Mumbai: Our Lady of Salvation Parish Highlights Water, Care for the Poor during Season of Creation

Our Lady of Salvation Church in Dadar, Mumbai, marked the 2026 Season of Creation with special liturgies focused on “Living Water,” drawing attention to water as both a gift essential to life and a sign of God’s renewing presence.

The special liturgy was celebrated at all five Masses on September 20 under the guidance of Fr. Michael Pinto, parish priest of Our Lady of Salvation Church, known for promoting care for creation and care for the poor.

Mumbai, India’s financial capital and one of Asia’s most densely populated cities, faces the challenges of providing essential resources, including water, to a large and diverse urban population.

The Season of Creation is an annual ecumenical period observed from September 1 to October 4, when Christians around the world pray and act for the care of creation. It begins with the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation and concludes on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of ecology.

For 2026, the season’s theme is “Living Water,” inspired by Ezekiel 47:1-12, which describes water flowing from the temple and bringing life and healing wherever it reaches.

At Our Lady of Salvation Church, the theme was introduced through visual and communication displays on September 18 and 19, drawing parishioners’ attention to the importance of water in sustaining and renewing creation.

The 9:30 a.m. Mass on September 20 was celebrated as the Season of Creation Mass by Fr. Joseph Pimenta. Reflecting on Ezekiel 47, he spoke of the water flowing from the temple, becoming deeper and bringing life wherever it reaches, even healing waters that were previously dead.

Fr. Joseph connected the biblical image with the daily realities of people who depend on water for their livelihoods and well-being.

Without life-giving water, he said, the poor suffer disproportionately, including farmers who depend on rainfall, families who obtain drinking water from wells and children who need clean water for healthy development.

He concluded by reminding the congregation of the preciousness of water: “And never let us forget the gift of water. May Christ, our Living Water, heal the Earth, renew our hearts, and quench every thirst. Amen.”

The Mass concluded with the congregation praying the Special Prayer for Creation together. Families were then given pledge cards inviting them to choose concrete actions at home that would demonstrate their commitment to caring for creation.

The parish’s Season of Creation activities began on September 7 with the installation of a contemplative display on Living Water around the church’s baptismal font.

The season will conclude at Our Lady of Salvation Church on October 4 with a blessing of pets at 4 p.m., organized by young members of the Salvation Green Cell. The date also marks the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, whose life is closely associated with Christian care for creation.

Through its liturgy, visual displays, family commitments and youth-led closing celebration, the parish has sought to connect the spiritual meaning of Living Water with practical concern for people and the natural world.

As the Season of Creation draws to a close, the parish hopes that the image of Living Water will continue to shape its life and ministry, renewing hearts, nurturing communities and strengthening its commitment to care for creation and the poor.