Mangalore Diocese News

News & photos : Meena Serrao Barboza

Mangaluru, Aug 27 :  In order to make liturgy more meaningful, a training programme on liturgy was organized on 27th August , 2023  for all lectors  at St. Lawrence church , Bondel . The programme was organized by the liturgy commission of the parish. Rev. Fr. Vijay Machado, Director of Mangala Jyothi liturgical center, Mangalore diocese was the resource person.

The programme began with a prayer led by Rev Fr Andrew Leo D’Souza, Parish Priest of St Lawrence Church. Fr Andrew welcomed the gathering and introduced the resource person to the gathering.

Rev Fr Vijay Machado during his session enlightened the gathering on the importance of the proclamation of the Word of God, which is truly a service to the Church. Lectors bring the living Word of God to the liturgical assembly. The ministry of the Word should, therefore, be treated seriously and with great dignity.The Word of God is not merely read during the liturgy. It is proclaimed, Effective proclamation involves the delivery of the message with clarity, conviction and appropriate pace. To make the service of the Word effective, all lectors are expected to be prepared for their ministry. Preparation should be spiritual, scriptural, and practical.

Highlights of Fr Vijay's enriching session :

• The Importance of the Holy Eucharist, the Parts of the Mass, The Liturgy of the Eucharist. 
• The liturgical calendar is the cycle of seasons in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church.
• The Church year consists of six liturgical seasons: Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time after Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time after Pentecost. Seasons begin or end based on a movable feast and so some seasons vary in length from year to year, and vary as to the calendar dates.
• The Catholic liturgical seasons: their durations, their purpose and focus, and the liturgical year colors.
• The Seven Sacraments of the Roman Catholic church.

Groups were created to discuss the points raised by the Lectors.  At the end, Rev Fr Vijay Machado clarified the liturgical doubts that the lectors expressed.Rev Fr Andrew Leo D’Souza, Rev Fr Peter Gonsalves, Rev Fr Lancy D’Souza,  Mr John D’Silva, Vice President –Pastoral parish council,  Mrs Felcy  D’Souza, the Convener Liturgy Commission, Mr Neris Dias were present on the dais.  

More than 120 parishioners attended the programme. Mr Neris Dias proposed a vote of thanks.