Solemn Celebrations to Mark 50th Death Anniversary of Msgr Mascarenhas
 
IJS Shet
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore

Mangalore, Dec 13: The Bethany Sisters of the city headed by Sr Wilberta and assisted by the Postulator Sr Lillis in conjunction with the bishop Rt Aloysius P D’Souza on Thursday December 16 will honour Msgr Raymond F C Mascarenhas, a saintly priest of the diocese, the first Mangalore Konkani Catholic to enter the portals of potential 'Sainthood' in the Roman Catholic Church. The process to be declared a saint by the Pope in Vatican is a strict and elaborate process which could take decades.

Msgr Raymond died at Bendur on December 23, 1960. On December 16, a solemn and devout celebration will be held at Bendur to observe the 50th death anniversary of the saintly priest who is the 'founder' of the 'Bethany Sisters.' The Bethany Sisters,' whose headquarters is at Bendur, are the only indigenous order of nuns in Kanara. Msgr R F C Mascarenhas was the first parish priest of Bendur known to have raised it from scratch in 17 years from 1914 to 1931.

An unprecedented presence of bishops is expected for the observance of 50th death anniversary of 'Servant of God' R F C Mascarenhas on the evening of December 16. The Archbishop of Bangalore, bishop of Mangalore along with the bishops of Shimoga, Gulbarga, Kannur, Belgaum, Belthangady and Bellary will take part. Apart from the public there will be many priests, nuns, religious and a number of relatives of Msgr Mascarenhas.

The solemn celebrations will include:a Concelebrated Eucharistic Mass , followed by an exclusive programme to mark the singular occasion of holy celebrations for the Konkani Christians of Kanara. Books are to be released on this great personality in Kannada, English and German. Several special projects will be inaugurated as well throughout India, which will be spearheaded by the Bethany Congregation.
 

About Msgr Mascarenhas

Msgr Mascarenhas was a magnificent priest who held sway over the civil and religious affairs of undivided South Canara and whose compassion and concern in the welfare of the marginalized and women in particular to gain education and circumferential development is today a great mass movement in public and religious domains.
 
The facet of his leadership in the media is of prime importance. He has penned several books in Konkani, Kannada and English. His translations from Latin and English into Konkani of Prayer Books and major parts of the Bible are of particular importance to the local people. He was also a widely travelled person of his time, having made trips to Rome, Europe, US and the Holy land and so on. He travelled widely in India too.
 
He is fondly known as 'Saint to be' Msgr Raymond.
 
Raymond Mascarenhas’ ascendants hail from among those Christians who returned from the captivity between 1784-99 and were thus firm of faith and very fervent Catholics. His father served at the Municipal office in Shimoga and Raymond was born there on January 23 1875.

Meanwhile the family returned to Falnir in Mangalore and Raymond finished his studies first at Milagres and later at St Aloysius. His zeal for the church was such from an early age that he joined the St Joseph’s seminary at Jeppu and was anointed a priest in 1900. His first mass was in his home parish Milagres.

He served at Milagres, Kallianpur. In 1903 he was for the first time appointed parish priest at Udayavar, a poor and rural place. He worked very hard, earned the confidence of the humble people of the area and established the church in a heroic manner that made him a priest in demand and taken to Agrar. In 1914 Fr Raymond was requisitioned to the new parish of Bendur, a barren place just outside Mangalore town in those times. In the 17 years (till 1931) that he spent at Bendur it became a true Catholic centre of faith and development.
 
Among his many achievements the chief one is considered the founding of the only indigenous order of nuns at Bendur Mangalore under the name of "Sisters of the Little Flower of Bethany" (commonly known as Bethany Sisters) on July 16, 1921.

Labouring for the people

His saintly devotion to the Lord and his hard labour for the people of all classes and creeds made Bendur with a new church an exemplary area. His intellect and popularity endeared him to all citizens of this place and he served also as a civic councilor. His vision and ability in the education arena also got him a place on the educational council of the region and he became an interlocutor with key European government officials to the great benefit of the native population. Msgr Raymond had introduced several novel ideas and means that have today come into the open, for example 'envioronment and bio-diversity' were in his own way introduced in the many schools and convents and so on under Bethany-gardens, farms and many natural methods were a key occupation.
 
1931 saw him a become the leading priest of the diocese of Mangalore – God had greater plans for him and he was not appointed bishop.
 

Later years

His humility gave glory to the Almighty and he continued vital work in the area and the surroundings as Vicar General. After his retirement in 1941 he lived in a small cottage near Bethany Convent at Bendur which he had founded and worked tirelessly for it's growth which was very rapid not only in South India but in the North and North east too.
 
This cottage is preserved with care to date and has now taken the shape of a museum which preserves the history of this great 'saint-in-waiting'. On his death on December 23, 1960 by public demand he was buried in the Bendur Church in front of the main alter which can be seen today. A visit to the cottage museum with prior appointment from the Bethany sisters is worth.

It is the fervent hope of all that the end of this celebration will take this ‘Servant of God’ of Kanara to the next step in the process of ‘sainthood’ and he will be declared ‘Venerable’. The third step is ‘Blessed’ before being Canonized a Saint of the Church.