Mangaluru: Bishop of the Mangalore Diocese, Dr Peter Paul Saldanha inaugurated and blessed the newly-built St Antony’s Church in Anthonykatte near Bajpe on Sunday, December 22.
Addressing the gathering, he said, “Thousands were healed through the prayers of St Antony and he even performed several miracles. The miracles continued even after his demise and so, the people praying through St Antony and they received whatever they wanted. Recently, thousands of churches have been built in the saint’s honour and we can see miracles occurring in all these churches and shrines. Antonykatte had a small chapel before, but because of the demands of the devotees, it has been converted into a church.”
A stage programme followed the inauguration, and Moodbidri MLA Umanath Kotian, who was also present, said that despite various names and religions, we are all one and believe in one God. “We all believe in salvation after death. We have built this church not for God, but for us,” he said.
Former MLA J R Lobo requested the Bishop to declare St Antony’s Church in Anthonykatte, as an independent church. “It meets all the criteria to become an independent church. When a church is built, its surroundings automatically develop. A church is not only a place for worship but also a part of the lives of the people who live nearby,” he said.
Christian Development Board Chairman Joylus D’Souza said, “Earlier, many churches were funded by the Christian Development Committee. Now, the development committee has been upgraded to the level of board and government. I am happy to serve my people with new plans and assessments. The Government has been allotting crores of rupees to various communities, including the Christians. But we have to use those funds to meet genuine needs,” he said.
President of the programme, Bishop Saldanha said, “The Anthonykatte Church is a place that has always upheld communal harmony. It is a blessed place where and all people, irrespective of caste, religion and creed, can worship. Despite the curfew, the police department allowed us to inaugurate the newly-built church. Various political leaders from our community coordinated with each other and succeeded in seeking permission from the officials. I had sent a letter to our Chief Minister seeking a relaxation of the curfew, stating that Sunday is a holy day for the Christians. The CM accepted our request and directed the officials to relax the curfew today. I thank all political leaders and officials for their efforts to restore peace in society. We are heard and respected by society and we do not want any disturbance to occur in society. We believe in humanity first and religion second.”
Anthonykatte Church parish priest Fr Edwin Francis Pinto welcomed the gathering. Vice-president, parish council Walter Monteiro, proposed a vote of thanks. Vicar Forane, Pejar Deanary, Fr Marcel Saldanha and rector, Jeppu Seminary, Fr Ronald Serrao were also present.
A musical nite ‘Sangeetacho Dabazo’ was held after the formal programme, wherein legendary singer ‘Sangeeth Samrat’ Henry D’Souza, Konkani’s ‘Dream Boy’ Rony D’Cunha, Velita Lobo, singers Rainal Periera, Zeena Periera, enthralled the audience. Meanwhile, artistes of Karambar entertained the spectators with their dance skits.
