Report: Riya Rodrigues
Pics: Suraj Machado
The new harvest festival was joyously celebrated in the Infant Jesus Ward of Mother of God Church, Mariagiri, Shakthinagar, on September 10, 2023, hosted at the residence of Donald D’Souza. Robert Rodrigues, the Ward Gurkar, extended a warm welcome to the gathering. The prayer service was conducted by the ward members. A prayer in honour of Mother Mary was recited, a hymn was sung, and flowers were offered. The ward members collectively mixed the newly harvested rice corn with milk, which was then served to all. Various games were organized, and prizes were distributed to the winners. The children and youth of the ward performed a delightful dance. Jacintha Albuquerque was honoured for her dedicated service as the secretary over the past three years. The youths were presented with a small token of appreciation. The birthdays of ward members born in September were celebrated by cake-cutting. Fr Gerald conveyed a meaningful message about the significance of the feast and expressed his appreciation for the hard work of the ward Gurkar and all the ward members. Novem Jevan was served to all. The dinner was prepared under the leadership of Jessie Monis and with assistance from ward members. Arun Lobo delivered a vote of thanks, and Reema Dsouza compered the entire program.