Bejai parish to celebrate 100th anniversary

Bejai parish to celebrate 100th anniversary

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Oct 9, 2012 : Fr. Victor Machado, parish priest of Bejai, addressed a press meet at Press Club in Urwa on Oct 9 Tuesday, during which he announced that the Bejai parish will celebrate its 100th anniversary.

 

The parish, which was launched in August 1912, was part of Rosario parish for a long time till it became independent in 1912. Fr. Sebastian Noronha was its first parish priest. So far, 14 priests have served as parish priests at Bejai and 48 priests have served as assistants. The present church building was constructed by Fr. E. A. C. Colaco in 1928 and today, the parish has 1350 families with more than 6,500 members. Besides, more and more Catholic families are being added to the parish.

The parish pastoral parishad, which has around 100 people, works with the priests for the development of the parish. Bejai parish is the home of several musicians, dramatists, artists, social workers, reporters, politicians, and entrepreneurs. In the past, it was well known for its cultivation of jasmine.

A cultural evening will be held on Oct 12 and a procession of cultural and religious tableaux will be held on Oct 13. The closing ceremony, which will be held on Oct 14, will be presided over by Dr. Aloysius D’Souza, the bishop of Mangalore Diocese. Goa Charles Lobo, the post master general, will be the chief guest of the event. Prominent parishioners will be felicitated on the occasion. Besides, a musical play on St. Francis Xavier will form part of the event.

As part of its centenary celebrations, the parish plans to construct houses for the poor, give away scholarships, launch environmental protection programs, renovate the higher primary school, upgrade the Central School, and so on. Other programs will include motivational and awareness programs of the youth, blood donation camps, and free medical check up camps.

Fr. Anil Roshan Lobo, assistant parish priest; Augustine Rodrigues, vice president of the parish pastoral parishad; and Charlotte Patrao, secretary, were also present.