ABHAS Community Makes Holy Door Pilgrimage at St. Peter’s Basilica

Rome, April 10, 2025: The ABHAS (Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Samuday) community, a Hindi-speaking ecclesial group based in Rome, made a pilgrimage to the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica on Sunday, April 6. The group, which comprises priests, religious sisters, and brothers hailing mainly from the Chota Nagpur plateau in Eastern India, embarked on the pilgrimage as part of their observance of the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year 2025.

The day commenced with a gathering at the Jesuit General Curia on Borgo Santo Spirito, where Fr. Cristdhari Kujur, SJ, offered a profound reflection titled “Pathways to Forgiveness: Indulgence and the Sacrament of Reconciliation”. Drawing from Scripture, Church teaching, and personal missionary experience, he emphasised that the journey of a pilgrim through the Holy Door symbolises a spiritual passage from sin to grace and from isolation to communion with the Lord.

Participants then received the Sacrament of Reconciliation, preparing their hearts for the indulgence granted through the pilgrimage.

With spirits renewed, the pilgrims proceeded to Piazza Pia near St. Peter’s Basilica. There, Fr. Vijay Toppo, President of ABHAS, welcomed the group. He gave a brief reflection on God’s mercy and then led the procession into the basilica.

Carrying the Jubilee cross and Indian flags, the pilgrims walked reverently through the Holy Door while reciting prayers and singing hymns in Hindi and Sadri. Sr. Anugrah FC and her team animated the procession with devotional music, the Rosary, and spontaneous prayers. The solemn walk through the basilica took about an hour, during which many participants knelt, touched the Holy Door, and offered personal prayers of gratitude and repentance. The pilgrimage concluded inside with the profession of the Creed and a final blessing.

Returning to the Jesuit Curia, the community participated in a celebration of the Holy Eucharist in the chapel. The celebration was presided over by Fr. Sanjay Tirkey, CSsR. In his homily, Fr. Sanjay urged the congregation to become “pilgrims of mercy and messengers of hope”, carrying the fruits of the pilgrimage into their daily lives and missions.

Fr. Vijay Toppo closed the event by expressing sincere thanks to all who contributed to the planning and spiritual animation of the day. The evening ended in fellowship, with light refreshments and warm exchanges among members, marking not just the end of a pilgrimage but the beginning of renewed commitment to faith and service.

The pilgrimage stood as a powerful testament to unity in diversity and the living faith of the Hindi-speaking Catholic community in Rome, resonating deeply with the spirit of the Jubilee Year.

By Fr. Sanjay Tirkey CSsR

ABHAS Member