Church News

Confraternity Sunday ("Compricho Aithar") was celebrated at Holy Rosary Church, Alangar on Sunday, 24th October 2021.

Fr Boniface Pinto was the main celebrant of the mass wherein he gave a deeper explanation of Eucharist and conducted the Holy Hour.

The celebration was based on the theme "Being nourished by the Eucharist be a nourishment to others" which was beautifully narrated by Fr Boniface as follows.

Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1324). It is the Sacrament of Sacraments. It takes a prime place in the life of a Christian and plays a significant role in the life and mission of the Church. In fact, it is at the center of the process of church’s growth. Pope St John Paul II had said: “The church celebrates the Eucharist and the Eucharist builds the Church”. (Ecclesia de Eucharistia, Ch. 2). Eucharist is a Sacrament, a holy meal and a food for the soul. As believers we are called upon not only to celebrate the Eucharist but also to live the Eucharist through our life of service and witness. Pope Leo had stated that we become what we consume. We consume Jesus and thus become Jesus. The Apostles and the early Christians took part in the breaking of the Bread and became Eucharist through their life of fellowship, service and building up of a community of one mind and one heart (Acts 2;42 ff). Likewise, every follower of Jesus has to deepen one’s knowledge on the mystery of Eucharist, participate in the celebration with joy and enthusiasm, and thus make the liturgy of the Eucharist a rich and faith nourishing celebration. Besides, having been nourished with the Body and Blood of Jesus, we need to nourish others and thus become Eucharist to others. This is done by thinking, speaking and living a life worthy of a Christian after the model of Jesus. Secondly, one has to break oneself for the good of one’s family, for the needy and the suffering, for the building up of faith-witnessing communities and rendering service to the church without any selfish motives. Let us remember the words of Pope St John Paul II: “We are to be people who become living tabernacles in this world”. Having celebrated the Eucharist in a  meaningful way, we are sent out to build the kingdom of God so that people may recognize our service and give praise to God our Father who is in heaven (Mt 5:16 ). Confraternity Sunday invites us that being the brothers and sisters of Jesus at our Baptism, we have an added obligation and duty to love another and build a communion of communities based on service and fellowship. Without a witnessing community the celebration of the Eucharist becomes meaningless and a mere ritual.

Parish Priest Fr Walter DSouza and Redemptorist Rector Fr Rakesh Mathias concelerated the mass.

Parishioners' vehicles were blessed at the end of the celebration.