Moodubelle: Annual Feast celebrated with the theme of strengthening the parish family

By Eugene DSouza, Moodubelle
Pictures by Anil Alva
Bellevision Media Network

Moodubelle, 04 Jan 2012: Following the theme of building ideal families on the Confraternity Sunday and Vespers, the Annual Parish Feast was celebrated on Wednesday, January 4, 2012 in St. Lawrence Church, Moodubelle with emphasis on strengthening the extended parish family.

 

The chief celebrant of  the solemn feast Mass was Most Rev. Dr. Albert D’Souza, Archbishop of Agra along with Rev. Fr. Frederick Mascarenhas, Dean of Udupi Varado and priests from other parishes within and outside Udupi Varado as well as priests from Belle serving in other parts of India especially North India.

 

At 9.30 am, prior to the commencement of  the feast mass, Fr. Joswey Fernandes, parish priest, distributed ‘Candles of Honour’ to the office bearers of the Parish Pastoral Council as well as other parish associations, Gurkars of Wards and Murdoms as Mrs.Jacinta D’Souza read out the names.

 

The feast mass began at 10 am with the grand procession of the altar servers followed by the concelebrants of the feast Mass followed by Archbishop Most Rev. Dr. Albert D’Souza.  Before the procession entered the church, Alphonse K. Alva, Vice President of the Parish Pastoral Council welcomed the Archbishop, Dean, guest priests and the parishioners and their guests from other parishes.

 

In his homily, Fr. Victor Machado-Assistant Director of  Pastoral Institute, Bajjodi, Mangalore, stressed on the theme of building a strong parish family. He said that the annual parish feast is a family feast and a day of thanksgiving for all the favours received by the parish community during the last year.  He pointed out that the three reading from the Holy Scriptures were appropriate to indicate the importance of  strengthening the parish family.

 

Further, Fr. Machado said that the parish family is the local church and the temple of the Holy Spirit. Through His death on the Cross and presence in the Holy Eucharist, Christ has sanctified the parish family. Listing three important spheres of the parish family, Fr. Machado said that the church, parish and society constitute the important components of the parish family. Church is the centre of the parish family. How people dress, behave and conduct themselves in the church during masses or other services has a bearing on the  strength of the parish family.  The experiences gained during the Eucharistic celebrations and other spiritual exercises in the church has to be shared among  the members of the parish family. Parishioners should participate in various activities such as Small Christian Communities (SCC) meetings within  their wards. In society at large, the parish family should be an example of unity and love, helping the needy and caring the afflicted.

 

 

At the end of the feast mass, Fr. Joswey Fernandes extended the greetings of the Annual Parish Feast to  all parishioners-both within Belle, outside and abroad. He thanked the Archbishop, Dean and all the priests who had participated in the feast mass, choir trained by Fr. Paul Sequeira who  once again rendered hymns with their beautiful voice and music. He also expressed his gratitude to all those who helped in organising and conducting the annual feast.

 

At this occasion, Fr. Joswey congratulated Miss. Carol Sonia D’Souza, daughter of Victor and Connie D’Souza for winning the ‘Voice of Udupi’ title in the competition held at Shirva on January 1, 2012.

 

At the end, Fr. Joswey called upon Bernard and Regina D’Souza, who had celebrated the ‘Golden Jubilee’ of their wedding on January 2, 2012 and mentioned that the ‘Golden Couple’ have contributed on lakh rupees to St. Joseph’s Seminary, Jeppu, Mangalore  for the training of a candidate for priesthood. Besides they have also donated  rupees one and a half lakh to the new St. Lawrence Arts and Commerce Degree College that is proposed to be  started from next academic year 2012-13. Bernard and Regina D’Souza were honoured by Archbishop Albert D’Souza, brother of Bernard D’Souza, by offering them a flower bouquet.

 

Soon after the feast  mass, people were see greeting each other  and making a beeline to the stalls and ice cream vans to savour the spirit of the ‘santmari’. The ICYM and Altar Servers had put up their own stalls with varities of lucky games that attracted a large number of youth.  A large number of parishioners and even non-Christians brothers and sisters were also seen offering candles at the shrine of St. Lawrence.