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Udupi : Milagres Cathedral, Kallianpur of Udupi diocese celebrated Vespers (BESP) on Tuesday, 20^st January 2026 on the eve of the feast of Our Lady of Miracles with devotion and gaiety.

The Vespers evening began at 6.30pm with welcoming the ‘Firgent’ of the annual feast celebrations Wilson and Leena Fernandes of Fernandes Group at the main entrance of Cathedral campus followed by Rector of the Cathedral Very Rev Msgr. Ferdinand Gonsalves blessed the Cheryl of Our Lady of Miracles at the entrance and then taken the decorated Cheryl with brief procession led by Pirgent and brass band trope and kept in the specially decorated place in front left side of the portico.

The evening vespers’ prayer led by Rev Fr. Boniface Pinto, priest of Mangaluru Diocese with Very Rev Msgr Ferdinand Gonsalves, Rector of the Cathedral and Vicar General of Udupi diocese, Rev Fr. Roshan D’Souza, Judicial Vicar of the diocese, Kallianpur deanery priests, parishioner priests and guest priests.

In his beautiful homily Fr. Joy Andrade dominated the Holy Bible and Good news of the Lord which emphasizing the transformative power of the Holy Bible offers divine answers to the challenges of life and living. Holy Bible shows us God’s character and provides us God’s revelation of himself to his people. When we read Holy Bible, the words of God, we see God’s holy, unchanging, faithful, gracious and loving character. The Bible contains accounts of God interacting with people. It shows how God cares for humanity. The Bible helps us grow closer to Jesus. This relationship is strengthened by reading God’s Word because it connects us with God’s heart. The purpose of Scripture is to tell the story of God connecting with humanity and to point us to Jesus. Why we need Bible because since the Bible is God’s Word, studying it is a way to know God better. Through His words we come to know not only the nature and attributes of God, but we also come to understand His plan for each of us. In larger sense, we also come to know God’s plan in history, His sovereignty, His Providence, His love and more.

Fr Joy said that we need the Holy Bible that the Words of our Lord is our definitive source for the answers to our questions about God. The Words of God helps us to know who God is, learn from good people who loved Him, and better understand how He wants us to live.

During the Adoration of Blessed Sacrament, prayers of the faithful were fervently raised, seeking both spiritual and material blessings for the parishioners and the Church. The solemn hour of Vespers concluded at 8 pm leaving the congregation spiritually enriched.

The Rector Very Rev Mngr Ferdinand Gonsalves expressed heartfelt gratitude to main celebrant of the Vespers’ Rev Fr. Reginald Pinto and all the priests including Rev Fr. Roshan D’Souza, Judicial Vicar of the diocese,  Varado priests, guest priests, and other. He acknowledged the Pirgent Wilson D’Souza, Leena D’Souza and all concerned. He also acknowledged choir team, parish pastoral council vice president, secretary, convener of pastoral commissions and parish pastoral council members.

 After the evening vespers celebration, the huge congregation greeted each other with joy and happiness among one another. Year by year the crowd of the evening increases and thousands participated in the celebrations of the eve of annual parish feast 2026. Huge number of devotes without difference of caste and religion offered with lighting the candles in front of his historical Statue of Our Lady of Miracles. Stall of ICYM and surroundings of the cathedral kept up the aura of the annual feast. The Cathedral building, as well as surroundings belfry, Grotto were illuminated with colourful lights changing the colour and patterns at regular intervals. Stalls with variety of articles and consumer items have been set up in the cathedral premises. The crowd was so large that the huge line of motor vehicles parking Kallianpur main road around one kilo meter longer. Housie game was conducted by the ICYM unit which more people offered the cash prizes of Rs. 50,000 for full house of housie game which sponsored by the phirgent Wilson D’Souza and Leena Fernandes.

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