Photography: Stany Bantwal
Report: Meena Barboza
Mangaluru, Aug 8: On the eighth day of the Novena at St Lawrence Church in Bondel, the faithful gathered in great numbers to partake in the ongoing spiritual preparations for the feast of St Lawrence. The theme for the day was, "God's Word is the Strongest Weapon of Prayer."
At 5.30 pm, the devotees gathered for adoration which was led by Fr Lancy D’Souza. This was followed by a solemn Mass celebrated by Fr Lancy D’Souza, assistant parish priest, Modankaup-Bantwal, Fr William D'Souza, assistant parish priest, Fr Peter Gonsalves, principal, St Lawrence English Medium School, Fr Melwin Pinto MSIJ and Fr Theo Pinto were the concelebrants.
In his homily, Fr Lancy D’Souza urged the devotees of St Lawrence to cultivate a prayer life that pleases God rather than humans. He emphasized the importance of personal prayer, stating that sincere prayers bring people closer to God and align their souls with His will.
Fr Lancy highlighted the power of communal prayer, particularly the "Our Father" prayer, which he described as having profound meaning and strength. He also drew inspiration from the prayerful life of Mother Mary, encouraging the faithful to emulate her dedication and devotion.
The choir for the service was from Milagres parish.
Special prayers were also offered for all the benefactors and donors, acknowledging their support and contributions to the church.