Pics: Stanly Bantwal
News: Anvita D’Cunha
Mysuru, Jun 14: The annual feast of world renowned St Anthony of Dornahalli 2023 was held on June 13.
On the feast day, which was on Tuesday, Masses were held from morning 5 am up to 5.30 pm.
The festive Eucharistic celebration was celebrated in Kannada at 10 am by Dr Bernard Moras, apostolic administrator, diocese of Mysore and Fr Clifford, secretary of bishop, preached the sermon. Fr N T Joseph, rector, St Anthony's Basilica, Dornahalli, Fr Praveen Pedru, administrator, St Anthony's Basilica, Dornahalli, Fr Julian, vice rector, St Anthony's Basilica, Dornahalli, Msgr Alfred J Mendonca, vicar general, diocese of Mysore, Fr James Dominic, financial administrator, diocese of Mysore, Fr Joseph Palciya Roy, chancellor, diocese of Mysore, Fr Bernard Prakash Barnis, rector, St Philomena's College, and Fr Madali Muthu, procurator of education board, were present as co-celebrants.
The 5 am Mass was celebrated by Fr N T Joseph, rector, St Anthony's Basilica, Dornahalli, 6 am Mass by Fr Sanjay Kumar, administrator, St Joseph's Hospital, Mysuru, 7 am Mass by Fr Edward William Saldanha, parish priest, St Mary's Church, H D Kote, 8 am Mass by Fr Chinnappa, parish priest, Mother of Humanity Church, Mandya, 11.30 am Mass by Fr Vincent M, parish priest, O L of Perpetual Succour Church, Srirampura , 1 pm by Fr. Valentine R Kumar, parish priest, Holy Family Church, Hinkal, 3 pm by Fr Gnanapragasam, parish priest, O L of Presentation Church, Mariamangalam, 4 pm Mass by Fr George Deepak, parish priest, St Michael's Church, Madikeri, and 5.30 pm Mass by Fr Michael Mari A, parish priest, St Joseph's Church, Siddapura, which was followed by the car procession and benediction of the Holy Eucharist. Fr N T Joseph, rector, St Anthony's Basilica, Dornahalli thanked everyone for their support and cooperation.
Ravi Shankar, MLA of K R Nagar also paid a visit to the St Anthony's Basilica.
Lacs of devotees took part in the Eucharistic celebrations throughout the day.
The Annual Feast of St Anthony Basilica Dornahalli was a great success with the help of local leaders, benefactors and devotees.
History of the miraculous statue of St Anthony
Around 220 years ago, a farmer while tilling his field, found a wooden statue which was found to have miraculous powers. In the days to come, it was revealed that it was the statue of St Anthony of Padua. Devotees started visiting this place in large numbers and obtained great favours.
In order to facilitate the devotees to pray and show their reverence to St Anthony, a small shrine was built in the year 1920, by the Parish priest Fr S D’Silva with the generosity and help of the erstwhile Dewan at the Mysore palace, Thambu Chetty, and his brother ShriDharmaraj Chetty.
In the years to come, the number of pilgrims visiting the shrine because of the miracles taking place increased manifold, it was then decided to construct a spacious and beautiful church by the then parish priest Fr I H Lobo, and hence construction started in 1964. The newly constructed, spacious, beautiful church was blessed and inaugurated on June 13, 1969 by Dr Matthias Fernandez, who was the bishop of the diocese of Mysore.
On October 17, 2019, by the divine blessings of the Almighty, the church was granted the status of ‘Minor Basilica’ by Pope Francis which is a matter of great joy to all the devotees.
On June 9, 2020, Dr K A William, bishop of Mysore officially announced the Minor Basilica and offered the thanksgiving Mass.
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