By John B Monteiro
Pics: Lancy D’Cunha

Mangaluru, Oct 10: While Hindus in India are celebrating Ayudha Pooja, Catholics mark the occasion with blessing of vehicles on church campuses, with priests reciting special prayers for the safety of travellers and their vehicles. St Lawrence Church in Bondel, the service was held on October 10 following the morning Mass.

Elsewhere, like at Milagres Church for instance, the blessing of vehicles is linked with the Sunday obligatory Mass – two on Saturday October 15 and at Masses on the following day. At Rosario Cathedral, it is held on St Christopher’s feast. 

At the Bondel church, the Mass was celebrated, with special introduction for the occasion, by Fr Jason V Monis for a church-full congregation. After the Mass, Special prayers were recited in the forecourt of the church by the parish priest, Fr Andrew D’ Souza along with Fr Jason and Fr Leo Veigas, resident priest. The priests then went around to bless hundreds of cars and autos parked on the church campus.

The observance of Ayudha Pooja by the Catholics is part of the inter-culturation movement that took place in the church after the Second Vatican Council held in October-December 1962. Among other things, it involved conducting the Mass in local languages (Till then in Latin) like Konkani and Kannada. It may be interesting to know that in one church in the world, at Pavoor, near Kerala- DK border, church services are conducted in Tulu, including singing of hymns. This might have its origin in neo-Christians converted from Tulu-speaking people concentrated in a 100-acre colony established by an Italian Jesuit priest over a century ago. Now the parishioners are well-educated and are savvy in Kannada, Konkani and English. Yet, the tradition continues.

Among other inter-culturation practices followed by Catholics is lighting of diyas to mark inauguration of functions. But, the blessing of vehicles pre-dates the inter-culturation movement triggered by Vatican 2 and takes us back to the legend of St Christopher on whose feast day vehicles were originally blessed.

St Christopher connection

According to the legendary account of his life Christopher was a Canaanite, 5 cubits (7.5 feet) tall and with a fearsome face. While serving the king of Canaan, he took it into his head to go and serve "the greatest king there was". He went to the king who was reputed to be the greatest, but one day he saw the king cross himself at the mention of the devil. On thus learning that the king feared the devil, he departed to look for the devil. He came across a band of marauders, one of whom declared himself to be the devil, so Christopher decided to serve him. But when he saw his new master avoid a wayside cross and found out that the devil feared Christ, he left him and enquired from people where to find Christ. He met a hermit who instructed him in the Christian faith. Christopher asked him how he could serve Christ. When the hermit suggested fasting and prayer, Christopher replied that he was unable to perform that service. The hermit then suggested that because of his size and strength Christopher could serve Christ by assisting people to cross a dangerous river, where they were perishing in the attempt. The hermit promised that this service would be pleasing to Christ.

After Christopher had performed this service for some time, a little child asked him to take him across the river. During the crossing, the river became swollen and the child seemed as heavy as lead so much that Christopher could scarcely carry him and found himself in great difficulty. When he finally reached the other side, he said to the child: "You have put me in the greatest danger. I do not think the whole world could have been as heavy on my shoulders as you were." The child replied: "You had on your shoulders not only the whole world but Him who made it. I am Christ your king, whom you are serving by this work." The child then vanished.

So, the blessing of vehicles was earlier linked to the Feast of St Chistopher (One who carried Christ). For instance, on this day hundreds of vehicles would be parked in downtown Bombay (Cooperage) and after Mass in Church of the Holy Name(Wodehouse Church) on the leafy Wodehouse Road (now renamed Nathalal Parekh Marg), the priest would stand on a platform and sprinkle holy water as the cars drove by slowly in a sort of motorised march past.

Inter-culturation instances

There are other important inter-culturation instances. One of them is the new corm feast celebrated on September 8 as Monthiche Fest. It is equivalent to the Hindu new corn feasts marked about the same time. It was introduced to Canara by Fr Hilary Miranda, a Goan priest, who headed the Monastery at Farangipet during Hyder Ali’s rule and they were very on friendly terms so that this monastery was the only church untouched by Tipu Sultan when he destroyed all other churches in Canara.