Media Release
Mangaluru, Feb 4: The nine-day novena in preparation for the feast of Relic of Saint Anthony will begin from February 6.
The feast in honour of the Relic of Saint Anthony will be celebrated on February 15. The inauguration will be conducted by hoisting Saint Anthony’s Shrine flag at Our Lady of Miracles Church Milagres. Fr Dr Ronald Serrao, the rector of St Joseph Seminary will hoist the flag and celebrate the inaugural mass at Milagres Church. Before hoisting the flag, a vehicle rally will be held wherein the decorated statue of Saint Anthony will be taken in procession from Saint Ashram Jeppu to Milagres Church via Kankanady circle, Falnir road.
The themes of the nine days of Novena are designed on ‘Life a gift of God- To be nurtured and protected’.
Renowned priests are invited to celebrate holy mass and preach the homily on the theme. Special prayers will be offered for various groups of people on the novena days. The choir groups from nine different parishes will lead the singing on the nine days of Novena.
The main festive holy mass will be celebrated by the Bishop Emeritus of Mangaluru diocese Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza February 15 at 6 pm at Milagres Church ground. A holy mass in Malayalam will be celebrated by Fr Alexander Kalarikkal, professor at St Joseph Inter-Diocesan Seminary Jeppu at 4.30 pm at Milagres Church. For the sake of the sick and elderly, a holy mass will be offered by Fr Boniface Pinto, Professor of St Joseph Seminary Jeppu at 8.15 am at Milagres Church. Fr Walter Mendonca, parish priest of St Anthony Church Sastan, Udupi will offer holy mass at 11 am at Jeppu Ashram for the special invitees.
The tongue of Saint Anthony who lived in the thirteenth century is still fresh and kept at Padua in Italy where he did most of his pastoral ministry. Saint Anthony who is revered all over the world is invoked especially to find lost articles.
On the eve of the feast- February 14 after the holy mass a short drama titled ‘Bair podellobhavarthpatiditha’ (lost faith returned) will be played at Milagres Church grounds. This short drama of fifteen minutes is written and directed by Vincent Fernandes of ‘Mogachi Lahra’ fame.
Fr Onil D’Souza the director of the institutes announced the details in a press release.