Bangalore: Annual Feast of Infant Jesus Shrine Attracts Faithful
News and Pics by Stanley Bantwal
Daijiworld Media Network—Bangalore (RD/CN)
Bangalore, Jan 15: The annual feast of the Infant Jesus Shrine at Viveknagar was celebrated on Wednesday January 14 with great solemnity.
The shrine is known as a place of pilgrimage, miracles, and divine solace, not only in Karnataka, but also the country.
This year, the feast was celebrated in the backdrop of events that shook the peace and tranquility of our nation and of the world. Global recession, persisted attacks on minorities, terror attacks, and the war in Gaza.
A large number of devotees from all faiths, castes, and creed, throng the Shrine on every Thursday for the novenas and on the annual feast, seeking graces. Peace rules the day when Infant Jesus rules the heart, was the festal message for the wide section of devotees who arrived in large numbers at the shrine.
Archbishop Bernard Moras and auxiliary bishop of Madras–Mylapore Dr Lawrence Pius Dorairaj, archbishop Emeritus Dr Ignatius Pinto, Chikmagalur bishop emeritus Dr J B Sequeira, vicar general Monsignor B Joseph Francis, rector Fr G Roys, and parish priest Fr Balraj R, as well as several priests offered the Holy Eucharistic Mass in Malayalam, Kannada, Konkani, and Tamil, all day long on Wednesday at intervals of about an hour.
Earlier this year, the flag hoisting celebrations coincided with the feast of Epiphany, a Christian feast of God’s revelations to gentiles, in the form of distant shepherds who found the Prince of Peace born in a manger at Bethlehem.
The shrine’s colourful procession was inaugurated by chief minister B S Yeddyurappa at 6.00 pm on Wednesday and had thousands of people in attendance.
Minority Morcha Karnataka executive member S N Raju, former corporator Janaki Raman, Anglo–Indian MLA Derrick Fulinfow, former state food minister Ramalinga Reddy, circle inspectors of both Ashoknagar and Viveknagar, sub-inspector Sridhar, retired ACP Doddamani Dasharat, councilor Narayan Gowda, and Haj committee member and Shantinagar MLA N Harrays, were present on the occasion.