Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SB)

Mangaluru, Jan 3: The annual feast of Infant Jesus Shrine, Carmel Hill, Bikarnakatte will be celebrated on January 14 and 15.

In a press meet, Fr Prakash D’Cunha, director, Infant Jesus Shrine said, “The festal Mass on January 14 will be concelebrated by Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza, bishop emeritus of Mangaluru diocese at 6.00 pm along with Fr Charles Serrao, Carmelite provincial superior and more than 100 Priests. Around 500 religious nuns and more than 15,000 devotees are going to participate in the Eucharistic celebration which will be held in open air.”

There will be masses all through the day too. Mass in Konkani will be celebrated at 6 am, 9 am and 11.45 am. English mass will be at 7 am, Malayalam mass at 8.00 am and Kannada mass at 12.45 pm followed by a prayer service. Mass for the sick and the aged will be celebrated at 10.15 am in Konkani.

The festal mass on the second day (January 15) will be solemnised by Dr Peter Paul Saldanha, bishop of Mangaluru along with other priests at 10.30 am. There will be a special Mass for children. There are other masses on the same day: 6.30 am, 7.30 am, 9 am in Konkani. At 12 noon the Kannada mass and in the evening a special prayer service for inner healing at 5 pm followed by Eucharistic celebration and procession of the Blessed Sacrament will be held.

The formal inauguration of the festivity will be held on January 4 with the votive offering procession beginning at Jayashree Gate. The flag hoisting will be attended by Msgr Maxim Noronha, vicar general of Mangaluru diocese, Vedavyas Kamath, MLA, Mangaluru south constituency, Baskar Moily, mayor, Mangaluru City Corporation, Ivan D’Souza, MLC and Sabitha Misquith, corporator.

In preparation to the annual feast, nine-day Novena prayers will be held from January 5 to 13 during which there will be 9 masses every day. Masses are as follows: In the morning at 6.00 am, 7.30 am, 9.00 am and 10.30 am in Konkani, 1 pm in Konkani, 4 pm in Malayalam, 5 pm in English and 7 pm in Kannada. The main mass at 6 pm will be celebrated in Konkani in the open air.

Blood donation camp is being organised at the shrine campus on January 10, Thursday from 9 am to 1 pm. Fr Richard Coelho, director, Fr Muller’s medical college will inaugurate the camp.

Free meal will be served to the devotees on all the nine days of Novena.

A special prayer service in Kannada – Bala Yesu Namana will be held at 8.15 pm, every day of the Novena.

Fr Prakash D’Cunha, director, Infant Jesus shrine, Fr Wilfred Rodrigues, superior, St Joseph’s Monastery, Fr Ligory Crasta, Elias Fernandes, director, Four Winds Communications were present at the press meet.