Attur, Karkala: The final day of the festal celebrations witnessed a steady flow of devotees to the Basilica to venerate their beloved patron, St. Lawrence. The atmosphere was one of deep faith and devotion as priests and faithful gathered in large numbers.
These priests celebrated the Holy Eucharist on the concluding day of the feast Fr. Robert D’Souza, Parish Priest, Allipade; Fr. Albert Crasta, Parish Priest, Piusnagar; Fr. John Pereira, Pallottine, Kera; Fr. Sunil George D’Souza, Director, BCC, Mangalore; Fr. Louis D’Sa, Parish Priest, Nakre; and Fr. Vincent Crasta, Secretary, CESU, Udupi and several others concelebrated.
The main solemn Mass was celebrated at 10.00 a.m. by Most Rev. Dr. Peter Paul Saldanha, Bishop of Mangalore, and was concelebrated by the Bishop of Udupi and the Rector of the Basilica and others. In his homily, Bishop Peter Paul reflected on the theme “Dilexit te” — “I have loved you” and urged the faithful to love one another unconditionally, just as God loves humanity without reservation.
The Rector of the Basilica, Rev. Fr. Alban D’Souza, expressed his gratitude to all those who contributed to the success of the feast. Bishop Gerald, while thanking the Rector and the priests for the smooth running of the five-day celebrations, also shared future plans for the Basilica and sought the prayers and support of the faithful. Parishioners and devotees who generously contributed towards the feast were felicitated on the occasion.
As part of the cultural programme, a Yakshagana titled “Dharma Rakshane”, written and directed by Srinivasan Salyan, Bondel, and performed by the troupe ‘Kalakar, Mangalore’, was staged before an enthusiastic audience.
Later in the night, after due veneration by the faithful, the miraculous statue of St. Lawrence was solemnly returned to its original place. The basilica flag was then ceremoniously lowered, marking the official conclusion of the annual feast.
Volunteers from various parishes rendered yeoman service for the success of the feast under the able guidance of Vinup Karkal. Media activities were coordinated by Fr. Alwyn Sequeira, OCD, and Jeevan Mascarenhas. Santhosh D’Silva, Vice-President, and Ronald Noronha, Secretary, along with the designate Vice-President and Secretary, Vandish Mathias and Melwyn Castelino respectively, were also present on the occasion and guided all activities