Vod Santhosan, Vod Sambraman Devotees Celebrate Big Feast of Relic of St Anthony

By
Alfie Dsouza, Team Mangalorean.
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Vod Santhosan, Vod Sambraman Devotees Celebrate Big Feast of Relic of St Anthony

Vod Santhosan, Vod Sambraman (With Huge Happiness and Enthusiasm/Excitement) thousands of Devotees throng Milagres Church-Mangaluru to Celebrate Big Feast of Relic of St Anthony on Thursday, 15 February.

Mangaluru: Every year, 15 February marks the big Feast of Relic of Saint Anthony of Padua. The Saint Anthony’s Shrine-Mangaluru this evening celebrated the feast in honour of Saint Anthony at Milagres Church grounds at 6 pm. Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza the Bishop of Mangaluru celebrated the Eucharistic mass along with a bevy of clergy-no name a few- Msgr Denis Moras- Vicar General; Fr Onil D’Souza and Fr Francis D’Souza-Director and Administrator respectively of St Anthony Charity institute; Fr J B Crasta- Parish priest-Rosario Cathedral; Fr Valerian D’Souza and Fr Edwin Monis- Parish priest and Asst Parish priest respectively of Milagres Church; Fr Henry Sequeira- Chancellor-Mangalore diocese; among others. Over five thousand people had gathered for the celebration.

Earlier in the day at 8.15 am a Holy Mass was offered by Fr Pius D’Souza (O.C.D.) at Milagres Church. Similarly, a Holy Mass was offered at Milagres Church at 4.30 pm in Malayalam. Bishop Varghese Chakkalakal of Calicut Diocese offered the Mass. Msgr Denis Moras Prabhu the Vicar General of Diocese offered a Holy Mass at 11 am at St Anthony’s Ashram Jeppu for the inmates and the special invitees.

During the festive mass this evening at Milagres Church, Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza the Bishop of Mangaluru said that this feast is a thanksgiving celebration for the numerous favours received through the powerful intercession of Saint Anthony. The large gathering present for the feast is a witness to the unfailing help of the Wonder Worker Saint Anthony, he said. “The tongue was reportedly just as wet and incorrupt as it had been in St Anthony’s life when he was celebrated for his oratory skills. He spent most of his life roaming Italy and France, giving sermons that captivated all of his audiences with a gripping power.”

Bishop further said, “St Anthony was canonized not too long after his death, but it was 30 years later when he was dug up to be reburied in a new basilica that his miraculous tongue was discovered. Now the tongue, as well as his jaw bone, are both displayed in the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua in elaborate gold reliquaries. The rest of his remains are entombed in a separate chapel.However, most come to venerate St. Anthony, who is the patron saint of lost things, in the hopes he might help them find what they’re looking for.”

Fr Maxim Noronha the Parish Priest of Infant Jesus Church Bantwal-Modankap preached the homily. In his homily, he preached the usefulness of tongue in human life. The tongue can encourage others, revive somebody’s hopes. And also if not used properly it can malign somebody’s name and destroy other’s life. He called on the people present to make use of the tongue to praise God and speak well of others. When we do this we celebrate a meaningful feast in honour of Saint Anthony’s Relic (Saint Anthony’s tongue), he said.

Fr Onil D’Souza thanked everyone for making this feast a grand success along with Ashram Fathers and the organizers and also thanked the devotees who came for the week-long novena and received God’s abundant blessings. The Choir comprising of singers/parishioners from various parishes led by Choir leader Simon Pais rendered beautiful hymns during the Eucharistic celebration.

Though it is eight centuries now since the death of Saint the tongue and the vocal chords of the Saint have still remained fresh. The Relic is preserved at the Basilica dedicated to the Saint at Padua in Italy. The formal devotion to Saint in Mangaluru will complete 120 years in the month of June of this year. Over the last 120 years, people irrespective caste and creed have approached Saint Anthony in their need and they have experienced the power of unfailing powerful intercession of Saint Anthony.

At this ashram located in Jeppu-Mangaluru, Saint Anthony’s solidarity has reached out to those who need it most. Although St Anthony has left the world with a great legacy of teachings and has set the priests a glorious example of charity, of what it means to be there for the poorest of the poor. The Priests and the management at St Anthony’s Charity Institutes are daily engaged in the task of practicing this great mission which the Saint has enjoined upon them: to spread the Gospel and to practice Charity.

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