Goa Cardinal Blesses New Tabernacle, Calls Cloistered Community Church’s ‘Spiritual Powerhouse’

Archbishop Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrão of Goa and Daman, southwest India, presided over a Eucharistic celebration on February 23 to bless the new tabernacle at the Cloistered Carmelite Monastery in Chicalim, Goa.

He was joined by Fr. Marlon Rodrigues, OCD, Superior of the Carmelite Monastery, Margao; Fr. Patricio Fernandes, SJ, Rector of Bom Jesus Basilica, Old Goa; Fr. Siran Rebello, SAC, Superior of Pallotti Home, Chicalim; and several other priests as concelebrants.

Cardinal Ferrão described the cloistered community as the spiritual “powerhouse” at the heart of the Church’s life and mission. He expressed gratitude for their hidden ministry of prayer, saying that through praise, sacrifice, and constant intercession, they sustain the Church in her mission amid growing challenges in India and across the world.

In his homily, the Cardinal reflected on the universal call to holiness. Quoting St. Paul’s teaching that God “has chosen us before the foundation of the world,” he stressed that holiness is not reserved for a select few but is a calling for every baptized Christian. Echoing St. Teresa of Calcutta, he said holiness is “not the privilege of a few; it is a call to everyone.”

He explained that through Baptism, believers are immersed into the death and resurrection of Christ and “put on Christ,” becoming a new creation. Baptism, he said, draws the faithful into a web of relationships, with God as beloved children, with Jesus as brothers and sisters, with the Holy Spirit as living temples, with one another as members of the Body of Christ, and with creation itself.

The Archbishop emphasized that the authenticity of one’s relationship with Christ is reflected in one’s relationship with others. Referring to the Gospel account of the Last Judgment (Matthew 25), he recalled Jesus’ call to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and imprisoned. “Whatever you did to the least, the last, and the lost, you did to me,” he said.

In the context of Lent, he urged the faithful to renew their relationship with God and neighbor, cautioning that familiarity can sometimes lead to indifference within families and communities. Christians, he added, are called in a special way to care for the poor, the neglected, and the marginalized.

Highlighting the Eucharist as the source of spiritual strength, Cardinal Ferrão said Christ nourishes His people through His Word and by becoming their spiritual food. The blessing of the new tabernacle, he noted, is a reminder of the Lord’s real presence among His people, inviting them to turn to Him in moments of weariness and struggle.

Sr. Theresita, OCD, Mother Prioress of the monastery, expressed gratitude to the Archbishop, the clergy, benefactors, and all who contributed to the installation of the new tabernacle and the celebration.