By Alphonsa Ohol and Genelia D’Souza for BIS Mumbai

On Sunday, March 8, 2026, the youth of Sacred Heart Parish, Yerwada organized a meaningful and interactive prayer experience for the parish community. Centered on the themes of forgiveness, healing, surrender and confession, the event invited participants to journey spiritually through four thoughtfully arranged prayer stations. Each counter offered an opportunity for reflection, repentance and renewal, helping individuals draw closer to God in a personal way. The prayer stations were conducted from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Forgiveness Counter:

Parishioners reflected on reconciling with God and others by writing the name of someone they wished to forgive and what held them back. After reciting a forgiveness prayer and the Act of Contrition, they placed the papers into burning coals as a symbol of letting go.

Healing Counter:

This station focused on emotional and spiritual healing and featured the verse, “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed” (Jeremiah 17:14). Parishioners wrote their prayer intentions on a human body outline, marking areas where they sought healing. These intentions were later offered during the 6 p.m. Mass.

Surrender Counter:

Participants reflected on Christ’s sacrifice and wrote what they wished to surrender to God, pinning their intentions onto an image symbolizing surrender into His hands.

Confession Counter:

Parishioners were guided through an Examination of Conscience to prepare for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, with an opportunity to receive Confession during the event.

The youth also organized Lenten task cards, inviting parishioners to choose a commitment to Pray, Fast, or Give during the Lenten season. The event reflected the dedication of the parish youth in guiding the community towards repentance and spiritual renewal.

On the same day, the Youth of Sacred Heart Parish also organized a Women’s Day celebration to honour the contribution of women in families, the Church and society.

The celebration began with an opening prayer led by Fr Michael Fernandes, the Parish Priest, who thanked God for the gift of women and prayed for mothers, daughters and all women serving their families and community.

An ice-breaker action song titled “Yes Lord” created a joyful atmosphere as participants enthusiastically joined in. This was followed by a Bible Quiz on women in the Bible, with small prizes for correct answers.

A major highlight was the Self-Defence Session conducted by Mr Venkat Kulkarni, who shared practical guidance and demonstrated basic self-defence techniques to build confidence and awareness about personal safety.

The program concluded with a Vote of Thanks by President Jerryco, who expressed gratitude to all those involved for making the event successful.

Before dispersing, the SHP Youth presented bookmarks and button badges as a token of appreciation, encouraging everyone to continue reflecting on the Word of God. The Women’s Day celebration was a joyful and enriching event highlighting the strength and dignity of women.

A parishioner shared that the prayer stations were very meaningful during Lent and helped people reflect on forgiveness and repentance.

Ms Jennifer said she enjoyed the joyful program, and the self-defence session was especially helpful and encouraging.