Cornerstone laid for church in Uchgaon-Belagavi
THE GOAN NETWORK
BELAGAVI
Residents of Uchgaon, a small village about 12 kms from Belagavi where about 100 Konkani-speaking Goan settlers have lived for more than three decades, had a reason to celebrate as the foundation stone for the new church devoted to St Jude was laid on Saturday.
Bishop of Belagavi Peter Machado laid the foundation stone. Fr Vincent Lourduswamy, Provincial of Pune province of Fransalian Fathers was also present.
In his sermon, Bishop Machado, who presided over the feast mass, urged people to make God's Word as the foundation of each ones life.
“St Jude is a special saint who is known to reach out to people in hopeless cases. Because when he himself was in helpless situation, he trusted fully in God and God was the foundation of his life. Similarly, if God and His Word is not the foundation of our life, we will be tossed and devastated when gales and storms of life approach us,” Bishop Machado said.
He also urged the people to support the parish priest Fr Melchides Fernandes wholeheartedly for the construction of the new church at Uchgaon.
Priests belonging to the Missionaries of St Francis de Sales, who also manage the Harmony Ashram near Uchgaon, are in charge of Uchgaon parish. Every year, the feast of St Jude is celebrated with traditional fervour.
Devotees from Belagavi and parts of Maharashtra and Goa were present at the annual feast. Among the priest present included Fr Lucio Mascarenhas, Fr Philip Kutty, Fr Melchides Fernandes, in-charge of Harmony Ashram Fr Santan Gama.
The foundation stone for the construction of the new church of St Judes was laid after the feast mass. Later, a procession with the statue of St Jude was taken around Uchagon village.
