New Pastoral Letter of the Archbishop Released
At the beginning of yet another Pastoral Year (2016-2017), the Archbishop of Goa and Daman, Most Rev. Filipe Neri Ferrao, has released his new Pastoral Letter at a simple ceremony held at Archbishop’s House, Panjim, this morning.
A Pastoral Letter is an open letter addressed by a Bishop to the priests, the laity and all people of good will in his diocese. It generally contains orientations for the life in a diocese. Archbishop Ferrao has regularly issued a Pastoral Letter at the beginning of every Pastoral Year (June to May).
The theme of the new Pastoral Year as well as of the Letter is, Inspired By Venerable Fr. Agnelo, Let Us Witness To The Mercy of God. While keeping the general theme of the Jubilee Year of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis, the Letter focuses on the life of saintly Fr. Agnelo de Souza (1869-1927), a Priest of the Society of Pilar on the road to sainthood and venerated worldwide by thousands of Goans and non-Goans of various faiths.
The Pastoral Letter was printed by the the Pilar Printing Press and was handed over to the Archbishop for the release by the Vice-Postulator of the Cause of Fr. Agnelo, Rev. Fr. Hilario Fernandes, in the presence of the Superior General of the Society of Pilar, V. Rev. Fr. Francis Carvalho, his Counsellors Fr. Dominic Alvares and Fr. Fredrick Rodrigues, the Episcopal Vicar (Central Zone), Fr. Leonardo Sousa and the Secretary of the Archbishop, Fr. J. Loiola Pereira.