Media Release

Bengaluru, Sep 11: The annual feast of Nativity of Our Mother Mary was celebrated at St Vincent Pallotti Church, Banasawadi, here and was webcast online through YouTube channel and Facebook Live, on Tuesday, September 8.

The service in Konkani commenced at 8.00 am at the church premises with the blessing of the newly grown sheaves of paddy corn by the parish priest, Fr Manohar Josely Noronha along with the other guest priests. The priests along with a limited number of lectors and members of the Konkani choir group who were present for the service offered and honoured infant mother Mary with flowers and singing of hymns. Thereafter, the priests, lectors and the choir group members proceeded to the church carrying the blessed paddy corn and statue of infant Mary to celebrate the holy mass.

The main celebrant during the eucharistic service was Fr Manohar J Noronha, the parish priest, with co-celebrants Fr Alex Crasta, rector of Assumption Province Bengaluru, Fr Benedict Monteiro, Fr Victor Martis, Fr Andrew, Fr Rocky, Fr Arogya Das (assistant parish priest), Fr Ashok Mascarenhas, Fr Lawrence Mascarenhas and Fr Mervyn Frank. The homily on the occasion was also delivered by the main celebrant on the day's theme, 'Mary Queen of Families' by the parish priest.

The Konkani Choir group, in spite of a limited number of singers, ably supported the eucharistic service by singing melodious hymns during the service.

Fr Manohar Noronha at the conclusion of the eucharistic celebrations thanked all the co-celebrants for their presence and also Fr Philip (founder - parish priest) and Fr Paul D'Souza (assistant parish priest) who could not attend the service due to personal reasons.

The parish priest also greeted all the parishioners who participated in the eucharistic celebration online from their homes and received blessings from mother Mary on her Nativity feast day.

He also acknowledged everyone's contribution and participation in preparation for the Nativity feast, during the nine days of Novena held along with mass every day from August 30 at 8.00 am, making it a memorable and meaningful one. The members of each of the nine zones, animated each day's Novena online, having its unique theme on the life of mother Mary on each day. He thanked Fr Sunil and Lewlyn for helping in webcasting all the masses including the feast day and the 9 days of Novena masses online.

He thanked the members of St Vincent Pallotti Konkani Kutamb for making all the necessary arrangements for the mass and also thanked the other parishioners involved in the arrangements. He specifically thanked Sr Jascintha for her help and assistance.

Blessed corn was made available to the parishioners at the church premises after the service ended. The blessed corn was provided by Rony Crasta of Surathkal, whose help and support are acknowledged.

The food grains and other groceries, donated by Parishioners during this festival season, as offering shall be distributed to the poor and needy of the Parish Community after the feast.

The recording of the feastal mass can be viewed below: