News and Pics by Ancy Paladka
Daijiworld Media Network—Mumbai (CN)

Mumbai, Nov 26: Vasai is famous for churches and the first Indian Saint Gonsalo Garcia is from Vasai. There are more than a dozen churches here, quite a few are historic ones.

There are also three Jesuit parishes in Vasai—St Michael’s Church, Manickpur, St Ignatius Loyola Church, Ambadi Road, and St Roque’s Church, Gokhevare. All three churches celebrated the feast of Christ the King on Sunday November 23 in a different manner this year.

Thousands of people from all three parishes took out a procession through the streets of Vasai giving the message ‘Christ is for all’. Then all of them gathered at the Manickpur Church ground where the religious ceremonies were held.

Fr Kiran Lopez of Palghar, gave a touching sermon. He said ‘Christ is for you and Christ is for me. Christ is the same as yesterday, today, and forever. He is the king for all people. Love and peace are the power and strength of Christ’. He also called for preserving our culture, explaining the differences between ‘Sanskriti’ and ‘Vikruti’.

In the beginning, Fr John Froz, parish priest, St Michael’s Church, Manickpur, and Fr Ozy Gonsaves, St Ignatius Loyola Church, Ambadi Road, welcomed the gathering. Jesuit deacons Yohana Alphonso and Anil Pereira were the special guests on the occasion. Vincent A D’Souza, Fr Joseph Justin Prabhu and Fr Tony Jurschik from St Ignatius Loyola Church, Ambadi Road,  Fr Joseph Gonsalves from St Roques Church, Gokivere, were present on occasion.