Shaun Andrade
Pics: Stany Bantwal
Mangaluru, Dec 2: St Joseph’s Inter Diocesan Seminary, Jeppu, celebrated their 143th Seminary Day on December 1 with resplendence. The campus was beautifully decorated with stars and lights to commemorate the day.
The day’s celebration started with the solemn Eucharistic Mass at 7 am with Fr Valerian D’Souza, priest, Mangalore Diocese was the main celebrant. The priests of the seminary also concelebrated the mass. Fr Rajesh Rosario broke the Word of God, with the remembrance of the history of the seminary day and how it has followed as a tradition. He also reminded the context of the motto of the seminary – ‘Administri Salutis’ (ministers of salvation). The mass was followed by the final preparations for the day. All the seminarians and the professors were involved in beautifying the campus. In the meantime, the seminarians were also having their final practices.
The cultural programme started with the presence of all the seminarians, professors, guests and the dignitaries who gathered in the premises by 5.30 pm. The programme started with a prayer song ‘Lord, increase my faith.’ Fr Ronald Serrao welcomed the esteemed guests and thereafter presented the report of the academic year 2021 – 2022.
The chief guest of the programme Dr Gheevarghese Mar Aprem, the auxiliary Bishop of Archeparchy of Kottayam and an alumnus of our seminary recollected the memories of his old days in this seminary and expressed his gratitude for the formation he received in this seminary. Moreover, he also highlighted the importance of the formation received by the seminarians to priesthood, because that helps us to live synodality in the spirit. He also said that the baptismal dignity of every baptized Christian is very important. He also reminded us of the basic vocation that the Lord has given to all to all of us and the formation in the seminaries need to highlight the aspect of community building.
The cultural programmes from various academies were the next part of the programme. Starting with Kannada Academy brothers who acted ‘Parara Seveyalli Kristannanu Kaanu’ (See Christ in the Service to Others), a drama based on the life of St Teresa of Kolkata on the occasion of her 25th death Anniversary. The Marthoma Malayala Samajam (Malayalam Academy) came out with ‘Kadalolam Kanivu’ (Boundless Mercy), a performance on the vista of the real divine love of God. The Hindi Academy brothers presented on the lives and sufferings of the people of Kandhamal, an incident that shook the Church in India. The brothers of the St Joseph Vaz Konkani Academy came out with play ‘Munsha Modhe Munis Zavn’ (To be Human amidst Humans), where they indicated on the various issues faced by the church due to lack of vocations to priesthood and if they could introduce Humanoid in place of priests – the man of God. The main attraction was the English Drama ‘Kanoa: The Knock of Freedom’, a drama imaginatively based on the prior life of Simon of Cyrene, before helping Jesus to carry his cross to Mount of Calvary.
The seminary day ended by 8 pm with the seminary anthem. The guests met the seminarians and professors and expressed their happiness and gratitude on the efforts taken to make this seminary day a success.