Udupi: Feast of the Nativity of Mother Mary (Monti Festh) celebrated with devotion and fervour

By Dr. Eugene DSouza
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi/M’Belle, 8 Sept 2018: The feast of the nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Monti Festh) was celebrated with devotion and fervour in different parishes of Udupi and Mangalore Dioceses on Saturday, 8 September 2018. While children brought colourful flowers as during the past nine days of the novena, devotees of Mother Mary came to the church wearing festive dresses and broad smiles manifesting the joy and happiness of Monti Festh. Blessing and distribution of the blessed new paddy, offering of flowers to Infant Mary, holy mass and distribution of sugarcane were the chief features of the service in the church.

 

In St. Lawrence Parish, Moodubelle, the liturgy of the Monti Festh began at 8 am at the Grotto. The parishioners gathered in front of the Grotto. Children and altar servers with flowers and gurkars and representatives of various Wards stood in two lines carrying bundles of new paddy.

 

Fr. Lawrence Cutinha, Assistant Parish Priest conducted the service in front of the Grotto. Following the prayers and reading a passage from the Bible, Fr. Lawrence invoked blessings on the new paddy and blessed it by sprinkling holy water and incensing.

 

Thereafter, the parishioners went in procession inside the church. The gurkars and representatives placed the blessed paddy in front of the altar.

 

 

The solemn feast mass was jointly offered by Fr. Lawrence Cutinha and Fr. Paul (OFM Cap)-Superior of Assisi Nilaya. In his homily, Fr. Lawrence highlighted the significance of the feast of the  nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary and the importance of its celebration as the family feast.

 

At the end of the mass, candles of honour were distributed to all those who had sponsored sweets for the children during the nine days novena.

 

After the final blessing, gurkars and representatives distributed blessed new paddy to all the parishioners.

 

Sugar cane sponsored by Gerald Fernandes and family was distributed to the  children as well as adults.

 

The parishioners greeted each other and shared the joy of the Monti Festh.

 

Monthi Fest 2018 Around the World - Photo Albums: