In the quiet hills of Sancta Maria, where the temporary Diocesan Centre of Pekhon Diocese now stands, hundreds of faithful gathered on June 12 to honor the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the patron of their diocese. It was a day of devotion, resilience, and hope—a reminder that even in the midst of displacement and uncertainty, the Heart of Jesus beats with unfailing love.

The Thanksgiving Mass was presided over by Vicar General Rev. Fr. Robert Sharbet, accompanied by 21 priests, with hundreds of devotees filling the space. June, the month dedicated to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, had brought them together not just to pray, but to recommit themselves to imitating that Heart—filled with love, compassion, tenderness, and forgiveness.

A Call to Synodal Communion

During the introduction of the Mass, the Vicar General invited all the priests, religious, and faithful working in the diocese to dedicate the diocese to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and to work together in communion with the synodal spirit.

“The infinite love of the Father shone through the Heart of Jesus, who loved us even unto death,” he said, his voice carrying through the humble gathering place.

The faithful listened intently, many with faces marked by the hardships of recent years. They had come from displaced communities, from makeshift camps, from homes that no longer existed. But here, in the presence of the Sacred Heart, they found a reason to hold on.

The Homily: A Heart Alive with Love

Rev. Fr. Beda Mg Lay delivered the homily, drawing from the Love of God shown through His only Son, who has given Himself for us and for the salvation of the whole world.

“The Heart of Jesus is always active and alive because of LOVE,” Fr. Beda said. “So should our hearts be filled and rejuvenated by the love we have for each other.”

His words hung in the air, touching the hearts of those who had lost so much. He spoke not of grand theological concepts, but of a love that is practical, tangible, and life-giving—the kind of love that sustains communities even when everything else has crumbled.

A Diocese in Crisis, A Faith Unshaken

The Pekhon Diocese has been tested in ways few could have imagined. Of its 17 parishes, eight have been forced to shut down—including the Diocesan Centre in Pekhon itself—due to the conflicts that have ravaged the region for nearly half a decade. Thousands of faithful have been impelled to leave their homeland, seeking refuge in the jungle as internally displaced persons.

But on this feast day, the people did not come to mourn. They came to give thanks.

“Thank God that we are strengthened and guarded by the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the maternal intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, especially in this critical moment,” the Vicar General said before the dismissal of the Mass.

Together, they dedicated and entrusted the diocese to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus—a gesture of faith that has sustained them through the darkest days.

A Fellowship of Hope

After the Thanksgiving Mass, all the devotees together with the priests shared a fellowship meal. It was a simple meal, but it was shared with the warmth of a community that has learned to find joy in small things.

Children laughed as they played nearby, their voices a stark contrast to the silence of the displaced camps. Elders sat together, their faces lined with years of hardship but softened by the comfort of being among their own.

A woman named Maria, who had fled her home with nothing but her children and her rosary, shared her story with a visitor. “I don’t know what the future holds,” she said, “but I know the Heart of Jesus holds us. That is enough.”

A Light in the Darkness

As the sun began to set over Sancta Maria, the faithful slowly dispersed, carrying with them the warmth of the day’s celebration. They returned to their camps, their temporary shelters, their lives of uncertainty—but they returned with renewed hope.

The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, their patron, had not abandoned them. In the midst of displacement, in the face of unimaginable loss, the Heart that beats with infinite love continued to sustain them.

And so, in the hills of Sancta Maria, a diocese that has lost so much found the strength to keep going. Not because the struggles were over—they were not. But because they had been reminded that they were loved. And for the faithful of Pekhon, that love was more than enough.

By RVA Kayan Service