Mangalore, February 12: The two-day post centenary silver jubilee celebrations of Mangalore Diocese concluded on a grand note in the presence of over 25 bishops and archbishops, more than 300 priests, hundreds of nuns apart from nearly 50,000 devotees at Nehru Maidan in the city on Sunday evening.
Addressing the crowd Archbishop of Bombay Most Rev Cardinal Oswald Gracias, who is also the president of Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), said that the nation as well as world is facing a lot of problems because man has become selfish and God has not been given a place in the society. “Give a place to Jesus and the problems will be solved,” he said and re-iterated that the Church is committed to work for the welfare of the poor, upliftment of downtrodden, provide healthcare to the sick and education to the poor.
Lauding the efforts of Mangalore diocese for taking up many novel projects, the Cardinal said that the nation as well as the universe is proud of Mangalore diocese. He also hoped that the Mangalore diocese would scale new heights by the time it is ready for 150 years of celebrations.
Presiding over the programme, Most Rev Salvatore Pennacchio, the Apostolic Nuncio in India, lauded the efforts of Mangalore diocese in starting medical college, engineering college, educational institutions and other projects, and hoped that the diocese would continue to work for the welfare of the needy.
Reiterating the BJP government's commitment for the development of Christian community Chief Minister D V Sadanada Gowda said that Rs 50 crore special grants given for the first time for the integrated development of the community in the year 2011-12 was just a small step in empowering the community.
“We will strive to give more funds through budgetary allocation for developing rural schools, church and community halls,'' he said.
Union Minister for Corporate Affairs M. Veerappa Moily spoke said that no other diocese in the country would have produced as many number of bishops and archbishops as Mangalore who were all working for education and literacy.
Mr. Moily said that there was a parish priest at the forefront wherever there was an improvement or development such as the poor getting land or house construction, sites or land being given to the tiller. Their service was regardless of caste and community. In a time of fundamentalism, (and challenges) such as terrorism, suicide squads, poverty and illness, "every one of us should become a gamechanger," he said.
Most Rev Aloysius Paul D'Souza, Bishop of the Mangalore Diocese said that Pope Leo XIII decreed the erection of Mangalore Diocese in 1886 and it was announced officially on February 21, 1887. He said the Diocese has taken up project of constructing 161 houses for the poor, one house in each of the parishes with the involvement of the family, parish and the Diocese.
Five of the 102 houses under construction have been completed and the Diocese, which has Rs 52.30 lakh in its kitty for the project, has paid Rs 28 lakh to beneficiaries. Diocese has plans to construct two hostels for the rural poor aspiring to pursue their education, and a shrine in Bajpe.
Deputy Speaker of Karnataka Legislative Assembly N Yogish Bhat, Mangalore MLA U T Khader, Mangalore MP Naveen Kumar Kateel and MLC Ganesh Karnik were present among others.
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