Media Release
Nairobi, Sep 12: A small group of Catholics, under the umbrella of Kanara Konkani Catholics of Nairobi (KKCN) began unique way of celebrating the Monti Festh in the year 2014 at Consolata Shrine, Nairobi.
It is unique, in the sense the preparation for the celebration starts with nine consecutive Saturdays' Novena beginning in the month of July.
Each of these nine Saturdays, candle lit Rosary procession is done starting from the shrine which ends at the Grotto (At the Grotto we have 9 feet tall statue of our Lady Consolata, donated by KKCN community and is sourced from Simon Art Company, Mangalore) in the prayer Garden in front of the church where showering of the flowers done and thereafter faithful are enriched with reflection on a Marian theme.
Feast day celebration was done on Saturday September 9, 2023, starting with Solemn Eucharistic celebration presided over by Bishop Emeritus Rodrigo Mejia, concelebrated along with Fr Richard D’Souza SJ and Fr Jackson Murugara IMC, Parish Priest Consolata Shrine.
Immediately after the mass, maize corn was blessed and distributed to all who were present, and the ceremony concluded with showering of flowers to Mother Mary's statue at the Grotto.
This is the ninth year this festival was celebrated over here, since it was introduced and started by KKCN, except for a gap of two years during COVID, this celebration is slowly gaining acceptance and is becoming popular among the Kenyans, with over 300 faithful attending the celebration this year as against 80 to 100 in the previous years.
Plans are made now, by local Church leaders, to have this celebration in a grand scale next year!