HOPE AND LIFE MOVEMENT

The Hope & Life Movement was started by Mrs Antoinette D’Souza who brought the movement from France to Mumbai. Bishop Bosco Penha then took the initiative and made it an Ecclesiastical Association in our Diocese of Bombay. Our association has grown spiritually and has spread to nearly half the number of parishes of our diocese.

Our earlier Ecclesiastical Advisor was Msgr Nereus Rodrigues, and our present Ecclesiastical Advisor is Fr Vernon Aguiar.

The purpose of this association is to help our widows. We try to bring joy to their lives, to help them to accept the will of God, and to move on.

The Hope & Life Movement at St Michael’s comprises a leader, secretary, treasurer and two core group members.

The group maintains a register of 16 members on its rolls. Our monthly meetings are held every second Thursday at 5.30 pm.

The meetings begin with a short prayer. There is Bible sharing, attendance taking and minutes reading. We also have a bag passed around wherein members secretly put their contributions.

The parish priest helps widows having financial difficulties with Rs 500 each. At present two members of the Hope & Life movement receive this.

Two retreats and two recollections are organised every year by the president of the movement, Mrs Jeanette Pinto.

Members visit our home-bound members and help to bring their groceries or help to buy their medicines if they are unable to get them. 

A visit to an orphanage is also undertaken. We visit the Clergy Home once a year and a sum of Rs 1000 is given to them as a small token.