Van Mahotsav Celebrated at St. John the Baptist Church, Pilerne, in Goa

Pilerne, Goa, July 9, 2025: The Sunday Catechetical School of St. John the Baptist Church, Pilerne, Goa, celebrated Van Mahotsav 2025 on July 6 in the catechetical classrooms and at the church premises. The event, themed “Planting Love, Sharing Life”, brought together catechism students, catechists, and parents in a unique plant exchange initiative aimed at promoting environmental consciousness and fostering community bonding.

In a warm and spirited atmosphere, each catechism student arrived with a flowering plant from their home garden, ready to exchange it with a fellow student. The children eagerly waited for their plant exchange partners, their excitement palpable as they drew names from chits.

Laughter filled the classrooms and church premises as the young participants exchanged their plants, sharing life, love, and a commitment to protect nature. Parents looked on with pride while catechists guided and encouraged the children throughout the event.

Later, the catechists themselves exchanged flowering plants as a symbolic gesture of their unity and shared mission of nurturing faith and compassion in the next generation. 

The atmosphere throughout the event was one of joy, togetherness, and reverence for God’s creation. The initiative highlighted the importance of environmental responsibility rooted in Christian values. 

The event actively reminded everyone of the Bible verse, "The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it" (Genesis 2:15), urging them to treat creation not as a resource to exploit but as a gift to protect.

Van Mahotsav 2025 at St. John the Baptist Church, Pilerne, was not just an event—it was a celebration of life, faith, and togetherness, sowing seeds of environmental stewardship among the young and old alike.

By Angelina Silveira, 

Secretary,

Sunday Catechetical School – Pilerne

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