‘Sakkad Sangatha Melun’ St Aloysius College Catholic Faculty & Staff attend ‘Monti Festh’ Mass at Chapel

‘Sakkad Sangatha Melun’ St Aloysius College Catholic Faculty & Staff attend ‘Monti Festh’ Mass at St Aloysius College Chapel on Monday, 7 September 2020 at 9 am.

Mangaluru :“Monti Festh” aka Feast of Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary is a major Mangalorean Catholic festival which falls on September 8 every year. This festival celebrates the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and in the Mangalorean Catholic community involves blessing of Novem (new crop). The festival derives its name from the Monte Mariano Church at Farangipet in South Canara (now called Dakshina Kannada), and was initiated by Joachim Miranda, a Goan Catholic priest at Farangipet in 1763. The Church is also also known as Mount of Mary.
Oral history goes to state that the Nativity festival of our Lady was first celebrated at Monte Moriano to coincide with the annual feast of the church. The term ‘Monthi’ has been derived from the word ‘Monte’ and over the years has been modified to be known as ‘Monthi Fest’. On this solemn occasion, the Catholics partake in a community feast or a family feast having only vegetarian dishes. Though Tippu Sultan destroyed the churches of South Canara, he spared Monte Mariano Church in deference to the friendship of his father Hyder Ali with Father Joachim Miranda. Even though this Feast is celebrated in a grand manner every year, this year due to Covid-19 restriction it will be held in a low key and in sombre.

A day prior to the ‘Monti Festh’, the Catholic faculty and non-teaching staff joined at St Aloysius College Chapel on 7 September 2020 at 9 am for the ‘Festal’ mass which was con-celebrated by Fr Pradeep Crasta SJ (Director of Jesuit Pre Novitiate), along with Fr Praveen Martis SJ (Principal, St Aloysius College); Fr Denzil Lobo SJ- Treasurer/Secretary of Mangalore Jesuit Education Society); Fr Vincent Pinto SJ ( Finance Officer, SAC) ; Deacon Vishwas Misquith; and Fr Marcel Rodrigues SJ (HoD Mass Communication Dept, SAC). The liturgy, mass arrangement and choir was handled by Assistant Professor Severine Pinto of Dept of English SAC, who also gave a brief introduction of Monti Festh, prior to Eucharistic ceremony. A short Novena was held at 8.40 am, and at the end of the Novena, the faithful placed a flower at the image of Baby Mary, while the College choir sang “Sakkad Sangatha Meliya…Moriyek Hogalsiya’ (Let’s all join together and praise Blessed Mary).

In his homily, Deacon Vishwas Misquith said, “In every successful human being there is a woman, she is none other than our mother. She always thinks about the success of her child. We have to consider Mother Mary as our Morning Star and Jesus as the Rising Sun. And as a family we should pray together, because a family that prays together, stays together. The motherhood of Mary, who inspires us to live a life of humility and love, who was born sinless, lived sinless and assumed into heaven sinless. We should make Mary a role model of the family”. Fr Praveen Martis SJ conveyed the message of Monti Festh and wished everyone a blessed Feast.

Gospel readings were done by Ms Nisha Lobo (Non teaching Staff) and Anoop Denzil Veigas ( English lecturer, SAC), and prayers of intentions were said by Ms Ashwith Jyothi Monteiro, Ms Divya Mariotte D’souza and Ms Melita Reshma Rodrigues- all non-teaching staff, SAC. The vote of thanks was proposed by Ms Veena Lobo, also a non-teaching staff. The melodious hymns were rendered by the College Choir comprising of teaching and non-teaching staff of SAC, under the music leader Dr Senek D’souza (on guitar), and his team- Ms Sharon Rodrigues, Ms Melita Reshma Rodrigues, Ms Nisha Rita Lobo, Ms Jacintha Crasta, Ms Lavita D’souza, Ms Elvita Castelino, Ms Laveena D’souza, Austin Paul, Prajwal D’souza (organ), and Reuben Machado, on his magical flute. After the mass, every one went home with happy faces, after receiving sugar cane pieces.

Monti Festh represents the symbol of family unity, which is celebrated with joy and happiness as it is the harvest festival as well. It is the celebration of family bonds, filial relationships and a feast which makes us aware that we are very much part of nature around us bringing us closer to Mother Nature. It is really amazing to see that all Konkani Catholics unite wherever they are spread across the world with one spirit and zeal and make it a point to celebrate this great festival of Monti fest all over the world. They continue to celebrate Monthi fest in whatever way they can in their countries and enjoy the nostalgia connected with their own families and parishes back home. And here at St Aloysius College, these teaching and non-teaching staff joined together like members of ONE family, with One Spirit and Zeal in celebrating the Festal mass, prior to the BIG Monti Festh tomorrow (8 September).

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Ending this report, with the beautiful rendition of “Sakkad Sangatha Meliya..Moriyek Hogalsiya on video by the College Choir :