Jerome, Mangalore

Dowry has not left christians too.It is a burden for the poor villager christian who have many daughters.Mass mariiages will evade dowry problems to some extent.

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

STEEVAN D '' SOUZA, RANIPURA,Mangalore..

GREAT WORK BY ST.VINCENT DE PAUL COMMUNITY,ROSARIO PARISH...THANKS FOR EVERYTHING..REALY HELPFULL WORK..MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL THOSE WHO SUPPORTED FOR THE PROGRAME..CONGRATULATION TO ALL COUPLES...

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

Jerome, Mangalore

Nice to see brides in sarees,following Indian culture! Yes we are proud Indians.

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

Lydia Lobo, Kadri

Joachim, By all means - one has total freedom about how he wants to his once-in-the-lifetime wedding. Do you know our Primi Minister''s daughters got married during last five years ? He too could have invited the whole nation but we got to know about their marriages only through an interview yesterday ! Simple civil wedding with close family members.

Nevertheless, assuming you are single and will have a wedding, where would you have it ? In the US or India ? Surely in India because of economic factors. Can the same be applied for the volume of your spending ? This is what I''m trying to convey.

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

Lydia Lobo, Kadri

Naveen, It is sad that even village people today do not want to strain themselves for cooking a wedding meal. They straight away order catering, all is served where they are seated. I miss those weddings that were celebrated in each house according to the capacity of the family. There used to be a ''Dukor-mar'' and ''Matov'' and local band. Hmmm the unforgettable aroma of the meal served on banana leaf makes my mouth water.

Who are to be blamed for today''s fast-track but costly wedding ? We ourselves. We cannot go back to ''Matov'' and ''Dukor-mar'' but can cut down with our expenses. We need to spread awareness that we can do without a hall-assembly, three tier cake, orchestra, designer gown, famous MC, so on. Youth today need to be told that borrowing money for wedding is a bad practice. Marry within your capacity - people who come to have fun are not there to boot the bill.

Think about those who cannot even think about getting married due to poverty. Set aside what you have saved from unnecessary rituals and help those to get married is what I want to convey.

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

Naveen G, Mangalore

Dear Lidya, your attempt to move the catholic laity into opting for mass weddings, communions and christenings is indeed a noble gesture. What bothers me is not the church ceremonies but the spendings involved in social gatherings that follow. A lot of money is spent on them.

Even if you were to have mass weddings and communions, each party will disperse and then have their own parties which neither the parish priest, the pope nor you can stop them from doing. The whole purpose of your noble deed is defeated if we do not stop the social spendings, be it rich, poor, NRI''s or non NRI''s.

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

AMAR NATHAL, IND/ITALY

There you go, Lydia. My prayers and best wishes for your project. There are thousands out there waiting someone like you to ignite a spark and there is a revolution. What you say is known to many like a white elephant in the middle of the room, which all notice but no one speaks. I understand, you Christians are too noble and generous in contributions. God bless you all. Your institutions are a proof of your generous sacrifice and contributions.

Yet, there is a tendency among leaders these days to establish memorials that might be remembered as their brain-child, so that the leaders feel a sense of satisfaction and achievement. At what stage fiction ends and reality begins as well as when need ends and greed begins very difficult to figure out. Yet, new society begins when women get united to bring about a greater change.

Already your sisters in Kulshekar have shed their blood, you go ahead building a change that begins in your own Christian community which will surely be successful because Mariamma did not consult the temple priests nor waited for their approval when God chose her. You have spoken and your words have transforming power. God bless. Shalom!

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

Joachim Fernandes, US

There is nothing wrong with private weddings. A marriage is a unique and special event in a person''s life and it is understandable why people splurge on their wedding to make it memorable.

DisAgree [1] Agree Reply Report Abuse

T.M.D''Souza, Karambar, Bajpe

Congratulations all couples...great work by St Vincent De Paul Society..Keep it up!!!!

