Archdiocese community vigil meet in Thrissur on Sept. 21

The coordination committee of various organisations under the Thrissur Archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church has alleged that both the Centre and the State government are pursuing a negative approach towards long-standing concerns of the Catholic Church and its community.

A coordination committee meeting was inaugurated by Archbishop Andrews Thazhath.

It announced that a ‘community vigil meet’ will be held in Thrissur on September 21 to raise awareness among the faithful and draw public attention to key issues.

The committee highlighted multiple areas of concern, including threats to religious freedom in the country, the government’s ambiguous stance on the J.B. Koshy Commission recommendations, challenges faced by the hill, coastal, and small-scale trade communities, and efforts to encroach on Church properties.

Representatives from every parish within the archdiocese will participate in the vigil meet, which will also be attended by bishops and community leaders. As part of the lead-up to the main event, awareness sessions are being held in all 240 parishes under the archdiocese.

The archdiocese-level campaign was formally inaugurated on June 29 at St. Joseph’s Church, Chuvannamannu, by Auxiliary Bishop Mar Tony Neelankavil. A circular from Archbishop Andrews Thazhath, urging the faithful to support and ensure the success of these efforts was read out in parishes on June 14.