By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: As many as 300 Catholic Christian pilgrims led by Rev. Fr Auggie Khrawlang Warbah, the Assistant Parish Priest of St. Stephen’s Parish, Sawsymper, of Shillong Archdiocese made a 13-hour walk from Sawsymper Parish to the Cathedral Parish of Mary Help of Christians, Shillong (about 60 km) on Wednesday.
This spiritual journey is the first of its kind to be undertaken in North East India, where many Christian faithful participated in a spirit of prayer and reflection.
The intention of the pilgrimage, which is a spiritual venture of the Prayer Group of St. Stephen’s Parish under the guidance of Rev. Fr. Auggie and the leadership of Charles Kharraswai, was to re enact the sufferings of Jesus Christ during the Holy Week, and to profess the deep faith in God during this year of faith as declared by the retired Holy Father, Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI.
The pilgrims, hailing from different villages of the Parish and even from neighbouring parishes of Mawkyrwat, Marbisu and Wahlang, started off their voyage at 2.00 am.
As part of the remote preparation for the pilgrimage, Rev. Fr. Auggie exhorted the faithful to go on a pilgrimage praying all along the way. The pilgrims spent their time in communion with the Lord, in praying, chanting praises, in reading and reflecting the Word of God (i.e. the Bible).
Fr. Auggie, who was a Jesuit for 16 years, who had initiated a 20-day long pilgrimage from Siliguri to Calcutta way back in 1992 along with his companions, served as the inspiration for the pilgrimage.
Pilgrimage has its root and background in the Bible which the Word of God and the Holy Book of Christians.
