Jubilee celebration of Karnataka, Kohima Jesuits held at MSJ

On : 2022-05-29

Karnataka Jesuit province celebrated the jubilees of religious and priestly life of eight Jesuits of Karnataka and Kohima on May 22 at Mount St Joseph, Bangalore. The jubilarians were Frs John P Mendonca, Victor E D’Silva, Fredrick D’Silva (60 years in the Society), Chinnappa Mariaraj, Michael John, Paul Raj Santiago, Sunith Prabhu (50 years priesthood), and Hilario Fernandes (70 years in the Society). Fr John P. Mendonca was the main celebrant at the concelebrated eucharist in the presence of other jubilarians and scores of Jesuits from Karnataka province and Kohima region.

In his homily Fr Fredrick D’Silva enumerated how God had been gracious unto all the jubilarians in the 50, 60 and 70 years of their religious and priestly life. “Each of us can only sing praises of God like Mother Mary,” he said.

At the felicitation that followed, Fr Henry Saldanha raised the toast for the jubilarians. He enumerated unique qualities of each of the jubilarians and went down memory lane recalling how the jubilarians had committed themselves to their given mission.

In his response to the toast on behalf of the jubilarians, Fr Sunith Prabhu said that everything was a gift from God. “It was through the grace of God that we the jubilarians have been able to do whatever little we have done in our lives,” he said.

Provincial, Fr Dionysius Vaz congratulated the jubilarians and wished them well. Provincial of South Asia, Fr Stanislaus D’Souza and Regional Superior of Kohima Fr Melvil Pereira were present.