Media Release
Mangaluru, Oct 9: The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary was celebrated with great devotion and spiritual fervour at St Sebastian Church, Bendur, on October 7. The celebration was jointly organised by the Catholic Action League (CAL) and Young Catholic Students (YCS), in association with the Commission for Liturgy and the Legion of Mary.
The celebration brought together parishioners of all ages in prayer, reflection and devotion to Our Blessed Mother Mary, highlighting the importance of the Holy Rosary in the spiritual life of every Christian family.
The celebration commenced with the Holy Mass, presided over by assistant parish priest Fr Ozmond D’Souza. The liturgy was celebrated with deep devotion, with the faithful participating actively in the prayers and hymns.
Following the Holy Mass, parishioners participated in a candlelight procession to the grotto, singing Marian hymns and expressing their faith, devotion to Mother Mary, and unity as a parish community.
Fr Walter D’Souza vicar spoke about the importance and power of the Holy Rosary. He encouraged the parishioners to make the Rosary an integral part of their daily lives and families. He reminded everyone that the Rosary is not merely a prayer of repetition, but a powerful means of meditating on the life, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ through the eyes of Mary.
At the grotto, the Angelos was prayerfully recited, followed by the Holy Rosary, led by the young members of CAL and YCS. The youth took an active role in leading the prayers, demonstrating their commitment to faith and their devotion to Our Blessed Mother.
A special feature of the Rosary Day celebration was the creative presentation of the Glorious Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. For each of the five Glorious Mysteries, a meaningful tableau depicting the respective mystery was presented. The tableaux were enacted by the parish children, Bethany Sisters and members of the Legion of Mary.
Adding colour and joy to the celebration were the beautiful Marian dances presented by the parish children and the candidates of Bethany Convent. The performances were a graceful expression of love and devotion towards Mother Mary.
The entire celebration was enriched by the melodious Marian hymns rendered by the choir team.
At the conclusion of the programme, Ashwin Pinto proposed the vote of thanks. He expressed sincere gratitude to the vicar, assistant parish priests, PPP leaders, children, Bethany Sisters, Legion of Mary members, CAL and YCS members, choir team and all those who contributed to the success of the celebration.
The celebration concluded on a warm and joyful note with refreshments served to the participants.
The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary at St Sebastian Church, Bendur, was not merely a commemorative celebration but a beautiful evening of prayer, faith, devotion, youth participation and community fellowship.
The celebration reminded everyone of the timeless invitation of Our Blessed Mother to pray the Rosary, contemplate the mysteries of Christ and live our faith with greater commitment.