Religious fervour marks end of Mary Matha festival

Vijayawada: The three-day annual festival of Mary Matha at Gunadala concluded here on Thursday amidst religious fervor. Lakhs of devotees visited the shrine and offered prayers to Holy Mother during the last three days. On the last day, the Vijayawada Bishop Dr Thelagathoti Joseph Rajarao held the Holy Eucharist and blessed the devotees.

He said that Mother Mary at Gunadala has the history of over 90 years with devotees worshipping her. He said that the devotees from different faiths also worship the Holy Mother, who is always kind to the people and is a bridge between the Lord and his devotees. He recalled the appearance of the Holy Mother for the first time in France in 1858 and later at several places, and said in every appearance the Holy Mother had been a blessing to devotees.

He further said that the Mother was known for curing people from their ailments and is called the Mother of Health. The shrine rector Father M Chinnappa and the heads of the Vijayawada Roman Catholic Diocese felicitated Bishop Rajarao and the Bishop of Nalgonda, Dr Govindu Joji, who had been the administrator of the Vijayawada Diocese till Bishop Rajarao took over the reins on February 2.

The Diocese chancellor, Fr J John Raju, the Social Service Center director, Fr Muvvala Prasad, Bishop Grassi High School correspondent Fr. G Johnnes, senior priests Fr. Lamu Jayaraju, Fr. K Simharayalu and others were present. The APSRTC had operated special buses from railway station and bus station to Gunadala facilitating hassle-free movement of devotees to the shrine.

The railways too had provided temporary stops at the Gunadala railway station for all its passengers for the advantage of the devotees.