Mangaluru: Annual feast of St Antony celebrated with solemnity at Milagres parish

By John V Tauro
Bellevision Media Network

Mangaluru, 17 Feb 2021: The annual feast of St Antony was celebrated with solemnity at Our Lady of Milagres parish, and St Antony’s Ashram, Jeppu here on Monday, February 15 morning.

 

Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza, the bishop emeritus of Mangaluru celebrated the feast of the Relic of St Anthony at the Milagres Church grounds accompanied by tens of concelebrant priests.

 

In his message, bishop said that St Anthony is a great gift God has given to the Holy Church. ‘If we follow the virtues of St Anthony that is the true honour we give to St Antony,’ he said.

 

 

Fr Roquin Pinto, the professor at St Joseph Inter-diocesan Seminary, Jeppu preached a homily on the virtues of St Anthony.

 

In his sermon, Fr Pinto said that St Antony made use of his tongue to preach the Word of God and speak well of fellow human beings. God in return has preserved his tongue without decay. It’s eight centuries now, since St Antony died to this world but his tongue has remained incorrupt. There is a message in this miracle. The message is if we use our tongue to praise God and to bring joy to people through our encouraging words; God is going to bless us in abundance.

 

Fr Roquin called on the congregation to make use of the faculty of speech God has given in the right way.

 

Fr Clifford Fernandes, the parish priest of St Joseph’s parish, Jeppu offered prayers for the Covid affected world. Because of Covid-19 thousands have died around the world, thousands have fallen sick and million have become jobless. The economy of the world has crushed. Keeping this situation in mind Fr Clifford asked St Antony to intercede to God for the world while the congregation prayed with lighted candles.

 

Fr Onil D’Souza, the director of St Antony’s Ashram thanked all those who toiled to organize the feast and make it a success.