Report by Janet D\u2019souza
Photographs by Ivan Lobo<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Monthi Fest\u201d or the Nativity of our Lady kindles and evokes a flood of sentimental and wistful memories in the minds of the Konkani Catholic community within Canada – recollections of succulent sugarcane, red sticky homemade candy, fresh flowers, scrumptious organic vegetables and so on. Through many generations, the harvest festival has evolved to embrace solemn customs and folk traditions such as the blessing of the rice kernels, showering of flowers to Infant Mary, consuming the grains of the new harvest in a cup of milk or sweet \u201cVorn\u201d, and serving an odd number of vegetarian dishes at the festive meal. Monthi Fest is an intrinsic part of the Konkan culture as it celebrates not only the harvest and hard work by the farmers but also emphasizes the significance of the birthday of our dear Mother Mary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Mangalorean Association of Canada (MAC)\ncelebrated \u201cMonthi Fest\u201d on Sunday, September 8, 2019 with devotion and grandeur\nbefitting our Mother Mary at St Maximilian Kolbe Parish, Mississauga. John D\u2019Souza, Cultural Coordinator, welcomed\nthe faithful and quickly summarised the flow of religious events. A solemn procession of little children\ncarrying trays of beautiful flowers entered the hall and they enthusiastically offered\nflowers in honor of Mother Mary to the lilting tunes of \u201cSokkod Sangatha Mellyam\u201d\nand \u201cMoriyek Hogolsiyan\u201d. As this\nceremony ended, people walked with deep devotion accompanied by the choir to\ncelebrate the Konkani mass. While Rev. Fr. Henry Alva, the main celebrant\nled the mass, Fr. Roshan D\u2019Souza\u2019s evocative and passionate homily stirred the hearts\nand minds of the congregation. The\nco-celebrants of this mass were Fr. Edwin D\u2019Souza, our Spiritual Director who\nblessed and distributed candles to all sponsors, Fr. Baptist D\u2019Sa, Fr. Denis\nD\u2019Souza, Fr. Andrew Lewis and Fr. Boniface Furtado. Sr. Ferdinanda, our most ardent supporter attended\nthe religious ceremonies as well as the cultural program. The Eucharistic celebrations were made even\nmore exceptional as the rafters of the church resonated with the effortless and\nharmonious choir led by the immensely talented Merlyn Rodrigues. Gerry D\u2019Mello, multi talented Konkani writer\nand strong supporter of MAC welcomed the congregation at the beginning of the\nHoly Mass and thanked all those who supported the church ceremony, at the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The cultural program commenced at Pope John\nPaul II hall with some snacks and a heartfelt welcome by the dynamic and\nincomparable President of MAC, Manohar Pais. \nManohar highlighted the prominence of Monthi Fest in our culture,\nthanked the clergy, sponsors, volunteers and performers for their abundant generosity,\ninvaluable support, valuable time and energy and then introduced two\noutstanding and gifted youngsters, Juan D\u2019Souza and Linton Pinto. Juan and Linton were the emcees of the Monthi\nFest cultural program and they were shining stars who lit up the stage with\ntheir wit, enthusiasm and innate bond with the audience. The program encompassed magnificently written\nand acted comedy skits, exquisite traditional and contemporary dances in\nstriking costumes, captivating songs transporting the audience in reminiscent journeys\nto their hometowns and symphonic band music by enthusiastic and talented youngsters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Martin Luther King, Jr. said, \u201cEverybody\ncan be great. Because anybody can\nserve. You don\u2019t have to have a college\ndegree to serve. You don\u2019t have to make\nyour subject and your verb agree to serve. You don\u2019t have to know a second\ntheory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. \nYou only need a heart full of grace. \nA soul generated by love.\u201d This\nis what Merlyn Rodrigues; our celebrated choirmaster exemplifies and\npractices. Quietly and fervently working\nin the shadows, Merlyn has brought forth music that has touched hearts,\nuplifted souls and provided an unparalleled serenity lifting listeners to\nanother dimension. In recognition of Merlyn\u2019s numerous contributions, MAC\ninstituted an award to honor her during the Monthi Fest celebrations, a\nceremony that was skillfully and graciously conducted by Manohar Pais. Merlyn was bestowed a framed \u201cLetter of Distinction\u201d\nin Konkani, a Plaque and gorgeous silk shawl by present and past presidents of\nMAC as a mark of respect and tribute. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Education\ncontributes to economic success, personal growth, awareness, understanding and\nnation-building. The Mangalorean\nAssociation of Canada uses its resources to impact and influence the lives of\nstudents seeking higher education. The\nyouth in our community are an indispensable part of our future and legacy and\nin support of this investment, the Scholarship Program was established. The 2019 winners of the Scholarship Program\nwere Terence D\u2019Souza and Cassandra D\u2019Cunha. \nTerence was awarded CAD 1000 and Cassandra was awarded CAD 500 and both\nare talented youngsters with an incredible work ethic and priorities and\ndetermined focus on their career paths. The\nsponsors of the top scholarship award were Vincent and Prescilla Machado,\ncommitted supporters of the association. \nBoth have generously championed events such as the Annual Social and the\nMonthi Fest for the past three years. \nThe sponsors of the second scholarship award were Reginald and Mary\nFernandes, dedicated supporters of the program since its inception. Both have stood by the association and\nvolunteered their time, energy and skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dinner was a splendid array of delicious\nvegetarian delicacies such as Pothrade, vegetarian cutlets, pasta, lentils,\npickles, okra, black chickpeas and the eagerly anticipated and awaited \u201cVorn\u201d,\na concoction of lentils, coconut milk, jaggery and cashews. Konkan Delite surpassed all expectations with\ntheir catered meal and the guests commended the quality and taste of this\nauthentic Mangalorean meal. The Monthi Fest celebrations ended with Laudate\nand the cheers of a satisfied audience. A\nresounding salute and thanks to the participation and selfless commitment of\nthe Executive Committee, organizers and volunteers who worked tirelessly to\nmake this event an astounding success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n