St. Thomas II Ward celebrates the feast of Patron Saint

By Eugene Moodubelle
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi/M’belle, 03 July 2014: Members of St. Thomas II Ward celebrated the feast of their patron saint on Wednesday, 2 July 2014 with mass, brief stage programme, entertainment and community meal in which majority of the ward members participated.

 

At 5.30pm Fr. Roshan D’Souza-assitant parish priest offered at the residence of Ignatius Monis. Instead of homily, Fr. Roshan had an interaction and dialogue with the ward members on the role of St. Thomas as an apostle and missionary in India. Quite a number of members responded to the questions and Fr. Roshan threw additional light on St. Thomas picking up passages from the Gospel related to St. Thomas.

 

After the mass, Mrs. Eveline Monis, mother of Ignatius Monis cut the cake on behalf of all those  members who celebrate their birthdays in the month of July.

 

Following the welcome dance presented by Ashel Castelino who had come on holidays from Bahrain along with her parents and brother, a brief stage programme was organized. Fr. Roshan, Sr. Irene Viegas-superiro of the Loreto Convent, Sr. Wilma, Mrs. Theresa Alva-Gurkarn of the ward, and representatives-Peter D’Souza and Mrs. Nancy Alva were on the dais.

 

Mrs. Janet Castelino-secretary of the war read the report of the last year’s activities conducted in the ward. Thereafter children and youth of the ward presented entertainment programme with dances.

 

Fr. Roshan D’Souza and Sr. Irene Viegas in their messages complimented St. Thomas Ward II members for organizing the ward feast in  a befitting manner.

 

 

 

All the children who presented dances were given prizes. Miss  Jevita D’Souza who had scored distinction marks in the last Catechism class was honoured by Fr. Roshan D’Souza.

Mrs. Juilana Quadros presented a melodious song and Ivar Monis gave a glimpse of stand-up comedy.

Community dinner prepared by the members of the ward was served thereafter.

Mrs. Theresa Alva-Gurkarn of the ward welcomed the guests and the ward members; Peter D’Souza proposed the vote of thanks and Ignatius Monis compeered the programme.

About St. Thomas the Apostle:

St. Thomas was a Jew, called to be one of the twelve Apostles. He was a dedicated but impetuous follower of Christ. When Jesus said He was returning to Judea to visit His sick friend Lazarus, Thomas immediately exhorted the other Apostles to accompany Him on the trip which involved certain danger and possible death because of the mounting hostility of the authorities.

At the Last Supper, when Christ told His Apostles that He was going to prepare a place for them to which they also might come because they knew both the place and the way, Thomas pleaded that they did not understand and received the beautiful assurance that Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. But St. Thomas is best known for his role in verifying the Resurrection of his Master.

 

Thomas’ unwillingness to believe that the other Apostles had seen their risen Lord on the first Easter Sunday merited for him the title of "doubting Thomas." Eight days later, on Christ’s second apparition, Thomas was gently rebuked for his skepticism and furnished with the evidence he had demanded - seeing in Christ’s hands the point of the nails and putting his fingers in the place of the nails and his hand into His side. At this, St. Thomas became convinced of the truth of the Resurrection and exclaimed: "My Lord and My God," thus making a public Profession of Faith in the Divinity of Jesus.

 

St. Thomas is also mentioned as being present at another Resurrection appearance of Jesus - at Lake Tiberias when a miraculous catch of fish occurred. This is all that we know about St. Thomas from the New Testament.

 

Tradition says that at the dispersal of the Apostles after Pentecost this saint was sent to evangelize the Parthians, Medes, and Persians; he ultimately reached India, carrying the Faith to the Malabar coast, which still boasts a large native population calling themselves "Christians of St. Thomas."

 

According to tradition, St. Thomas was killed in 72 AD. Nasrani Churches from Kerala in South India state that St. Thomas died at Mylapore near Chennai in India and his body was interred there. The accounts of Marco Polo from the 13th century state that the Apostle had an accidental death outside his hermitage in Chennai by a badly aimed arrow of a fowler who not seeing the saint shot at peacocks there.

 

Later in the 16th century, the Portuguese in India created a myth that St. Thomas was killed in Chennai by stoning and lance thrust by local priests, based on the wrong interpretation of inscriptions found on the Pehlvi Cross discovered at St. Thomas Mount in 1547. Later decipherments of the inscriptions by experts proved this myth to be false. Since at least the 16th century, the St. Thomas Mount has been a common site revered by Hindus, Muslims and Christians.

 

The records of Barbosa from early 16th century inform that the tomb was then maintained by a Muslim who kept a lamp burning there. The San Thome Basilica presently located at the tomb was first built in the 16th century and rebuilt in the 19th century.

 

The feast day of St. Thomas is July 3rd and he is considered as the patron of architects.