Media Release
Mangaluru, May 31: Saint Anthony’s Ashram Jeppu will commence a Tredecina (thirteen day novena) from May 31 in preparation for the annual feast to be celebrated on June 13.
The devotion begins at 11 am and will be held at Jeppu ashram. The thirteen day novena comprises of rosary, adoration, holy mass and novena.
As an immediate preparation for the feast, Triduum (three days) will be held for three days commencing on June 10. The Triduum will be held at Milagres Church at 6 pm and will begin with flag hoisting at 5.30 pm.
This year, the feast will be celebrated on two days. The shrine will complete 120 years on June 12. Dr Bernard Moras, Bishop Emeritus of Bengaluru will be the main celebrant of the holy mass. He had served the ashram from 1968 to 1970 as an associate director. Priests who served in the ashram in the past will be concelebrating the holy mass on that day. Besides this, there will be a holy mass in the morning at 8.15 am at Milagres Church, at 11 am in the ashram and 5 pm holy mass in Malayalam at Milagres.
June 13 being the feast day, Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza, Bishop of Mangaluru will preside over the holy mass at 10.30 am at the ashram. This will be followed by blessing of the foundation stone for a hundred bed block for the mentally ill. 'Saint Antony the Miracle Worker' a short play written and directed by John M Permannur, created by Vincent Fernandes of Mogachi Lara fame will be staged on the occasion. On the same day, holy mass will be celebrated at 8.15 am at Milagres Church, at 4.30 pm holy mass in Malayalam at Milagres and the main festive holy mass at Milagres Church at 6 pm will be celebrated by Bishop Aloysius D’Souza.
'Miracles of Saint Anthony' a souvenir published in memory of 120 years was released by the bishop at the press conference.
Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza, Fr Onil D’Souza director of the Institutes, Fr Francis D’Souza, Fr Peter Gonsalves, Fr Trishan D’Souza and Vincent Mascarenhas, secretary of Diocesan Media Committee were present at the press conference.
Brief history of St Antony’s Ashram Jeppu
It was on June 12, 1898 that Msgr Michael Placid Colaco, the then assistant parish priest of Milagres Church began a novena prayer to Saint Antony. The following day was the feast of Saint Antony.
A large number of people from Mangaluru gathered for the feast. Since then, novena has been held in honour of Saint Anthony at the shrine altar of Milagres Church every Tuesday. People irrespective of caste and creed throng to Saint Antony in their need and he never sends them back empty handed. That is the strong belief of Saint Antony’s devotees. The saint is specially invoked upon when things are lost. It is believed that when Saint Anthony’s help is sought for lost items they are found. It has been testified in a number of cases by the devotees.
As people receive favours from the saint, they offered their mite in kind and cash as a token of their gratitude which is in turn distributed to the needy. Gradually, houses were put up to house the destitute. In 1930, land was purchased through a court auction in which the present ashram is situated. After purchasing the land houses were built in the said land and the inmates were moved to the present location in 1936. The institutes also fed hundreds of hungry people everyday during World War I when there was extreme poverty and people did not have enough food to eat. Rice was brought from Rangoon (Burma) to feed the hungry who used to stand in a long queue.
At present, there are 400 destitutes sheltered at the ashram. All their needs are taken care of free of cost. People irrespective of caste and creed are looked after here.