Missal to be implemented in all Goa parishes from Ash Wednesday
The release of the New Revised Edition of the Konkani Missal during the 37th Plenary Assembly of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India at St John’s National Academy of Health Sciences in Bangalore.
PANAJI
The New Revised Edition of the Konkani Missal was formally released during the 37th Plenary Assembly of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) at St John’s National Academy of Health Sciences in Bangalore, marking a significant development for the Konkani-speaking Catholic community across the country.
The New Revised Edition of the Konkani Missal will be implemented in all parishes in the archdiocese from Ash Wednesday.
The publication is seen as a major step in strengthening the liturgical life of the faithful by enabling fuller participation in the Eucharistic celebration in their mother tongue.
Recognising the linguistic diversity within the Konkani-speaking population, the Missal has been published in both Romi and Kannada scripts. This dual-script edition is intended to ensure wider accessibility for communities in Karnataka, Goa and neighbouring regions, while preserving the linguistic and cultural heritage of Konkani within the life of the Church.
The Missal was released by the Apostolic Nuncio to India Archbishop Leopold Girelli, highlighting the Holy See’s affirmation of the project and the universal character of the Church’s liturgy.
The occasion was attended by senior Church leaders, including CCBI President and Archbishop of Goa Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, CCBI Vice President and Archbishop of Bangalore Peter Machado, CCBI Secretary General Bishop Vincent Aind and Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha, Chairman of the CCBI Commission for Liturgy and the Commission for Liturgy in Konkani.
The long-term project was guided by the CCBI’s leadership and involved close collaboration among liturgical scholars and language experts to ensure theological accuracy and linguistic fidelity.
Key contributors included Fr Vijay Machado (Executive Secretary of the CCBI Commission for Faith Formation and the Commission for Liturgy in Konkani), Dr Rudolph Pinto (Executive Secretary of the CCBI Commission for Liturgy), and Dr Stephen Alathara (Deputy Secretary General of the CCBI).
Work on the revised Missal began in 2010 and extended over sixteen years of sustained scholarly and pastoral engagement. The process involved multiple stages of drafting, review and alignment with the Latin ‘Editio Typica’, culminating in the completion of the text in January 2026.
Church leaders noted that the revised Missal is not merely a liturgical book but a pastoral instrument that helps the faithful enter more deeply into the Mystery of the Eucharist through the language of their hearts, fostering greater understanding, participation and devotion in the worshipping community.
