(AP, India) Pedamanapuram parish, belonging to the Province of Bangalore, started in the year 1991. This parish is located in Visakhapatnam Archdiocese, a Telugu speaking community. Our parish consists of 99% of the Dalits. They are very poor land labourers. Keeping the option for the poor in mind the Bangalore province started this mission in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, in India.
On 22nd of January 2018, The Redemptorist community and the faithful celebrated our parish feast of St. Peter the Apostle. We invited our deanery priests and religious residing in and around the parish. We had a feast day Eucharistic celebration presided over by Rev. Fr. Balashouri, the Chancellor and procurator of the archbishop, diocese of Visakhapatnam. There were 13 other priests, concelebrated and prayed for our parish and mission. A large number of faithful gathered for the feast day celebrations from different villages of our parish along with local faithful. It was a grand celebration. After the Eucharist, we felicitated our guest priest and our youth performed a cultural program followed by a fellowship meal for our guests and the people.
In the evening around 4.00 pm, we had a grand procession with a statue of Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was to give our Christian witness to the people of other faiths. They were very eager to see the procession and pay their homage to Jesus Christ, the saviour of all. After the procession, we gathered in the Church for praise and worship, followed by a short homily and the benediction. At night 9.00 pm, our parish youth and the children presented a cultural programme. It was a great opportunity of renewal and boost for all of us to carry out the mission of the Congregation.
Fr. K. Sleevaiah C. Ss. R
Parish priest, Pedamanapuram
