Bondel: The Annual Feast of St. Lawrence Church & Shrine, Bondel, was celebrated with deep faith, devotion and spiritual fervour on Monday, August 10, bringing together a large number of parishioners, devotees, pilgrims, clergy and well-wishers from Mangalore and beyond.
The Festive Eucharistic Celebration at 10:30 a.m. was presided over by Most Rev. Dr. Peter Paul Saldanha, Bishop of Mangalore, as the main celebrant. Several priests concelebrated the Holy Mass, including Rev. Fr. Basil Vas, Parish Priest and Shrine Rector; Rev. Fr. Lawrence Cutinha, Assistant Parish Priest; Rev. Fr. Peter Gonsalves, Principal of St. Lawrence English Medium School; and Very Rev. Fr. Richard Coelho, Vicar Forane of the City Deanery.
In his homily, Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha presented St. Lawrence as a model of courageous faith, selfless love and service to the poor. Reflecting on St. Lawrence’s famous witness, he reminded the faithful that the poor, sick and suffering are the true treasures of the Church. Linking his message to the feast theme, “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12), he urged everyone to make Christ’s love visible through compassion, service and concern for those who are lonely, forgotten and struggling.
The Closing Ceremony and Thanksgiving Mass at 6:00 p.m. was celebrated by Most Rev. Dr. Francis Serrao, Bishop of Mysore, as the principal celebrant. In his homily, Bishop Serrao reflected on Christ’s command to love one another and emphasized that genuine Christian love is expressed through service, forgiveness, generosity and sacrifice. Pointing to St. Lawrence as an example, he encouraged the faithful to give wholeheartedly and to follow the saint’s spirit of love and service.
The liturgy was enriched by the Bondel Church Choir during the morning celebration and the Bondel Parish Children’s Choir during the closing Eucharist. The celebrations were supported by the Parish Council, Shrine Committee, commissions, associations, youth, volunteers and various service teams.
Special prayers were offered for all donors, benefactors and devotees, seeking God’s abundant blessings upon them for their generosity, faith and continued support. Generous donors were also felicitated with candles as a token of gratitude.
At the conclusion of the closing ceremony, Rev. Fr. Basil Vas, Parish Priest and Shrine Rector, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the bishops, priests, religious, parishioners, pilgrims, donors, benefactors, volunteers, choir members, liturgy teams, youth, media personnel, civil authorities and all those who contributed to the success of the feast.
The Feast Flag, hoisted on August 1 to mark the beginning of the novena, was ceremonially lowered, signifying the conclusion of the annual feast. The presence of people from different walks of life and faith traditions added to the spirit of unity, harmony and devotion.
As the feast concluded, the faithful departed with hearts renewed in faith and inspired to “love and serve” like St. Lawrence, carrying forward his example of courage, generosity and faithful service in their daily lives.