The Feast of Nativity of Infant Mary (Montii Festh) celebrated in St. Lawrence Church, Moodubelle

By Dr. Eugene DSouza
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi/M’Belle, 08 Sept 2024: 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 2024. 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 festive 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 07.45 am at the Grotto. The parishioners gathered in front of the Grotto. Children and altar servers with flowers.

 

Fr. Rickson Monteiro, Assistant Parish Priest conducted the service in front of the Grotto. Following the prayers and reading a passage from the Bible, Fr. Rickson Monteiro 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. George D’Souza, Parish Priest, Fr. Rickson Monteiro, Fr, Edwin Monis (OFM Cap) and Fr. Lawrence (OFM Cap) both from the Assisi Nilaya.

 

In his homily Fr. George D’Souza traced the origin of the Feast of the Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary, the tradition of  Monti Festh, offering of flowers to Infant Mary, blessing and distribution of new paddy and the family feast specially in the Konkan region. He highlighted the role of women in he family life and the importance of protecting and respecting girl child. He also made an appeal to the parishioners to remember and wish their respective mothers on their birthday as we celebrate the birthday of Mother Mary.

 

At the end of the Mass, Fr. George D’Souza distributed candles of honour to all those who had sponsored sweets for the children and contributed for the celebration of the feast. Charles Quadros, Secretary of the Parish Pastoral Council read the names of the sponsors.

 

After the final blessing, gurkars and representatives as well as other members of the Parish Pastoral and  Finance Councils led by Pritish D’Sa-Vice President of the Parish Pastoral Council 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.