Mangalore: Infant Mary Chapel inaugurated at Bajjodi
Pics: Stanley Bantwal
Daihiworld Media Network - Mangalore (VM)
Mangalore, Feb 2: The inauguration of the Infant Mary Chapel was held at Bajjodi on Friday February 1.
Fr Archibald Gonsalves, provincial superior of Karnataka-Goa province, inaugurated the new chapel while Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza, Bishop of Mangalore Diocese, blessed.
As part of the chapel inaguration, the Bishop offered the Eucharistic mass. Fr Gonsalves, Fr Antony Serrao, parish priest, Bendore, Fr Melvin D’Cunha, Fr Pius James D’Souza, Fr Valerian Pinto, Fr Rudolp D’Souza, Canada regional superior, and vicar general Fr Dennis Moras Prabhu were the concelebrants.
In his homily, Fr Gonsalves said that in this year which has been declared the ‘Year of Faith’ by the Pope, this chapel is a symbol of faith. “We should be happy that we have got a new place to worship God,” he said.
“This chapel is offered in the name of Mother Mary. On the occasion, let us seek blessings from her. For every church, we people collectively give more meaning. When we pray to God together, He will definitely bless us,” he added.
The Eucharistic mass was followed by a formal stage programme where Bishop D’Souza, Fr Gonsalves, Fr Rudolp D’Souza, Fr Serrao, Fr Pius D'Souza, corporator James D'Souza and Fr D’Cunha shared the dais.
The Bishop, in his address, said, “The intention of establishing this chapel is to bring the people of the locality who were finding difficult to go to Bendore church, closer. Hence with purpose, we are building churches in and around Mangalore to bring people close to God.”
He congratulated the Carmelite fathers for all their initiatives and wished them speedy completion for pending projects.
Fr Gregory D’Souza, Fr Boniface Pinto, Fr Denis D’Sa, Fr Nelson Pinto, Fr Dominic Vas, Fr William D’Souza, Fr Elias D’Souza, Fr Vitori Menezes, Fr Ratan, Fr Steven Pereira, Fr Jochim D’Souza, Fr Deepu Fernandes, Lawrence Cutino, architect, George, engineer, Lancy Mascarenhas, contractor and Benet D'Silva, electrical engineer were also present.