Mangaluru: Preparation under way for feast of Relic of St Anthony at Milagres Church

Bellevision Media Network

Mangaluru, 04 Feb 2017: St Anthony’s Ashram, Jeppu, here will be celebrating the feast in honor of Relic of its Patron St Anthony on Wednesday, February 15. Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza, Bishop of Mangaluru diocese will be concelebrating festal Eucharist Celebration at Milagres Church grounds on Wednesdayat 6.00pm along with a large number of priests.

 

St Anthony was born in 1195 in Lisbon of Portugal. He served as priest in France and Italy. He lived a short life of 36 years. But during this short life of 36 years, he performed number of miracles because of which he is known as Saint of thirteen miracles. It is now almost 800 years since he died. But his tongue and vocal chords are still fresh without decay. They are preserved in St Anthony’s Basilica at Padua in Italy. It is believed that it is a miracle God had done for him for the number of miracles he performed to help people to redeem from their difficulties. It is in honor of this Relic feast is being celebrated on February 15.

 

 

A nine-day novena will be held in preparation for the feast starting from Monday, February 6. A decorated vehicle will carry St Anthony’s statue from St Anthony’s Ashram, Jeppu, here at 4.30 pmand reach Milagres Church via Kankanady- Falnir in procession. Thereafter, Fr Walter D’Mello the Associate Judicial Vicar of Mangaluru diocese will hoist St Anthony’s flag at St Anthony’s Shrine, Milagres at 5.45 pm followed by Holy Mass and novena.

 

Special prayers will be conducted for different groups on nine days of the novena devotion. Monsignor Felix Noronha,  vicar general of  Shivamogga diocese and a well known singer will celebrate mass in Kannada on Tuesday, February 14. Well known priests from different dioceses including priests from popular shrines like Our Lady of Health, Harihara and St Theresa Shrine, Mahe will also celebrate Holy Eucharist and preach during the novena days. Thousands of people are expected to participate in the novena devotion and especially on the feast day.

 

Fr Onil D’Souza, the director of St Anthony’s Ashram, Jeppu; Fr Francis D’Souza, the administrator; Fr Peter Gonsalves, the asst director and Vincent Mascarenhas the media convener were present.