Mangaluru: The annual feast of St Joseph Vaz Shrine, Mudipu, Bantwal Taluk, is being held from November 28 to December 1.
November 28 of this year is dedicated to the sick and the suffering. A solemn Eucharistic celebration at 5.30 PM will be celebrated by Most Rev. Dr Pius Thomas D’Souza, Bishop of Ajmer.
Special prayers will be offered for the sick and the suffering. On Friday, November 29, a solemn festal mass at 10.30 AM will be celebrated by Most. Rev. Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza, Bishop Emeritus of Mangaluru.
On Saturday, November 30, Most Rev. Dr Ignatius D’Souza, Bishop of Bareilly will preside over the Eucharistic celebration at 10.30 AM.
On Sunday, December 1 at 10.30 AM, Most Rev. Dr Peter Paul Saldanha, Bishop of the Mangalore Diocese will celebrate the festal mass. On the same day, Most Rev. Dr Lawrence Mukkuzhy, Bishop of the Belthangady Diocese will preside over the mass at 4 PM in Kannada.
The concluding mass of the annual feast at 8 PM will be concelebrated along with other priests by Rt. Rev. Msgr Maxim L. Noronha, Vicar General of the Mangalore Diocese.
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, six masses will be celebrated: 8.30 AM, 10.30 AM (solemn festal mass), 2 PM, 4 PM (Kannada), 6 PM and 8 PM. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, meals will be provided to all the pilgrims from 12.30 PM onwards.
It is to be noted that from November 28 to December 1, around 30,000 pilgrims are expected to visit the Shrine to seek blessings from God through the intercession of St Joseph Vaz.
Rev. Fr Benjamin Pinto, Director of St Joseph Vaz Shrine, Rev. Fr Shaun Rodrigues, Assistant Parish Priest, Roshan D’Souza, Vice President Parish Pastoral Parishad and Marcel D’Souza, Secretary Parish Pastoral Parishad were present.
