Mumbai: Catholic groups in the city are all prepared to witness and participate in the 33rd year of ‘walking pilgrimage’ of the Archdiocese of Mumbai. People from across faith join this annual walk to commemorate the historic incident of Jesus walking the way to Calvary with his mother and his disciples.
The annual overnight walk will commence at 10.30 pm from Cross Maidan near Dhobi Talao and end at Mount Mary’s Basilica in Bandra. Archbishop of Bombay Oswald Cardinal Gracious will flag off the pilgrimage walk, where people will walk over 18 km to Bandra, which symbolises the hilly roads of Jesus’ way to Cavalry. The pilgrimage will be followed by an early morning mass at 6 am.
Yohann Rodrigues from Salvation Church Dadar, who has been participating in the walk for several years said, “We all wait for the most important part of our lent, where we experience our walk with the Lord and his mother. Through this journey of our way of the walking pilgrimage, we experience the way Jesus walked the way to Calvary.”
Hundreds of people across different faiths join this annual pilgrimage, which is held during the Lenten season. The walk helps attendees to self-introspect and gives them the space to forgive their faults. The experience through this journey is knowing more to walk on the path of Jesus, how to forgive and to love others.
Sharon Fernandes from St. Teresa’s Church, Girgaon said, “Every year is a prayerful experience. We feel blessed walking with people praying in different languages.” Dadar resident Joseph Fernandes said, “One thing I love about the walk is watching people come together to sing hymns. It’s good to witness the community come together every year for this.”
