Orissa in the pandemic consecrated to Our Lady of Fatima

The archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar presided over the rite of entrustment to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in the house of the Sisters of Mother Teresa. Archbishop John Barwa: "We ask for the end of Covid-19 for her intercession and we remain close to the least even in sickness".

Bhubaneshwar (AsiaNews) - On the feast of Our Lady of Fatima - which falls today and is a very popular commemoration throughout Asia - the archbishop of the Indian diocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar, Msgr. John Barwa, has decided to consecrate the State of Orissa, which is struggling with the pandemic, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The whole of India is enveloped in a relentless battle with a devastating second wave of Covid-19: the latest official data released today speak of 362,727 new cases and 4,120 victims registered in the last 24 hours. The pandemic begins to slow down in New Delhi, but is still growing worryingly in rural areas, the poorest in the country. Below we publish Msgr. Barwa’s reflection on the significance of today’s act of consecration to Our Lady of Fatima.

“This year, on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, our country and State is struggling with the second wave of  the Covid-19 pandemic,  There is so much distress, suffering and deaths, poverty and destitution all around us,  Hence, I decided to once  again consecrating the our Archdiocese and our State, our priests, clergy and our religious sisters, our family and ourselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, to plead with  Mother  Mary who is  with us in this journey of faith, leading us to His Son, and praying through her intercession  for the world suffering from the pandemic.

We had the Consecration event and prayers in Mother Teresa’s House, together with the Missionaries of Charity, in Bhubaneshwar, these Mother Teresa’s sisters, are frontline missionaries, taking care of the sick, suffering destitute and the dying.  Our people are the lost, the last and the least, and the Missionaries of Charity given them Jesus, through their works of compassion, love and selfless service.

We pray the Rosary, sing Marian hymn in honor of Mary, pray for the sick, suffering, and for an END to the Pandemic and then said the Prayer of Consecration to Our Lady of Fatima.

As we seek Mary’s help today in this pandemic second wave, may we pray together with and for each other that, like our dear Blessed Mother, we might be people who are true disciples of the Lord, always witnessing to Jesus; that, like our dear Blessed Lady, we may know the power of prayer in each day; and that, like our dear Blessed Lady, may we know the meaning of sacrifice and make holy all that we do.”