VIJAYAWADA: The three-day 101st Gunadala Mary Matha Festival concluded on Tuesday with heartfelt prayers and spiritual messages.
The event, held at Gunadala Hill, saw a significant gathering of devotees, with Bishop T Joseph Rajarao of the Vijayawada Catholic Diocese serving as the chief guest. He urged the faithful to experience inner transformation and return with renewed faith.
In his address, Bishop Rajarao highlighted the importance of Mary, the Holy Mother, and her divine grace. He also spoke about the Cross as a guiding force toward holiness and reaffirmed the Catholic path of following Jesus Christ.
The Bishop said Pope Francis has declared 2025 as a Jubilee Year and prayed for the swift completion of the new century Mother Mary Church near Gunadala. Bishop Rajarao reflected on Pope John Paul II’s Universal Day for the Sick and encouraged devotees to care for the sick with compassion.
The grand ‘Holy Mass’ was celebrated on a specially decorated altar at Bishop Grassi High School grounds in Vijayawada, with several diocesan leaders present, including Guntur Catholic Bishop Chinnabattina Bhagyayya and rtd Italian Bishop Cesare Bonaventure.