Mangalore: Foundation laid for shrine of Blessed John Paul II at Bajpe

Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Media Release

Mangalore, Sep 14: Bishop of Mangalore Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza on Saturday September 14 laid the foundation stone for the shrine of Blessed John Paul II at Pope grounds, Bajpe here.

Speaking on the occasion, the bishop said, “When the Pope visited Mangalore in 1986, about 5 lac people had gathered. They were very eager to see him because the Pope led the life of a true disciple of Jesus Christ. He inculcated the value of Jesus in his life. We will feel his presence amidst us after the shrine is built and soon he will be declared as Saint since the miracles have been reported across the world.”

The vicar general of Mangalore diocese Msgr Denis Moras Prabhu, Fr Onil D’Souza, Fr William Menezes, vicar of the Pezar deanery Fr Remejius Aranha, parish priest Fr Leo lobo, assistant parish priest Fr Praveen D’Souza, vice-president of the parish council Rocky Lobo, secretary Gracy Sequeira, ICYM president Roshan Periera were present.

The Shrine will be built by the diocese of Mangalore in association with the Bajpe parish to commemorate the visit of Blessed Pope on February 6, 1986. It will be built next to the podium from which the Pope had addressed 5 lac people.

The podium has been preserved as a historical monument and a statue of the Pope is already installed.

The ground where the Pope made the historic speech is called as the Pope ground and a layout of houses is already built, called the Pope layout.