CH NEWS, MANGALURUThe annual feast of St Lawrence Church and Shrine, Bondel, was celebrated with deep faith, devotion and spiritual fervour, bringing together a large number of parishioners, devotees, pilgrims, clergy and well-wishers from Mangaluru and beyond. Several priests concelebrated the Holy Mass, including Fr Basil Vas, parish priest and shrine rector; Fr Lawrence Cutinha, assistant parish priest; Fr Peter Gonsalves, principal of St Lawrence English Medium School; and Fr Richard Coelho, vicar forane of the City Deanery. In his homily, Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha presented St Lawrence as a model of courageous faith, selfless love and service to the poor. Pointing to St Lawrence as an example, he encouraged the faithful to give wholeheartedly and to follow the saint’s spirit of love and service. The feast flag, hoisted on August 1 to mark the beginning of the novena, was ceremonially lowered, signifying the conclusion of the annual feast.