News

by Mr Stephen Pinto, Bendur

With much joy and enthusiasm St Sebastian Church, Bendur celebrated solemnly the milestone of 109 years of its consecration on 27th August 2023. The records show that St Sebastian Church was erected on 23rd August 1914, by the then Bishop Paul Perini SJ and was given in the hands of Rev Fr Raymond F C Mascarenhas, the first Vicar, today, the Servant of God. A song of gratitude to God for the gift of this great pastor is ever on our lips and hearts. We cannot comprehend the faith of this first Vicar who had brought to existence such a beautiful church at a time when construction machinery was only a dream.

As part of this solemn celebration, our present Vicar Rev Fr Vincent Monteiro planned for a Triduum to thank God for all the blessings received and at the same time to encourage the faithful to focus on three aspects of making our families God-fearing and God-centred decked with values of the gospel. What is more fitting during this year of the Family is that the Servant of God RFC also had a focus on family life which is very evident in the museum at Mgr Raymond Memorial, set up in the Bethany Generalate, Bendur campus.

The three topics related to family life were chosen for reflection as part of Triduum. On the first day, Rev Fr Vivian Rodriguez the Asst Parish Priest of St Sebastian Church, Bender dealt on Family: A Cradle of Faith and Love

The story of the Annunciation and the visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth as narrated by St Luke (1:26-45) highlighted the importance of family as the cradle of faith and love.

1. The Annunciation: The angel Gabriel visited Mary to announce the birth of Jesus, the Son of God and Mary's response, "Let it be done to me according to your word," exemplifies her unwavering faith and trust in God which is the basis for a family.
2. The Visitation: Mary goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth who is in her sixth month’s pregnancy for John the Baptist. When Mary greets Elizabeth, the baby in her womb leaps for joy, and Elizabeth exclaims, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!" This moment highlights the power of family bonds and the support that family members provide for each other. This sort of family bonding is essential in a family.
3. Faith: Faith within our families can be manifested by praying together and for each other, sharing stories of God's grace with each other and support one another in their spiritual journeys.
4. Love: Love is the cornerstone of any family. It is on love that every family is built. Mary and Elizabeth are the models to manifest love in the families.

On the Second day, Rev Fr Lawrence Cutinho the Asst Parish Priest of St Sebastian Church, Bendur offered reflections on sin that destroys our families:

1. Sin is a spiritual separation from God: Christian theology teaches that sin disrupts the relationship between humans and God.
2. Sin disturbs the conscience: When we act contrary to our moral beliefs, our conscience gets disturbed.
3. Sin breaks relationships: Sin damages relationships. For example, lies, theft, adultery, and other sinful behaviours lead to conflicts in families, friendships, and communities.
4. Sin causes suffering: Sin results in suffering and negative consequences in society like addiction, violence, and dishonesty.
5. Sin results in spiritual death: Sin is associated with spiritual death or separation from God's grace. The original sin has caused a state of spiritual death in humanity.

On the third day, Rev Fr Arun Wilson Lobo dealt on living the gospel in our day-today life.

Our faith must be shown in actions and deeds. Our ancestors lived their faith and passed on to us that faith. Today we have a responsibility to pass it on to the next generation. The lived faith of the Servant of God RFC Mascarenhas is an example for all, especially to the parishioners of Bendur.

On the last day, the Eucharist was celebrated on 27th August 2023 at 8.00am by Rev Fr Antony Shera and the homily was delivered by Rev Fr Vincent Monteiro the Vicar of Bendur. He said that every member of the family has the responsibility to build their family and foster unity. He elucidated how Jesus loved the family of Simon Peter and took his house as his mission station. He further explained saying that the love of Jesus led Simon Peter to follow him closely and to even to die for him. Like Simon Peter, Jesus should be our breath in our family. He asked us as a family to find an answer, who is Jesus to you and can our answer be like Simon Peter, “You are the Christ the living God”? What place do we give to Jesus in our families? Reflection on this aspect must go on every day in our lives.

109 years ago the then first Vicar of Bendur, today the Servant of God, RFC Mascarenhas responded to Jesus in the same way as Simon Peter did. Looking at Bendur a barren land quoting Prophet Ezekiel he asked, “Will these dry bones come alive”? St Sebastian Church Bendur gives an answer today; it relishes the fruits of his labour and hard work. We must thank God for this wonderful miracle of transformation that we see today at Bendur. The place of prayer and worship was started in a small pendol in 1914; in 1923 the Vicar together with the cooperation of the early parishioners was able to raise it to the level of a magnificent church as it stands today. This is the testament of faith of our early parishioners and the Servant of God our first Vicar. While we pray for his sainthood, we must remember that we are all invited to same faith and similar hard work.