Mangalore Diocese News

Media Release

Mangaluru, Feb 11 : The achievements of an institution are the results of the combined efforts of every individual.

The Inauguration Ceremony of the Silver Jubilee Celebration of Lourdes Central School was held on Saturday, 11th February 2023 at 8.30 a.m. in the School Ground. The dignitaries Rev.Fr Antony M Shera, Secretary, Catholic Board of Education and Ms Giselle Mehta, the Chief Guest were given a traditional welcome, accompanied by Rev. Dr John Baptist Saldanha, the Manager, Rev. Fr Robert D Souza, the Principal, Ms Belita Mascarenhas and Ms Anita Thomas the Vice Principals, Mr Michael DSouza-entrepreneur and benefactor Rev. Fr Suraj Lobo, Rev. Fr Vincent, Assistant Parish Priests and Rev. Fr Jayson, Mr Ashok Pinto Vice President, Ms Cynthia Avita DSouza, Secretary - Bejai Parish Pastoral Parishad, Dr Rashmi DSouza, PTEC Vice-President, and School Representatives Arjun Kumar and Jane V Moras, were welcomed and escorted to the venue by the School band.

To embrace God’s presence on the majestic occasion, the Prayer Song was sung by the School Choir. This was followed by the welcome dance spreading an air of spirituality through Bharatanatyam by the dazzling dancers of LCS.

Rev. Dr John Baptist Saldanha in his welcome address gave a gist of Mother Mary's apparition to a little girl Bernadette and the significance of our Lady of Lourdes. He welcomed the Chief Guest, President, dignitaries on and off dais and all the invitees.

To recall the marvelous ways in which the school has fulfilled its mission in imparting education, moral and spiritual values par excellence, a bird's eye view of 24 glorious years was presented by Rev. Fr Robert DSouza, the Principal. To mark the Inauguration of the Silver Jubilee Year, the LOGO was released by Ms Giselle Mehta, the Chief Guest of the function. Symbolic of the 25th year 25 projects earmarked, were unveiled by Rev. Fr Antony M Shera, the President of the function.

This was followed by the resplendent rendition of the Jubilee Song composed by Rev Fr Suraj Lobo, lyrics by Rev Fr Robert DSouza and Rev Dr Vincent DSouza , choir led by Mr Ivan Mascarenhas and Mr Roshan Cordeiro.

Ms Vidhya Joseph introduced the Chief Guest Ms Giselle Mehta, an educationist, author and public speaker. The Chief Guest was felicitated by the dignitaries.

The Chief Guest, Ms Giselle Mehta in her address stated that she was the founder Vice President of Parent Teacher Association of Lourdes Central School whose children had their basic education here. By looking at her children's growth and their current position she has a strong belief that the learning acquired in this Institute will take the students to greater heights fulfilling the vision of the founder Late Rev. Fr Bernard L DSouza. She shared her parental experience to convey the message of putting other before self. She encouraged the students by saying that the uniform they wear is the symbol of unity in diversity which they need to carry forward in their lives and live in harmony. She expressed many of her experiences about the school and wished all concerned to continue the good work and excel internationally.

Ms Anita Thomas took over the proceedings of the honouring ceremony of student achievers who excelled in various fields, and were felicitated by the dignitaries.

The School Magazine LOURDITE 2022-23 which showcases the literary and creative skills of the students was released by the Chief Guest and the dignitaries.

Rev. Fr Antony M Shera, the Secretary of the Catholic Board of Education, who is an epitome of knowledge and experience, delivered the Presidential Address.

In his address he appreciated the efforts of the founder, Managers, Principals and faculty in imparting value based education and helping students win laurels.

He urged the students to acquire wisdom to choose good against evil and live a life by adopting love, forgiveness and respect for each other. He congratulated the student achievers and prayed to the patroness the Lady of Lourdes to shower her blessings on the school and all the forthcoming events to be held as part of the Silver Jubilee Celebration.

Gratitude is the fairest blossom that springs from the soul. To say it in words, Ms Belita Mascarenhas, the Vice Principal thanked everyone who was involved in making the inaugural celebration a grand success.

The cultural programme began with a teeny weeny dance by the tiny tumble tots from the Kindergarten depicting the moral values and ideals. The day witnessed the showcasing of the talents of the young minds of our school, filling the air with music, dance, and entertainment.

The beginning of the journey of Late Rev Fr Bernard L. Dsouza, inspired by the visions of Bernadette and love for Our Lady of Lourdes in a little town in Mangalore, in the church premises of Bejai in 1999 was depicted through a dance drama titled "Shine O' Shine School of Mine" scripted and directed by Nidhi Sarah John and Jane V Moras of Class IX.

To relax and brighten up the mood of the audience, the students of classes VI to VIII performed a comedy skit titled "LCS's Blast Through The Past".

To shine a light on traditional values, Classes II, III and IV students danced in harmony to the beats of folk tunes with a fusion of both eastern and western. The students showcased a multi-hued image of the rich cultural heritage worldwide.

The MCs gave a call to the audience to cherish the present, and nurture it in the warmth of the cocoon of love and support. A splendid milestone Inaugural Ceremony of the LCS Silver Jubilee ended with the School Anthem, remembering the writer and composer of the Anthem Late Madame Louella Lobo Prabhu, the loving mother of the Chief Guest Ms Giselle Mehta.

The entire programme was compered by Anusha, Nived, Shreya, Jovila, Rachel and Aarav of classes 7 to 8. The convenor of the programme was Ms Shaila Pereira.