A Marian Congress in Goa, India, gathers clergy, religious and laity to renew their commitment to prayer, evangelisation and synodal engagement.
By Vatican News
The World Apostolate of Fatima (WAF), a Public International Association of the Faithful of Pontifical Right, held a two-day Marian Congress on July 15–16 in Pilar, Goa, marking 70 years of the Apostolate’s mission in the region. The event, guided by the message of Fatima, gathered clergy, religious, and laity to renew their commitment to prayer, evangelisation, and synodal engagement.
More than 150 participants joined the overnight programme, with nearly 300 attending the Eucharistic celebration on the second day. The Congress featured spiritual reflections, catechesis, practical workshops, and communal prayer, all centred on deepening Marian devotion and strengthening parish life through lay involvement.
Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao, Archbishop of Goa and Daman, presided over the Midday Eucharistic Celebration on the second day. In his homily, he underscored the urgent call of Our Lady of Fatima to pray the Rosary daily for peace in the world, a message as relevant today as it was over a century ago.
The Congress also featured reflections from key speakers. Dr. Fr. Jason Fernandes addressed parish renewal through the intercession of Mary, while Rev. Fr. Kennet Teles, Episcopal Vicar for the South Zone, reminded the faithful of the core Fatima message: penance, prayer, and conversion. Rev. Fr. Jose Fernandes urged participants to live out the Fatima message in contemporary society.
The programme included Ignatian-inspired prayer sessions, meditations on the Rosary, and teachings on Marian devotions. Workshops offered practical strategies to grow WAF parish units and prayer cells, aligning them with the wider vision of the Church’s synodal path toward Mission 2033. These sessions drew directly from the final Synodal Assembly document and the CCBI’s roadmap for a more participatory Church.
The Congress also honoured former WAF-Goa Executive Committee members who had served faithfully through the decades and active WAF parish units were recognised for their ongoing evangelising mission, a testament to the enduring vitality of the Apostolate at the grassroots level.
The event concluded with veneration of the Relics of the Fatima Saints, offering participants a moment of silent prayer and spiritual communion.
