Mother Marys feast begins at Basilica

BANGALORE: Thousands of devotees, irrespective of caste and creed, on Monday gathered at St Mary’s Basilica, Shivajinagar, to witness the flag hoisting, as a part of the nine-day novena.Archbishop Rev Fr Bernard Moras hoisted the traditional flag on the Church premises.The festival, which marks the birth of Mother Mary is celebrated in St Mary’s Basilica.The flag hoisting ceremony began with a procession led by Rev Fr Moras.While addressing the gathering, the Archbishop said,“Corruption starts in our heart and later spreads to our surroundings.Corruption is not only a crime but also immoral and God will not forgive corrupt people.”He further stated that the Church welcomes the Government’s initiative to tackle corruption.“We need an effective Lokpal Bill to fight against corruption,” he said.When the flag, bearing the image of Mother Mary and Infant Jesus, was hoisted by the Archbishop, the crowd sang, ‘Ave Maria’.As soon as the flag was hoisted, the church was lit with thousands of glittering lights and firecrackers and balloons graced the sky.The priests of the Basilica carried the blessed sacrament in a procession, within the church for the devotees.“I have been coming here every year, ever since I was a little child.I feel really blessed and I believe that all my wishes will come true,”” said Christina, a devotee present at Basilica.Stanislous Adam, a student of St.Joseph’s College, who attended the ceremony said, “The huge crowd brought out the true spirit of Mother Mary’s feast.I feel strong and my faith in God has increased.Faith binds human beings.” The police department has made elaborate security arrangements to avoid any untoward incidents.“We have posted our men at strategic locations and are controlling the movement of the people through barricades,” informed Shivamurthy, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Frazer Town.