Pics: Kevin Rodrigues
Daijiworld Media Network - Karkala (KR/WD)
Karkala, Jan 25: Scores of devotees were in attendance at the Minor Basilica of St Lawrence on the third day of the annual feast on Tuesday, January 24.
Archbishop of Bengaluru, Dr Bernard Moras presided over the holy Eucharistic Mass in Kannada. Dr Gerald Issac Lobo, bishop, diocese of Udupi; Fr George D’Souza, rector, St Lawrence Minor Basilica, Attur; Fr Vijay, assistant parish priest; Fr Anil D’Souza, dean, Kundapur deanery and other priests were the concelebrants of the Mass.
In his homily, Archbishop Moras, wished happy feast to all the people present for the mass and said, "We have gathered here at this historical and renowned place of Minor Basilica of St Lawrence. Let us thank the almighty while celebrating the feast for the first time after the declaration of this holy place as Minor Basilica. Many devotees visit this place keeping aside their differences of caste and creed. Let us seek the blessings of God almighty and St Lawrence through this Eucharistic celebration."
"We have gathered here to seek God's grace. God gave us his only son not to evaluate, but to proclaim his word and live according to it. Our religion calls us to take part in the Eucharistic celebration and to proclaim the word of God. It is not easy to proclaim the word of God, because one has to face many hurdles. We have to walk in the path of our saints who attained martyrdom for God. When St Lawrence was asked to get the assets of the church by the King, he bought all the poor, lame, needy and blind and told that those were the assets of the church. In anger, the king ordered St Lawrence to be burnt alive in oil. St Lawrence accepted the punishment and became the true follower of God," he said.
"Christian families are broken and shattered these days. They are attracted towards worldly pleasures and are drifting away from God. There is a need to bring change in our families. Let our families grow as a good fruit bearing tree and inculcate the word of God in our life," he concluded.
As many as 11 Eucharistic Masses were held in Konkani and Kannada with priests from various dioceses and devotees taking active part in it.
B Ramanath Rai, minister for forest, ecology and environment; Pramod Madhwaraj, minister for fisheries, sports and youth affairs; Vinay Kumar Sorake, MLA, Kaup; Gopal Bhandary and others visited the Minor Basilica and sought blessings from St Lawrence. John D’Silva and others were present on the occasion.
Programme Schedule:
On Wednesday, January 25, Dr Lawrence Mukkuzhy, bishop, diocese of Beltangady will offer the Eucharistic Mass in Kannada at 8 am and Dr Aloysius Paul D'Souza, bishop, diocese of Mangalore will offer the festive Eucharistic Mass in Konkani at 10.30 am. There will be nearly 11 masses from 6.00 am onwards on an hourly basis.
On Thursday, January 26, Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo, bishop, diocese of Udupi will offer the festive Eucharistic Mass in Konkani at 10 am. Along with this there will be nearly 8 masses from 6.30 am onwards on an hourly basis.
The number of devotees visiting the shrine of renowned saint of Karkala or "Karla Da Dever" (in Tulu) this year is on the rise. The confessions are being heard in a hall where devotees are seen in large numbers. People can be seen touching the feet of the statue of the saint, lighting the offertory candles to the saint and visiting the pond of miracles. The priests are seen distributing the holy water and flowers as blessings.
The stalls with religious and miscellaneous items stalls are being visited by devotees. The stalls of sugary confectioneries like the famous ‘Thambde Gulley or the ‘Sakkare Meetai’, local eatables, fast foods, sugarcane juice and watermelon stalls are favourites. An amusement park is also full with visitors. Devotees from different culture and faith visit Karkala every year in thousands.
K T Balakrishna, SP, Udupi visited the Minor Basilica and took initiative for the smooth flow of festival celebrations. The police team has been stationed along with the medical team and the fire brigade to address any eventualities.