By BIS Correspondent for BIS Mumbai

Kawant, September 13, 2026: The Sahayak Mata Parish at Kawant celebrated its annual feast with deep faith and devotion, joining the wider Church in the Diocese of Baroda in marking 60 years of dedicated pastoral service. The parish feast brought together priests, religious and a large number of faithful for a joyful celebration centred on the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Eucharist and the call to build the Kingdom of God.

The spiritual preparation for the feast began with a novena in honour of Mother Mary. The novena Masses, accompanied by homilies on the theme “The Kingdom of God”, invited the faithful to reflect on their Christian vocation and the place of Mary in the life and mission of the Church. Salesian priests from neighbouring communities preached during the novena, reflecting on different aspects of Mother Mary and her life of faith, obedience and service in promoting the values of God’s Kingdom.

The feast day was celebrated with solemnity and vibrant expressions of local faith and culture. A procession had been planned from Nikol Bhavan to Sahayak Mata Parish, but had to be called off due to rain. Despite this, a good number of faithful gathered at the parish to participate in the Eucharistic celebration and give thanks to God for the blessings received by the parish and the Diocese of Baroda over the past six decades.

The Most Rev. Bishop Sebastian Mascharinhas, SFX, Bishop of Baroda, presided over the solemn Holy Eucharist as the main celebrant. The celebration began with a lively Rathwi dance and an entrance dance presented by the children, beautifully expressing the faith and cultural heritage of the local community.

In his homily, Bishop Sebastian highlighted the importance of unity and proclaiming the Good News. He encouraged the faithful to remain united in faith and community life and urged them to give thanks to God for the 60 years of dedicated service of the Diocese of Baroda to the people.

As part of the diocesan jubilee celebration, Sahayak Mata Parish also honoured three local vocations with a plaque in recognition of their service in the Lord’s vineyard. Their vocation and service were acknowledged as a source of encouragement for the local Christian community. The parish also felicitated pastors and sevaks serving in Chhota Udepur district, expressing gratitude for their pastoral presence and commitment to the people.

The celebration concluded in a spirit of fraternity as an agape meal prepared by the faithful was shared among all those present. The common meal added a warm community dimension to the feast, bringing together people in fellowship and thanksgiving.

The Sahayak Mata Parish feast thus became not only a celebration in honour of Mother Mary but also a joyful expression of faith, unity, gratitude, local culture and community, as the faithful of Kawant joined the Diocese of Baroda in giving thanks for 60 years of grace and service.