About 1,000 Catholics gathered for the feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in Kalumaha, a rural Catholic village in Kandhamal district of eastern India’s Odisha state, joining in a candlelight procession, prayer and fellowship.
The celebration, held during October, the Month of the Holy Rosary, brought together 11 Catholic priests, 14 Daughters of Charity Sisters and faithful from the surrounding community.
Fr. Pradosh Chandra Nayak, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, presided over the Eucharistic celebration.
As evening fell, candles illuminated the Marian grotto while the faithful prayed the Rosary and sang hymns in honor of Mary. For the community, the feast was more than an annual parish celebration. It was an expression of a faith passed from one generation to another in a region where Catholic communities have long drawn strength from prayer, family and communal solidarity.
Reflecting on Mary’s role in Christian life, Fr. Nayak reminded the faithful of her continuing intercession.
“Mary is always there to intercede for us. We are blessed to have Mother Mary, whose intercession is always heard and fulfilled by her Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,” he said.
For many devotees, the Rosary remains a source of strength amid the challenges of daily life.
“The Rosary is a great instrument for me to fight against evil and against Satan. When I recite the Holy Rosary, I feel closer to the Triune God. I receive special grace,” said Manjula Nayak, a Marian devotee.
The candlelight procession followed the prayers, with elderly people, families, children, young people and religious sisters walking together through the village with candles in their hands and the Rosary on their lips.
The procession gave visible expression to the community’s shared faith, transforming the quiet rural surroundings into a scene of prayer and devotion.
Local youth also presented a cultural program in honor of Mary, adding music and celebration to the religious observances.
The gathering concluded with a common meal, providing an opportunity for fellowship and strengthening bonds within the community.
For the Catholics of Kalumaha, the Rosary feast brought together two dimensions of Christian life: prayer and communion. Around the candlelit grotto, the community renewed its devotion to Mary and its trust in Jesus Christ.
In a rural Catholic community of Odisha, the Rosary continues to be more than a cherished devotion. It remains a prayer of hope, carried through generations in the hands, hearts and voices of people entrusting their lives and future to God.
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