A procession being taken out on the occasion of Monti Fest celebrations at Rosario Church in Mangaluru on Thursday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Monti Fest or the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was celebrated with fervour across Catholic churches in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts on Thursday.
Parish Priest of Rosario Cathedral, Church of Mangaluru Diocese Bishop, Fr. Alfred Pinto, led the celebrations in the absence of Bishop Most Rev. Peter Paul Saldanha. While children came with flowers to shower them on Mary during the Mass, everyone sang the hymn, Sakkad Sangatha Meliya… Moriyek Hogalsiya.
Fr. Vinod Lobo, Assistant Parish Priest, and Fr. Santhosh D’souza, Resident Priest, joined the celebrations.
Fr. Pinto blessed the new corn and a statue of Baby Mary at the St. Ann’s Convent, after which a procession was taken out to the Rosario Cathedral, with Baby Mary’s statue in an open truck.
In his homily, Fr. Lobo said, “Monti Fest is a joyful event of the birth of Mother Mary. Her life is an example of God’s love. The word mother is an affectionate word as it attaches like a magnet. Mother Mary is an image of love for God.”
As per tradition, families gathered together at home and shared vegetarian meal comprising at least five to 10 dishes, including alu-dento and vorn (payasam).
The grain taken from blessed paddy stalks or corn are added to the milk or vorn (payasam) and offered to family members in a symbolic gesture of thanksgiving for “Our Lady’s” blessings.
In Udupi district
Bishop of Udupi diocese Most Rev. Gerald Isaac Lobo participated in a ceremony at St. Anne Church Thottam and blessed the new paddy and concelebrated the holy Eucharistic Mass along with Fr. Denis D’Sa, Parish Priest of the church.
Monti Fest was celebrated across in the district with Konkani-speaking Catholics gathering at their respective churches for the celebrations. Parish Priests blessed the new paddy and took it in processions to churches. After the Mass, new grown paddy corn was distributed to the parishioners.
