Spiritual ‘adoption’ of priests by Asansol diocese families

(January 5, 2010) Catholics in Asansol diocese in eastern India’s West Bengal state are spiritually "adopting" priests as their answer to Pope Benedict XVI's call to observe the Year for Priests. Families who do so pray for that priest every day. The Pope declared a year dedicated to priests starting from June 19, 2009. Roshomoy Hansda, from the Virgin of the Poor parish in Ambika Kalna, said his family's "adopting" of Father Francis Bodugu from Katwa Parish had brought them closer to the priest. "We pray for him especially during the rosary and evening prayers which we do as a family each day," said the 46-year-old head teacher of a government-managed primary school and a Catholic lay leader. The family also recites together a special prayer Asansol diocese has distributed among its parishes. Some 250 families of the parish have each adopted a priest from their diocese and are praying for him during the special year. Another Catholic, Joy Hansda and his family pray for Father Raj Shekhar, a diocesan priest who studies in Pune, western India. The 42-year old bank employee says they pray for priests during family prayers but this year they were happy to have someone to pray for in a special way. Virgin of the Poor parish priest Jesuit Father Sebastian Xalxo, said the diocese had provided a list of 81 priests and asked Catholics to pray for them. He said the spiritual adoption helps create a personal bond created between the priests and the families which is mutually supportive.