Sixty Fourth Birthday of Fr. Joswey Fernandes celebrated

By Eugene DSouza, Moodubelle
Pictures by Anil Alva
Bellevision Media Network

Moodubelle, 01 September 2011: The sixty fourth birthday of Fr. Joswey Fernandes, Parish Priest of Moodubelle was celebrated on Thursday, September 1, 2011 following the 8.30 am Novena Mass in the church in the presence of a large number of parishioners. The Novena Mass was offered by Fr. Joswey Fernandes along with Rev. Fr. Valerian D’Souza, former parish priest, Fr. Paul Sequeira and Fr. Lancy Saldanha.

 

Fr. Lancy Saldanha, Assistant Parish Priest conducted the felicitation programme and welcomed the dignitaries on the dais including Rev. Fr. Valerian D’Souza, Fr. Paul Sequeira, Sr. Vineeta, A.K. Alva and Mrs. Jacinta D’Souza-Vice President and Secretary of the Parish Pastoral Council respectively.

 

Fr. Joswey Fernandes ushered in his sixty fourth birthday by cutting the cake as the choir sang ‘Happy Birthday to you….” In Konkani. Thereafter the dignitaries on the dais felicitated Fr. Joswey by offering  flower bouquet to him. Thereafter the parishioners including children honoured Fr. Joswey by offering him flowers as the choir sang felicitation song.

 

Speaking on behalf of the parishioners, A.K. Alva extended warm greetings on the occasion of the sixty fourth birthday of Fr. Joswey and said that at the time of ordination, a priest dedicates himself to the service of God and the faithful leaving his immediate family. In this way, Fr. Joswey spent 35 years of his priesthood in different parishes serving the people with a sense of sacrifice and dedication. The parishioners are his family-brothers and sisters.

 

 

Rev. Fr. Valerian D’Souza in his felicitation message said that he had known Fr. Joswey since his seminary days, but became closer when Fr. Joswey went to Modankap parish in Bantwal, which happens to be the mother parish of Fr. Valerian,  as the Assistant Parish Priest. He greatly appreciated Fr. Joswey’s noble qualities of heart and mind. He reminded the parishioners that Fr. Joswey is a great devotee of Mother Mary. He also said that Fr. Joswey is quite simple and renders his service quietly to the best of his ability.

 

Replying to the felicitation programme, Fr. Joswey expressed his gratitude to the parish community and said that he was fortunate to have been born during the novena in preparation for the feast of the Nativity of Mother Mary. With emotion-filled voice, Fr. Joswey remembered his late mother saying to him that he was born on the third day of the novena and she had attended the novena for three days before he was born. Endorsing the remarks of A.K. Alva, Fr. Joswey said that for a priest the parishioners are his family and requested them to pray for him and other priests of the parish.

 

The vote of thanks was proposed by Mrs. Jacinta D’Souza, Secretary of the Parish Pastoral Council.