Pastoral message focuses on scripture, children, suffering 

VELLORE, Tamil Nadu (Indian Catholic News) — In his September pastoral message, Bishop Ambrose Pitchaimuthu of Vellore invited Catholics to honour Mary, help carry the burdens of others, offer compassionate presence to the suffering, and let Scripture shape their daily lives.  

Published in the diocesan newsletter, the Bishop of Vellore outlined key observations for the month: the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Sept. 8, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on Sept. 14, Our Lady of Sorrows on Sept. 15, and Bible Sunday during the final week of September.  

Every birth carries a promise 

Reflecting on the birth of Mary, Bishop Pitchaimuthu emphasized that “Every birth carries a promise”. He noted that Mary was born into an “ordinary family and lived in an insignificant village,” yet “God saw in her a willing heart through whom great things could be accomplished”.  

Bishop Pitchaimuthu urged the faithful “never to underestimate small beginnings or ordinary lives” and to ensure children are protected and valued. “No child should feel inferior because of poverty, caste, family background, disability, academic performance, or social condition,” he wrote, adding that “The future of the Church and society is already present in the children growing among us today”.  

Love that remains faithful 

Turning to the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the bishop explained that the Cross reveals “the depth of God’s love” and is “not a glorification of suffering”.  

Addressing the hidden struggles within communities—such as “financial difficulties, illness, family conflicts, unemployment, loneliness, bereavement, uncertainty about the future, and many hidden struggles”—he urged believers to act. “As Christians, we should not increase the burdens of others. We are called to help carry them,” Pitchaimuthu wrote, asking, “Whose cross can I help carry?”  

The grace of remaining 

Commemorating Our Lady of Sorrows, Pitchaimuthu highlighted “the grace of remaining” beside those who endure pain. He pointed out that while believers cannot always solve every problem, “we can listen, pray, accompany, visit, console, and remain near them”.  

He specifically called on parish communities to stand by “parents who have lost children, widows and widowers, families caring for the sick, victims of violence, people experiencing broken relationships, those living with loneliness, and those carrying wounds that others may never see”. “The Church must stand beside them as Mary stood beneath the Cross,” he urged, calling for a “ministry of compassionate presence”.  

Let the Word enter our lives 

For Bible Sunday, Bishop Pitchaimuthu called on every Catholic family to give Scripture “a visible and practical place in the home” by reading at least a short passage together each day. He urged priests to ensure homilies connect scripture to real-life situations and encouraged parishes to host Bible processions, quizzes, and exhibitions.  

“Let the Bible move from the shelf to our hands, from our hands to our minds, from our minds to our hearts, and from our hearts into our lives,” Bishop Pitchaimuthu wrote, concluding that “The best way to honour the Bible is therefore not merely to read the Word but to become doers of the Word”.  

Read the pastoral message.