Annual Feast of Infant Jesus to be Held from Jan 14 to 16
Mangaluru: “The Annual Feast of Infant Jesus will be held at the Infant Jesus Shrine, Carmel Hill, Bikarnakatte from Jan 14,15 & 16. The Festal Mass will be held on January 14 at 10:30 am presided by the Archbishop of Patna Dr William D’Souza, SJ. In the evening at 6.00 pm the Bishop of Mangaluru diocese Dr Peter Paul Saldanha will celebrate the festal mass. On January 15 at 10:30 am Bishop of Sindhdurg Dr Antony Alwyn Baretto and at 6:00 pm Archbishop Emeritus of Bangalore Dr Bernard Moras will celebrate the festal mass. On Jan 16 at 10:30 am Bishop of Bellary Dr Henry D’Souza, and at 6:00 pm Vicar General of Mangalore Fr Maxim Noronha, will celebrate the festive mass”, said the Superior of St Joseph’s Monastery Fr Wilfred Rodrigues OCD during the press meet held at the Shrine premises here on January 3.
Addressing the mediapersons Fr Wilfred said, “There will be Masses throughout the day on 14 January. Mass in Konkani will be celebrated at 6:00 am, 7:30 am in English, 9:00 am in Konkani and 12:30 am in Kannada. Mass for the sick and the aged will be celebrated at 10:30 am in Konkani. The Festal Mass on the Second day (Jan 15) will be at 6:00 am, 7:15 am, 8:30 am in Konkani; 10:30 am Mass for the Children & 12:30 pm in Malayalam. The Festal Mass on the Third day (Jan 16) is at 6:00 am in Konkani, 7:30 am in English, 9:00 am in Konkani, 12:30 in Konkani and 6:00 pm Mass in Konkani followed by a procession of the Blessed Sacrament”.
Fr Wilfred further said, “The formal inauguration of the festivity will be held on Jan 4, 2020, at 5:.30 pm with the votive offering procession beginning at Jayashree Gate followed by flag hoisting. In preparation for the Annual Feast, nine days Novena prayers will be held from Jan 5 to Jan 13 during which we have 9 Masses every day. Masses are as follows: In the morning at 6:00, 7:30, 9.00 and 10:30 in Konkani; At noon 1 pm in Konkani; In the evening at 4:00 in Malayalam, 5:00 pm in English and 7.00 pm in Kannada. The main open-air mass will be held at 6:00 pm in Konkani”.
Fr Wilfred also said, “Blood donation is the greatest donation and to mark the annual feast of Infant Jesus we have organized a Blood Donation Camp at the shrine campus on Jan 9, from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm in collaboration with Fr Mullers Medical College, Hospital. Every day people from all walks of life come here for prayers. Some come early in the morning for prayers. Some bring their children for prayers. I request the media people to come and meet the devotees to know their experience.”
The meal will be served to the devotees on all the days of novena and feast. Director, Infant Jesus Shrine, Mangalore Fr Prakash D Cunha OCD and Elias Fernandes, Director, Fourwinds Communications were also present.