The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated on December 8th, nine months before the feast of Nativity of Mary which is celebrated on 8th September.
Even though this feast day occurs in the Liturgical season of Advent, which prepares for the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Immaculate Conception is one of the Marian feasts in the Liturgical Calendar of the Roman Catholic Church celebrated worldwide.
Its significance is that it is more pure and sinless conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary without the original sin, in preparation for becoming the Mother of God, the Son Jesus Christ.
Although like all human creatures Blessed Mary was conceived by her parents St. Anne & Joaquim.
The dogma of the Immaculate Conception was proclaimed in 1854 by Pope Pius IX.
The iconography or religious scriptures of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception shows Mary standing with arms outstretched or hands clasped in prayers. Read more

“In the twilight of life, God will not judge us on our earthly possessions and human success, but rather on how much we have loved.” (John of the Cross.)
He was born Juan de Yepes y Alvarez at Fontiveros, Old Castile, into a converso family in 1542, near Avila, a town of around 2,000 people. He is a major figure of the Counter-Reformation in Spain, and is one of the thirty-seventh Doctors of the Church. His feast day is celebrated on December 14.

John of the Cross is known for his writings. He is the patron saint of mystics and contemplatives and of Spanish poets. He has inspired many other holy men and women to pursue God into the mysterious heights and depths of divine love. He was mentored by and corresponded with the older Carmelite, St. Teresa of Avila. In 1572, John travelled to Avila at the invitation of Teresa to become her confessor and spiritual guide. Read more

A family is the basic unit of civilization. We all belong to a family. A family comprises of parents and siblings (children). We all live in harmony in our own homes. We have our own ideology. Each family has its own discipline and every member respects this discipline and abides by it. The father is the Head of the family and mother has equal rights over the family members.

Similarly families were right from the beginning and Adam, Eve, Abel and Cain were the first family.

We have one family whom we all respect that is the family of Jesus. It comprises St. Joseph, Mother Mary and Jesus. This is an ideal family. It is known as Holy Family or SACRA FAMILIA or SAGRADA FAMILIA. This is a blessed family chosen by GOD Himself. As parents St. Joseph and Mother Mary imbibed and nurtured Jesus with devotion. Read more

Simao:Tuka Dev boro dis dium, baba Tadev.

Tadev:Tukai dium, Titiv, Tuji bolaiki koxi asa?

Simao:Devache kurpen hanv boro asam. Tujeo suttio kobar zaleo nhoim? Atam boro korun xikpache dis aile.

Tadev:Oi Titiv. Matxe visov favo zalo ani atam porot “adlean chalu”.

Simao:Raxtria Khellant bhag gheunk tuka sondhi meuli ki nam?

Tadev:Tea Khellanim bhag gheunk zaiti huxarkai dakounchi poddta punn hanv tea vorgant poddonam. Hanv ‘sumaracho’ khellgoddi oxem mhojean mhonnom ieta.   Read more

One of the most popular cosmetic procedures is bleaching.
Many of us want a brighter and whiter smile. When it comes to tooth whitening you have got two options.
1) in-office based tooth bleaching
2) At home tooth bleaching
Both tooth whitening options use peroxide based bleaching agents. At- home systems contain from 3% to 30% peroxide (carbamide or hydrogen peroxide)
In- office systems contain 15% to 40% peroxide.

Generally, the longer you keep a stronger solution on your teeth the whiter your teeth become. However, the higher the percentage of peroxide in the whitening solution the shorter time it should be applied to the teeth. Keeping the gel on longer will dehydrate the tooth and increase tooth sensitivity. Read more

The current St. Sebastian, Church Parish Pastoral Council completes 6 years in office. This PPC of the St. Sebastian, Church will remain in office till the installation of the new re-constituted PPC, Which will be in June 2024.
The Parish Pastoral Council is the main pastoral body of the Parish, representing all sections of the People of God in the Parish and meant to function as the principle form of collaboration, dialogue and discernment at the Parish level, under the guidance of the Parish Priest. It is consultative in its nature and its purpose is to promote communion in the parish.
The first step taken by our parish priest Rev. Fr. Andrew Pereira was to create an awareness and conscientise the faithful about the nature of the PPC, their duties, and most importantly the requirements for anyone to be a member of the council. The requirements are: To become a member of the Parish Pastoral Council, one should be: Read more

Ward no. 1
a. Savio D’Silva
b. Maria Ferro
c. Joicy Colaco

Ward no.2
a. Otto D’Souza
b. Salmina Mendes
c. Adlete Mascarenhas
d. Lydia Fernandes

Ward no. 3
a. Nancy Fernandes
b. Leonilda Pereira
c. Theresa D’Silva
d. Adelina Dias Read more

The older you get, the more quiet you become. Life humbles you so deeply as you so deeply as you age, and it is a Miracle as every breath we take, every step we make, is a gift from GOD.

I recently turned 70, giving me an opportunity to thank the Almighty for this amazing and lovely gift called LIFE. I was more than fortunate to be able to do so at the feet of Our Lady of Lourdes in Lourdes, France. It was an amazing day which will be remembered for a long, long time. God has unique and unbelievable plans for all of us and that is precisely what I experienced in Lourdes, not forgetting the surprise party in UK attended by my family and friends. Although I was beyond Indian borders and across oceans, I was clean bowled by the number of phone calls and messages on every possible media. Like a little child, I cried tears of joy, gratitude and love. Read more

Serving God on the Sacred Altar

Being an altar server is much more than simply assisting during Mass. It is a sacred and meaningful vocation that holds profound importance in the life of the Catholic Church. Altar serving allows young people to actively participate in the liturgy and deepen their relationship with God in a unique and special way. It is an opportunity to serve in God’s presence and contribute to the beauty of the Eucharistic celebration.

The role of an altar server dates back to the early days of the Church. Traditionally, only boys served at the altar, but today both boys and girls are encouraged to actively participate in this important ministry. Altar servers assist the priest in various tasks, such as carrying the processional cross, holding the liturgical book, preparing the altar, and assisting during the Eucharistic prayers. They offer their time and talents to create a prayerful environment that allows the faithful to encounter Christ. Read more

Come November, does anyone ever ask, “When is All Saints Day”? or “When is All Souls Day”? 1st and 2nd November are the two days stamped on our mind and heart. All Saints Day calls every one of us to be a Saint. This means letting Jesus have full possession of our life and to live the kind of life Jesus wants His disciples to live. It means therefore to make time each day for Jesus in Personal Prayer in order to experience His transforming Love.

All Souls Day takes our mind and heart to our departed loved ones, no matter how recent or distant the parting has been. The Church brings us together to pray not just for our loved ones, but also for all the Souls who are in Purgatory. Praying for the Souls in Purgatory is an act of charity because they cannot pray for themselves.

Here below are extracts from a talk by the late Bishop Fulton Sheen on Purgatory, which I hope you will find helpful. Read more