His Eminence Arthur Cardinal Roche, Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, visited Sri Lanka on September 2 and met with priests and religious of the Northern and Eastern dioceses.
The gathering was convened by the Northern and Eastern Bishops’ Council, chaired by its president, Rt. Rev. Dr. Noel Emmanuel, Bishop of Trincomalee.
The event began with a Eucharistic celebration, followed by discussions on pastoral and ecclesial matters. At the outset, Cardinal Roche was welcomed with traditional Tamil cultural honors.
In his keynote address on the theme “Eucharist: Fountain of Synodality through Communion,” the Cardinal reflected on the centrality of the Eucharist in fostering communion within the Church.
Among those present were Rt. Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Fernando, Bishop Emeritus of Mannar; Rt. Rev. Dr. Anton Ranjith, Apostolic Administrator of Batticaloa, along with more than 200 priests from the Northern and Eastern dioceses, who actively participated in the event.
