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Udupi : On the eve of Annual Feast of Milagres Cathedral, Kallianpur of the Udupi diocese was observed Vespers’ (Besp) on Tuesday, January 19.

At the outset, Very Rev Fr. Valerian Mendonca, Rector of Milagres Cathedral blessed the ‘Cherel’ of Our Lady of Miracles which was decorated at the Cathedral next to portico. The traditional blessing of the ‘Cherel and procession had to be done away with due to the restrictions imposed by the government authorities due to Covid 19 pandemic.

The Vespers service in the Cathedral was conducted by Rev Fr, Steevan Fernandes, Assistant parish priest of Mount Rosary Church, Santhekatte, Kallianpur.

The theme of this year’s Vespers was “Christian family life through Our Lady of Mother Mary”.

After the readings from the Holy Scriptures, Fr. Steeven Fernandes in his homily highlighted the Christian families’ life through the Mother Mary. Through her maternal help, may every Christian family be a little church in which the mystery of Christ is relived. We ask Mary, Queen of Families to bless, guide and p0rotect each of our families. May she aid us to fight temptation and comfort us in our difficulties and distress. Through her obedience to the Will of God she accepted her vocation. She put herself in God’s service and thereby put herself in the service of others.

Fr Steevan said Mother Mary is the first Christian. She has been the role model for our families and could possible to build the family in Christian life. We are the members of Holy Christian family. Mother Mary is Mother of the Church. The family is considered the domestic church, since it is there that the seed of faith which is planted in the Sacrament of Baptism is nourished and flourished by the teaching and good example of the parents and members of the home. The family is the smallest cell of the church which builds up the Mystical Body of Christ. It is in the family that we find the moral and social virtues that form the basis for society. The family is the place which builds up the world by guarding and transmitting virtues and values from parent to child by what is taught and lived.

A beautiful prepared Adoration of Holy Sacrament was held by Rev Fr. Steevan Fernandes with devotion.

Very Rev Fr. Valerian Mendonca placed some the announcements along with gratitude to main celebrant of the mass Rev Fr. Steevan Fernandes, past Vicar Rev Dr. Lawrence D’Souza, Assistant parish priest Rev Fr. Canute Nornoha, Rev Fr. Jossy Mascarenhas and Rev Fr. Brian Sequiera of Pilar Fathers, our usual participant of every year annual feast, parishioner and now of Mangaluru Diocese,  Rev Fr. Santhosh D’Souza, priest from Pangala and others. He gave gratitude to all concerned including nuns, choir team and others.

There was good response from the parishioners who attended the Vespers service in large numbers. The parishioners’ as well as our Hindu families in large numbers were seen at the candle burning to the Our Lady of Miracles. They visited the Cathedral and historical statue of Our Lady of Miracles and offered candles to the Our Lady of Miracles.

Unlike the previous years the chief attraction of the Annual Parish feast that is the varieties of stalls are missing from the premises of the Cathedral. However, ICYM ice cream stall was installed on the Cathedral premises and there were some stalls of ‘Mitai’, chirmuli, ice cream vans located just outside the Cathedral on the Kallianapur road.

The front side of the Cathedral, Bells tower, grotto and premises was very beautifully decorated with mass of various lights all over as well as the Cathedral Entrance gate. Though the aura of festivities is missing there is no lack of enthusiasm of the parishioners as well as members of public towards their much loved Annual parish feast.

The solemn feast mass on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 will be held at 10.30am onwards.

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