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Pope Francis to visit Morocco, conduct mass

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Casablanca (Morocco), March 5 (IANS) Pope Francis will visit Morocco at the end of the month and conduct mass on March 31 in the presence of 10,000 people, many of them migrants, church officials said on Tuesday.

The mass would take place at a stadium, located on the outskirts of the Moroccan capital Rabat, Archbishops Cristobal Lopez of Rabat and Santiago Agrelo of Tanger said at a press conference at Our Lady of Lourdes Church here, reported Efe news.

Agrelo said the migrants would come to “hear (from the pope) a clear word about the situation of those who are in transit (between nations) and are legally defenseless.”

In June 2018, Moroccan authorities began a crackdown against migrants arriving as undocumented individuals in the North African country, many from sub-Saharan Africa.

There are around 30,000 followers of Catholicism in Morocco.

The Catholic church will transport the faithful from their cities of residence to the 50,000-seat Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium to attend the mass.

Francis will be the second pope to travel to the Muslim-majority country after the visit of Pope St. John Paul II in 1985 to Casablanca.

On his trip’s first day, March 30, Francis is expected to see a Caritas center, where Catholic aid workers help migrants with health, education and legal issues.

The pontiff would also visit on March 31 a social service centre, run by the Daughters of Charity, as well as a centre for burn-injury patients.

He will be welcomed by Morocco’s King Mohammed VI at the Rabat airport.

Last month, Francis led an open-air mass in the United Arab of Emirates, as part of his historic trip as the first head of the Catholic Church to visit the Arabian Peninsula.

Hundreds of thousands attended the mass at Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

–IANS
pg/pcj

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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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