Bondel parishioners welcome the New Year with prayer and hope
Mangaluru: As the old year 2022 came to an end and the new year 2023 approached, the parishioners of Bondel gathered in the church at 6.30 p.m. on December 31, 2022, to bid farewell to the old year and greet the new year 2023 with prayer and hope.The parishioners of St. Lawrence Church, Bondel, gathered in large numbers for the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
To give thanks to God for all the good things that he had showered on the people of the parish, the Holy Hour was led by Rev. Fr. Andrew Leo D’Souza and Rev. Dr. Fr. Ivan D’Souza, professor in philosophy at the inter-diocesan seminary in Jeppu. While thanking the Lord for the blessings that He had showered on the faithful, Rev. Fr. Andrew helped the people to reflect on their own shortcomings and iniquities.
The solemnity of the Mary, Mother of God, feast began with the Eucharistic banquet. The Rev. Fr. Prakash Cutinha was the main celebrant.
In Rev. Dr. Fr. Ivan D’Souza’s homily, he highlighted the importance of Mary, Mother of God. ಮರಿ ಆಮ್ಕಾ೦ ಎಕ್ ಬೆಸಾ೦ವ್ ಆಮ್ಚ್ಯಾ ಜಿಣಿಯೆ೦ತ್ ಎಕ್ ಲಿಸಾ೦ವ್. Feast of Mary, the Mother of God, is a very appropriate way to begin a new year. This celebration reminds us that the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, is also our Heavenly Mother. “Through Mary to Jesus!” This is an occasion to renew our devotion to Mary, who is also Mother of the Church because she is our spiritual mother, and we are the Church. The solemnity shows the relationship of Jesus to Mary. It’s a perfect example of how we should venerate Mary under all of her titles and is a good foundation for our understanding of Mary’s place in Christology. The Church puts the feast of this solemnity on the first day of the New Year to emphasize the importance of Mary’s role in the life of Christ and of the Church.
Rev. Fr Andrew Leo D’Souza Parish Priest , Rev Fr Peter Gonsalves Principal St Lawrence English Medium school , Rev Fr Lancy D’Souza Asst. Parish Priest , Rev Ravi-MSIJ, , Rev Fr Arul , Rev Fr Vipin Betharram Rev Fr Theo, Rev Fr Kiran SJ con-celebrated the mass. The children’s choir enriched the spiritual atmosphere by singing meaningful hymns melodiously.
Before the final blessings, prizes were distributed to the winners of the individual Crib competition and the ward-wise star-making competition.
The oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected vice president and secretary of the parish pastoral council and committee, office bearers, gurkars, representatives, and nominated members was held. This ceremony was initiated by Rev. Fr. Andrew Leo D’Souza. The parishioners who participated in the Holy Eucharist witnessed the oath-taking ceremony.
Finally, Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Andrew Leo greeted everyone and wished them a prosperous New Year in 2023.He thanked the concelebrant priests, the children’s choir, the liturgy committee, volunteers, PPC members, and all those who helped in the celebration of the New Year. After the mass, there was a short programme conducted by the SVP association.
