Udupi/M’belle: Blessing of newly built Grotto marks the celebration of Monthi Festh


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By Dr. Eugene DSouza, Moodubelle
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi/M’belle, 08 Sep 2014: Blessing and inauguration of the newly built Grotto marked the celebration of the Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary (Monthi Festh) on Monday, 8 September 2014. At 8.30 am children with flowers, altar servers and members of the Parish Pastoral Council carrying stalks of new paddy proceeded to the newly built Grotto.

 

Rev. Fr. Joswey Fernandes along with Rev. Fr. Roshan D’Souza, assistant parish priest, Rev. Fr. Charles Menezes-National Director of YCS, Rev. Fr. P. Raj, Rev. Fr. Robert Lasrado (OFM-Cap) and Rev. Fr. Dancy Martis (OFM-Cap) recited prayers and blessed the newly built Grotto. He also blessed the new paddy. Thereafter, children offered flowers to the accompaniment of ‘Moriyek Hogolshiyam....”

 

The entire congregation returned to the church where the solemn feast mass was offered with Rev. Fr. Dancy Martis (OFM-Cap) as the chief celebrant.

 

Instead of the usual homily, Rev. Fr. Roshan D’Souza used unique and lively method to communicate with the children and elders about the importance of the feast of the Nativity of Mother Mary. He made the children to sing “Happy birthday to mother Mary...”  and also swung the little beautifully decorated cradle with the statue of Infant Mary. He tried to connect the seasonal vegetables that are being generally used in the feast meal with the virtues that were developed and practiced by Mother Mary throughout her life.

 

At the end of the mass, Rev. Fr. Joswey Fernandes extended warm greetings of Monthi Festh to all parishioners  in native place and abroad.

 

Pritish Burton D’Sa who had recently  passed Chartered Accountants Examination in one attempt was felicitated along with his mother Mrs. Leena D’Sa by Rev. Fr. Joswey Fernandes, Rev. Fr. Roshan D’Souza, and Alphonse K. Alva and Mrs. Emilia Noronha-President and Secretary respectively of the Parish Pastoral Council.

 

‘Shatha Sourabha’, the Souvenir of the Centenary celebration of Belle Church Aided Higher Primary School was also released by Rev. Fr. Joswey Fernandes     during this occasion. Mrs. Lilly Sequeira, Editor of the Souvenir offered the packet containing the copies of the Souvenir to Rev. Fr. Joswey Fernandes to be released.

 

 

The main altar was decorated appropriately keeping in view the solemnity and significance of the Monthi Festh. Besides beautiful flowers, vegetables, paddy plants and sugar cane were used as the ingredients for the decoration under the direction of Rev. Fr. Roshan D’Souza and Sisters of the Loreto Convent. The speciality of the decoration was the beautiful circular floral rangoli created aesthetically by Rev. Fr. P. Raj.

 

The choir rendered hymns melodiously that created an aura of devotion and solemnity. 

 

Following the end of the mass, members of the Parish pastoral Council distributed paddy stalks provided by Julian Danti of Udyavar.

 

As the children and elders went out of the church following the end of the mass, sugar cane sponsored by Gerald Fernandes was distributed by the ICYM members who also helped in maintaining discipline.

 

Bellevision.com wishes happy Monthi Fest to all its readers, advertisers, well-wishers and supporters.

 

Nativity Feast  2014 - around the world 

 

 

 

 

