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Udupi : Our Lady of Miracles Cathedral of Udupi diocese celebrated Parochial Feast with tradition and fervor on Wednesday, January 18, 2023.

After the distribution of honoring candles to sponsors for the celebration of the feast, Rector of the Cathedral Very Rev Fr. Valerian Mendonca, the Solemn Eucharist celebration began at 10.30 am. The procession carried out from Rectory Presbyterian by Parish Pastoral Vice President, Secretary, Co-coordinator, altar-boys, sponsors of the day, priests’ along with a mass band to the Cathedral.

The Solemn Holy Eucharistic mass concelebrated by Very Rev Fr. Roshan D’Souza, Chancellor of Udupi Diocese, Very Rev Fr. Valerian Mendonca, Rev Fr. Joy Andrade, asst. parish priest, deanery priests, guest priests, former priests of the church and parishioner native priests.

In his beautiful homily, Fr. Roshan D’Souza highlighted the life of Mother Mary with five important characters. He said that the need to celebrate the parish feast is the day of honor for God and Our Lady of Miracles. The main theme of the day’s celebration is that Our Lady of Miracles unite with God. He narrated the five important characteristics of Mother Mary that She is mother of prayer. Mother Mary intercedes for us in prayer and she bestows graces on us from God that God allows Her to.

Mother Mary is the mother of service. Mother Mary is the perfect model of serve. She expresses numerous characteristics of a good servant who is responsive and generous.

Mother Mary is the mother of simplicity who is faithful. Mother Mary also mother of Tolerance and obedience. Mother Mary is the Mother of faithfulness and loyalty. She is not only the mother of Christ but also the mother of all humanity. Our Lady of Miracles, Mother of God and Mother of Souls, has been given to us an example which we can strive to imitate. Our Lady of Miracles is a strong shelter of our life that is the perfect icon of faith and model of faith, he said.  

The Choir enhanced the solemnity of annual parochial feast mass by singing melodious hymns supported by keyboard players.

Very Rev Fr. Valerian Mendonca, Rector of the Cathedral at the end of the mass conveyed annual feast greetings to all parishioners, guests and all concerned. He expressed gratitude to Very Rev Fr. Roshan D’Souza for concelebrating the Solemn mass and delivering meaningful homily. He expressed gratitude to Rev Fr. Joy Andrade, Asst parish priest, two convent nuns, choir team, seven educational institutions heads’, parish pastoral council  vice president, Secretary, pastoral commissions coordinator of past and present, parish pastoral council members and all concerned. The main celebrant of the mass, Fr. Roshan D’Souza distributed decorated honor candles to main sponsors for the annual feast.

On behalf of the priests and him, Fr. Roshan D’Souza gave gratitude to Fr. Valerian Mendonca and his team on the occasion and conveyed his feast best wishes.

The feast of Our Lady of Miracles has been a very historical celebration for three and half centuries with a large number of faithful from all faiths participating in huge numbers and visiting the Church. Large numbers of all religious faithful are used to offering candles before Our Lady of Miracles statue with devotion as well as praying in front of the church altar inside on both days of Vespers’ service and feast day as well. We can see not only on feast days, but all other days of the year, most of the people without any caste pray, visiting and praying for Our Lady of Miracles.