Moodubelle: Udupi Bishop Blesses New Tabernacle in St Lawrence Church

By Victor DSouza
Pics By Anil Alva
Bellevision Media Network

Moodubelle, 13 Oct: In the redecorated glorious Sanctuary of St. Lawrence Church Moodubelle, the new Tabernacle and Bible resting place were blessed by Most Rev Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo - Bishop of Udupi Diocese on Sunday 13 October 2019 during the morning 7.30 am mass. The mass was also concelebrated by Rev Fr Baptist Menezes – Director of Minor Seminary Kattingeri Moodubelle, Rev Fr Clement Mascarenhas - Parish Priest of St. Lawrence Church Moodubelle and Rev Fr Jitesh Castelino - Asst. Parish Priest of St. Lawrence Church Moodubelle.

 

Fr Baptist Menezes delivered the meaningful homily. Referring to the three readings, Fr Menezes narrated on how these readings are reflecting on the importance of thanking and glorifying the God for everything in our life whether it is joy or sorrow. Thanking and glorifying the Lord will give us the strength to face and overcome any situation in our life, he said.

 

At the end of the mass Bishop Lobo blessed the newly installed Tabernacle and Bible resting place. The interior of the church had been also aesthetically decorated. The mass was full house with the attendance of entire enthusiastic parishioners to witness this occasion with the presence of Bishop Lobo. The church choir sang the hymns beautifully.

 

Parish Priest Fr Clement Mascarenhas thanked Bishop Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo for celebrating the mass, blessing the Tabernacle and gracing the occasion. Fr Clement thanked Vincent Fernandes – Vice President of Parish Pastoral Council for being there full time during the Sanctuary redecoration work, overseeing the work and ensuring the work is done in safe and best manner in the sacred place. He also thanked Jerald Fernandes and Henry Fernandes for their frequent visits to the work place rendering their assistance. Fr Clement readout the account of the donations received and the material-labour costs incurred for replacement of Tabernacle, Bible resting place, Ceiling of Sanctuary and Painting of Altar by artistic painters. He thanked the donors, well wishers and also the entire parishioners for their supports and prayers.

 

Fr Clement also mentioned the difficult time everyone is currently going through due to the untimely death of Rev Fr. Mahesh DSouza – Asst Parish Priest & Principal of Don Bosco School Shirva who hailed from Moodubelle Parish on Friday night. He expressed the deep sorrow of the Bishop, Priests and the people of entire Udupi Diocease and especially Moodubelle Parishioners are going through. Fr Clement said that the parents and close relatives of Fr Mahesh are currently going through painful time and we have to pray to the Lord to give them the strength to go through this difficult situation. He thanked the Bishop for his presence in this pre scheduled programme in-spite of this current situation. Fr Clement also announced that the funeral mass of Rev Fr Mahesh DSouza will be held at 3.00 pm on Tuesday 15 October 2019 at Shirva Church and he called upon every parishioners to join this funeral service.

 

 

St. Lawrence parish in Moodubelle was first created as an independent parish carved out from the original Shirva parish in 1910 with Rev. Fr. Casmir Fernandes as its first Parish Priest. Initially the masses were conducted in a make shift chapel constructed with thatched roof and mud walls during that time. As years passed and gradually the number of parishioners began to increase the new church was built and blessed in the year 1918.

 

As decades passed the church building structure became old and weak. It was then time to rebuild a spacious modern church building. Rev. Fr. Valerian DSouza during his tenure as the Parish Prist of St. Lawrence Church Moodubelle rebuilt it and a magnificent new church building with glorious infrastructure and spiritual fervor was blessed and dedicated in the year 2006.

 

In recent years the ceiling of the Sanctuary was faded and needed renovation. Hence it was decided to redecorate the Altar and the present Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Clement Mascarenhas with the help from the donors carried-out the work of redecorating the sanctuary by replacing the Tabernacle, Bible resting place, Ceiling of the Sanctuary and repainting of altar, presented a glorious sanctuary to the Moodubelle Parish.