MAC Media Release
Toronto, Sep 12: In most cultures, the birthday of any person demands a celebration. There are balloons, cake, candles, grand meals and gifts – all things that say, “You are special, we are glad you are born.” September 8 is celebrated as the birthday of Blessed Virgin Mary all over the world. It is also celebrated as a harvest festival, a custom unique to Mangalore. Parishes distribute the blessed new corn which is added to milk to drink before a festive vegetarian meal symbolizing the new harvest.
The Mangalorean Association of Canada (MAC) celebrated the feast of Nativity and the harvest festival with devotion and a quiet splendor in the presence of 450 devotees on Sunday September 10 at Christ the King Church. As a vital component of the festivities, children eagerly placed flowers in honor of Mother Mary to the accompaniment of traditional hymns ”Sokkod Sangatha Mellyan” and “Moriek Hogollsiyan”. Once the sheaves of grain were blessed by Fr Edwin D’Souza, the procession made its way to the church to participate in Konkani mass.
From the soul-touching Konkani choir led by Merlyn Rodrigues to the solemn offering of fresh fruits and flowers; from the meaningful homily preached Fr Edwin D’Souza to the enthusiastic participation of the congregation, individuals reminisced a part of their childhood long forgotten and appreciated the celebration of traditional customs and feasts in Canada. The cultural program commenced in the Church hall with a light snack and the emcee for the evening, Herbert Lobo, offered an insight into the significance of the Nativity of our Lady and the Monti Fest.
Maxim D’Mello, president of MAC, welcomed all the guests after which Flavian Pinto paid homage to the late Mick Max, a noteworthy writer, poet and singer. In memory and in appreciation of Mick Max’s contributions to the world of music, a dance presentation and songs from his repertoire enthralled the audience. Humorous skits in Konkani were greatly enjoyed and the colorful costumes and even more brilliant dance moves by the children and teenagers were applauded by the people. The highlight of the evening was a Konkani song sung by a 5-year-old whose stage presence and confidence amazed all.
A cheque for CAD 500.00 was presented to Sr Ferdinanda for her works of charity on behalf of MAC by Melwyn Menezes, ex-President of MAC. The MickMax fund was the beneficiary of the proceeds from the raffle and the CAD 1,000 will go towards sustaining his family. Janet D'Souza, the general secretary proposed vote of thanks.
Sponsors work as partners with MAC to support and maintain its many endeavors. The success of an event is ensured with the generosity and collaboration of the sponsors. The sponsors for Monthi Fest were Flavian Pinto, an investment and insurance solutions advisor with Clarica, Ronald Mathias, realtor at Remax Realty Specialist Inc, Maxim D’Mello, Life Insurance and investment advisor and Max Pinto, an insurance and financial services advisor.
Konkan Delite catered a traditional all-vegetarian meal with the highlight of the meal being the delicious “Pathrade” and the sumptuous dessert, ‘Vorn’.
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