‘Mary seeks for those who approach her devoutly and with reverence, for such she loves, nourishes and adopts as her children,’ says St Bonaventure.
The Marian Sodality Association in St Vincent Ferrer church Valencia was started in 2008 under the great initiative of Fr Bonaventure Nazareth and Sr Rita Vas UFS with the aim of giving importance to the girl children and to help them to grow in different aspects of their life by making Mary the Mother of Jesus as the model and centre of their life and to render their helping hand in different activities of the church specially as altar servers. Joyce Pais and Gladys were the chosen animators to guide and direct the Marian Sodality Children. There were about 69 to 70 children in the beginning including boarders. At present there are 30 children from Class III to Class X of our parish only. Attendance register is maintained.
Every Sunday the Sodality children come to the church at 3.30pm and meet each other share their joy and sorrows and then they have choir practice with choirmaster Simon. The Sodality meeting starts at 4.30pm with a prayer. Sr Anita UFS conducts different activities for the children and also guides them. Input sessions on the life of Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints are given, they are taught to be attentive during Eucharistic Celebration and how to make it meaningful, names of different liturgical articles, sacred vessels and materials and their use in the liturgy are taught, quiz is conducted, moral values are taught through stories, they are also helped and guided to imbibe the qualities of Mary to be like her in their dealings and to be true child of Mother Mary.
During the year, they pay visit to different Ashrams, orphanages and make the inmates happy through their God given talent, they also contribute something generously to the inmates out of love. This year the Sodality children along with their animators visited St Antony’s Ashram and Cloistered Carmel Convent, Kankanady. A day of outing is arranged ever year to relax and to mix with each other and enjoy. December 8, the feast of Immaculate Conception is celebrated as Marian Sodality feast day. On this day, the Sodality children lead the liturgy and thereafter they get together in the hall where they exhibit their talents. This is a golden opportunity for them to enjoy.
The main works done by the Marian Sodality children in the parish are leading the morning prayer before Mass, lead children’ choir, and help in the liturgy by being the altar servers.
I congratulate and remain grateful to our parish priest Fr Bonaventure for encouraging our Sodality children and accepting the little service in the parish, to the parents for co-operating and supporting the children in their grown and especially Joyce and Gladys and to our Marian Sodality children for being ever ready, for the enthusiasm and the interest that you have to give your best in the various activities of the church. May the Virgin Mary bless all of us and protect us. Let us learn from Mary to surrender to God’s will in all things, to trust her when all hope is gone thus to follow her son Jesus Christ more closely.