by Nirmala Carvalho

On April 5, the archbishop of Mumbai visited the rector of the Basilica of Mount Mary for his 92nd birthday. With his gesture the cardinal recalled "the immense and indispensable contribution that elderly priests make to the Church and society."

Mumbai (AsiaNews) - "We must become people of love, service, sacrifice with faith, hope and charity.  There is no room for discouragement and fear.  Pope Francis speaks of going out to the periphery, and Easter people with joy, courage and enthusiasm go out to transform the world with acts of charity and love.  We are called to be an Easter People, - people of full of joy and hope, full of faith and charity”, Card. Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Mumbai tells AsiaNews. The prelate visited Msgr. Nereus Rodrigues (see photo), rector of the Basilica of Mount Mary, who turned 92 years on Easter Sunday, to pay tribute to the service of elderly clergy.

Although tired from the celebrations of the Triduum, the cardinal wanted to emphasize "the immense and indispensable contribution that elderly priests make to the Church and society, especially as custodians of wisdom and experience acquired with difficulty." Card. Gracias told the community about when, 40 years ago, he was assistant of Msgr. Nereus, then pastor of the Church of the Sacred Heart in Santa Cruz.

"Msgr. Nereus - added the archbishop of Mumbai – who celebrates his birthday today and who recently celebrated 65 years of priesthood, spent all his life in the service of God and his Church. Celebrating 65 years as a priest is really an opportunity to praise the Lord, as well as being able to celebrate his birthday on the Feast of the Resurrection. "

"Easter - said Card. Gracias to AsiaNews - is the core of our Faith, Easter means that the Cross has borne fruit, death could not hold Jesus in its embrace because He is alive , Easter means that light is more powerful than darkness, love more powerful than indifference and hate. Easter means we are a people of  faith, hope courage and always will have victory, because Christ was victorious."

After graduating from the University of London and obtaining a doctorate in canon law in Rome, Msgr. Nereus Rodrigues dedicated much of his life to the apostolate of education. He has taught in elementary, middle, high schools and colleges, as well as in the seminaries. Since 1995 he has been the rector of the basilica. For the future is planning a permanent Marian exhibition, to depict the scenes of the 20 mysteries of the Rosary.

 

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