Chandigarh : The Annual Feast of Christ the King Cathedral of Catholic Church was solemnly celebrated in gaiety and full of enthusiasm at Sector 19-A, Chandigarh. The Feast is intended to proclaim in a striking and effective manner Christ’s royalty over individuals, families, societies and Nations.
This solemn celebration signifies:
1) Christ is God, the Creator of the Universe and hence wields a supreme power over all things.
2) Christ is our Redeemer, He purchased us by His precious Blood, and made us His property and possession.
3) Christ is Head of the Church, holding in all things the primacy.
4) God bestowed upon Christ the nations of the world as His special possession and dominion.
And therefore this day marks a great event of the faith in the Liturgical Calendar of the Catholic Church.
The celebrations began with a solemn procession (Shobha Yatra) at 10.00 am from Sacred Heart Convent School, Sector 26, Chandigarh, leading to the Christ the King Cathedral, Sector 19-A. The day highlighted the theme: “Deepening our Faith and Living our Faith” depicting the various stages of transformation and renewal in the life of the faithful through the Float (Jhanki) during the Procession. The Solemn Procession was accompanied by the devotional hymns and prayers led by the faithful of Chandigarh Deanery. At the entrance of the Cathedral, the Tribal Dance of Chotta Nagpur enthralled thousands of the Faithful to join in prayer, thanking God for the very gift of Faith in their lives.
Addressing the Faithful at the Ceremony, Bishop Ignatius Loyola Mascarenhas said, “We thank God for the gift of faith that enables us to live and witness Christ to the world. And he further emphasized by quoting Bishop Jenky, “The days in which we live now require heroic Catholicism, not casual Catholicism. We can no longer be Catholics by accident, but instead Catholics by conviction”. This is indeed an invitation for every Christian to be committed to their faith journey and follow the footsteps of Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe.