Kandhamal Christians Mark Feast of the Cross With Memories of Faith and Resilience

Christians in Kandhamal, a predominantly tribal district in eastern India’s Odisha state, eastern  India marked the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on Sept. 14 by remembering the suffering of Christians during the 2008 anti-Christian violence and reaffirming their commitment to faith, forgiveness and hope.

About 300 Catholics, accompanied by seven priests and three religious sisters, gathered at Bakingia, a substation of Our Lady of Charity Parish in Raikia, for the community’s patronal feast.

The Eucharistic celebration was presided over by Fr. Pradosh Chandra Nayak, parish priest and vicar general of the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar.

“The Cross, which Christians traditionally proclaim as a sign of salvation, also speaks profoundly to communities that have experienced persecution firsthand,” Fr. Nayak said. “In Kandhamal, thousands of Christians were displaced, while many lost their homes, livelihoods and loved ones during the violence that erupted in 2008.”

The violence in Kandhamal forced large numbers of Christians from their homes and left a lasting impact on villages across the district. Survivors have since rebuilt their lives and continued to practice their faith despite the wounds left by the violence.

For many in the community, the Cross has therefore become not a symbol of defeat but a reminder that suffering does not have the final word.

The feast also coincided with the 71st birthday of Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago on Sept. 14, 1955. Participants saw the coincidence as an opportunity to reflect on Christian suffering and the Church’s call to accompany communities facing persecution.

Fr. Cassian Pradhan, a priest of the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar who attended the celebration, said the Cross reminded survivors of Christ’s response to violence.

“We look at the Cross and remember our own suffering, but we also remember that Christ did not respond to violence with hatred,” he said. “Our faith teaches us to forgive, to rebuild and to continue walking in hope.”

Fr. Pradhan said Pope Leo XIV’s ministry also reminded the Church of its responsibility toward Christians whose faith is tested by suffering.

“The Cross points to Christ’s self-giving love, while the Pope’s ministry reminds the Church of its responsibility to stand with communities whose faith is tested by suffering,” he said.

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, celebrated annually on Sept. 14, focuses on the Cross of Christ as a sign of salvation, sacrificial love and hope. In Kandhamal, these themes have become closely connected with the lived experience of a community that has endured violence and displacement.

“On this feast, as Pope Leo XIV celebrates his 71st birthday, the Christians of Kandhamal offer a prayer not only for themselves but for persecuted Christians throughout the world,” said Bholanath Pradhan, a catechist from the area. “May the Cross become a sign of reconciliation rather than revenge, courage rather than fear, and hope rather than despair.”