Monti Festh Celebrated with Faith and Fervour at St. Lawrence Church, Moodubelle

The Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, popularly celebrated as Monti Festh, was observed with deep faith, devotion and festive spirit at St. Lawrence Church, Moodubelle, on Tuesday.
The feast brought together parishioners of all ages, with children carrying colourful flowers to offer to Infant Mary. Dressed in festive attire and sharing warm greetings and smiles, the faithful participated enthusiastically in the celebrations. The blessing of the new paddy, floral offering to Infant Mary, festive Mass and distribution of sugarcane and sweets formed the highlights of the celebration.
The liturgical celebration at St. Lawrence Parish began at 8 a.m. at the grotto, where parishioners gathered in prayer. Children and altar servers stood before the statue of Infant Mary with flowers for the traditional floral offering.
Rev. Fr. Leo Lobo (OFM Cap), Rector of Assisi Nilaya, led the prayer service at the grotto, where the new paddy was kept for blessing. Following the prayers and the reading of a passage from the Holy Gospel by Rev. Fr. Stephen Rodrigues, Assistant Parish Priest of St. Lawrence Church, Moodubelle, Rev. Fr. Leo Lobo blessed the new paddy by sprinkling holy water and incensing it.
Rev. Fr. George D’Souza, Parish Priest of Moodubelle, Rev. Fr. Gerald Viegas (OFM Cap), Rev. Fr. Lawrence Rodrigues (OFM Cap) and Deacon Shawn Andrade were present for the blessing ceremony.
Following the blessing, the parishioners proceeded in a solemn procession into the church. Gurkars and members of the Parish Pastoral Council carried bundles of the blessed new paddy and placed them on a table beside the main altar.
Rev. Fr. George D’Souza was the chief celebrant of the festive Mass, concelebrated by the other priests, with the participation of the deacon.
Delivering the homily, Rev. Fr. Stephen Rodrigues highlighted the significance of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a celebration of faith, family relationships, the girl child and cultural heritage.
He noted that the Blessed Virgin Mary holds a special place of honour in the Catholic Church, with several feasts celebrated in her honour throughout the year. He also recalled that the months of May and October are traditionally dedicated to special Marian devotion and prayer, particularly the recitation of the Rosary.
Emphasising the importance of family relationships, Fr. Stephen said that Monti Festh carries a strong message of family unity, as it traditionally brings family members together for prayer and a shared meal.
He pointed out that the blessing of the new paddy and the tradition of sharing a vegetarian meal prepared with the newly harvested rice reflect the deep cultural roots of the coastal Karnataka community. The celebration, he said, beautifully brings together faith, family and the agricultural traditions of the region.
Fr. Stephen also stressed the importance of protecting, respecting and nurturing the girl child, noting her vital role in the family and society. He urged the faithful to consider the virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary as an inspiration and to cultivate those values in their own lives as a fitting tribute on her birthday.
At the conclusion of the Mass, Rev. Fr. George D’Souza conveyed Monti Festh greetings to the parish community and began the distribution of sheaves of blessed new paddy.
The first sheaf was presented to Pritish Burton D’Sa, Vice-President of the Parish Pastoral Council, followed by distribution to the sponsors and donors who had supported the distribution of sweets to children during the nine-day novena.
Mrs. Jyothi Lavina D’Souza, Secretary of the Parish Pastoral Council, announced the names of the sponsors and donors.
Gurkars, representatives and members of the Parish Pastoral and Finance Councils, led by Pritish D’Sa, then distributed sheaves of the blessed new paddy to the parishioners.
Sweet boxes were also distributed among the children and other members of the parish community.
The liturgy of the festive Mass was animated by the children. A number of children also formed the part of the Choir.
The celebration concluded on a joyful note as parishioners greeted one another and shared the happiness and blessings of Monti Festh, celebrating the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the enduring values of faith, family and cultural tradition.