M'lore: Rare Jesuit Event - 3 priests celebrate Golden Jubilee of priesthood
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (MM)
Pics: Prajwal Ukkuda
Mangalore, Mar 30: It was a indeed a great feat, in-fact the rarest of rare occasion for the Jesuit priest community in the city. Three of the Jesuit priests namely Fr Victor Piovesan, Fr Stany Vas and Fr Denis Coelho celebrated their golden jubilee of priesthood, here on Saturday, March 29.
All three of them have crossed 80 years of age but are still as charming, full of life and as enthusiastic as a child. They celebrated thanks-giving holy mass at the Fathima Retreat centre, along with Fr Vijay Prabhu and Fr Rony Prabhu.
Raising a toast to the trio after the holy Eucharistic mass, noted Jesuit priest Fr Pradeep Sequeira of Pune declared warmly that all three priests inspired others through their work and put in their best efforts not only towards the Catholic community, but non-Catholics community as well.
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Fr Vijay Prabhu in his felicitation speech opined "The three priests moulded the hearts and minds of various categories of people loving the poor and the marginalized segment, without any barriers," he added.
Fr Victor Piovesan, an Italian priest who has decided to spend the rest of his life in Italy thanked God for the wonderful blessings poured on him. He said that, he had spent a total of 58 years in India, out of which he spent 49 years in Jeppu seminary.
"Although I was sent to the Jeppu Seminary on a temporary basis as a theology lecturer, but I ended up spending 49 years here," he stated touchingly. He howeverm did say he felt sad to leave India, but was compelled to go back to his home country as there was a shortage of priests in Italy, he clarified.
His brother Giovanni and nephew Denis have come here to take Fr Piovesan back home. Fr Rony Prabhu welcomed the gathering while Fr Thomas Quadros proposed the vote of thanks. Fr Melwyn Pinto compered the programme.