Archbishop Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrão, Archbishop of Goa and Daman, together with Auxiliary Bishop Simião Fernandes, Fr. Leo Fernandes, Executive secretary of Pastoral Secretariat, Fr. Patrick Luis SFX, Dean of Canacona Deanery, Fr. Joseph Correia, Parochial Administrator of Our Lady Help of Christians Church, Chiplem, many other priests and lay representatives of various sections of society, celebrated the inaugural Mass of the new pastoral year, 2026–2027 and officially released the annual Pastoral Letter for this Pastoral Year, titled “Abide in Me” after the Eucharistic Celebration of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ at Our Lady Help of Christians Church, Chiplem, Goa on 7th June, 2026.
The Pastoral Letter of the Archbishop is addressed to the priests, religious, lay faithful, and all people of goodwill in the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman.
At the beginning of the Eucharistic Celebration, the official logo of the Pastoral Year 2026–2027 was unveiled, marking the inauguration of the Archdiocese’s new pastoral year under the theme “Abide in Me” (Jn 15:4).
Delivering the homily, Cardinal Ferrão called upon the faithful to become enthusiastic witnesses of faith by remaining deeply rooted in Christ and by bearing lasting fruits of love, service, and communion.
Reflecting on the central themes of the Pastoral Letter, the Cardinal emphasized three essential dimensions of Christian life: Rootedness in Faith, Formation in Faith, and Celebration of Faith. These, he said, are indispensable for every disciple who desires to abide in Christ and live an authentic Christian vocation.
Speaking about Rootedness in Faith, Cardinal Ferrão reminded the faithful that through the Sacrament of Baptism believers enter into a network of relationships—with God, with one another, and with the whole of creation, including nature itself.
He urged Christians to deepen this rootedness by regularly reading and reflecting on the Word of God in their personal lives, within their families, in parish communities, in Small Christian Communities (SCCs), and in society at large.
Highlighting the importance of Formation in Faith, the Cardinal stressed that growth in faith requires conscious effort and ongoing commitment. “To grow in faith is our responsibility through different formation programmes,” he said. He described the family as “the basic school of faith,” emphasizing that parents are the first and foremost formators of their children in the Christian life. At the same time, he reminded the congregation that faith formation is a shared responsibility of the entire Christian community.
Turning to the Celebration of Faith, Cardinal Ferrão underlined the central place of the liturgy, especially the Eucharist, in the life of the Church. Quoting the Church’s teaching, he affirmed that “the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life.” In the Eucharist, Jesus offers His Body and Blood to nourish His people and strengthen their relationship with Him, enabling them to become living witnesses of His love in the world.
Concluding his reflection, the Cardinal invited the faithful not merely to profess their faith but to live it concretely by bearing enduring fruits of charity, selfless service, and communion, thus becoming credible and joyful witnesses of the Gospel in today’s world.
Following the Eucharistic Celebration, Bishop Simião Fernandes presented a brief explanation of the Pastoral Letter for the Pastoral Year 2026–2027, explaining that it is built around the three interconnected dimensions of Rootedness in Faith, Formation in Faith, and Celebration of Faith.
Fr. Patrick Luis SFX, Dean of Canacona Deanery, also addressed the gathering. Fr. Leo Fernandes, Executive Secretary of the Diocesan Pastoral Secretariat, explained the significance of the logo of the Pastoral Year and proposed the vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to the Archbishop, Auxiliary bishop, Dean of Canacona deanery Fr. Patrick Luis, DCSCM director Fr. Barry Cardozo, executive committee of Pastoral secretariat and all who had contributed to the preparation and organization of the event. He had a special word of appreciation to the Parochial administrator Fr. Joseph Correia and Parishioners of Chiplem parish for taking the major responsibility and successfully organising the event at Chiplem Church.
Explaining the Logo of the pastoral theme Fr. Leo said that for the Pastoral Year 2026-2027, the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman has chosen the theme, “Abide in Me” (Jn. 15: 4). In the Gospel passage under reference, Jesus uses the metaphor of the grapevine to teach that unless we abide in Him, we cannot bear fruit. The grapevine in the logo is entwined with the Cross, which Jesus willingly accepted, and through His death, made it a powerful symbol of our faith. The Pastoral Theme exhorts us to be rooted in faith. The grapevine sprouts from the Holy Scriptures, indicating rootedness in faith, which finds its source in the efficacious and lifegiving Word of God. The human figures represent Christ’s faithful from diverse walks of life with openness to embrace ongoing faith-formation. The Eucharistic symbols placed at the level of the fruits denote the fruitfulness of faith brought forth in the celebration of the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, which is the source and summit of Christian life.
The release ceremony was gracefully compered by Monica Cardozo, who coordinated the proceedings.
Following the Holy Mass, a short cultural programme based on the theme of the Pastoral Year was presented. The programme was anchored by Serina Monteiro and highlighted the call to “abide in Christ” through faith-filled living and Christian witness.
