Alangar celebrates Infant Jesus Feast
Mangalore Today News Network
Moodbidri, Jan 16, 2011: The Infant Jesus feast was celebrated at Alangar on Jan 16, Sunday. The festive mass was celebrated by Bishop of Allahabad Diocese Dr. Isidore Fernandes with 50 priests from different parts of Mangalore Diocese concelebrating. The sermon was preached by Pakshikere Parish Priest Fr. Alban D’Souza; and the parish council organized the liturgy. People offered fruits and vegetables during the mass.
A grand welcome ceremony was organized before mass in honor of Dr. Isidore Fernandes at the gates of the church with a traditional band. Clifford Aranha, the vice president of the parish council; Secretaries Mark Rodrigues and P. K. Thomas; Valerian Seqeuira; and Parish Priest Fr. Basil Vas welcomed the bishop. The transformer was then inaugurated during which a new school bus, donated by Gerald D’Souza of Neermarga, was also blessed.
A new statue of Infant Jesus, which was brought from Prague, Czek Republic, by Fr. Vas, was blessed and installed at the portico of the church on an Indian style wooden mantap donated by Abbas Saw Mill of Moodubidri.
John Pinto, who had sponsored the meals for all the people, was honored along with another person of the same name, the owner of New Prince Caterers, who had worked hard to prepare and serve the meal. The bishop honored the chief sponsors of the event with mementos and flowers. A new website of the parish www.infantjesusalangar.org was inaugurated by the bishop. The website was designed and donated by Vincent Mascarenhas of Moodubidri. The special edition of the parish magazine called “Abolem” was released by the bishop. Msgr. Edwin Pinto felicitated Dr. Isidore Fernandes.
The huge crowds that turned up, especially during the prayers for the sick, was very difficult to control; still the meals were enough for all the people. A number of people attended the preparatory novena, which was held for nine days before the feast. Masses were offered in Kannada, Malayalam, and English.