By Alphonce Mendonca, Pangla
Udupi, Dec 9: The eagerly awaited state-of-the-art St John Sabha Bhavan of St John the Evangelist Church, Shankerpura, was inaugurated on Sunday, December 8, by well-known Mumbai-based entrepreneur and Pangalite Albert D’Souza. He was accompanied by bishop of Udupi diocese Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo, parish priest Fr Dr Anil Prakash Castelino, former headmaster of St John High School John Lobo, entrepreneur Antony D’Sa, vice president of the parish council John Martis, secretary Gabriel Martis, 20 commission president Joseph Castelino, assistant parish priest Fr Rolwin Fernandes, and deacon Brother Rohan Mascarenhas.
Before the inauguration, Fr Anil Prakash Castelino briefed the gathering about the earlier establishment of the hall, built by the late parish priest Fr JP Tauro, and the Platinum Hall, constructed under the leadership of Fr Vincent Monteiro.
A statue of St John the Evangelist and a Holy Cross, placed at the entrance of the hall, were blessed after the inauguration. Following this, a short prayer was held in the brightly lit hall, which was then sprinkled with holy water by bishop Gerald Lobo.
A specially built seven-foot-wide ramp for senior citizens was inaugurated by former headmistress of St John High School Clara W Mendonsa in the presence of dignitaries, well-wishers, and the bishop.
The inauguration was preceded by a holy eucharistic mass at the church, concelebrated by bishop Gerald Lobo, Fr Jencil Alva, Fr Anil Prakash Castelino, and Fr Rolwin Fernandes, to commemorate Founders' Day of the parish, established on November 20, 1922.
The stage program began with a prayer by the parish choir. The eminent guests on the dais included bishop Gerald Lobo, Fr Dr Anil Prakash Castelino, Albert D’Souza, registrar of St Aloysius Deemed University Mangaluru Dr Ronald Nazareth, Monsignor Dr Rayan D’Souza, assistant parish priest Fr Rolwin Fernandes, vice president of the parish council John Martis, secretary Gabriel Martis, 20 commission president Joseph Castelino, and headmistress of the English medium school Sr Saritha D’Souza.
John Martis welcomed the gathering and acknowledged the contributions of parishioners in completing the renovation project within six months. He highlighted the hall's special features, including a seating capacity of over 650, CCTV cameras, echo-proof sound systems, and fully operational air conditioning installed at a cost much lower than the market rate. He quoted the bishop’s remark, “I feel like I’m entering a five-star hotel,” to emphasize the high-quality standards of the project. He expressed hope that parishioners would come forward to clear the remaining financial dues.
On this occasion, donors, engineers, contractors, electricians, and others involved in the project were felicitated.
Four Pangalites were honored for their academic achievements:
Dr Ronald Nazareth, registrar, St Aloysius Deemed University Mangaluru
Fr Dr Jencil Alva, for his PhD in "First Community Prayer, Exegetical Study of Acts 4:23-31" from Pontifical St Thomas Aquinas University, Rome
Dr Macquin Kenwood D’Mello, for his doctorate in "Spatiotemporal Patterns of Underweight & Diarrhea among Five-Year-Old Children in Karkala Taluk" from K S Hegde Medical Academy, Nitte University
Dr Fiona Joyline Mascarenhas, for her doctorate in "Synthesis and Characterization of Transition Metal Chalcogenides for Supercapacitors" from NITK Surathkal
They were felicitated with shawls, fruit baskets, and garlands by the bishop and dignitaries.
Speaking on the occasion, guest of honor Albert D’Souza reminisced about his involvement in past parish projects, including the original Sabha Bhavan, PU college, and Platinum Hall. He announced a donation of Rs 5 lakh towards the completion of the new hall, which requires an additional Rs 50 lakh.
Bishop Gerald Lobo lauded the parish for its progress and praised Fr Anil Prakash Castelino as a visionary and dedicated leader. He assured that the newly inaugurated hall is built to serve the parish for over 50 years without requiring any changes. As a gesture of appreciation, the bishop honored Fr Anil Prakash with a shawl and garland.
Fr Anil Prakash reciprocated by presenting a jasmine garland symbolizing the 800 families of the parish. He thanked all the donors and contributors in his vote of thanks.
A sumptuous lunch prepared by the parishioners was served to over 1,200 attendees. The event was emceed by Clara Mendonsa and Anitha D’Souza.