Annual Feast of Our Lady of Velankanni, Kalmady to be held on August 14-15
Udupi: The annual feast of Our Lady of Velankanni at Stella Maris Church will be celebrated at Kalmadi near Malpe here on August 14 and 15.
Addressing the presspersons at the Press Club Udupi on Thursday, August 2, Fr Alban D’Souza the parish priest of the Church said that the nine-day novena service for the preparation of the feast would be held from August 5 to 13.
On August 5 the Chancellor of Udupi Diocese Fr Stany B Lobo will flag off the nine-day novena followed by the Eucharistic Mass at 4:00 pm. A large number of devotees will participate in the feast. There will be special prayers for the sick as well, every day, during the novena.
On Sunday, August 13, there will be a procession of the statue of Velankani from Adi Udupi Junction to Stella Maris Church at 2:30 pm. Fr Walter D’Mello Judicial Vicar of Udupi Diocese will flag off the procession.
The newly built Boat shape church was inaugurated on January 6 of this year. After the inauguration of the Church, Hundreds of devotees from across the Country are visiting the church every day.
On August 14, Dr Henry D’Souza Bishop of Bellary Diocese will offer the main mass at 4 pm. Thereafter there will be a mass in Kannada at 6:00 pm.
Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo, Bishop, Udupi Catholic Diocese, will be the chief celebrant of the mass at 10:00 am. On August 15. Masses in other languages will be at 7 am. (Konkani), 12 pm. (Konkani), 4 am. (Kannada) and 6 pm. (English). Food will be served to all devotees on the feast day, he said.
The shrine of Our Lady of Vailankanni in the parish of Stella Maris (which means “Star of the Sea”) is located on the way to the Malpe beach. Stella Maris was a chapel built by the efforts of late Father Charles D’Souza in February 1972. But later on January 1, 1991, it became a full-fledged church.
Sanjay Andrade vice president of the Church, Shobha Mendonca Secretary, Dion D’Souza president ICYM Udupi Diocese, Melwin president ICYM Kalmady were present in the press meet.
