Media Release

Chicago, Sep 10: The Mangalorean Konkan Christian Association celebrated its 22nd annual Monti Fest celebration at St Hubert’s Church Hall at Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Monti Fest celebration is unique to the Mangalurean community. This festival is similar to thanksgiving in the USA and in India, it is celebrated in different forms like Onam in Kerala, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Nag Panchami, Teej, Rath Yathra, Hornbill, etc.

Mangalureans celebrate the birth of the Virgin Mary’s feast and give thanks to Mother Mary in gifting us with Jesus Christ the saviour of the world and providing us with a new crop of the season. During this time new crop is blessed and distributed to the devotees, who take them home and have a family get-together to celebrate the birth of Mother Mary.

There was a general Holy Eucharist, where the MKCA members and guests attended. The first and second readings at the Mass were read by the members of MKCA.

The cultural programme was initiated by a welcome note from the president of MKCA, Leonard Lobo. In his welcome address, he introduced his executive committee to the audience and recognized their contributions to the success of the programmes conducted. He narrated the history of MKCA, where Dr Austin Prabhu, founder and president of MKCA pioneered the work on the formation of MKCA along with other founder members of the association. He briefed the audience on how this feast was celebrated back in India. The compeer of the programme, Savio Pais, the current secretary initiated the cultural programme with games for the children and adults. He introduced and thanked the parish priest, Fr Tom Abraham for his generosity in providing the venue.

Savio Pais thanked the organizing committee for their relentless support of the programme's success. He recognized the efforts of the members and their families in preparing a great variety of Mangalorean ethnic food for the programme. He recognized the members and guests who contributed to the programme.

Fr Tom Abraham, blessed the food prepared by the members and guests of MKCA. The programme has culminated with a sumptuous ethnic dinner. Under effective DJing by Queenie Mendonca, the audience enjoyed dancing to the tunes of Konkani, Hindi, and Spanish songs.