Media Release

Mangaluru, Dec 4: The Annual Feast of St Joseph the Worker Parish, Neermarga was celebrated with great devotion, enthusiasm and zeal on December 1, 2019.

The benefactors and the sponsors of the feast were honoured with blessed candles at 9.45 am by Fr Anil D Mello, parish priest followed by high mass presided over by Bishop Emeritus Aloysius Paul D’Souza and con-celebrated by eight priests. Fr Leo Lasrado, professor of St Joseph seminary in his thought-provoking homily gave a clarion call to the faithful to be prepared for Christ's coming. Without a meaningful preparation of advent, there is no purposeful celebration of Christmas and the preparation primarily refers first to internal and not just the external. He further elucidated interestingly through concrete examples the three kinds of Catholics (i.e, Catholics by birth, Catholics by habit and Catholics by choice). It was indeed a touching sermon. The parish choir added to the solemnity of the ceremony. The liturgy for the day was initiated by the members of the Parish Pastoral council.

Fr Anil D Mello, parish priest verbalized his deep sentiments of gratitude to the members of the Parish Pastoral council, all the associations and each person individually who helped in the effective conduct of the Annual Feast. After the Holy Eucharistic celebration, various stalls were set up by ICYM, YCS and Altar Boys. The parishioners and non-Catholic brethren enthusiastically and cheerfully participated in the lucky games. The indefatigable efforts and the generous unstinted labour of the parish priest in the triumph of this great celebration are commendable.