We begin the Jubilee Year under the theme “Pilgrims of Hope.” The Holy Year began officially with the opening of the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica by Pope Francis on 24 December before the Christmas Eve Mass.In May 2024, Pope Francis introduced the Jubilee Year 2025 with the Papal Bull Spes Non Confundit (translated as “Hope does not disappoint”), inspired by Romans 5:5. In the Bull, the Holy Father underlined that the coming Jubilee
will “be a Holy Year marked by the hope that does not fade, our hope in God” and prayed that it may help us “to recover the confident trust that we require, in the Church and in society, in our interpersonal relationships, in international
relations, and in our task of promoting the dignity of all persons and respect for God’s gift of creation” (SNC No. 25).

We began the New Year 2025 and we are grateful to God for the gift of time’. Margaret Silf in her book, Inner Compass, defines Time as “the duration between God’s desires for me and my fulfilling it.” It is not important how long we live but how fruitful we live in love and service, the deepest call of a human person.

Two of the great stalwarts of our province, Fr Devadatta Kamath and Fr Richard Sequeira, went to their eternal abode recently after completing 90 years of age. They contributed much to the history of the province and its archives. They were in true sense “men of magis”. They were linguists, philosophers and historians who valued effort over outcome, shunned the limelight and accolades but relished intellectual rigour. They had a polite word for everyone and yet sharp in their critique when called for, threw no tantrums and didn’t bruise the weakest reed or quench a flickering candle. It is their invincible spirit that will long endure in the province.