Comments on this Article
Anita Dsouza, USA Sun, September-14-2014, 2:50
Dr. Eugene hats off to you. You have captured every dingle Belleans in your camera. With regards to grotto yes it is not really that great. And at the end one should accept the fact. There nothing to point-out anyone or blame but it is bit disappointing.
parishioner, Anand. C Sat, September-13-2014, 9:52
Please no need to concern about Grotto. we are all one parish in belle.Maintain parish community each other.this unity only help us to do something in future.
wilfrred castelino, mooudebelle/sharjah Sat, September-13-2014, 6:19
I feel looking all the comments and suggestions more important than the grotto designs how many of us really kneel down there or see the grotto or pray. Let us question ourselves. Now a days exactly 7.30 AM people come for mass even after having own vehicles and nobody comes for rosary also. Instead blaming let us unite as one faith, one church, one community, and one belle families. Also I have a suggestion to church authorities, parish council that in future any such new designs let them put the design, shop drawings in public notice board in advance and ask for parishioners comments as all new generations many are engineers and educated people and many people travelled some places with their experience they can put some creative ideas which may be out of box and later they parish council can brainstorm and take collective decision s .
Fredrick Fernandes, Moodubelle / Boston USA Fri, September-12-2014, 12:22
I sincerely thank Rev. Fr. Joswey Fernandes and the Parish team who has provided us such a beautiful grotto. Marian grotto at our Church has been a favorite place for me to pray during my childhood in Moodubelle. It is also a holy place where we used to pray the Holy Rosary during the months of May and October. I hope and pray that Belle parishioners use this newly Built Grotto to pray the Holy Rosary and develop their spiritual relationship with our Blessed Mother. Happy Monti Festh to all.
Concerned Bellean, Dubai Fri, September-12-2014, 11:56
Well said Ronald Sabi. The grotto has created unnecessary controversy. I have a strong feeling that those who find fault with the grotto are those who want to target the parish priest for reasons best known to them. Even if the grotto was built differently they would have blamed the parish priest. As you have rightly mentioned that the parish priest, from what i have heard from my relatives back in Belle, never asked for any donation for the grotto, but people willingly gave donations. As you have rightly mentioned it seems that there are people for whom the parish priest is a soft target as he is honest, spiritual and transparent. They have no other reason to find fault with him so they chose the grotto to blame him. Let us pray that Our Lady of Lourdes will forgive us all for using her grotto as a matter of blamegame and help us to maintain the unity of our parish community in the face of many dangers that we face.
Ronald Sabi, Moodubelle Fri, September-12-2014, 1:13
Dear Belle Parishioner, every one of us need income so also church. About illegal structure I think your yard stick is faulty. Soon after petrol bunk start measuring road margins...and why it gives faulty readings only when it reaches church? Rule is same for all, why isolate church owned building alone? We cried foul last year that there is no grotto!! Now.. Nachne ayee...Angan teda...we are looking at neighboring parish grotto as if this grotto blocks our prayers from the almighty!! In that case why we did not get involved in the plan and construction of grotto? At least we could have discussed with those in the parish council or our wado gurkars to put our opinion forward! But it is easy for us to write few stokes of lines with negativity syndrome? Or, is it because our Parish priest is highly transparent and man of spirituality? a soft target?? Most people in parish say he does not ask money and parishioners donate at their own will!! Then why is such hatred? No organization can be perfect (human factor). There could be errors and failures. For our spiritual centre we should get involved for unity and excellence, every parishioner can make a change if there is will!
Rolex, Moodubelle Wed, September-10-2014, 11:09

Mr. Jayson, our church authorities have collected money from the parishoners (rich and poor)to built this grotto. You just visit neighbouring churches and have a look on their grottos. I am not at all satisfied with the design of our new grotto.

John Peter Fernandes, Moodubelle/Nottingham UK Wed, September-10-2014, 10:51
I don t understand why people concern so much about Grotto.If you want to pray, do you see design first? I am not.So be positive and live Happy.
Therese dalmeida, Moodubelle Wed, September-10-2014, 10:06
We are very much living in a democratic country where everyone has the equal right to ventilate and or give their own opinion. But believe me no one can satisfy equally to every human being on earth.Faith cannot be begged, borrowed,or stolen.It is a direct contact between the individual and God.According to our HOLY BOOK "DO NOT JUDGE OTHERS SO THAT YOU WILL NOT BE JUDGED".I feel we parisheners are the church.Why blame the Priest? Priest will come and leave according to their turn.Whatever service or work is done we enjoy the benifit.Pls. kindly stop the blame game.
Jayson, Moodubelle Wed, September-10-2014, 7:50
Well said Vijay,Here people are busy in Commenting grotto design.Person who wants to pray he can pray in front of any grotto irrespective of the design.People who having more money they only bothered about design !!!!!!!!
Vijay Dsouza, Belle Wed, September-10-2014, 6:56
For me more than the design of Grotto, worry is with regard to the faith and life of Belle Catholics. When the old Grotto was there for years, did anyone bothered to go near except during Nativity Feast flower showering. Now we have this new Grotto, but look at the faith and life of Catholics in Belle. Except the old aged people of Belle, our faith is a BIG ZERO. We go to church as a obligation and that is why we are called SUNDAY CATHOLICS. We go to church to show off our new dress, new Saree, deep neck blouse, to buy Pundalikas grocery, to buy fish, to buy meat and to meet friends and but not to meet GOD. We are busy with our parties and functions, but no one is having time for GOD. See this new grotto will also remain as another mere structure as we call God and Mother Mary when all our options are completely out. Wake of Belleans ..... Have the faith on real and living God. Invest your time in prayers and service to the society and not mere show off in everyday life
Parishioner, Modubelle Wed, September-10-2014, 4:49
I don t mind people like my comment or not I have right express my myself First of all I don t like the Grotto stucture at all, poor planning, simple as dismantle the old one and rebuild where ever you want it beauty of old Grotto would have been restored, why should we waste our parishioners money there is no need of commercial income which is necessary for the church, if you want make sure just go to Sunday 7.30 AM Mas just hear the last session Present commercial building violated Road margin rule do you know that?
Franky Castelino, Moodubelle Wed, September-10-2014, 3:41

