Mangalore Diocese News

Media Release

Mangaluru, Aug 10 : The Annual Feast of St Lawrence Church, Bondel was celebrated with grandeur and devotion on Wednesday 10 August 2022. Most Rev Dr Francis Serrao, Bishop, Diocese of Shimoga began the celebration saying “ Unity in the Family Builds Unity in the Church”.

The Theme of the Feast “Let our families be generous towards God and by sacrificing ourselves let us live for others”. Bishop presiding over the Eucharistic celebration and addressing the devotees said, "On 18 October 2015 Pope proclaimed new saints, called for humble Church leadership of Saint Therese's parents - Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin: they were chosen for their simple and generous lives. They were highlighted because of the key role parents play in the spiritual and human upbringing of their children. The holy spouses Louis Martin and Marie-Azelie Guerin practiced Christian service in the family, creating day by day an environment of faith and love which nurtured the vocations of their daughters. All the Baptized are called to be saints, each and every believer, and not only certain members of the church such as priests and religious, are called to be saints. St. Paul kept reminding the young Christian communities of their vocation to become saints. He writes to the Christian community in Rome, “To all God’s beloved in Rome who are called to be saints”. Holiness, the fullness of the Christian life consists in being united with Christ, in living his mysteries, in making our own example, his thoughts, his behavior. Holiness is measured by the stature that Christ attains in us, by the degree to which, with the power of the Holy Spirit, we model our whole life after his".

Rev. Fr Andrew Leo D’Souza, Parish Priest , Rev. Fr Peter Gonsalves ,Rev Fr Lancy D’Souza and other various priest concelebrated the mass. During the feast, people of all religions visited the shrine and expressed religious unity.

Rev Fr Andrew Leo D'Souza, Parish Priest of St Lawrence shrine, thanked the bishop and priests for celebrating and participating in the mass. He thanked all those who had contributed for the success of the 9 days of novena and of the feast. He wished all those who gathered a happy feast.

The festivities would conclude with a mass at 6.00 pm. Msgr Maxim Noronha, Vicar General , Mangalore Diocese will lead the holy mass.

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