Mother Mary herself invites us to pray the Rosary for world peace and she too  joins us as she did during her apparitions. A plenary indulgence may be gained by those who recite five decades of the Rosary as a community of persons, whether in the church, in the families, religious houses and associations. A partial indulgence may be gained when recited in other circumstances. Pastors are warmly invited to explain the beauty and benefits of praying the Rosary as taught by the Popes over the centuries, especially in Marialis Cultus and Rosarium Virginis Mariae.

Ordination to the Diaconate: On 15 October, six of our seminarians would be ordained to be deacons in St Sebastian’s church, Bendur. I invite all to offer prayerful support to our candidates. Pope Francis beautifully explained the nature and mission of the order of diaconate: “Deacons remind the Church that it should have ‘a heart that burns with love and serves with humility and joy’.” The distinct identity of deacons is rooted in charity and outreach to the poor and sick; diaconate is a key way to represent the servanthood of Jesus.

Mission Sunday: On 18 October, the universal Church celebrates the Mission Sunday. Pope Leo in his message for the 100th World Mission Day 2026, has underlined the theme of “One in Christ, united in mission.” He invites the whole Church to advance together in the commitment to evangelization, in this “new missionary age”, in the history of the Church. Jesus’ ardent desire is that the whole human race be united in the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. This union gives rise to mutual communion among believers and is the source of all missionary fruitfulness. Our gaze must be on Jesus, so that he may truly be at the centre
of every word, action and interpersonal relationship. The unity of the disciples must be directed towards mission, “So that the world may believe that you have sent me” (Jn 17:21). Reiterating the teaching of Pope Francis, Pope Leo says that “proclaiming the Gospel is an action that is always harmonious, communal and synodal.” Let us ardently fulfil the desire of the Lord expressed in his prayer during the Last Supper. Every baptized is, therefore, sent to proclaim “the Gospel of God’s faithful love, which became flesh in the face and life of Jesus Christ.
”May Mother Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary, intercede for us.