Holy Spirit Ward celebrated its annual Ward Feast on Saturday, 23 May 2026, beginning with a solemn Holy Mass at 5.00 p.m. The Eucharistic celebration was presided over by Rev. Fr Roque DSa, Parish Priest, and concelebrated by Rev. Fr William Barocas. Ward children and adults actively participated in the liturgy, making the celebration a prayerful and meaningful occasion.
Following the Mass, ward members gathered at Ferrer Hall for a fellowship program. The event commenced with an invocation through a devotional Bhajan led by Mariette DSilva.
Rev. Fr Roque DSa Parish Priest, Rev. Fr Pradeep Rodrigues Assistant Parish Priest, Ronald Rodrigues Vice President of the Parish Council and Leeda Aquinas, Secretary of the Parish Council, were warmly welcomed by Ward Gurkar Ronald DSouza.
Ward Secretary Nancy DSouza presented the annual report, highlighting the various activities undertaken and services rendered by the ward during the past year.
A special felicitation programme was held in honour of Fr Roque DSa and Fr Pradeep Rodrigues on their transfer to new assignments. Citations and tokens of gratitude were presented to both priests in appreciation of their dedicated pastoral service. The felicitation program was compered by Mariette DSilva.
The ward also recognised and honoured its students for their academic excellence. Elina DSouza, Rosann Ferrao, Ria DSouza, Mercita DSouza and Andrea DSouza were felicitated for their outstanding performance in the SSLC examinations, while Oliver Braggs and Ashel Fernandes were honoured for their remarkable results in the PUC examinations.
Dr Cyanna Joseph DSouza was specially honoured for successfully completing her Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Physiotherapy from Srinivas University Mukka, Mangaluru. The honouring ceremony was conducted by Janet DSouza.
Addressing the gathering, Fr Pradeep Rodrigues expressed his happiness at being part of the feast celebration and appreciated the beautiful decorations and excellent arrangements. He also thanked the ward representatives and committee members for their cooperation during ward visits, house blessings and other pastoral activities.
In his message, Fr Roque DSa acknowledged the dedicated leadership and service of Ward Gurkar Ronald DSouza. He also appreciated the efforts of ward representatives Shanthi Rebello and Renita Tellis, along with the core committee members, for their selfless service to the ward and parish community. He encouraged all ward members to continue their active participation and support in ward activities.
The vote of thanks was proposed by Renita Tellis.
The celebrations continued with a vibrant cultural program featuring dance performances, singing and a lively Housie Housie game conducted by Mariette D’ilva. Shanthi Rebello served as the Master of Ceremonies for the stage program, while the cultural events were efficiently coordinated by Ashlyn Cutinha. Children who participated in the cultural program were presented with tokens of appreciation by the Ward Gurkar.
The Ward Feast concluded with a sumptuous dinner and an evening of fellowship. A total of 90 ward members participated in the celebration, making it a memorable occasion marked by faith, gratitude, unity and joy.
News by Nancy DSouza
Pics by Remus Dias
