Catholic Sabha Urges for ‘Kristha Nigama’ and ‘Govt Holiday for Nativity Feast’

Catholic Sabha Urges for ‘Kristha Nigama’ and ‘Govt Holiday for Nativity Feast’

Mangaluru: If other not so major Hindu feasts are declared as state holidays, why not “Monti Fest”, which is considered as the only family feast for Catholics living in this area, is the question many Catholics wants to ask Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and the government. It has been noted that on “Monti Fest” aka Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary feast only Christian/Catholic institutions are closed, while other non-christian institutions remain open. So what about the Christian students studying in these non-Christian institutions? So also Catholics working in government offices/banks/ or other institutions have to probably take a day off- or in many cases they may not even get one approved. So, Don’t these working Catholics and students get time to spend this feast with their family?

Considering these questions, members of the Catholic Sabha Mangalore Pradesh held a press meet at the Mangalore Press Club, where they stated that they will hand over a memorandum to CM HD Kumaraswamy, Minister U T Khader, Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil, MCC Commissioner Mohammed Nazeer, MCC Mayor Bhasker Moily and other concerned authorities. Addressing the media, Ralphy D’costa-President of Catholic Sabha MP {R} said, ” We will request CM Kumaraswamy to think it over and declare ‘Monti Fest’ as a State holiday effective this September 8, 2018. From many years we have been asking for this Holiday, but our efforts have been in vain. We hope at least this year our CM along with his cabinet members will make up their minds and make the Catholic community happy with the sanction of Sept 8 holiday”.

“Monti Fest is a very important festival for Catholics who live in Kodiyal aka Kudla. On this Feast, family members join together to celebrate the feast and enjoy a sumptuous vegetarian meal. Even Mangaloreans settled all over the world celebrate this Feast in tradition. Some even make plans to visit their hometown for the feast-when such is the Feast, a holiday to mark it would be a kind gesture from the CM and government. If not, students and working class from the Catholic community will be unable to celebrate the feast which is a traditional and religious Catholic Feast”, added D’Costa.

D’Costa further said, “A few days ago we met state minister U T Khader and submitted our memorandum in this respect. He obliged us immediately and agreed to speak to the DC. When we met the DC later, he was also kind enough to consider our request, and he promised to send our memorandum to the Chief Minister. Our memorandum is in the hands of the CM, and we will have to keep our fingers crossed until we get a positive response from him and his cabinet. Also meeting the CM recently we have asked him to form a separate board (Krsitha Nigama) for Christians so that issues pertaining to our community could be addressed systematically. The CM has assured us of his help, and we hope to hear good news from him soon”.

Fr Mathew Vas, the Spiritual Director, Anil Lobo-former president of Mangalore Catholic Sabha, Alwyn Quadros-President of Udupi Catholic Sabha, Celestine D’Souza-Secretary of Mangalore Catholic Sabha and Stany Lobo- the next designated President of Mangalore Catholic Sabha were also present for the press meet.

Regarding Monti Fest, called in Konkani, while in English it is called “Feast of the Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary”, is a major Mangalorean Catholic festival celebrated in fervour every year. This festival celebrates the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and in the Mangalorean Catholic community, it involves blessing of Novem (new crops). The festival derived its name from the Monte Mariano Church at Farangipet in South Canara and was initiated by Joachim Miranda, a Goan Catholic priest at Farangipet in 1763. Though Tippu Sultan destroyed the churches of Canara, he spared Monte Mariano Church in deference to the friendship of his father Hyder Ali with Father Miranda.

Speaking to Team Mangalorean, Fr Mathew Vas said, “Although we had tried our best last year with the signature campaign, for some reasons, it didn’t click well. But this year we are committed and will work hard to see that the CM adheres to our demands and makes ‘Monti Fest’ a state holiday. If Christian educational institutions in Kodiyal (Mangaluru) and in rest of India observe this traditional feast with a holiday, why not non-Christian institutions also do the same? It would also benefit the Catholic students studying in their institutions. And for this reason, once again we are urging the state government to declare ‘Monti Fest’ as a state holiday through various means”.