Parishes

Pastoral Work

St. Ignatius Loyola sometimes ended his letters to fellow Jesuits with the words, “Ite, inflammate omnia” – A Latin expression that translates, “Go, set the world on fire.” Keeping this in mind, Jesuit pastors working in the Bombay Province have a common goal and vision of building up an integrated, fully alive, inter-faith human community, in order to actualize the reign of God. The Bombay Province Jesuits animate Christian communities in three parishes in Mumbai city, three parishes in Vasai, and at various centres in Manor, Ashagad, Talasari, Uplat, Shirpur, and Nashik. The Shrine of the Infant Jesus in Nashik is also run by the Jesuits. It is a popular place of pilgrimage and devotion for many people from Nashik, Mumbai, Pune and other places.

Jesuit pastors in the 21st century are called upon to be more and more proactive, productive and prophetic, and are called to respond to five main challenges:

To build basic human communities, open to other religions and cultures.
To develop creative paradigms of pastoral approaches with reference to inculturation, dialogue and liberation.
To respond to the aspirations of the youth of today and prepare them for their rightful role in the Church and society.
To live and contextualize faith that does justice and works for reconciliation in the parish-ministry.
To work actively towards the realization of a participatory Church offering full scope to lay men and women in all parish praxis.