Mumbai, 25 thousand people make a pilgrimage for peace

Great participation of Catholics and non-Catholics in the annual Lenten march for peace 20 km. The pilgrims walked through the night for 7 hours until the Mass in the Basilica of Mount Mary. Card. Gracias: "Peace, harmony and brotherhood will prevail." Large presence of young people.

Mumbai (AsiaNews) - About 25 thousand people took part in the Mumbai Walking Pigrimage to Cross Maidan last March 25, led by Cardinal. Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Mumbai. The crowd, made up of a large number of priests, religious, young people and pilgrims Catholic and of other confessions and religions, travelled about 20 km along the streets of the metropolis. The pilgrimage, which began at 10.30pm, ended the next day at 5.30am with a Mass in the Basilica of Mount Mary.

Card. Gracias, president of the Indian bishops' conference, began the pilgrimage imparting his blessings and reciting prayers to the Virgin, which called for the intercession for the city of Mumbai and the whole of India. He prayed in particular for harmony and peaceful coexistence of the different components of Indian society, asking that "Christians in India may live their faith in peace."

More than 50 percent of the participants were boys and girls from remote villages of Goral, Uttan, Vasai Agassi, Korlai, Roha and from the suburbs of Maharashtra. Card. Oswald Gracias wanted to recite a special prayer for the young people: "Mary Seat of Wisdom guide our young people, and direct their steps towards mission, both for the country and for the Church, and intercede for the young people present, to contribute mission of the Church and the growth of the nation. We also pray for our young people for their faith and for their vocational discernment".

The cardinal led the pilgrimage for a short distance, and then reunited with the crowd at the time of recitation of the Holy Rosary. The pilgrims then walked for seven hours in the dark of night, comforted by the prayers, songs and the many volunteers who have lent their assistance. Felix Sequeira, one of the pilgrimage organizers told AsiaNews: "About 25,000 pilgrims carried four statues in procession decorated with flowers and lights: Mary Queen of Peace, Jesus carrying the Cross, Mary Mother of Sorrows and St. Joseph Patron of the pilgrimage ".

The pilgrimage is held every year in March, during the season of Lent. The first edition took place in the Marian Year 1988, when some devotees have decided to organize a Lenten march for peace. "Since then, the number of participants has grown from year to year with people of every creed and caste" -  Francis Fernandes, president Marian Seva Sangh and main organizer, told AsiaNews. (N.C.)

Photo: Catholic Communications Centre Archdiocese of Bombay