On October 7, hundreds of people, regardless of religion or denomination, gathered to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary at Kalumaha, a Catholic village under Our Lady of Charity Parish, Raikia, in the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, in the eastern Indian state of Odisha.
“Mother Mary is the true intercessor through whom I receive God’s blessings in my physical, social, and spiritual needs,” said Anita Pradhan, a widow of Rajesh Pradhan, one of the Kandhamal martyrs.
“Through the Holy Rosary, I am able to connect with God and find courage, strength, and hope, even after losing my husband during the 2007–2008 anti-Christian violence,” she added.
Fr. Pradosh Chandra Nayak, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar and the main celebrant of the day, said, “Catholics are proud of Mother Mary, who fully and wholeheartedly cooperated with God in the history of human salvation.”
About 1,000 people, including seven priests, one deacon, and ten nuns, joined the celebration at the Kalumaha Grotto. A 12-foot cross was installed by Prafulla Pradhan, Catholic Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the Udaygiri constituency. He also pledged five lakh rupees from the MLA Local Area Development Fund (MLALAD Fund) for the development of the grotto.
“The Catholic Church has a Mother who intercedes for us on our journey. God listens to her prayers for every need we present to Him through the Holy Rosary,” the MLA said.
“The Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary has drawn people from different faiths, Hindu, Muslim, and various Christian denominations,” said Jayananda Nayak, president of the Kalumaha Grotto Committee. “This celebration has become an opportunity to foster unity, fraternity, integrity, peace, harmony, and solidarity among all.”
He added, “The Feast has revealed to us the power of the Holy Rosary. It grants grace to resist sin, cultivate virtue, and deepen our relationship with Christ, empowering us to live a holy and virtuous life. We honor our Blessed Mother with love and devotion, and may her guidance and intercession strengthen our relationship with her Son, Jesus Christ.”
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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