Kolkata’s first Bible procession draws thousands

(March 12, 2012) More than 5,000 people attended the first Bible procession in eastern India’s Kolkata city on Sunday to help Catholics appreciate the Word of God more. Archbishop Thomas D’Souza of Calcutta led the two-hour procession that included the Stations of the Cross by a city parish. “Catholics do not have much devotion to the Bible as members of other Churches. The procession would inspire them give greater importance to the Word of God,” said the convener of the Bible procession, Fr. Ignatius Philo Sarto of Calcutta archdiocese. According to him, Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), the capital of West Bengal state, is often considered a city of processions, especially under the Marxists-led coalition government for 34 years. “We thought why not organize a Bible procession to express our faith,” Fr. Sarto added. Christians form only 0.6 percent of 92 million people in the fourth most populated state in India. The regional council of the Small Christian Communities (SCC) organized the two-hour procession as part of the anniversary of “Dei Verbum” (the Latin for the “Word of God”), one of the major documents of the Second Vatican Council of the Catholic Church. Kolkata also hosted a three-day workshop for the national council of the Small Christian Communities, which was attended by some 110 delegates, including 12 bishops.