Archbishop Khalid Rehmat of Lahore visited Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Phool Nagar, also known as Bhai Pheru, on August 9, where he administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to 152 young people and led the groundbreaking ceremony for a new church building.
Phool Nagar is a town in Punjab province, about 50 kilometers southwest of Lahore in Kasur District, along Pakistan's historic Grand Trunk Road.
The pastoral visit brought together three parish milestones: the celebration of Confirmation, the start of construction of a new church, and the local observance of the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi.
Archbishop Khalid Rehmat presided over the Eucharistic celebration, concelebrated by parish priest Fr. Almas Yousaf, OFM Cap., assistant parish priest Fr. Robinson Ashiq, OFM Cap., and Fr. Almas John.
During the Mass, 92 girls and 60 boys received Confirmation after completing three months of daily catechetical preparation.
In his homily, Archbishop Khalid Rehmat urged the newly confirmed to remain firm in their faith and live out Christian values in their daily lives.
“Through Baptism, we enter into Christ; through Confirmation, we receive the spiritual strength to solidify our faith as God's chosen people,” Archbishop Khalid Rehmat said.
He also encouraged the young people to become active witnesses of their faith and to remember the legacy of the Belgian Capuchin missionaries who established the parish mission.
Following the Mass, Archbishop Khalid Rehmat led the groundbreaking and foundation stone-laying ceremony for a new church measuring 100 by 60 feet.
The new building is intended to address space constraints in a parish serving about 3,600 Catholic families. It will replace the existing church, which was built decades ago by Belgian Capuchin missionaries.
The parish also marked the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi with the lighting of a Jubilee Candle by Archbishop Khalid Rehmat and the concelebrating clergy.
Fr. Almas Yousaf, OFM Cap., thanked Archbishop Khalid Rehmat for his pastoral guidance and congratulated the newly confirmed young people and their families. He also acknowledged the work of Sunday school teachers, catechists, and the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary (FMM) Sisters in preparing the candidates.
The parish welcomed Archbishop Khalid Rehmat with traditional drums, cultural performances, a youth tableau, and floral presentations.
The visit highlighted the parish's continuing focus on youth formation, catechesis, and the expansion of facilities to serve its growing Catholic community
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