The Diocese of Jaipur celebrated the Feast of St. Monica, the patron saint of mothers and women, with great devotion, joy and enthusiasm at Gyandeep Bhawan, Pastoral Centre, Ghat Gate, Jaipur.
Our Chief Guest was Rev. Bishop Joseph Kallarackal. The Guest of Honour was Ms. Neelam Chopra, Regional Secretary, CCBI Women’s Commission, Agra Region. Rev. Fr. Vishal and Fr. Melvin D’Souza graced the occasion.
Women from various parishes of the diocese gathered together to honour St. Monica and to celebrate womanhood.
1. Registration and Holy Mass
The day began with registration from 7:30 a.m. onwards. Women from all over the diocese arrived in large numbers.
At 8:00 a.m., the solemn Holy Eucharistic Celebration began.
The Holy Mass was celebrated by His Excellency Rev. Bishop Joseph Kallarackal with Fr. Vishal as the concelebrant.
In his homily, Bishop beautifully reflected on the life of St. Monica and spoke about the importance of the role of women in the family. He highlighted how a woman is the heart of the family, who through her faith, prayer, patience and sacrifice, nurtures the family just like St. Monica did.
After the Holy Mass, a group photo of all the women present was taken along with Rev. Bishop Joseph and the clergy. It was a joyful moment of unity and togetherness that captured the spirit of the day.
After the group photo, breakfast was served to all the participants.
2. Cultural and Formal Program
After breakfast, the program began with a graceful and prayerful Prayer Dance by Nevta Parish, which set a devotional tone for the day.
The formal stage program began with a warm Welcome Note and Introduction, welcoming the Bishop, priests, religious, guests and all the women participants.
Following the introduction, the Garlanding of St. Monica’s portrait and the auspicious Lighting of the Lamp was done by the Chief Guest, Guest of Honour and the Diocesan Team, symbolizing the light of Christ that shines through women.
After the lighting of the lamp, a green gesture of love was shown through Sapling Presentation to our guests, Rev. Bishop Joseph and Ms. Neelam Chopra.
The gathering was then led into prayer with a soulful Prayer Song by Our Lady of Annunciation Church, Malviya Nagar.
3. Address by Rev. Bishop Joseph
After the prayer song, Rev. Bishop Joseph addressed the gathering. He spoke eloquently about the qualities of women, mentioning that a woman possesses 20 qualities and can have even more — her strength, unparalleled compassion, resilience, nurturing nature, intuition, grace under pressure, creativity, adaptability, faith, empathy, patience, beauty in diversity, wisdom, love, forgiveness, loyalty, gentleness, courage, multi-tasking mastery, healing presence and inspirational power.
4. Congratulatory Message to Neelam Ma’am
A special moment was the congratulatory message to Mrs. Neelam Ma’am on her appointment as the Regional Secretary of the Agra Region CCBI Women’s Commission.
It was proudly shared that for the past 21 years, Neelam Ma’am has been an active and dedicated member of the Women’s Commission. Her journey is a beautiful example of commitment, service and inspiring leadership.
The entire diocese congratulated her and prayed that God may abundantly bless her in her new mission.
After that, Neelam Ma’am was invited to share her words of wisdom. She expressed her heartfelt gratitude and shared her vision for women empowerment.
5. Felicitation
As a token of love and respect, Rev. Bishop Joseph and Neelam Ma’am were felicitated with a stole and a token of gratitude.
Fr. Melvin D’Souza was also felicitated with a stole.
6. Tableau Competition
Then began the most awaited part — the Tableau Competition, depicting the life and virtues of St. Monica.
Six parishes participated:
- Holy Family Church, Alwar
- Our Lady of Annunciation Church, Malviya Nagar
- Sacred Heart Church, Ghat Gate
- St. John the Baptist Church, Lalarpura
- St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Mansarovar
- St. Xavier’s Church, C-Scheme
Results
- First Position: St. John the Baptist Church, Lalarpura
- Second Position: Holy Family Church, Alwar
- Third Position: Our Lady of Annunciation Church, Malviya Nagar
Everyone enjoyed the performances thoroughly.
7. Lucky Draw and Vote of Thanks
The excitement continued with the Lucky Draw. Rev. Bishop Joseph, Neelam Ma’am and Fr. Melvin were invited to pick the lucky coupons.
Sr. Jemma picked up the first prize coupon. The names of the winners were announced amid great cheer.
The program concluded with a formal Vote of Thanks by Mrs. Jisha Philip, Executive Diocesan Secretary, Diocese of Jaipur.
She thanked Rev. Bishop, Neelam Chopra Ma’am, Fr. Jijo, all priests, sisters, executive team, parish office bearers, participants, volunteers and Pastoral Centre staff for their support.
She concluded with:
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; His love endures forever.” — Psalm 107:1
After the vote of thanks, everyone proceeded towards the refectory for lunch and shared fellowship.
Conclusion
The celebration was not just a feast but a true celebration of womanhood, faith and togetherness. All the women returned home blessed and inspired, following the example of St. Monica.
