Media Release
Dubai, Aug 26: St Mary’s Mangalorean Community (SMMC), a newly established Mangalurean Konkan organization of St Mary’s Catholic Church, Dubai has lined up a host of competitions to mark the popular Mangalurean family feast 'Monthi Fest'.
Nine days of Novena will be held starting from Sunday, August 30. Every day’s Novena service will begin with Konkani mass in the evening at 8, followed by Novena and flower strewing ceremony by children to Balok Mori at 8:45pm in front of the Grotto.
Spiritual director Fr Robert Lasrado, has encouraged all Konkan parishioners of St Mary’s Church Dubai to attend all nine days of Novena and mass to express love and devotion to Mother Mary. On the September 8, the day of Nativity feast, veneration to Mother Mary will begin in the evening at 7:45 with flower strewing ceremony in front of the Main entrance of the church and followed by feast mass in the main church and main hall. After the mass, there will be traditional dinner ‘Novem Jevann’ to all.
SMMC has also organized a few competitions to mark this wonderful feast. They are:
1. Konkani hymn/devotional solo singing competition for children : 5 to 10 years
2. Konkani hymn/devotional solo singing competition for children : 11 to 15 years
3. ‘Imitation of Saint’ competition for children : 5 to 10 years
4. ‘Imitation of Saint’ competition for children : 11 to 15 years
5. Konkani skit competition for adults : Group of 2 to 10 people
If any parishioner is interested in participating in the above competitions, he/she can register personally in Fr Robert Lasrado’s office or send email to smmcdubai@yahoo.com on or before September 2. SMMC core committee will send elaborate details of completion to the participants by email or sms.
Competitions will be held in St Mary’s Church premises on Saturday September 5 in the afternoon.
Winners will be given an opportunity to perform during the Monthi Fest cultural event which will take place on Friday, September 11 evening in the Church main hall from 7:30 to 9:30. This programme, open to all, will showcase Konkan talents with their singing, dance and skit performances.
SMMC, a newly started church-affiliated Konkan organization has been commenced in 2013 by the earlier parish priest of St Mary’s Dubai Church Fr Tomasito and guided by the then spiritual director Fr Fransquinho Gomes. In July 2015, present parish priest Fr Lennie Connolly appointed the newly arrived Mangalurean priest Fr Robert Lasrado as SMMC spiritual director. Now Fr Lasrado with SMMC's new core committee and with the support of vast Konkan parishioners has geared up to enhance the spiritual and commercial requirements of Mangalurean community of St Mary’s Church Dubai.
After the Monthi Fest celebration, SMMC has planned to organize a few social events like Konkani drama and family get-together in November and December 2015. SMMC is looking forward to enormous support from all the Konkan parishioners for the success of Monthi Fest and all other forthcoming events.