Annual feast of Infant Jesus shrine on Jan 14, 15

The two-day annual feast of Infant Jesus will be celebrated at Infant Jesus Shrine, Carmel Hill, Bikarnakatte – Mangaluru on January 14 and 15, said Superior St. Joseph’s Monastery Rev Fr Wilfred Rodrigues.

Speaking to mediapersons, he said Novena (9 days) in preparation to the feast would be held from January 5 to 13.

Stating that there will be 9 masses everyday during the Novena, he said that devotees would be provided lunch after the 10.30 am mass.

During the Novena, each day will be dedicated for special intentions.

The novena will be held in Konkani at 6 am, 7.30 am, 9 am, 10.30 am, 1 pm, in Malayalam (4 pm), English (5 pm), Kannada (7 pm). The main Mass at 6 pm will be held in Konkani in the open.

The festal mass on January 14 will be presided over by Rev Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza, Bishop Emeritus of Mangalore Diocese, along with Rev Fr Charles Serro and Carmelite Provincial Superior, and more than 100 Priests at 6 pm. Around 500 religious nuns and 15,000 devotees will participate in the Holy Eucharist celebrations.

There will be masses all through the day too. Mass in Konkani will be held at 6 am, 9 am and 11.45 am. English mass will be at 7 am, Malayalam Mass at 8 am and Kannada mass at 12.45 pm followed by a prayer service. Mass for the sick and the aged will be held at 10.15 am in Konkani.

The festal Mass on January 15 will be solemnized by Rev Dr Peter Paul Saldanha, Bishop of Mangaluru, along with other priests, at 10.30 am. It will be a special mass for children. There are other masses on the same day: 6.30 am, 7.30 am, 9.00 am in Konkani. At 12 noon, Kannada Mass and in the evening a special prayer service for Inner Healing at 5 pm followed by Eucharistic celebration and procession of the Blessed Sacrament.

Blood donation camp is organised at the Shrine Campus on January 10 from 9 am to 1 pm. Rev Fr Richard Couelho, Director, Fr Muller’s Medical College will inaugurate the Camp. Free food will be served to the devotees on all the nine days.

A special prayer service in Kannada - Bala Yesu Namana will be held at 8.15 pm on every day of the Novena, he said.