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

RTN MICHAEL MATHIAS(GURKAR PILAR LOWER WARD SHIRVA), PILAR/SHIRVA

CONGRATULATIONS TO EIGHTEEN NEWLY MARIED COUPLES WISH YOU ALL THE BEST From Rtn Michael Mathias Sec Shirva Rotary , Pilar Male Mane House Post Pernal Shirva 574116

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

anis, mangalore/dubai

A great work by the organisers,god bless you, thanks to daiji for super coverage

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

AMAR NATHAL, IND/ITALY

Dear Lydia, I appreciate your response. I remember that a couple of months ago women and children were involved in protesting and a sister was beaten up by police. If you wait for the priests to decide, they will calculate the repercussion in terms of their own influence and personal gain. Write to your bishop to ban all private weddings and you will have preached louder than a preacher. Mind you, people go to heaven for recognizing the image of God in the poor people and not because of a clean bill of spiritual health given by a poojari or a priest.

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

Lydia Lobo, Kadri

Well, Amar, each time I visit my maternal parish, the priest has a list of development projects in hand along with a request for contribution from those who are better off leaving the place (indirectly me). I openly tell him that his ''Demand'' grows every year but this year I will have a demand too. A demand to convince parisheners for a ''mass marriage in the parish'' during parish meeting. If he succeeds in the project, he has my contribution. Else, I''ll look somewhere else for the launching pad of this noble cause. Parisheners, well-off or otherwise, coming together for such a social ceremony will be a trend setter to other parishes. At the same time, all NRI''s returning to have separate First Holy Communion for their son/daughter should be discouraged and requested that such additional amount be donated to causes like ''mass marriages'' of the parish.

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

AMAR NATHAL, IND/ITALY

Thanks daijiworld. It is so encouraging to see that the married people are also involved in arranging this wedding. Congrats! I understand that christian priests have extensive training and have to undergo strick discipline then only a few priests can spearhead a major change in the mangalorean society. These are real heroic priests and the st. Vincent Paul society is great in conducting these celebrations. These priest will not be remembered for being miracle workers but they are prophetic in tody''s society. Our education should not be for creating materially rich but spiritually poor individuals. With all those years of intense training, priests are not created to be idols to be worshipped. What about the personal wealth some priests have accumulated? Do they not contribute to these celebrations? In every religion when money is controlled by priests and refuse to be accountable to a community, they will become irreligious. We need temples and churches but what about the suffering and socially marginalied masses? Does God want them to be condemned in that state? Exemplary leaders go down in the living memory of generations to come. They need not inscribe their names on marbles. We leave that to politicians.

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

AMAR NATHAL, IND/ITALY

Dear Lydia, You are so daring to think loudly, very few would stand up be counted. Christian weddings unlike other marriages are so sacred in nature, the lavish expenditure is nothing but satan/Demon/diamond has entered the structure so silently from the back door, even Christ is in the verge of being thrown out, if he is still in, in some of the churches and temples. In a material world, best viable means of salvation is daring move by women.

Given the freedom of women and the quality of education you have, you can spearhead the revolution. If you expect men and priest they are likely to block every bit of hope and divine inspiration. Is it not a Woman called Mary, gave a revolutionary Prophet to the world, who overthrew the man-made structures. Any change is a real threat. If women stand up and say that your worth and dignity do not depend on Gold and silver, that is enough to be branded as a pessimist. Educate a woman and we are there for a unforgettable surprise. Structures don''t change because they want to maintain the status-quo. Shalom! Peace! Shanti !

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

Ashraf Ali, Ujire/Jubail, Saudi Arabia

Great work by St Vincent Paul Society. Congratulations to the newly wedded couples.

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

Lydia Lobo, Kadri

Amar Nathal, I agree with what you say. When a dozen children can be baptised on a day or hundreds of children given first communion or confirmation in one go, why not mass weddings in each parish say.. twice a year ? That would save a lot of money and wastage. As time passes, people accumulate wealth and club themselves themselves into groups governed by their worth.

They refuse to look back at those who are left behind in this race for prosperity hence want to have their own wedding/communion/confirmation arranged for individual member. Wealth is there today, gone tomorrow. Why not make best use of it by sharing with others, by sharing the dais with another couple who cannot afford this luxury ? Our parishes are a great source of motivation - needs just a spark to start - someone must set an example.

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

shahnawaz kukkikatte, dubai/udupi

Congrats and best of luck to the newly married couples. A great work by the organisers and good coverage by the Daiji Team. Such works are needed and are to be supported.

