Udupi: Belleans celebrate Annual Feast with great fervor and devotion

By Dr. Eugene DSouza, Moodubelle
Pics by Anil Alva
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi, Jan 8, 2014 : After many days of preparation through novena, Confraternity Sunday and Vespers, Belleans celebrated the Annual Parish Feast in honour of their patron, St. Lawrence with great fervor, gaiety and devotion on Wednesday, 8 January 2014.

Parishioners in their festive best began to  arrive quite in time so as to get the vantage seats within the church. As they entered the premises, many were found to make their way to the Shrine of St. Lawrence and pray for the favours that they seek and also thank the saint for the favours that they had received so far by lighting candles by the side of the shrine.

 

The brass band playing tunes of different melodious hymns welcomed the devotees of St. Lawrence to the Church. The sound of the band manifested the festive atmosphere within the vicinity of the church. A number of non-Catholic brothers and sisters including a police inspector were found to visit the shrine of the saint and offer candles.

 

 

The solemn Feast Mass commenced at 10.15 am. The chief celebrant, Rev. Fr. Chetan (OFM Cap)-Director of Liturgical Commission of the Udupi Diocese along with other priests including Rev. Fr. Fred Mascarenhas, Dean of Udupi Deanery and Rev. Fr. Joswey Fernandes, Parish priest of Moodubelle proceeded to the main entrance of the church as Alphonse K. Alva, Vice President of the Parish Pastoral Council welcomed the priests and the faithful.

 

 

 

Passages from the scripture were read by Mrs. Rovita Fernandes and Charles Quadros.

Rev. Fr. Chetan (OFM Cap) in his homily  said that the Annual Feast of the parish coming shortly after the Christmas season is quite significant.  It is an occasion when family members, relatives and friends come together and share their bond. St. Lawrence has been known as ‘Saint of Miracles’. Besides popular legends associated with St. Lawrence, there are many important aspects of his life that are not known to many.  Jesus chose poor persons as his disciples and founded the church. When the emperor of Rome wanted to appropriate the wealth of the church and asked Deacon Lawrence to deliver it, he gathered the poor and infirm from the streets of Rome and presented them to the emperor as the wealth of the church.  He also recalled the name chosen by the present Pope Francis who has taken his papal name after St. Francis of Assisi  signifies the attempt of the pope to take the church to its root, the ‘church of the poor’.

 

 

At the end of the Festive Mass, Rev. Fr. Joswey Fernandes conveyed the greetings of the annual parish feast to all parishioners residing in Belle as well as in other cities of India and abroad. He thanked the chief celebrant Rev. Fr. Chetan (OFM Cap) and other priests who participated in the festive mass. He also expressed gratitude to all the office bearers and members of different parish associations and parishioners in general.

The choir trained by Fr. Paul Sequeira and conducted by Clive Quadros rendered melodious hymns that  enhanced the aura of the solemn festive mass. Keyboard was played by Ashish Alva.

Prior to the commencement of the Solemn Festive Mass, Rev. Fr. Joswey Fernandes distributed ‘Candles of Honour’ to the resident priests, office bearers of various parish associations, gurkars and mud-dhoms. Those sponsors who had supported different events related with the annual parish feast were honoured at the end of the mass.

Following the end of the feast mass, people were seen greeting each other and many visiting different stalls. The ICYM and YCS Units had set up stalls with lucky games.