A Village Feast Day

Its not very often that one gets to take part in a feast celebration in a local village.  This is exactly what Whispering Hope did when Rev. Fr. Dhanraj Narla, the parish priest, invited us to partake in the festivities.

The 7th of May, marked the first anniversary of the dedication of the local church in Pitavaripalem, near Chirala Andhra Pradesh, to the Little Flower of Jesus St. Theresa.  There was a solemn high mass celebrated by four priests and this was followed by a sumptuous dinner for all those who attended.  The tasty Palav Rice, Gongura, Chicken Curry, Curd Raita was enjoyed by one and all.  Around 700 people were in attendance.

Whispering Hope thanks its sponsors who pitched in to assist Rev. Fr. Dhanraj.  He is very grateful and appreciative of your support and thanks you sincerely.

Bernadette Khader From Dubai, Pearl Nagaraj from Muscat, Elizabeth Vijayaraghavan, Anita Mawdsley, Lakshmi and Nigel Lazar from Chennai were our sponsors this time. God bless you and your families.

Toying around!

Thanks go out to Mrs Lakshmi for sponsoring a few toys to give to the little children.  The smiles on their faces were something else; the curiosity displayed was even more entertaining.  God bless you Lakshmi and family.

Palm Sunday Celebrations

Once again it was time for Whispering Hope to reach out to the needy and this time it was Mrs Premalatha who sponsored the cake and bread to distribute to the faithful gathered for the Palm Sunday service in villages near Chirala in Andhra Pradesh.  To combat the heat, cool butter milk was also served.  Photos of our procession can be viewed in our album.

Gratitude

Our heartfelt thanks go out to Rev. Fr. John, HGN (Heralds of Good News) for organizing the rooms for the pilgrims in Velankani, to Ms Joyce and Mr. Susai for giving us a helping hand to make our stay comfortable.  Without this trio, we would have had a tough time out there. God bless them abundantly.

Our Lady's Shrine at Velankanni, Tamil Nadu, India

This magnificent Shrine Basilica dedicated to our Lady of Good Health attracts thousands of visitors daily, be they Hindu, Muslim or Christian.  Our Lady showers her blessings on the faithful who rush to her, seeking favours and miracles.  No one has ever returned home without being blessed and fulfilled in more ways than one. Be it a prayer for a baby, or a cure for an illness, or a life partner, or financial aid, Our Lady has an answer to our prayers.

We were about 40 in number and it was a two day trip well spent in prayer, reflection, time out, fun and games, good food.  Our photos in the album alongside will give you a glimpse of our activities.

I take this opportunity to thank Rev. Fr. Dhanraj for his undivided attention and perseverance towards his flock.  May God bless him abundantly with courage, faith and love for the poor.

A holy and jolly pilgrimage

The 30th of March 2017 dawned bright and sunny.  Rev. Fr. Dhanraj left the village and headed off with his flock to the city of Chennai.  It was a five hour train journey for them and despite the heat, the pilgrims were in a jubilant mood.  Nothing could daunt them and spoil this journey of theirs.  Cooling off with iced water and soft drinks, munching biscuits and other snacks and lunching on the way, the group reached Chennai in the blistering heat.  They then set off on a short tour of Chennai visiting St. Thomas Mount and Santhome Cathedral, following in the footsteps of St. Thomas.

Battling thru the Mount Road traffic, dodging a 'sink hole', playing tag with the summer heat, made  their tryst that afternoon, even more interesting.  The grand finale was at the St. Joseph's Church in Vepery, where Fr. Dhanraj celebrated a Telugu mass for a safe journey and a blessed pilgrimage.  A sumptuous dinner followed and all of us trotted off happily to the Egmore station to catch our train to Velankanni.

It's in the right Hands!

I had an empty pot and I asked the good Lord to fill it with His Love and Blessings.  And once He does that, the pot starts filling up and overflows with His Grace and Abundance.  On 30th March 2017, I accompany a group of pilgrims on their first trip to our Lady's Shrine in Velankanni, Tamil Nadu, India.  Besides them, I have my own group of about ten people also on the same pilgrimage.  I placed my trust in the Lord and asked Him to bless this effort of mine. 

My pot started filling up with beautiful colourful rosaries gifted by my priest friend Rev. Fr. Charles and a little contribution started pouring in from friends in Australia and promises of more to come were received. God bless their generous hearts.