Silver Jubilee of Pope John Paul II visit to the city celebrated

Silver Jubilee of Pope John Paul II visit to the city celebrated

Mtoday news

Mangalore / Bajpe, Feb 6: Silver Jubilee of Pope John Paul II’s visit to the city and 125th year of formation of Mangalore Diocese celebrated at Bajpe in the morning on Sunday, February 6. A statue of the late Pope John Paul II was unveiled to mark the 25th year of the Holy father’s visit to Mangalore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holly mass was performed by Bishop Aloysius Paul D’Souza along with eminent catholic priest from the Mangalore dioces. Fr John Mendonsa, Vicar general of Mangalore Diocese, Msgr Denis Moras Prabhu, Episcopal Vicar of Udupi Varado, Fr Mathias Pereira, parish priest of Bajpe, Fr Baptist  Menezes, director of Fr Muller Charitable Institutions, Fr Francis Rodrigues, Editor of Rakno weekly were among other priests present on the occasion.

All 10 parishes that come under Jurisdictional Pezar Varado(Bajpe,Gurpur, dyapadi,Permude,Thokur,Pezar,Mukka,Fermai, Katipalla and Surathkal)  participated in the programme.

 

Bishop Aloysius Paul D’Souza honoured Sri. Manamohan Malli who has donated 7 cents of land where the stage was erected on the historic occasion of the Papal visit on February 6, 1986.  “The Mangalore Diocese has plans to acquire an acre of land in Bajpe to build a memoriam for the Late Pope and statue will placed in it for the people to visit regularly and offer prayers” said the Bishop of Mangalore.

Over 3,000 people from various churches of Mangalore Diocese, 40 priests, 150 nuns and faithful people have attended the function in the morning.


THE SCENARIO OF 6.FEB,1986 - A RECAP:

Bajpe was chosen as the spot for the address as no ground in the city was fit enough to accommodate the gathering. According to estimates, the congregation was by far, the largest assembly ever in the undivided district of Dakshina Kannada crossing four lakh.

 

 

Msgr.A F D’Souza at the time VicarGeneral of the Diocese effectively served as Convener. Late Blasius D’Souza former Minister Karnataka was the organizing committee head. Late P Rodrigues former Minister Karnataka lead the Transport Committee. Joe Gonsalves co-ordinated with Law and Order and security matters. The late Rev.Fr.J J Saldanha ( who was last stationed at Milagres after retirement) was the Parish Priest then at Bajpe.

The Pope arrived by the special flight from Goa and was at Bajpe for two hours. Ushered in with a traditional aarti, the Pope was presented with a shawl prepared by the inmates of Fr Muller Charitable Institutions by late Blasius D’Souza, the representative of the state and the diocese. ’Shanthi Shanthi Shanthi he chanted as he stood on the podium  and acknowledged the cheers  ’Viva il papa. (Long live the Pope)  The Pope delivered his message translated into  Konkani and Kannada.

Death of the loved Pope

In the light of Christ risen from the dead, on 2 April A.D. 2005, at 9.37 p.m., while Saturday was drawing to a close and the Lord’s Day was already beginning, the Octave of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday, the Church’s beloved Pastor, John Paul II, departed this world for the Father.

From that evening until April 8, date of the funeral of the late Pontiff, more than three million pilgrims came to Rome to pay homage to the mortal remains of the Pope.