COMMISSION FOR SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS- BARODA

BISHOP'S GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS! 

“I give you thanks, o Lord, with my whole heart.” Ps. 138 

These words of the psalmist sprang forth from the heart of our dear Bishop Godfrey de Rozario, on the 20^th of June 2013. The day dawned bright & cool ushering our beloved Bishop’s Golden Jubilee of his religious life in the Society of Jesus. The whole diocese of Baroda was overwhelmed with joy to celebrate this day with great pomp and show. Fr. Joel R. Pais, the Vicar General, Fr. Vincent Macwan, the secretary to the bishop & the inmates of Good Shepherd Seminary left no stone unturned to make this event a grand success indeed!

The term Jubilee speaks of joy- immense joy. This uncontrollable joy of the diocese inevitably had an outward, visible, audible and tangible expression, expressed through a short programme conducted at Bishop’s House, Baroda. In many ways, 50 years of religious life speaks for itself. It had been an adventurous journey; a journey begun on a hill top- Mount Abu, 50 years ago. It’s a journey of challenges and blessings.  The Bishop’s 50 years of unwavering devotion & commitment to the Society of Jesus is really remarkable indeed. This 50 years bear witness to the genuine & lasting commitment of our bishop.

The celebration commenced with a thanksgiving Eucharist, presided over by the jubilarian Bishop Godfrey himself, along with other concelebrants- Arch-Bishop Stanislaus Fernandes, Fr. Jose Changanacherry, the provincial of Gujarat province, Fr. Joel R. Pais, & Fr. Terrence, another jubilarian of the day.

Bishop in his homily recounted beautifully the impact of those memorable fifty years of his religious life. He experienced that he was not alone & he highlighted the providential hand of God leading him each moment. The Bishop strongly felt that God had saved him from many accidents & the Holy Spirit inspiring him in the nick of time. And as a bishop he stated his dreams for the diocese. Particularly he spoke of two dream projects that were in the pipeline; one the clergy home (Jeevan Janani Kendra) & the other being the shelter home for HIV-AIDS patients (Asha Kiran). He proudly announced that this will soon be a reality. At the end of the Eucharist the foundation stones of the same were blessed & the placards were displayed to the congregation.

A short felicitation programme carried forth the upbeat mood of the day. Bro. Bala Bhaskar, the master of ceremonies welcomed the guests. Frs. Pablo Gil, P.D. Matthew & Archbishop, who knew the bishop from very close quarters, vociferously spoke of the jubilarian. They were surprised to see this mischievous, playful & handsome young man growing stronger day by day in his vocation. Basically the bishop is an educationist & also a man of other formidable credentials. Within a short span of time he achieved what one can ever imagine. We salute his dynamism & zeal to seize opportunities in life; his passion to reach out to various types of people within the diocese, including priests & nuns; his inspiring stories & rousing homilies truly make him a bishop made for all seasons. We are truly happy to have a caring and an encouraging bishop in our diocese. Fr. Joel R. Pais, on behalf of the diocese felicitated the jubilarian with a memento. Later having thanked the guests, especially the surprise visit of the Bishop’s brother & sister-in-law, Fr. Joel invited everyone to the fellowship meal. Truly the whole jubilee programme will be remembered for years to come.