Diocese of Dindigul. Tamil Nadu. India

Message of the Month
June 2026

“Learn from Me, for I am Gentle and Humble of Heart“

My dear Fathers, Religious, Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Greetings of peace and blessings to you in the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

On 12 June 2026, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. This beautiful feast invites us to enter into the very heart of our faith: the love of Christ. The Heart of Jesus is not merely a symbol of devotion; it is the living centre of the Gospel. It is the heart that loved us first, the heart pierced for us, the heart that continues to pour out mercy, healing, forgiveness, and peace upon the world.

In his encyclical Dilexit Nos, Pope Francis reminds us that the Sacred Heart of Jesus reveals the “human and divine love” of Christ. He invites the whole Church to return to the heart, especially in a world that often seems to have lost its heart. When life becomes hurried, mechanical, competitive, and wounded by indifference, the Heart of Jesus calls us back to what is essential: love, compassion, tenderness, and mercy.

The Sacred Heart teaches us that Christianity is not first of all an idea, a structure, or a programme. It is an encounter with a Person who loves us. Pope Francis says that in the Heart of Christ “we find the whole Gospel.” In that Heart, we discover who God is, and we also discover who we are. We are loved, forgiven, called, and sent.

The words of Jesus remain our guide: “Learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart” (Mt 11:29). Gentleness and humility are not weaknesses. They are the strength of God’s love. The Heart of Jesus is gentle because it welcomes the wounded. It is humble because it bends down to serve. It is merciful because it never tires of forgiving. It is loving because it gives itself completely.

As a Diocese, let us dedicate ourselves anew to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Let every parish, every family, every school, every religious community, and every pastoral ministry become a place where the Heart of Christ is seen and experienced.

Dear Fathers, as we begin a new pastoral year, I wish each one of you a blessed and fruitful ministry. May you be shepherds after the Heart of Christ. Pope Leo XIV has recently reminded priests that priestly ministry must be rooted in prayer, lived in union with the Lord, and expressed in service to God’s holy people. He has also invited priests to be builders of unity and peace, and to renew their devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

This is a timely exhortation for all of us. Our people do not need priests who are merely administrators of institutions. They need shepherds with a heart. They need priests who listen, accompany, heal, encourage, and lead them closer to Christ. A priest after the Heart of Jesus is gentle without being weak, firm without being harsh, humble without losing courage, and merciful without compromising truth.

May this new pastoral year renew in every priest the joy of his vocation. May our presbyterium grow in fraternity, mutual support, and missionary zeal. May our parishes become communities of communion, participation, and mission.

I also extend my prayerful wishes to our men and women religious, especially those who are beginning a new ministry or moving to a new place of service. Every transfer involves both sacrifice and hope. It asks us to leave behind familiar people and places, and to begin again with faith. May the Sacred Heart of Jesus accompany you in your new mission. Wherever you are sent, may you carry the fragrance of Christ’s compassion. May your consecrated life continue to be a sign of God’s tenderness among the poor, the young, the sick, the elderly, and all those who seek meaning and hope.

To our school and college communities, I offer my affectionate blessings as the new academic year begins. Dear children, boys and girls, and young people, may this year be fruitful for you. Study with discipline. Grow in wisdom. Respect your teachers. Love your parents. Build good friendships. Use your talents well. Education is not only for success in life; it is for becoming good human beings. Learn to be truthful, kind, responsible, and generous.

To our teachers, heads of institutions, and staff members, I thank you for your dedicated service. You do not merely teach subjects; you shape lives. In every classroom, may the Heart of Jesus be reflected through patience, fairness, encouragement, and care.

Dear parents, your home is the first school of love. Let your children learn from you the values of prayer, respect, hard work, simplicity, and faith. A family formed by the Heart of Jesus becomes a small domestic Church, where love is practiced every day.

As we celebrate the Sacred Heart of Jesus, let us also examine our own hearts. Are our hearts becoming like His? Are we gentle in our speech? Are we humble in our service? Are we merciful in our judgments? Are we loving in our relationships? Devotion to the Sacred Heart is not complete unless it changes our daily life.

Let our Diocese become a community with a heart: a heart for the poor, a heart for the young, a heart for the elderly, a heart for the suffering, a heart for families, a heart for vocations, and a heart for mission.

May the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus bless our Diocese of Dindigul. May He renew our priests, strengthen our religious, guide our students, bless our families, and make all of us witnesses of His gentleness, humility, mercy, and love.

With my prayerful blessings,

+ Most Rev Thomas Paulsamy P.

Bishop of Dindigul