as well as the various churches in english and konkani respectively
Everyone who participated in this pilgrimage, are waiting for the next one.
