Sep 9: Under the able and dynamic leadership of Oswald Sequeira, the Founder and Advisor, and like-minded and competent First Executive Committee Members of the Konkan Association of Toronto, Monthi Fest – the Feast of the Nativity, was celebrated for the first in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.
The festival has a special relevance in the modern world as it keeps the community together not just in India, specially in South India, but also in all different continents where Mangalorean Catholics have settled. They continue to celebrate Monthi Fest in a traditional way in their countries by coming together as one big family.
The Konkan Association of Toronto celebrated “Monthi Fest with great devotion, joy and pride. Hundreds of devotees attended the Eucharistic Celebration in Konkani at St. Barnabas Church in Scarborough. Thereafter all participated in the traditional showering of flowers ceremony by children in the church compound. Adults joined the children in honoring our Lady by singing Konkani hymns.
Thereafter the statue of our Lady was taken devotionally to the nearby “Burrows Hall” through procession and hymns. In keeping with the tradition, a ten course vegetarian meal was shared with the guests with Vorn. Drinking the blessed grain with milk [Nove] was the highlight of the evening. Guests were entertained with an enjoyable cultural program. The guests felt blessed and blissful by paying obeisance to Mother Mary on her Birth Anniversary.
To continue and sustain celebration of Monthi Fest in Scarborough, the Konkan Association of Toronto is born. The First Executive Committee Members are: Oswald Sequeira, Founder/Advisor; President, Raymond Monteiro; Vice President, Joseph Lobo; Co-Outreach Coordinator, Patt Fernandes; General Secretary, Winnie D’Souza; Joint Secretary, Hilda Mendonca; Treasurer, Grace D’Silva; Co-Treasurer, Marie Monteiro; Cultural Coordinator, Clifford D’Silva; Co-Cultural Coordinator, Lydia Sequeira; Sports Secretary, Teresa Menezes; and Youth Secretary, Jean Pinto.
In his inaugural speech Oswald Sequeira thanked God for granting him the grace and an opportunity to fulfill his dream of six years to bring the Konkans living and around Scarborough together, as a family, to celebrate the Monthi Fest. He requested the attendees to extend their support to all future events - spiritual, cultural and outreach, which will be hosted in Scarborough, so that the first time united family remains knitted together always. He also expressed the need for continued unity to sustain Konkan culture and heritage in Canada and to extend their time and resources for Konkan Association of Toronto’s outreach mission programs.