St Anthony’s Annual Feast: Spiritual Reflections on Family Bonds Highlight Day Two of the Triduum
Mangaluru: The intense spiritual preparation for the annual feast of St Anthony of Padua continued with profound devotion as the second day of the Triduum was observed on Thursday, June 11, 2026, at St Anthony Ashram, Jeppu, and Milagres Shrine. Hundreds of devotees gathered to reflect on the feast’s central theme of building Christ-centred families.
The day’s religious services commenced at 6:00 AM at the St Anthony Ashram Chapel, Jeppu, with Holy Mass and Novena devotion offered by Rev. Fr Ashwin Cardoza, the Karnataka Regional Youth Director. In his inspiring homily, Fr Cardoza emphasised that “marriage is the heart of the family, and children are a precious gift from God,” calling on couples to safeguard the sanctity of their marital bonds.
The main morning Triduum sessions, facilitated by the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services of Mangalore Diocese, ran from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Jeppu Ashram. Addressing the gathering, Rev. Fr Clifford Fernandes delivered a deeply moving spiritual talk focused on the dynamics of married couples, the strength of the family bond, and the true value of relationships. He systematically addressed the challenges modern families face, urging couples to root their relationships in faith, mutual respect, and open communication. Emphasising that the family serves as the domestic church, he reminded the faithful that strong, lasting family bonds are built through intentional sacrifice and unconditional love, standing as the greatest testimony to a Christ-centred life.
Following this insightful session, the Triduum Holy Mass and Eucharistic Adoration were led by Rev. Dr Sunil Kumar D’Souza. In his mass sermon, Rev. Dr D’Souza elaborated on the spiritual nourishment required to sustain family life. He encouraged devotees to turn to St Anthony as a model of faith and perseverance in times of trial, guiding the faithful through an intense period of prayer to seek the saint’s miraculous blessings for peace within their households.
The evening celebrations shifted to St Anthony’s Shrine, Milagres, where Rev. Fr Boniface Pinto offered the 6:00 PM Triduum Holy Mass and conducted the Novena devotion, delivering an inspiring sermon on spiritual renewal to a large congregation of local faithful.
The Triduum will conclude on June 12, paving the way for the grand Feast Day celebrations on Saturday, June 13, 2026. The schedule for the festive Holy Masses is as follows:
St Anthony Ashram, Jeppu:
6:00 AM: Holy Mass celebrated by Rev. Fr Paul Melwyn D’Souza, Capuchin.
10:30 AM: Holy Mass presided over by Very Rev. Fr John Sequeira, OCD, Provincial of Karnataka Province.
St Anthony’s Shrine / Milagres Church:
8:00 AM: Holy Mass celebrated by Very Rev. Fr Valerian D’Souza, Rector of Rosario Cathedral.
4:30 PM: Special Holy Mass in the Malayalam language.
6:00 PM: Main Solemn Festal Mass presided over by Most Rev. Dr Peter Paul Saldanha, Bishop of the Diocese of Mangalore.
The management warmly invites all devotees to partake in these culminating spiritual services and receive abundant blessings.
