Oscar hails role of churches in empowering youth and students

coastaldigest.com web desk
November 20, 2018

Mangaluru, Nov 20: Rajya Sabha Member Oscar Fernandes has hailed the role played by churches in  empowering youth and students, along with their religious activities.

He was speaking as the chief guest at a ceremony organised to mark the glorious 450 years of celebration of the Holy Rosary   Cathedral at the Rosario Cathedral Grounds on November 18, Sunday. The educational and health institutions  started by the Christian missionaries have also contributed a great deal towards the progress of  the district,  he said.

On this occasion Oscar released a  postal stamp and cover brought out by the Department of Posts to commemorate the 450th year of celebration of the Holy Rosary Cathedral.

Rev. Dr Peter Paul Saldanha, Bishop of Mangaluru Diocese presided over the function. In his address,   the Bishop  said the Rosario Cathedral which was the first  Catholic Church in undivided District  which was dedicated to Our Lady of Rosary by the Portuguese in 1568 has since then been  serving the society in the religious and educational fields.

DK District in-charge Minister U T Khader handed over  financial aid extended by the Rosario Cathedral to  ten families   towards availing title deeds. 

Bishop Emeritus of Mangaluru Diocese Rev Dr Aloysius Paul D'Souza, Vicar General Msgr Maxim Noronha, Principal of St Aloysius College Fr Praveen Martis, , MLCs Ivan D'Souza, S L Bhoje Gowda, former MLA JR Lobo,  Apostolic Carmel representatives Sister Mabilia and Sister Milli Fernandes,    Secretary of  Diocesan Pastoral Parishad M P Noronha, Sushil Noronha,  C J Simon, Vice President of the Parishad, Jagadish Pai, Senior Postal Officer, and others were present.

 The Eucharistic celebration held prior to the formal inaugural ceremony was  presided over  by Most. Rev. Dr Peter Machado, Archbishop of Bangalore.

Projects worth Rs 7 lakhs initiated as part of the 450 years of celebration,  were launched on the occasion.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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