Udupi: Solemnity and Devotion Aplenty at St Lawrence Parish Centenary Celebrations
 
Report: Dr Eugene DSouza, Moodubelle
Pics: Anil Alva

Udupi, Jan 6: The day that the parishioners of St Lawrence Church Belle in the district had been eagerly awaiting for a year since the inauguration of the Centenary Year during the annual parish feast last year (January, 2010) dawned with morning chill and an air of excitement on Wednesday January 5, 2011.

Since a year, preparations, both spiritually and materially, were on for this grand day, which is once-in-a-lifetime experience.  The interior and exterior of the church had been aesthetically decorated for the occasion. Seating arrangement for the parishioners and people from neighbouring parishes had been adequately made, by placing additional chairs inside and outside the church. Video screens for the benefit of those who were unable to enter the church due to paucity of space, were put up at strategic points, to enable them to view and actively participate in the solemn centenary feast Mass.

There were two Masses in the morning - one at 6.30 am, and the other, at 7.30 am, so that those parishioners, who had to be at home in anticipation of the arrival of guests, could attend the Mass on the feast day. People, both Christian and non-Christian, were seen streaming inside the church premises right from 8.30 am, offering candles at the shrine of St Lawrence the ‘Miracle Worker’ for the favours received, and pleading for additional favours. The stall keepers were busy in arranging their wares in order to attract the potential customers.

Bishop of Mangalore, Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza, was received by the parish priest of Belle, Fr Joswey Fernandes, and members of the parish pastoral council at 9.50 am. At 10 am, the grand procession of the Altar Servers, fifty priests from different parishes, and also those from Belle, serving in North India, along with Fr Mathew Vaz, dean of the Udupi Deanery, Archbishop, Dr Albert D’Souza, and Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza, the chief celebrant of the Centenary Feast Mass, entered the church through the main door, while the choir sang the entrance hymn.

Charles Quadros gave the preliminary introduction, following which, the chief celebrant, Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza, in his introductory message, said that the day is the most important in the history of the Belle Parish as it has completed a century of existence and invoked God’s blessings on the children, youth, old and the sick alike, apart from all the people of the parish.

The feast homily was delivered by Fr Ronald Serrao, former assistant parish priest of Belle, and presently serving as professor in St Joseph’s Seminary, Jeppu-Mangalore. He said that Almighty God has worked wonders in this parish. Recalling the history of a century of the parish, Fr Ronald said that the foundation that was laid a hundred years ago in the form of Belle parish has developed into a strong parish community. “Centenaries, jubilees and feasts help us to recall the wonders that God has worked among us and it is an opportunity to thank Him for all that He has done to us.  Jubilees provide us with an opportunity to renew the bond between God and human beings and the bond among family and community members,” he pointed out.  Fr Ronald said that the life of St Lawrence is a model for the youth of the parish, particularly so, this year being the ‘Year of the Youth’. The choir sang extremely well during the Centenary Annual Feast. The choir had been trained by Br Mahesh D’Souza and Fr Paul Sequeira.

At the end of the Mass, Fr Joswey Fernandes thanked Mangalore Bishop, Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza, the chief celebrant, and Fr Ronald Serrao, for delivering the homily. He also thanked Dr Albert D’Souza, a native of Belle and presently serving as Archbishop of Agra, for participating in the centenary celebrations. He also welcomed Fr Edwin D’Souza, brother of the Archbishop, who had come all the way from Canada, and all the priests from the varado and neighbouring parishes, and priests and sisters from Belle. Fr Joswey expressed gratitude to all the people and the neighbouring parishes such as Shirva, Kanajar, Kuntalnagar and Pamboor. He thanked all the volunteers who helped on the Confraternity Sunday’s community feast. He also thanked the choir, Pravin and Roshan Castelino, for lighting the church and providing sound system. Fr Joswey made a special mention of commodore Jerome, Rose Castelino, and Valerian Alva, who is the chairman of Belle Charitable Trust, who have donated  two buses to the schools . They were offered ‘candles of honour’ by Bishop, Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza.

There was a brief felicitation programme at the end of the Mass.  After a brief introduction and welcome by Fr Joswey Fernandes, Dr Albert D’Souza released the centenary souvenir and the book containing the brief history of St Lawrence parish through the century (1910-2010) and the journey of St Lawrence through the wards. Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza honoured the Archbishop of Agra, Dr Albert D’Souza, with shawl, flowers, memento and fruits. Fr Paul Sequeira read out the felicitation in honour of the Archbishop. Next, the former parish priests - Fr Harold Menezes, Fr Charles Lewis, Dr Valerian D’Souza, and the present parish priest, Fr Joswey Fernandes, were also honoured.  Thereafter, Fr Paul Sequeira, Fr Arun Mendonca, and Fr Lancy Saldanha were felicitated. Henry Fernandes and Meera Lobo, vice president and secretary of the parish pastoral council respectively, were also honoured.

In his message, Archbishop Albert D’Souza extended the best wishes of the centenary and annual feast to the parishioners and said that being in Belle since the last three days, he had become quite nostalgic about his childhood, and hoped that there would be more vocations in the parish of Belle.

Fr Joswey Fernandes honoured Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza with shawl, fruits, flowers and memento. Addressing the parishioners, the Mangalore Bishop complimented the priests and people of Belle on the occasion of the centenary of the foundation of parish of Belle, and said that the history of the past century was written by the forefathers of Belle, and that it is continued to be written by the present generation. There have been changes since the last hundred years, he noted, adding that the entire parish should act like a family and live in unity and harmony. “If here is unity, there would be strength. The family should the family of prayer and devotion. This age is that of progress, education and busy life. There may not be time for family prayers,” he said. But the Bishop made an appeal not to give up family prayers. He advised people to become leading lights for the children so that they may walk on the right path.

Henry Fernandes proposed vote of thanks. The programme was compered by Raphael Aranha.