SARGODHA (The Thursday Times) — Pakistan bhar se hazaron Catholics ne Sargodha ke St Francis Xavier Parish mein 60wein saalana Marian Feast mein shirkat ki, jo Virgin Mary se aqeedat ka teen roza jashn hai aur 16 se 18 October tak manaya gaya, Matters India ne report kiya.
"Our Lady of Perpetual Help" ke unwan se manaye gaye is feast mein mulk bhar ke shehron, qasbon aur dioceses se khandan, aqeedatmand aur naujawanon ke wufood shareek hue. Islamabad-Rawalpindi ke Archbishop Joseph Arshad ne jashn ke ikhtitami Mass ki sarbarahi ki.
Teen din ki ibadat
Programme ka aaghaz juloos aur Holy Rosary se hua, jis ke baad taleemi, saqafati aur roohani mauzoat par talba ki performances, shifa ki dua ki taqaribat, Eucharistic adoration aur ghaur-o-fikr ka silsila raha. Is feast ke dauran kul 283 naujawanon ne confirmation ka sacrament hasil kiya.
"Ummeed ke missionaries"
Jama hue aqeedatmandon se khitab karte hue, Archbishop Arshad ne naujawanon ko "Church ka mustaqbil aur taqat" qarar diya aur unhein talqeen ki ke woh "waqar ke saath apne paon par khare hon". Unhon ne naye confirm hone walon ko "ummeed ke missionaries aur Christ ke sipahi" kaha aur Gospel of Luke se Mary ke alfaz yaad dilaye: "Dekho, main Khudawand ki kaneez hoon; mere saath waisa hi ho jaisa aap ne kaha hai."
Parish priest Father David John ne kaha ke is feast mein "Pakistan ke kone kone se" aqeedatmand jama hue.
Gehri jarein rakhne wali parish
St Francis Xavier, Islamabad-Rawalpindi ke Catholic Diocese ke sab se bare parishes mein se aik hai. Capuchin missionaries ne is ilaqe mein Church ke ibtidai kaam ki qiyadat ki, aur baad mein Mill Hill Missionaries ne diocese ki taraqqi mein madad ki. Parish complex mein Presentation Convent High School, Sargodha Catholic High School, Fatima Hospital aur Sargodha Institute of Technology shamil hain, jise Mill Hill Fathers ne 1958 mein qaim kiya tha.
2023 ke census ke mutabiq, Pakistan mein Isai taqreeban 33 lakh hain, jo aabadi ka 1.37% hai.
