Sr Molly Fernandes SFN

Goa, Sep 29: St Michael’s Convent and High School, at Anjuna-Vagator, Goa, celebrated its patron feast with pomp and gaiety on Friday, September 29, as the school band welcomed the guests and everyone with the beats of drum. The staff and students’ faces were shining and illuminating radiance of joy and happiness inspite of heavy and incessant rains.

The theme for the Eucharistic Celebration was ‘St Michael the Archangel, defend us in our life battle’. The mass began with a short enactment how under the guidance and patronage of St. Michael their lives changed and were strengthened and empowered to shun evil and received blessings.

The main celebrant Fr Milchester Furtado (cap), moved the gathering with his inspiring homily encouraging those present to be angels where we live, work, in our surroundings, being the messengers of good news just as the archangels or angels carry and are God’s messengers. With the examples of Archangels Gabriel, Raphael and Michael, who protect, strengthen, counsel and guide us, he exhorted the students, teachers, management and those gathered to be the messengers of goodness, by being supportive and by guiding and helping.

He also pointed that we are above the angels as God has created us in his own image and likeness. And questioned have you been an angel?

Can I be an angel of counsel, healing, defense and Goodnews?, Fr Furtado challenged.

The school choir helped everyone to participate in the Eucharist with fervour and piety.

Having nourished at the Eucharistic celebration, all were served with refreshments even as the incessant rains kept pouring. After the refreshments, the main celebrant Fr Milchester, Sr Berna Rodrigues, the superior general of Holy Family Sisters, in the presence of Sr Margaret Rodrigues the headmistress, Sr Charlotte Barbosa, the manager and Sr Benedita Carvalho, the Animator, inaugurated the art exhibition cum sale of glass paintings, fabric paintings, canvas paintings and crochet art, flowers, etc.

The priests who concelebrated along with the main celebrant, were presented with a token of love.

For any event to reach its pinnacle, a lot of homework has to be done and as said many hand make light work, the headmistress Sr. Margaret Rodrigues, with deep gratitude cherished the presence of all those present and grace their occasion.

Sr Rodrigues said she is short of words to thank each and every one who had to put in lots of efforts to make this day, a day of blessing, including all benefactors, well-wishers and her energetic, supportive members of the Staff.

A great feat the prestigious school received ‘an award’ for eradicating plastic through a given project ‘Mhaka naka Plastic’ in the village of Anjuna-Vagator by the foundation ‘Sensible Earth, The Centre for Sustainability, Goa, at the hands of their representatives Anthony D Souza and Jonas Fernandes.

The continuous rains could not dampen the spirit of the children and the staff as the day seemed guarded under the patronage of St Michael. Everyone returned home after lunch.