Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (AR/KR)

Udupi, Aug 2: The annual feast of Our Lady of Velankanni, Kalmadi will be held at 10.30 am on Tuesday, August 15, informed Flavia Mathias at the Udupi press club here.

Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo, bishop, diocese of Udupi will be presiding over the celebrations, she further informed.

"Prior to the feast, a 9-day novena will be held starting Sunday August 6.  Fr Fredrick Maschanehas, parish priest, St Antony Church, Padukone will inaugurate the novena at 4.00 pm. There will be special prayers for sick as well, everyday, during the novena.

"On Sunday, August 13, there will be a procession of the Charol from Adi Udupi Junction until Stella Maris Church at 2.30 pm," she said.

"On August 15 apart from the main festive mass in the morning, there will be a mass in Kannada at 4.00 pm and in English at 6.00 pm," she added.

"In recent days, there have been many miracles taking place at this place. Devotees from the entire region visit this place everyday and seek God's blessings.

The construction of the new church is taking place at the cost of Rs 8 Core. The new church building is designed in the boat shape and can accommodate nearly 1,000 devotes at a time. There will be a grand inauguration of the newly built church on January 6, in 2018," she added.

While Sanjay Andrade, vice president, Fr Alban D’Souza, parish priest Stella Maris Church and director of the Our Lady of Velankanni, Kalmady were present.