by Janice D'Souza
KUWAIT, OCT 2, 2018: Seventy girls and fourteen coordinators from the Marian Girls Ministry of St. Therese of Child Jesus parish in Kuwait, attended the second annual thanksgiving mass and fellowship under the theme 'Be with us Mary, along the way' on September 27.
The Ministry took root in 2016 with 123 girls, aged between seven and fourteen. The Ministry has grown since the onset and today girls have been inducted to serve in ministries like the Rosary Ministry, Decoration Ministry and Ushers Ministry.
The second-anniversary celebrations began with the celebration of Holy Mass. During the introduction, the parish priest explained the reason behind beginning the Girl's Ministry. He said that since the parish had over 180 altar servers already, the ministry was ideated to create new opportunities for the girls so that they too could serve the parish.
Father Franco Pereira, the spiritual director, was not present to celebrate the anniversary mass. He, however, prepared the homily, which was read by the celebrant. The homily was centered on the theme of the day, 'Be with us Mary along the way'. In his message, Father Pereira exhorted the girls not to limit their service to the Church but take it beyond the Church premises. He invited them to imitate Mary.
The Rosary Ministry leads the Holy Rosary daily in the evening before Holy Mass, and on Fridays in the morning before Holy Mass. The Decor Ministry prepares decoration and decorates the Church on festive occasions and the Ushers ministry assists in ushering during Holy Mass.
Ronalda V D'Silva, a member of the Girls' Ministry, said, "What I really liked about Holy Mass was the sermon when Father said that the service we do to the Church shouldn't just be done only in Church but also at home and everywhere we go. I also liked when Father said that Mary should be our role model and she intercedes for us to God. By being a part of this Ministry and serving the Church and others is the best way of getting closer to God".
After the homily, the girls who belonged to the Ministry renewed their promise, and the newly inducted girls took their first promise. It was indeed a blessed moment for everyone.
The parish priest thanked each and every girl for her service to the Church. He also thanked the coordinators who worked hard to train the girls. He conveyed his gratitude to the parents who willingly support the Ministry and the Church.
After Holy Mass, a fellowship was held, which included Biblical games and spot prizes related to Mother Mary. Father Lionel Braganza, addressed the girls and led them into an energetic action song.
Lerissa D'Souza, a member of the Girls' Ministry, said, "It was a great chance to know the other girls and become friends. Father Lionel Braganza's words of wisdom, about vocation and responding to God to become a nun, were great and inspiring. The action song was so much fun, I enjoyed dancing to it. The penguin dance was great as well. And last but not the least, the food. It was really tasty especially the dessert."
"Being the Head Coordinator of the Girls Rosary Ministry was an inspiration to bring the girls closer to our Mother Mary spiritually. In these 2 years, I am happy to say that I am proud of the girls' achievement. In fact, we all are proud of the girls. They will always be in our prayers," Elizabeth D'Souza, head coordinator Girls' Rosary ministry, said.