Good Friday Service at Mount Rosary Church, Kallianpur

By Prof. Archibald Furtado
Pics: Praveen Cutinho
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi, 29 March: On 29th March, 2024, as the whole planet is remembering the Jesus and his supreme sacrifice on Golgotha at the Mount of Calvary, at 4.00 p.m. a ‘Solemn Good Friday Service’ was observed in the presence of a large gathering in the Mount Rosary Church, Santhekatte - Kallianpur.

 

The main altar though had an empty or deserted look to remind or as a mark of Christ’s passion and his painful death on the cross for the salvation for mankind, was without any ornaments or decorations.

 

There was no entrance hymn or sound of bells as a mark of mourning and the celebrants led by, Rev. Fr Ronson DSouza, the Rector of Holy Cross Minor Seminary at Katpady, accompanied by Parish Priest Rev Dr Roque DSouza, and Asst Parish Priest Rev. Fr Oliver Nazareth, paid their reverence by lying down, as a mark of our shame and sorrow, on the floor and offering prayers.

 

The liturgy was subdivided into four major parts viz. 

i. Readings from the Holy Scriptures describing the passion of Jesus and homily.

ii. General intercessory prayers for the good and welfare of mankind and unique intentions of the Church and its people.

iii. Paying reverence to the Holy Cross – the symbol of our salvation.

iv. Receiving of the Holy Eucharist.

 

The passion of the Christ was proclaimed so effectively by traditional chanting which involved members of the Choir, led by Vicar Rev. Dr Roque DSouza.

 

 

The main celebrant Rev. Fr Ronson DSouza, while breaking the word God, narrated significance of Wooden Cross once a symbol of shame, slavery and curse…… today become integral part of Catholic life, a proud possession and a source of heavenly blessings. There is no Christ without Cross and vice versa, during the lent we paid our respects repeatedly, ‘we adore you O Christ, and we praise you…Because by your Holy Cross, you have redeemed the world’. While continuing, he elaborated with various references of St Francis of Assisi, Pope Benedict XVI, and quotes from others to stress that, our journey always accompany our own Cross not that of Jesus.

 

Parish Priest Rev. Dr Roque DSouza joined the main celebrant to lead the general intercessory prayers for the whole mankind, for various needs, both temporal and spiritual intentions and peace in this world at large.

 

Holy Crucifix was unveiled and blessed and the faithful paid their reverence to the cross and the collection collected by way of their sacrifices during Lent was earmarked to send to the concerned - who work to feed the hungry and crusade against ill health in the world at large.

 

The meaningful ‘Good Friday Service’, concluded by receiving the Holy Communion by the faithful and going home peacefully with the Graces received in abundance round 6.00 pm.