Thousands of Devotees Witness Diocesan Annual Eucharistic Procession
Pics by Prasanna Kodavoor, Team Mangalorean
Udupi: The annual Diocesan Eucharistic Procession organized on the feast of Christ the King coinciding with the Confraternity Sunday of Mother of Sorrows Church; Udupi evoked a devotional response from nearly four thousand Catholics representing 50 parishes of the Udupi Diocese on Sunday, 20 November 2016.
Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo Bishop of Udupi Diocese along with the priests concelebrated the solemn Eucharistic mass on a specially arranged and florally decorated huge dais in the presence of a large number of people that filled the ground to its capacity.
During the Homily Bishop highlighting the importance of the Eucharist and its evolution by citing a number of examples and events from both Old and New Testaments. The Eucharist has great strength that nourishes the church in general and the individual faithful in particular.
The mass was followed by adoration of the Holy Eucharist led by Fr Royson Fernandes, Assitant Parish Priest of Mother of Sorrows Church Udupi.
Soon after the adoration, the solemn Eucharistic Procession began. The brass band led the procession followed by the Cross and candle bearers and the people holding lighted candles. The Bishop held the Blessed Sacrament that was rested on a pedestal fitted on a decorated vehicle. The procession moved through the Lane adjacent to St Mary’s Kannada Medium School and passed through the Government PU College Road, Ajjarkad Park Road, Jodukatte Circle, Old Taluk Office Road, Court Road, Diana Circle and entered the church premises.
The Bishop gave away trophies to those parishes who had the highest total collection and highest per head collection on the Mission Sunday. St Lawrence Church- Moodubelle (First), Mother of Sorrows Church-Udupi (Second), Our Lady of Lourdes Church-Kanajar (Third), St Lawrence Church-Karkal(Attur) (Fourth), St John The Evangelist Church-Pangala (Fifth).
Among the parishes that had the maximum per head collections were: St Antony Church-Kuntalnagar (First), Immaculate Heart of Mary Church-Nakre (Second), Mother of Sorrows Church-Udupi (Third), Our Lady of Lourdes-Kanajar (Fourth), St Lawrence Church-Karkal – Attur (Fifth).
In his concluding message, Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo expressed gratitude to all those who had helped in organizing the Diocesan Eucharistic Procession in a grand and meaningful manner.