Dear Rev. Fathers, Religious, Sisters and Brothers, and Beloved Faithful in Christ, Grace and blessings of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you!
As we prepare for Walk for Life 2025, organized by our Eva Pro-Life Movement in association with Kalyan Kudumba Koottayma, I write to you with great joy and deep pastoral concern. This event has become a powerful expression of our commitment to the Gospel of Life, calling each one of us to stand courageously for the dignity of every human person.
This year, as we walk together, I invite you to reflect on the footsteps of St. Joseph, the silent yet steadfast guardian of life. Guided by Divine instruction, Joseph protected the infant Jesus from the murderous intent of King Herod. With unwavering faith, he journeyed with Mary, embracing the hardships of exile so that the Child entrusted to him might live. In defending Jesus, he defended the future of humanity. In supporting Mary, he strengthened the mission of life.
Today, we are called to the same mission. Like Joseph, we must rise when God calls, act with courage, and protect life wherever it is threatened. Like Mary, we must nurture life with tenderness, hope, and total trust in God. Their holy partnership becomes the model for every Christian family and for our entire Archeparchy.
I was blessed to be the ninth child in my family. Growing up in a home where every life—no matter how many—was welcomed with love, I learned early that life is never a burden but always a gift. My parents embraced each child with deep faith and trust in God’s providence. For many years, we believed there were nine of us. Our firstborn sibling passed away just a few days after birth, and over time, his brief life became something we rarely spoke about. Only recently did we recognize this unintended neglect. Today, we honor the truth that we are ten children, even though none of us— not even our father—ever saw our eldest sibling. Only our mother held him, and through her memory, we now remember and acknowledge him as part of our family.
It is precisely in this cultural context that Walk for Life becomes an essential mission. It is more than a public event; it is a heartfelt procession of faith. Each step we take is a testimony that life, from the very first moment of conception until natural death, is sacred. We walk for the unborn who have no voice, for mothers and fathers facing difficult choices, for the elderly who fear abandonment, for the sick and disabled who often feel unseen, and for all whose dignity is threatened.
I appeal especially to our families—the domestic churches of our Archeparchy—to see this event as an opportunity for renewal. Use this moment to teach your children that every human life, regardless of stage or circumstance, deserves protection and reverence. Let our youth come forward with vigor, showing society that they stand proudly for truth, compassion, and moral courage.
Dear priests and religious, I entrust to you the joyful responsibility of animating your communities for this mission. Encourage parish participation through prayer, catechesis, and dialogue. Let your homilies kindle conviction. Let your example inspire action. Together, let us make Walk for Life 2025 a moment of grace for our whole Archeparchy.
I also urge all the faithful to surround this event with fervent prayer. Without prayer, our steps risk becoming merely symbolic; with prayer, they become transformative.
May this year’s Walk for Life inspire deeper compassion, stronger convictions, and renewed commitment within our communities. Let us walk as St. Joseph walked—faithful, courageous, and obedient to God’s call.
Invoking the intercession of the Holy Family, I impart my heartfelt blessings to you all. With love and blessings in Christ,
Mar Sebastian Vaniyapurackal,
Metropolitan Archbishop of Kalyan
