Pics: Stanley Bantwal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, May 5: As many as 13 couples exchanged their marital vows at Rosario Cathedral on Sunday, May 5, in a simple ceremony in the presence of Dr Peter Paul Saldanha, bishop of Mangaluru.

Bishop also celebrated the Eucharist at the cathedral with other concelebrants including Fr Andrew D’Souza, parish priest of St Lawrence Church, Bondel.

This is the 45th year of community weddings at Rosario Cathedral. St Vincent De Paul Society of cathedral has been holding these weddings with passion to help the poor and mission to make the weddings simple and meaningful.

Reception function was held soon after nuptials. NRI entrepreneur Ivan Fernandes was the chief guest. Fr J B Crasta, C J Simon, Mary Pinto and other members of St Vincent De Paul Society and others were present on the occasion.

History

Many people in the society aspire to celebrate the sacrament of matrimony that happens once in a lifetime, in a grand manner. However, many people struggle to repay the loan that is taken to meet the expenses of an extravagant marriage. On the other hand, there are many girls who remain spinsters throughout their life just because they cannot afford to get married. In today's world, marriage has become a social issue. However, the mass marriages, that are taking place in the society since many years are a boon to such unfortunate girls and boys, who are financially very poor.

The Roman Catholic community of Mangaluru diocese is also not behind in such philanthropic work. Community weddings that the community has been conducting for the past 44 years are a proof of the community’s effort towards helping the less-fortunate brothers and sisters of the Roman Catholic community.

The Vincent De Paul Society of Rosario Cathedral decided to hold its golden jubilee celebrations in the year 1976. As a part of the celebration, the society decided to take up an exemplary scheme that would benefit the then Roman Catholic society of the city, especially those who were financially poor.

Due to the serious thinking in this direction by the then parish priest of Rosario Cathedral Fr Fred V Pereira and assistant parish priest Fr Denis Castelino, the scheme of community weddings took birth.

The main aim of this scheme was to help the financially poor people of the community to get into the sacrament of matrimony without much expense.