“The archdiocese of Verapoly has successfully completed 125 years. At this moment of gaiety, it should be noted that its contributions are not confined to its four walls alone, but to all fields, including education, health and many others,” said Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
He was inaugurating the 125th year jubilee fete of Verapoly archdiocese here on Sunday. Chandy said that the Cochin Shipyard, which is one of the prominent Central government institutions, could not have been a reality had it be not for the magnanimity shown by the archdiocese.
The CM also exhorted the gathering to keep up the secular spirit which the state has upheld from time immemorial.
The Chief Minister also launched ‘Snehasparsham’, a scheme initiated by the Verapoly archdiocese aiming to enrich the families. Apostolic Nuncio to India Archbishop Salvatore Pennachio, the chief guest at the valedictory celebrations, said that the diocese had always shown immense interest in coordinating several developmental activities.
He exhorted the masses to closely monitor the social networking sites and other media. “The apprehension pertaining to the kind of information that it has been generating is on the rise. Hence, a close monitoring of the media is the only option,” he said.
He also lauded the contributions made by the diocese for the environment. “Across the globe, the efforts to preserve the eco system is proceeding at a fast pace.
At this juncture, the contributions made by the Verapoly archdiocese is worth appreciating,” he said. Archbishop Salvatore Pennachio also declared 2012 as the ‘Year of Faith’. The day also saw a historical declaration by Francis Kallarakkal, archbishop of Verapoly archdiocese.
He has called for a synod for the first time in the past 100 years. K V Thomas, Union Minister of State for Agriculture released the Education and Health Policy.
Excise Minister K Babu, Archbishop of Thiruvananthapuram Rev Soosa Pakiam, Charles Dias MP, MLAs Hibi Eden, Dominic Presentation, Ludy Luiz, and Mayor Tony Chammany attended the meet.