This Church building is a blessing, let us express gratitude to God- Fr. Rafhan Fayyaz
Gujranwala (Suzanna Joseph): The faithful of Buttranwali, Gujranwala found elusive rays of hope as the first “Thanksgiving Mass” for newly built St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Buttranwali was celebrated by Rev. Fr. Rafhan Fayyaz, Parish Priest St. Joseph’s Parish Gujranwala on Sunday, September 6, 2020. The program was organized by Babu Pervez Khan.
In his opening statement Fr. Rafhan warmly welcomed the parishioners and encouraged their efforts in remodeling the church, through self-support. More than 300 faithful believers attended the Mass, including neighboring towns. Local church choir led in singing of hymns and psalms. The Mass was followed by a tableau on a Gospel song.
The order of Mass was as follows:
The First Reading was taken from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel 33:7-9.
The Second Reading was from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans 13:8-10.
The Gospel was from St. Matthew 18:15-20.
In his homily Fr. Rafhan said, “God has graced us with our new St. Mary’s church. We are grateful for gathering here in this church, offering its first Thanksgiving Eucharist Mass for accomplishing the remodeling of this church. Although minute details remain, it is our spiritual duty and our joy to be thankful in all circumstances”, he continued.
“We are celebrating the Holy Mass which means ‘thanksgiving’ because God has showered his mercies and blessings upon us and we stand witnesses to this. Today’s reading also reflects that we unite in love. So, we are gathered here as one family in Christ for the praise and glory of his name. We must carry a heart full of love as Saint Paul says ‘love is the fulfillment of the law.’ This commandment must reflect in our lives. Since God is love we too must love each other”, he emphasized.
“Our unity today, here in Buttranwali, is the fulfillment of this very law. It reflects God’s love, his omnipresence. So, let us give thanks and also seek guidance for the leftover details. We also ask God’s blessing on all the families who have been part of the generous contributions. We also pray that we remain steadfast in faith, the message of his love and his blessings seep into the depths of our hearts and become fruitful through our lives”, he concluded.
Buttranwali is one of the sub-stations of St. Joseph’s Parish Gujranwala. It is about 7 kms away from the Parish, among Muslim majority. St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Buttranwali, is a part of Catholic Archdiocese of Lahore, Pakistan. The capacity of the old Church was 100-110 people and it was built in 1988.
Also Read: Parishioners at Gujranwala start to rebuild the Church with self reliance.
Catholic Community in Buttranwali rebuilt the church with self-support under the guidance of (Late) Fr. Samran Anwar. The foundation stone of St. Mary’s Catholic Church was laid by Rev. Fr. Samran Anwar (late) on November 17, 2019. He was a highly devoted and enthusiastic priest in the Archdiocese of Lahore. Our heavenly Father called Fr. Samran Anwer to his eternal home at the untimely age of thirty-three on June 06, 2020, while he was serving actively as the Parish Priest of St. Joseph’s Parish Gujranwala, in the Archdiocese of Lahore.
Also Read: A Faithful and Humble Servant of the Lord Fr. Samran Anwer (1988-2020)
Now, the work has been completely stopped due to the shortage of funds. Basic installations, such as main church wooden door, eight windows, roof ceiling and electric wiring, still remain a challenge for the community. But on urgent basis, the church needs a wooden door and windows so that the church building can be secured from any breach.
The estimated cost details are:
Wooden door 150,000/-
Windows 130,000/-
Ceiling 160,000/- and
Electric wiring 140,000/- (all values refer in PKR).
Contributions in this regard will be highly appreciated.
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