News & pics: Konkani Kutamb, SVP Church, Banasawadi

Bengaluru, Sep 11: The annual feast of feast of Our Lady of Nativity was celebrated at St Vincent Pallotti Church, Banasawadi, with traditional gaiety and fervour on September 8.

The service in Konkani commenced at 7.45 am in the morning at the church premises with blessing of newly grown sheaves of paddy corn by Fr Vijay Kumar Machado, director, Mangala Jyothi, Diocesan Biblical, Catechetical and Liturgical Centre, Diocese of Mangalore. This was followed by children offering and honouring Mother Mary with flowers and singing of hymns in honour of Mother Mary. Thereafter, children along with priests and parishioners proceeded to the church in a procession with blessed paddy corn and statue of Infant Mary to celebrate the Holy Mass.

The main celebrant during the Eucharistic celebration was Fr Vijay Machado with co-celebrants in Fr Pedro Camilos Simoes provincial, Society of the Catholic Apostolate, Assumption Province, Bengaluru; Fr Manohar Josly Noronha, parish priest; Fr Soundar M, assistant parish priest; Fr Kristudass, former provincial; Fr Victor Martis and Fr Manuel. The homily on this occasion was also delivered by Fr Vijay Machado, on the day’s theme of Mary- Model of Christian Family.

Konkani Choir Group ably supported the Eucharistic service by singing melodious hymns during the Service.

Fr Manohar Noronha thanked the main celebrant and co-celebrants for their presence and also greeted the parishioners on the occasion of feast of Nativity. He informed the parishioners regarding the commencement of Konkani Mass on first and third Sundays at 11.30 am, from September 17.

The blessed corn was distributed to the parishioners at the end of the service.

Breakfast was served at the church basement after the service got over. Sugar cane was distributed to the children thereafter.

President of St Vincent Pallotti Konkani Kutamb Banasawadi, Melson D'Souza proposed the vote of thanks at the end of the service acknowledging every ones contribution and active participation in these celebrations, making it a memorable and meaningful one.

Main attraction of this year’s celebration was the 9-day novena in preparation of Nativity feast. Members of each of the nine zones, animated each days novena having its unique theme on the life of Mother Mary with floral offering to Mother Mary during the novena. Parishioners brought food grains and other groceries in large number, as offering to be distributed to the poor and needy of the parish community at the end of novena.