Bantwal: Bishop Dr Aloysius inaugurates newly-renovated St Michael’s Church, Bellore

By Robert DCosta
Pics by Pinky Studio, B C Road
Bellevision Media Network

Bantwal, 21 May 2016: The newly-renovated St Michael’s church, Bellore, near here was inaugurated on Saturday May 21. Mangaluru bishop Dr Aloysius Pauol D’Souza inaugurated the newly-renovated church, dedicated to patron St Michael at Bellore, near here on Saturday morning.

 

Earlier, Bishop Dr Aloysius was accorded grand welcome at the church entrance by the parish priest Fr Peter Aranha, parish council vice president Godfrey Fernandes, secretary Louisa Pinto and a large number of parishioners.

 

He also inaugurated the newly-built presbytery and the mini-hall at the church complex on the same occasion.

 

Bishop Dr Aloysius concelebrated Eucharistic Mass at the newly-renovated church along with Fr Peter Aranha, Bantwal deanery vicar Fr Maxim Noronha and several clergies.

 

Bishop Dr Aloysius presided the stage programme held after the Eucharistic Celebration at the church premises. The state forests and Dakshina Kannada district-in-charge minister B Ramanath Rai was the chief guest of the occasion.

 

 

The newly-elected ZP member Chandraprakash Shetty, Ammunje gram panchayat president Premalata, Badaga Bellore gram panchayat president Jayanti, Bantwal Tahsildar Purandar Hegde, Bantwal TP chief executive officer Cyprian Miranda, Bantwal Urban Development Authority chairman Pius Rodrigues, progressive peasant Rajesh Naik Ulipadyguttu, Fr Maxim Noronha and others were present at the dais.

 

Bishop Dr Aloysius in his presidential address lauded the generous contributions of donors including parishioners who also put in voluntary labor in realizing the dream of rebuilding the church. He also acknowledged several vocations that blossomed in Bellore parish and hoped others will also follow in their footsteps.

 

The minister Rai said that the worship centers of church/masjid/temple serve the people of respective communities, while any attack on them causes communal disharmony. Meanwhile, he stressed on the peaceful co-existence of people of different faith and culture.

 

The donors who contributed over Rs 1 lac and above were felicitated by the minister Rai during the programme. Fr Peter welcomed the gathering.  Louisa Pinto proposed vote of thanks. Vinod Master and Jennifer Pinto compered the programme.

 

Several clergies, nuns who were parishioners and are serving in different congregations across India, large number of parishioners were present.

 

Indian Catholic Youth Movement (ICYM) – Bellore parish unit presented variety cultural events after the stage programme. The people of different faith also attended the programme and paid obeisance to St Michael by lighting candles. The programme concluded with fellowship meal.

 

About Bellore church

Bellore church first functioned from a temporary shelter at the nearby parish school during 1916 and the parish priest form Omzoor was offering only Sunday Mass. It’s during 1920, the first full-time parish priest was appointed by the diocesan authorities at Bellore to serve the spiritual needs of parishioners who walked several miles to attend Sunday Masses. The parish became vibrant in nurturing spirituality and many of vocations for religious clergies and nuns blossomed over a century.

 

The newly-renovated magnificent church is the testimony of parishioners in keeping phase with modernity and a serene place to pray.