Dubai: St. Mary’s Konkan Community celebrates Nativity Fest
Report by : Jerina Lewis
Pics: Sujay Bendur
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Dubai, Sep 8: Monthi Fest, a unique Mangalorean traditional feast, which represents the birthday of our Mother Mary coincides with festival of new harvest is being celebrated all over the world every year with much fervor and enthusiasm. So this year, under the patronage of prestigious Konkan organization St. Mary’s Konkan Community [SMKC], the Konkan Community of Dubai celebrated the feast of Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary with devotion, zeal and grandeur in the midst of 5,000+ devotees on September 8, 2008 at St. Mary’s Church Dubai. At 8:00 in the evening, the strikingly festooned church reverberated to the melodious singing of the St. Mary’s Konkani choir. The Holy Mass in Konkani commenced with a splendid procession led by Priests Rev Fr. Peter, Rev. Fr. Tom , Rev. Fr. Freddy D’souza, Fr Dinesh along with Altar Servers and Lay Ministers.
Rev. Fr. Freddy in his soul-stirring homily preached that the purpose of Mother Mary’s birth is to bring the new Adam, Jesus Christ to the world in order to renew the humanity, to undo what the first Adam has done, that is to take away the sins of the world. During the mass, kernels of rice from the new crop ‘ Novem’ were blessed and prayed over in gratitude for a successful yield.
Generous Sponsors often work hand in hand with Church to protract its many endeavours and activities. For this feast, the sponsors gave out of the generosity of their hearts. During the mass Fr. Freddy honoured these donars with Candle distribution, as per the conventional practice in Mangalore. It was followed by the felicitation and distribution of scholastic awards to the academic toppers in 10th & 12th Final exams in 2007-08, as announced by St. Mary’s Konkan Community [SMKC]. Coleen Quadros, Jacqueline Pinto and Jennifer DSouza were honoured for their academic achievements.
As the mass concluded, young and angelic children, dressed in their finery and holding flower baskets walked eagerly in a procession outside the church, towards the grotto. Children placed flowers in honour of Mother Mary to the accompaniment of ‘Sokkad Sangatha Melyan” and “Moriyek Hogolsiyan” and the whole congregation participated in the excitement of reminiscing tradition of venerating ‘Balok Mori’ (infant Mary).
A traditional yet scrumptious all vegetarian meal and delicious “Vorn” prepared by Dubai’s famous Vegetarian Restaurant ‘Appa Kadai’ was served to all the people gathered, reviving the traditional ‘Novem Jevan’. It was a great success to the St. Mary’s Konkani Community [SMKC] Dubai, who served free traditional meal to the enormous crowd of 3000+, for the first time in St. Mary’s Church Dubai, which evoked nostalgic memories of age-old traditional fellowship evident at the time of this feast season in our native homeland.
SMKC appreciates the participation and help of all the volunteers, especially volunteers of St. Mary’s Volunteers Sodality under the leadership of Mr. T. Francis, for the hard work and tremendous effort of its members who ensured the discipline during the Mass and dinner, thus contributing the astounding success of the Monthi Fest celebration. It was indeed a great instance of unity among the different organizations existing in the vast parish like St. Mary’s church, Dubai.
The Main Coordinator of SMKC, Boniface Carlo along with other members extends his gratitude and applauds all the people who contributed to the immense success of this event and hopes to organize many more successful events in future, to bring harmony among all Konkani speaking people in Dubai and achieve the slogan of SMKC - ‘ONE BIG FAMILY’.