St. Mary’s Church, Hegde Nagar witnessed a memorable and grace-filled celebration on the evening of 12th June 2026 (Friday). It was a mixed moment for the parish community as they bid farewell to Rev. Fr. Boniface D’Souza after six years of dedicated service as Parish Priest and at the same time, joyfully welcomed Rev. Fr. John Baptist Pinto as the new Parish Priest.
The solemn Holy Mass was celebrated at 6:30 p.m. in Kannada by Rev. Fr. Arun Balraj, Dean of the Mariannapalya Deanery and representative of the Archbishop.
A good number of parishioners attended the holy mass. The occasion coincided with the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, making the event even more significant.
In his homily, Fr. Arun Balraj reflected on the love and mercy of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and encouraged the faithful to remain close to the Heart of Christ and to live their lives rooted in faith, love, and service.
At the beginning of the Mass, the outgoing Parish Priest, Fr. Boniface D’Souza, read the Archbishop’s appointment decree.
Fr. John Baptist Pinto then made the solemn Profession of Faith and Oath of Fidelity before officially assuming responsibility as the Parish Priest of St. Mary’s Church Hegdenagar.
A meaningful moment during the celebration was when the members of the Parish Pastoral Council and Finance Committee came forward with lighted candles and publicly pledged their support, cooperation and commitment to the new Parish Priest in carrying out the mission of the parish.
Following the Mass, a short farewell and welcome programme was organized.
The program was compered by Rev. Fr. Ivan Sanctis.
Mrs. Cheryl Doss, Secretary of the Parish Pastoral Council, expressed heartfelt gratitude to Fr. Boniface D’Souza for his six years of selfless, dedicated, and fruitful service to the parish community. She highlighted his pastoral leadership, commitment, and valuable contributions towards the spiritual and infrastructural growth of the parish.
She also warmly welcomed Fr. John Baptist Pinto, assuring him of the prayers, support, and cooperation of the parishioners.
The parish community thanked Fr. Boniface D’Souza for his faithful ministry and wished him God’s abundant blessings in his new assignment. At the same time, they extended a warm welcome to Fr. John Baptist Pinto.
