Catholic Bishop of Mangalore Rev Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza honoured him in the traditional way while the felicitation address was read out by Administrator of Fr Muller Medical College Fr Dennis D’Sa. Greeting the new Bishop, Bishop Emeritus of CSI Karnataka Southern diocese Rev Dr C L Furtado traced the growth of CSI over the last 62 years of its existence and its role in maintaining unity in the region.

KSOU former VC Prof Dr Vivek Rai was the guest of honour. In his address, he said that Mangalore, due to its vulnerable religious climate, needs a pro-active Bishop who can join the various denominations of Christianity, as well as other religions for a harmonious existence. He said that Bishop Sadananda, with a vast experience interacting with different communities, scholars and common man, is the ideal person for the purpose.

In his response to the felicitation, Bishop Sadananda said that a person can be ‘Sadananda’ (always happy) only if he could lay his life down for the sake of the world. He called upon ‘people with good minds’ to come, work together and spread the message of the God that the God accepts the whole human kind as they are. He pointed out that the purpose of missionaries is not to convert people but to transform the society. Sandesha Director Fr Valerian Mendonca, Secretary of MCC and MDEC Rev Dr J B Saldanha, Treasurer F M Lobo were present.