Mangaluru: St Anthony’s Ashram Jeppu will be celebrating the feast in honour of Relic of its Patron St Anthony on 15-02-2017. Most Rev. Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza the Bishop of Mangalore will be offering the main Eucharist Celebration at Milagres Church grounds at 6 pm along with a large number of priests.

St Anthony was born in 1195 in Lisbon of Portugal. He served as priest in France and Italy. He lived a short life of 36 years. But during this short life of 36 years he performed number of miracles because of which he is known as Saint of thirteen miracles. It is now almost 800 years since he died. But his tongue and vocal chords are still fresh without corruption. They are preserved in St Anthony’s Basilica at Padua in Italy. It is believed that it is a miracle God had done for him for the number of miracles he performed to help people to redeem from their difficulties. It is in honour of this Relic feast is being celebrated on 15th February.

A nine days novena will be held in preparation for the feast starting from 6th February. A decorated vehicle will carry St Anthony’s Statue from St Anthony’s Ashram, Jeppu at 4.30 pm and reach Milagres Church via Kankanady- Falnir in procession. There after Fr Walter D’Mello the Associate Judicial Vicar of Mangalore Diocese will hoist St Anthony’s flag at 5.45 pm at St Anthony’s Shrine Milagres followed by Holy Mass and novena.

Special prayers will be conducted for different groups on nine days of the novena devotion. Msgr Felix Noronha the Vicar General of Shimoga Diocese and a well known singer will celebrate mass in Kannada on 14th February. Well known priests from different Dioceses including priests from popular shrines like Our Lady of Health, Harihara and St Theresa Shrine, Mahe will also celebrate Holy Eucharist and preach during the novena days. Thousands of people are expected to participate in the novena devotion and specially on the feast day.

Fr Onil D’Souza,the director; Fr Francis D’Souza, the administrator, Fr Peter Gonsalves the Asst director and Mr Vincent Mascarenhas the media convener were present.