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

jane, cordel/Newyork

Wonderful work started by Fr.Fred Pereira,Great commitment continued by St.Vincent De Paul members of Rosario Parish,and also to our Lordship Bishop Of Mangalore for his patronage,But where are the priests of the couple''s parish, missing,if Fr.Elias Sequeira,parish priest of Kadur church and the leader of the famous kannada retreat team Jeevan Jyoti could be present,then why cannot our parish parish priests come and concelebrate with these poorest of the poor ?will somone comment and let more and more poor couples come forward .

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

AMAR NATHAL, IND/ITALY

Dear Lydia, Thanks for being kind. I was aware of this fact but my observation was about some of the Priestly Ordinations conducted together, may be because of availablity of Bishop and priests. Even in the west some girls refuse to attend wedding parties because of lack of new garments while they already have 30 or more pairs in the wardrobe.

They insist, "I have worn them already." Christian community being a champion of noble cause will it not be a good thing to hold even weddings together to show solidarity with poor and to cut down enormous cost individuals spend just for a days celebration and to discover that married life is so different from the wedding celebration and honeymoon.

If money and glamor adds to better understanding its fine. If not, there can be a rule that blessings of wedding is done together to create social awareness, and leaving room for private celebrations later according to the money power of individuals. May be this type of mass-weddings will reduce growing divorce cases!

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

Margaret Thomas Dsouza, Mangalore/Israel

Congratulations to all couples.May god bless all...

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

peter lewis, kalmady/k s a

''congratulations'' all of you newly wedded couple. may almighty bless you in all the ways.

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

anil , bantwal

Congratulations all couples...great work by St Vincent De Paul Society..Keep it up!!

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

Mamtha, Rosario / Dubai

Congrats to the Newly wedded Couples. I am proud of my Rosario my parish. Congrats to all the SVP members.

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

shaun , Rosario

Congratulations to all the newly wedded couples. Good initiative by the SVP members of cathedral. Well organised.

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

Stany Dsouza, Mumbai / Miyar

Congratulations to all the newly married couples. Very noble work done by St. Vincent De Paul Society. Presence of the Bishop is very inspiring indeed. May God bless all. Spending lavish money on weddings should be discouraged. Instead simple wedding ceremonies like the mass weddings should be encouraged.

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

A.S.Mathew, U.S.A.

This is a highly commendable service to humanity. Indeed, we are obeying God''s direction by helping the needy. When the rich people conduct marriages for their children, if they will cut some extravagant expenditures and conduct mass wedding for the needy couples, it will be a great blessings to all the parties involved. The Christian community has to take the lead to do likewise, later on, other people will follow the pattern. God bless all.

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

MANOHAR VEIGAS, UDUPI

Truly, a great social work being rendered by St. Vincent De Paul of Rosario Parish in conducting community mass marriages for the past 35 years, fulfilling the dream of hundreds of couples in having a decent marriage ceremony and rituals, which otherwise would have been a struggle for them.

We are proud of them and myself personally take pride since I was baptised in that same parish. God Bless all involved in this noble cause and specially to those visionaries who started this practical charity work 35 years ago.

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

Precilla Richard D''souza, Mangalore,Rosario/Kuwait

Congrulations all couples.... Keep it up st.Vincient De Paul Society. This time really I miss this great celebration. Thank you Daijiworld.

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

Francis & Sarita D''Souza, Bondel / Kuwait

Congratulations and wishing each and every couple a very happy married life. May God bless everyone who made this great event possible.

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

Lydia Lobo, Kadri

Amar Nathal, Conducting mass weddings to help poor youth to build a family is not new to Mangalore. For more information you may please check this link of Daiji : http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=58591&n_tit=Community Celebration of Weddings at Rosario Needs Generous Heart Mangalore is home to different communities coexisting in total harmony and cooperation.

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

John Peter Fernandes, Moodubelle/Nottingham

Congratulations all couples...great work by St Vincent De Paul Society..Keep it up!!!!

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

sameer, manglore

good job keep it up

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

AMAR NATHAL, IND/ITALY

Great celebration. The presence of the Bishop is a real spiritual force. If churches can conduct wedding ceremonies only in groups that will restore credibility to the Christian doctrine. Otherwise, our materialism and paganism will continue to be an insult to a God who loves simplicity and mercy. Will the christian priests join their bishops in advocating a kind of revolution that would be a model for Indian society?

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse