Media Release

Mangaluru, Dec 28: It was on the feast of the Holy Family on December 26, 2021 at 8 am that 24 children of St Joseph the Worker Church, Neermarga accompanied by their parents marched with eagerness for the reception of the Sacrament of the Eucharist for the first time, dressed in white symbolizing purity and newness.

Fr Anil Canute D Mello, parish priest celebrated the Holy Eucharist and Fr Bonaventure Rodrigues, spiritual director of St Peter’s Pontifical Seminary, Bengaluru, Fr Timothy Saldanha and Fr Norbert, OFM Cap were the concelebrants.

Fr Bonaventure Rodrigues preached an inspirational homily in which three readings of the day were explained through narration of incidents turning the spotlight on the ways and means of how a family can be the transmitter of many moral values -value of team work, value of adjustment and tolerance, value of persistence and effort. He further emphasised on the role of the parents in the care and all-round development of their children and the duties and responsibilities of the youth and children in families.

Fr Anil D Mello planned the liturgy in such a way that every child had a part to play in proclaiming the word, sing the Psalm, introduction to the Mass, prayers of the faithful, prayer after Communion. Certificate of participation in catechism classes, scapular, Rosary and a copy of Konkani New Testament were gifted to the first communicants. The parish priest and Celestine Saldanha- coordinator of Sunday catechism classes helped the children in their preparation to receive the sacrament of reconciliation and first Holy Communion.