Mangalore: Pentecost at Bethany through "Bible Niranthari"

News by Sr. Assuptha
Pics by Ancy Paladka
Bellevision Media Network

Mangalore, 27 May 2010: It was a festival of Bible reading, a time of basking on the Word of God, for Bethany Sisters on the day of Pentecost, with Mary the Mother of Jesus and the apostles, waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

May 23, 2010 was a memorable day for Bethany Mother House, Bendur, Mangalore as the Bethany Sisters, like the apostles in the upper room, decided to wait on the descent of the Holy Spirit, through the reading of the New Testament for 14 hours nonstop.

On this Pentecost day after the Eucharistic Celebration at St. Sebastian Church, Bendoor, the sisters assembled at the cottage of the Founder: Msgr. Raymond F.C.Mascarenhas, the Servant of God, for a short inaugural prayer conducted by Sr. Juliana Monis BS, the Superior of Bethany Mother House and the community, after which the Bible was taken in procession to the Bethany Mother house Chapel, headed by Sr M Lillis BS, the Assistant Superior General, in the absence of the Superior General Sr M Wilberta BS.

The same large Bible which was used on March 14, 2010 at Holy Cross Church, Cordel at the 24 hours’ Bible Niranthari, was enthroned in the Bethany Mother House Chapel too and after honouring the Bible with ‘aarathi’ Sr M Lillis BS delivered her inaugural message and began the reading from the Gospel of St. John. By turns all the Bethany Sisters at the Mother House and Generalate carried on the reading, close to midnight.

Just as Mary accompanied the apostles in waiting on the Paraclete, in the upper room, by coincidence the Bethany Sisters were blessed by the presence of Mr. Ancy Paladka, the Konkany literary laureate and Poet from Vasai at the inaugural programme.

May the Word of God light up our way and guide our steps each day and lead us on paths aright.