Four priests from the Archdiocese of Bombay, who were injured in an accident on Saturday evening while they were traveling back to the city after attending the installation ceremony of a new bishop in Nashik, are reported to be recovering from their injuries.
Statement from the Archdiocese of Bombay
The priests were admitted to the Holy Family Hospital, Bandra, last night, two of them with head injuries. A statement from the Archdiocese of Bombay on Sunday, said, “An accident involving four of our priests occurred during their return journey from Nashik in the evening of Saturday, February 24, 2024. Following the incident, they received immediate medical attention and have since been transferred to Holy Family Hospital, Bandra West, Mumbai for further treatment. While they are currently conscious and in stable condition, they have sustained head injuries necessitating the standard 48-hour observation protocol.”
A priest who visited his injured colleagues on Sunday morning reported that Fr Denzil Fernandes is under observation since there is an internal head injury and Fr Nelson Machado, who too had sustained head injuries, was recognising visitors. The other two priests, Father Santan Fernandes and Father Pascal Sinor, were also reportedly out of danger.
After news of the accident reached members, there were messages from members of the Catholic Church, expressing concern over their health. One of the priests, Father Santan, had been newly ordained as a priest in January. “We are very sad to hear this news because ordination of new Catholic priests is very less nowadays. We pray for their better health as soon as possible,” said one message on social media.
The priests had travelled to Nashik to attend the installation of Bishop Barthol Barretto as the new head of the Diocese of Nashik. Pope Francis appointed Barretto, a Mumbai-born priest, who was earlier an auxiliary bishop in Mumbai, as the new bishop of Nashik on December 30, 2023.
