Belagavi
The Jubilee Year 2025 of the birth of Jesus Christ was inaugurated on Sunday evening at the Fatima Cathedral campus in Camp, Belagavi.
The event began with prayers at 5 pm, followed by a procession of the Holy Cross within the cathedral grounds, and concluded with a Holy Mass inside the cathedral.
Bishop Derek Fernandes led the inaugural ceremony, joined by priests, nuns, and lay Christians from Belagavi and other parts of North Karnataka.
At the start of the event, Bishop Fernandes paid tribute to the late Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by observing a minute’s silence.
He then blessed the special Cross, which will be venerated throughout the Jubilee Year, with special readings from the Bible.
In his sermon, Bishop Fernandes highlighted the theme for the Jubilee Year, ‘Pilgrims of Hope’, which will be observed throughout 2025. “Jesus Christ was born into a family and lived as a part of one.
As families, we are also pilgrims of hope, while the Church is a communion of families united with God. Hope never fails or abandons us. Confess your sins and embrace transformation during this Jubilee Year,” Bishop Fernandes urged.
The ceremony concluded late Sunday evening. Bishop Fernandes also confirmed that special prayer services will be held in all churches across the Diocese of Belgaum from the following Sunday and throughout the Jubilee Year.
