The Church of St Vincent Ferrer Church, Valencia, marked the 79th Independence Day of India with great fervor and patriotic spirit. The celebration was held alongside the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, making the occasion doubly significant for the parish community.
The day began with a solemn Holy Mass, celebrated by Fr Pradeep Rodrigues, with Parish Priest Fr Roque DSa delivering an inspiring homily. During the Mass, Parish Council Vice President, Ronald Rodrigues, was felicitated with a bouquet of flowers on the occasion of his birthday.
Following the Eucharistic celebration, the tricolour was unfurled in a dignified flag-hoisting ceremony. Guest for the ceremony was Oswald DCunha Ex-Army and gurkar of Holy Family Ward. The event was graced by Parish Priest Fr Roque DSa, Assistant Parish Priest Fr Pradeep Rodrigues, Parish Council Vice President Ronald Rodrigues, Secretary Rita Menezes, and 21 Pastoral Commissions Coordinator Steevan Rodrigues.
The chief guest for the occasion was Oswald DCunha, a retired army officer with 28 years of distinguished service and currently Gurkar of Holy Family Ward. In his address, DCunha shared his experiences from his military career and urged everyone to live in unity and harmony as one community.
Ronald Rodrigues extended a warm welcome and introduced the guest, while Rita Menezes delivered the vote of thanks. The program was energetically compered by Renita Tellis, ensuring a smooth and engaging flow of events.
By Gordon DAlmeida & Alden Keith
