Mangalore Catholics Celebrate Community Weddings

Mangalore Catholics Celebrate Community Weddings

Mangalore Today News Network

By I J Saldanha-Shet

Mangalore, May 6, 2012 again a day filled with joy and celebrations at Mangalore’s Historic Rosario Cathedral. Twenty two (22)  young couples were joined together with their respective partners in the Sacrament of matrimony enmasse. The annual mass community weddings were according to tradition for the 38th time arranged in a tasteful manner by the Vincent De Paul Society and Presided over by the Bishop of Mangalore Rev Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza with  Priests in solemn attendance.  The kith and kin as well wishers of the bridal couples graced the occasion in good number estimated as more than 2500. The Chief Guests were Smt.Rosyln & Sri George Pinto Superintendent of Central Excise Dakshina Kannada. Sri Ronald Colaco a philanthropist of the community too played a generous role.

 

Each couple from the deserving class of the community were responsible along with their families to choose their own partners. Apart from brides/grooms from several parts of the diocese, some also hailed from Mysore, Hubli, Kumta,Hassan and so on.Indication is that most of the couples had a homely family observance of the traditional ’ROCE’ before the day and travelled with their relatives to the venue from their homes.

The organizers under the banner of the Catholic Church provided the necessary ’Karimani/ring’,  clothing and accessories to the couple,  Rs: 20,000 was ear marked towards the expense of  each couple and met mostly from donations and funds of the SVP. The brides in particular looked their best in gorgeous red and gold silk sarees and  Khale and Aboli (white and red)  flowers woven into their attractive hair do; the grooms mostly wore formal suits, all smartly turned out. So, far about 575 couples are said to have availed this annual opportunity over 38 years and the feed back received is that the project is very successful and accepted very well by the society. Indeed it a fortunate matter that  not many couples have the privilege of celebrating the wedding in the Cathedral of the Diocese with the Bishop Presiding!

 

The aim of the community marriage concept is chiefly assist families facing hurdles to get their youth married in a respectable and  socially accepted manner without dowry and excessive expenditure and waste. This system is said to give a better social interaction and platform for the future of the communities and is followed by many communities, with  well to do reputed families also taking part to enhance the credibility and acceptance of this form of marriage celebrations. Indeed marriages and made in heaven, and more families should opt for this type of wedding making it practical and sensible..

At 10 am sharp the procession of the couples  wended it’s way from the Community Hall to the Cathedral accompanied by a ceremonial brass band.They were received  by the Bishop and clergy at the entrance of the Cathedral and led inside. The church was packed to capacity and beautifully decorated and lit up for the celebrations which were well organized and orderly. In his homily, as a part of the solemn Eucharistic celebration (the mass)  for the occasion, Bishop Aloysius Paul D’Souza stressed on the fact that marriage was instituted by GOD when the first couple Adam and Eve were created  to procreate and fill the Earth. Whatever religion one looks at marriage has a special traditional form and is sacred. God is always a partner with the couple and all the noble sentiments are included. Prayer and communication with love and fear of God  will make a blessed marriage he added. After the homily the couples identified and grouped,  took their places along with the witnesses,  made their solemn vows and  exchanging the rings and/or karemani  and blessings and certifications by the Church authorities.

After the formal church nuptial mass and photographs, the wedding party proceeded to the large shamiana with seating and lunch arrangements made on the Rosario College/School grounds. A felicitation and stage programme was held to mark the occasion. First Fr Stany Goveas Parish Priest of Rosario called upon the blessings of the Lord on the couples and spoke fittingly appreciating the efforts of the organizers, Vincent De Paul Society of Rosario, and the generosity of many who had made such a celebration possible, his word were very encouraging to all and warmly welcomed everybody who participated. The Chief guest Sri George Pinto along with his wife who celebrated their Silver Wedding (25 years) the previous day gave his in-depth advice on marriage and exhorted the couples to have good understanding, self confidence and tolerance to make it a successful long happy married life. Other notaries too spoke on their experiences in marriage and made the occasion a great  day. The couples were advised to live a good and  Christian married life and serve the community and nation in truth and morality; building families which were the building blocks of the Nation.

Garlands were exchanged by the couples and gifts were given - each couple received Rs:3000/= in Cash and Rs:4000/= in Fixed deposit for their future security.  A touching traditional handing over of the bride to the groom was also observed at the venue. Among the special guests and officials present to name just a few were Ronald Colaco, Ivan D’Souza.  Jochim Monteiro and Philomina Lobo of  SVP; Herald Monteiro, Dolphy D’Souza,   The master of Ceremonies John Lobo  did justice to the occasion. The media was in full force.  The programme ended with the 22 couples and all the guests partaking of the special  traditional wedding lunch which was a tasty and sumptuous affair.  Indeed the message that comes across from such community arrangements is very positive and a worthy example to be followed  by the larger section of society of all classes, castes and creeds in the times to come as rationale to extravagance and waste at such happenings.