Bishop of Udupi diocese shares Christmas joy with journalists

Udupi: The Udupi diocese had organised “Christmas Snehakoota’, a get together with Udupi district media persons at Bishop’s House here on 20 December 2017.

Speaking on the occasion, Bishop Most Rev. Dr. (Fr.) Gerald Isaac Lobo said that love, happiness, peace and joy are the symbols of Christmas and should prevail over the society in all walks of the life. When peace and love emerges in our heart then it will leave a marvellous impact on the society, he added.

He said that the Lord God send human to the world for the salvation of human kind who lived with us like a common man. He spread the message of peace of love. But people are distancing themselves from God, he added.

Bishop said in his message that Christmas heralds the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. “His magnetic personality was both human and divine. His life was an open book which revealed the infinite love and compassion of God towards man. Christmas cribs, Christmas Cards, Christmas Carols, Christmas star, Christmas sweets along with the Santa Claus evoke in us feelings of the Joy and Excitement on the birth of the Divine Babe of Bethlehem”, he explained.

“Every child comes with the message that God is yet discouraged of man,“ said Rabindranath Tagore. Lord Jesus, the divine child, who was born as the “Emmanuel” has truly become “God with us”. “He is the visible face of the invisible God. He summarised all the laws and prophetic instructions into the love of God and love of neighbour. He preached and practised forgiveness. He presented LOCE as the panacea for all the ills mankind. “Peace to men of good will”, said the angels at his birth. Indeed, as Mahatma Gandhi felt, HE IS OUR PEACE”, he said.

Bishop said that Udupi district journalists had supported the noble initiatives of the diocese since the establishment of the new diocese and its development.

Bishop said that he has instructed all the parishes of Udupi diocese to celebrate Christmas this year with the poor people without any caste and religion bias in the surroundings of the churches in the diocese.

Mrs Delia Dias, General Manager of Corporation Bank was the chief guest on the occasion.

Earlier, Rev Fr. Chetan Lobo, Editor of Uzvaad, Fortnightly welcomed the gathering. Bishop inaugurated the programme by cutting the Christmas cake along with guests on the dais.

On the dais, Dalia Dias, Zonal General Manager of Corporation Bank; Rohini, Information Officer of the district; Prashanth Jattanna, member of Christian Development Corporation; Ganesh Prasad Pandelu, newly elected President of UDWJA; Rev. Fr. Denis D’Sa, PRO of the diocese and Michael Rodrigues, Media Coordinator of Udupi diocese were present.

Bishop honoured all the new office bearers of the UDWJA during the occasion. Rohini and Ganesh Pandelu conveyed their wishes on the occasion. Kiran Manjanabail, Correspondent of Samyukta Karnataka and Santhosh Sarelebettu of Raj News shared their views on the occasion.

Michael Rodrigues proposed a vote of thanks and Rev. Fr. Royson Fernandes, Assistant Parish Priest of Pangala Shankerpura Church compered the programme.