Yes, Belle grotto looks good to some and bad to some, but what matters is the faith in Mother Mary. My personal opinion: I was seriously expecting some well-designed, decent grotto in Belle church compound under the supervision of Fr. Joswey. Unfortunately did not happen! Church, Grotto are built once in lifetime so of course when you build anything new we always expect something moral. As per my observation this grotto project took long time to complete and at the end rushed to complete the job somehow. I don’t know the quality of the job but you may agree or may not the design of the grotto is very bad. If we should have taken bit initiative and involvement in the grotto project, it would be far better than this. Whenever we donate money for our church or organizations, is there is wrong if we expect AT LEAST 50% satisfaction out of it? If I compare our new grotto with our Commercial building (Karnataka Bank) both the works started almost at the same time but our commercial building projected completed on priority and quick whereas I feel that the grotto project is neglected. Where are our moral values gone? I am very disappointed.

Belle Parioshner, Moodubelle Wed, September-10-2014, 1:33
Dear Sabi Sir in what sense commercial income which is necessary You know present building is illegally built today or tomorrow it will go to the road margin Honest with you present Grotto stucture looks awful, poor planing Better we should have been dismantle the old one and built the same where ever you want it at list we would have been save the money and the beauty of old Grotto should have been restored!!
Dr Lavina Fernandes, Moodubelle/Bangalore Tue, September-9-2014, 10:56
Happy feast to you all.Thanks to Dr Eugene for beautiful pics.Bit disappointed seeing the structure of new grotto.Looks odd....Lacks professional inputs in construction.The original one was awesome.
Ronald Sabi, Moodubelle Tue, September-9-2014, 7:06
This grotto looks alright to me with a vintage touch! Every ones taste is different! It may look good to some and otherwise to some. When a newspaper, website, popular car model changes design we think former was better since we are used to it. More often than not we find new design better as time pass by and we get used to it! This is my personal opinion. Good thing is we have a new grotto since old one had to make way for some commercial income which is necessary!
Victor Castelino, Boliye/Dubai Tue, September-9-2014, 5:55
Extensive coverage and nice photographs. As for the new grotto, it looks like a multipurpose structure: grotto as well as (gardanacho) goto. During Christmas the same structure cab be used to make a crib. I am posting a photograph of the original Grotto at Lourdes to Bellevision. It was taken when I visited Lourdes last year. Readers can compare the two grottoes and comment accordingly. Hope, all had a happy family gathering. Belated happy feast to all the "Boliyegars".
Veronica Alick, Moodubelle/New Delhi Tue, September-9-2014, 2:41
Happy feast to all. Atlast the much awaited Grotto has been installed. Thanks to all the laity and the clergy who made it possible. Good coverage.Dr Eugene. Keep up the good work.
Juliana, Belle Tue, September-9-2014, 12:36
Happy Feast to all.. They failed to give a moderate design to the grotto.. old grotto was much better than this.. and guess this is again a money wasting project.
Ronald Sabi, Moodubelle Tue, September-9-2014, 12:15
Very good coverage Dr. Eugene... Keep it up!
Cyprian, Belle/Dubai Tue, September-9-2014, 12:09

Wish you all Happy Feast Nativity of Mother Mary. Church Decoration superb no comments but my big thumps down to Grotto structure. According to me, previous grotto looks far better than this one. And very poor planning and design in constructing this new grotto. We have beautiful church, St. Lawrence Shrine, Entrance also  priest house. Then why church authorities and management neglected so much in construction of new Grotto. the Grotto we construct at our homes looks beautiful than this one. This is what I feel no grudge on any one. you can share your comments.

Benedict Noronha, Udupi / India Mon, September-8-2014, 7:20
It is indeed a festival of rejoicing with New Cornon the occasion of the faithful celebrating the Feast of Nativity of mary, mother of God, this day. The pictures made it more lovely and lively catching innumerable faces of children young and old faithful who gathered together to honour Mother Mary.The feast of New corns offering to God is a traditional festival among the Cathoilics even in the Old Testament it was being done to acknowledge the good crops of a New season, to God and in the Konkan Karavali it is synchronized with September 8, to commemorate the Birdhday of Mary Mother of Jesus, who was the beginning of evangelization of Jesus, coming to this World in the human form. Very devoute event and the faithful have demonstrated their spirit in tune with the Priests who took part in the celebrations. Dr Eugene has picturised it vivdly covering almost all the congregation, with his aptly knitted commentary. This is more than sending greetings to the faithful world over. congratulations Dr Eugene and all the people participated in the gathering to honour Infant mary our dear Mamma Mary. thrugh these columns I wish the viewers the Joys of the Festival with flowers.smiles.
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