Feast of our Lady of Mount Carmel at Margao
Come July and everybody thought it was about the solemn feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Ever since the foundation of this monastery in 1939, a celebration of the feast participated by a great throng has become the custom. It was no different this year.

Novena in preparation for the feast began on 7th July. The theme of the Pastoral year “You also should do as I have done to you” was extensively dealt with by the different Preachers taking Mother Mary as a Model to imitate Jesus in the daily life of Christian living.

It was a festal mood on the 16th of July, the feast day. There were four Masses. Solemn festal Mass in the evening at 6.00 which was initiated with the solemn singing of the Vespers at 5.30. Rev. Fr. Aleixo Menezes, former Rector of Rachol Seminary and presently the Parish priest of St John the Baptist Church, Benaulim, preached a soul-searching Homily and appealed to all the devotees to translate their devotion into action and inspire others by doing what Jesus did. Mother Mary is a model par excellence for all. The whole Eucharistic celebration was animated by the choir which gave a heavenly atmosphere to the devotees gathered in great enthusiasm to honour Mother of Carmel. Scapular, the gift of Mother Mary, was given to all those who participated in the Eucharist of the Feast.

Deanery Priests and religious, OCDS members, and Friars of the region with our Initiation students embellished the celebration through their presence. We raise our hearts and pray these lines for all Carmelites to be faithful to their call:

Queen and beauty of Carmel, Virgin of the solitude
In the wilderness of Carmel, lies the world's eternal good.
Draw us to its deep seclusion and make God alone our goal
In the mystical Mount Carmel that lies hidden in the soul.