Infant Jesus festival calls faithful to pilgrimage and prayer

GULBARGA, Karnataka (Indian Catholic News) — The bishop of Gulbarga has invited Catholics to undertake a pilgrimage to the diocesan Infant Jesus Shrine and celebrate its annual festival with devotion and faith, seeking God’s grace and blessings.

 “As in previous years, we shall celebrate the annual Feast Festival of the Infant Jesus with great joy from 6th to 8th November of this year,” Bishop Robert Miranda of Gulbarga announced in a circular dated Oct. 1, welcoming the faithful to participate in the celebrations at the Infant Jesus Shrine in Bhalki, located in the Bidar Deanery of the Diocese of Gulbarga.

“This joyful celebration is a time of God’s grace for us,” he added, urging the faithful to “participate in the celebrations of this festival with devotion and faith, and become worthy of the grace and blessings of God and the Infant Jesus.”

The shrine was blessed and inaugurated by then-Bishop Aloysius Paul of Mangalore in 2000. Since then, devotees from near and far have visited the shrine to pray with faith, with many undertaking Paada Yatra, or pilgrimage on foot. Parents also bring their babies for the Javala ceremony, the first cutting of a child’s hair. Special Masses and novena prayers in honour of the Infant Jesus are held every Thursday.

Pilgrimage and pastoral services

Bishop Miranda described the pilgrimage as both an act of penance and an expression of faith. “The pilgrimage we undertake is not only a symbol of penance for all our sins, but also a testimony of our faith,” he said.

He called on priests, religious sisters, pastoral council members and ward pastoral committee members to help organize pilgrimages bringing people from villages and local centres to the shrine.

Pilgrimages may be undertaken any day from Oct. 2 to Nov. 8. Groups are asked to inform the shrine director in advance so arrangements can be made for prayers, confessions and Mass upon their arrival.

During the festival, free food distribution will take place after Mass. Priests and religious sisters will also be available to hear confessions, facilitate darshan – prayerful visits to the shrine to venerate the Infant Jesus, offer prayers for healing and mental peace, and conduct the Javala ceremony.

The bishop also appealed for financial support to meet the festival’s expenses. He asked that collections taken up in churches on the first Sunday of November be contributed toward the celebration.

“Every family is requested to cooperate by contributing a minimum of 500 rupees (about $5),” the circular said. Donors contributing more than 3,000 rupees will be recognised before the festival Mass.

Bishop Miranda urged the faithful to give generously and receive the blessings of the Infant Jesus.

Full statement available: original Kannada and AI‑generated English translation.