VIJAYAWADA: The devotee rush to the sacred Gunadala Mary Matha shrine continued on the second day of three-day festivities on Friday. The 99th annual Gunadala Mary Matha festivities began on a grand note on Thursday, where the Vijayawada Catholic Diocese Bishop Rev Thelagathoti Joseph Raja Rao along with Rev Fr Pasala Thomas, Rev Fr George Puthenpura and several other priests offered the holy mass marking the inauguration of the festival.
The Bishop Thelagathoti Joseph Raja Rao attended as a chief guest for the holy mass conducted in the Bishop Grassi High school ground on Friday and delivered the gospel. He said that the festivities were getting a huge response.
During his gospel, Raja Rao said that two women, Lourdes and Mother Bernadette, saw Mother Mary 18 times at Lourdes city (France) in 1858 and the Pope announced Mother Mary as unblemished and a devotee of Lord Jesus in 1854.
Monsignor father Muvvala Prasad addressed the devotees and offered special prayers to the Lord Jesus Christ and Mother Mary. As part of rituals, many attended, including nuns, priests, deacons, brothers, seminary and convent students across Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring States took blessings from the priests.
The shrine authorities also conducted special cultural programmes and prayers for the devotees thronging the shrine. “A huge turnout of devotees are expected on the last day of festivities on Saturday. Elaborate arrangements have been made to avoid untoward incidents and inconvenience for devotees,” said the Bishop Thelagathoti Joseph Raja Rao.
Shrine rector Yeleti Villiam Jayaraju, SSC director Fr Suneel Raju, Victor M Gabriel, Fr Pasala Thomas, Fr B Anand and other festival organisers were present during the holy mass.