Mangaluru: Msgr Maxim Noronha the Vicar General of the Diocese of Mangaluru inaugurated the Kannada teleserial on ‘The life of St Anthony’ by playing the title song of the serial on the T.V. screen at Bishop’s House on Thursday, July 25.
St Anthony’s Ashram Jeppu, Mangaluru is the producer of the teleserial on the life of Saint Anthony of Padua. It will be telecast on Doordarshan Chandana Channel beginning from Sunday, July 28. The teleserial has eight episodes and each episode is of 30 minutes. This teleserial is said to be first-of-a-kind on a national channel.
Saint Anthony was born in Portugal in the year 1195 and died in 1231. In his short life of 36 years, he preached the Good News and performed a number of miracles including rising dead to life. His tongue is still fresh and is preserved in the Basilica dedicated to him in Padua of Italy. He exercised a major part of his ministry in Padua. Hence the name, St Anthony of Padua.
St Anthony is a very popular saint in the Catholic church. After Mother Mary, it is Saint Anthony to whom a large number of churches and shrines are dedicated all around the world. In any part of the world, one can find a church or a chapel dedicated to Saint Anthony.
The devotion of St Anthony has a history of 121 years in Mangaluru. Late Msgr M.P. Colaco started a novena to St Anthony on June 12, 1898. Since then the devotion has been conducted on every Tuesday without fail. Scores of people have benefitted from this devotion irrespective of caste and creed, people from India and abroad.
The devotion of Saint Anthony is popular in Karnataka too. Like in Mangaluru there are few other popular shrines dedicated to Saint Anthony in Karnataka viz. Dornahalli in Mysuru, T.C. Pallya in Bengaluru, Kerekatte in Udupi. The teleserial in Kannada will help devotees of St Anthony in Karnataka and Kannada speaking people around the world to know the life of Saint and to draw inspiration from him.
The serial is directed and edited by ‘Mogachi Larha’ fame Vincent Fernandes of and producer cum director of ‘Choliye Chatrai’ Konkani teleserial. John M Permannur, well-known dramatist has written the script. Popular cine actors like Ramesh Bhat, Asha Latha, Anup Shetty, Prathama have acted in the serial. Well, known singer, Ravindra Prabhu has sung the title song. Around 60 artistes have acted in the teleserial.
Fr Onil D’Souza the director of the Ashram briefed the media persons on the serial.
Srinivas the President of the Press Club Mangaluru, the Asst Directors of the Ashram-Fr Thrishan D’Souza, Fr Roshan D’Souza, Vincent Fernandes, Joshn M Permannur, Stanley D’Cunha were present on the occasion.
