Gunadala Matha annual fete concludes amid huge turnout

Thousands of devotees participated in the 102nd annual celebrations of Gunadala (Lourdes) Matha, which concluded on Wednesday (February 11), with a solemn Eucharistic celebration and a message of unity and equality.

Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath(Chinni), MLA Gadde Ramamohan, YSR Congress Party NTR district president Devineni Avinash and Ongole Mayor G. Sujatha attended the concluding celebrations and offered prayers at the shrine.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Sivanath said he would strive for the development of the Gunadala shrine and its surrounding areas, with the aim of developing it on par with the Velankanni shrine in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu.

Addressing the gathering as the chief guest, Bishop Telagathoti Joseph Raja Rao, Bishop of Vijayawada Catholic Diocese, observed that though India has emerged as the fifth largest economy in the world, the country has not achieved the desired progress due to persisting inequalities. He said true development would be possible only when such disparities are eliminated.

Referring to the history of Lourdes, Bishop Raja Rao recalled that in 1858 the Blessed Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared 18 times to a 14 year old girl, Bernadette, in Lourdes, France. He said the Roman Catholic Church proclaimed Mary as the Immaculate Mother and called upon the faithful to practise brotherly love.

Devotional hymns marked the conclusion of the three-day festival.