Dubai: St. Mary’s Mangalorean Community (SMMC) Dubai, a novel Mangalurean Konkan organization of St. Mary’s Catholic Church has made preparations for the upcoming popular Mangalurean family feast “Monti Fest” with nine days Novena from August 30, 2016. The feast held last year met great success. The Novena service will begin every day with Konkani Mass in the evening at 8pm, thereafter Novena and flower strewing ceremony by children to Balok Mori at 8:45pm in front of the Grotto.
Spiritual director Rev. Fr. Robert Lasrado said that when the celebration of Novena and flower strewing for 9 days was initiated last year, there was tremendous appreciation and participation from the children and parishioners.
Fr. Robert has encouraged all the Konkani parishioners to attend all the nine days of Novena and mass to express love and devotion to Mother Mary. On Thursday, September 8, on the Nativity feast day, veneration to Mother Mary will begin in the evening at 8:00 pm with flower strewing ceremony in front of the main entrance of the church. That will follow a feast mass in the church. After the mass, there will be traditional dinner ‘novem jevann’ to all. Fr. Joachim D’souza OFM Cap from Mangaluru will grace the novena and feast masses.
Following day on Friday, September 9, an evening cultural program will be organized in the Main Hall of St. Mary’s Church.
SMMC has organized some competitions for children to mark this blissful event. Details as follows:
1. Dance competition (Solo and Group of 2 to 10):
4 to 7 years
8 to 12 years
13 to 16 years
2. Drawing competition:
4 to 7 years
3. Bible Quiz competition:
8 to 12 years
13 to 16 years
If any parishioner is interested in participating in the above competitions, kindly register either by sending email to montifestdubai@gmail.com or with Fr. Robert Lasrado at his office on or before August 31, 2016. SMMC Event Core committee will send elaborate details of the competition with the registration form of the contests to the participants by email. Limited entries will be considered on first come first serve basis.
Competitions will be held at St. Mary’s Church premises on Saturday, September 3, 2016 afternoon between 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm.
More details about Monti Fest celebration and competitions will be available on the Konkani Notice board at St. Mary’s church premises.
SMMC, a novel organization was formed in 2013 to cater the spiritual requirements of vast Mangalurean Konkan Community of St. Mary’s Parish Dubai. Fr. Robert Lasrado, the Spiritual Director of SMMC with the Core committee successfully accomplishes various endeavors every year like Konkani drama, sports event and other cultural and spiritual programs to enhance the spiritual and commercial activities for the Mangalurean community of St. Mary’s Church Dubai.
