Mangalore: St Aloysius B. Ed College observed the feast day of its Patron Saint here today. The theme for the celebration was, ‘EVER TO SERVE AND TO LOVE.’ ‘The commemoration of the feast began with a prayer song.
Rev. Fr Gerald Furtado SJ, Headmaster, St Aloysius High School, Mangalore and the Chief Guest of the programme said, “St Aloysius Gonzaga remained firm in his resolution to obey the voice of God. He nurtured his urge to become a religious through constant prayers. His love for prayer and for reading books reveals us his relationship with God and his innocence. Even though he was raised in the castle Castiglione, with many servants, and plenty of wealth and comfort, he grew up with deep love and faith in God. It was natural for his father to have had great hopes that his eldest son would have a military career and succeed him in the nobility with family title and property, but his love for God did not allow him to own the inheritance of his family.”
Further in the address, St Aloysius is the role model for teachers to imbibe his values and practice in their careers. Teachers play a very important role in students’ life. Therefore, it is very necessary to be adequately equipped with values and resources that will make the teacher a perfect role model to the students. To achieve this, the celebration of the feast of the patron saint-he said.
The commemoration included a skit on St Aloysius’ life in family and seminary till the age of 23, highlights of the significance of observing Aloysius Feast, a group song and prize distribution for the winners of treasure hunt and quiz.
Dr Farita Viegas, the Principal congratulated the students for their participation in the Aloysian Week and encouraged them to imbibe the spirit of St Aloysius in their personal as well as professional lives. Debasmitha accorded a warm welcome to the gathering. Samuel Kullai rendered the vote of thanks. Sweedal Dsouza compered the programme. Jerome D’Souza staff in charge organised the programme.
Report by: Jerome Dsouza
Pictures by: Ashish Joseph Carvalho
