India: Mumbai parish celebrates Mary’s Nativity with Faith and Charity

The Feast of the Nativity of Mary on September 8 is one of the biggest celebrations in India, marked with pomp and grandeur in many parishes across the country.

Beyond the festive liturgy, the day is also observed by the Church in India as Girl Child Day, a moment to promote gender justice, equal dignity, and opportunities for girls in homes, schools, churches, and society.

At St. Anthony Church, Vakola, Mumbai, Western India, this year’s celebration stood out for weaving together devotion with acts of charity, especially for the welfare of girls. The parish organized a 10-day Marian Festival, or Novena, under the theme “Mary, Our Model of Hope.” Each day began with children from Grades 1 to 10 offering songs, dances, and skits, followed by Mass.

Fr. Pascal Sinor, a priest serving in the parish, explained: “Every day of the novena, children are encouraged to bring a particular item as their offering, stationery, toothpaste, cooking oil, pulses, sugar, or soap.

These are then distributed to orphanages and homes run by women religious. Over 600 children who took part in the novena liturgies these days learn that sharing with the less fortunate is the best gift to offer Mother Mary on her birthday.”

This year, coinciding with the Jubilee Year, parishioners responded with overwhelming generosity. Donations were sent to several charitable institutions in and around the city of Mumbai, including:

• Shanti Bhagini Orphanage for Girls, Korlai

• Mary of Nazareth Mission, Alibaug

• Vidyavihar Charitable Trust “Vidyasankul,” Keltan

• Janakalyan Boarding for Boys, Mahad

• Vatsalya Boarding for Girls, Dudhani

• Don Bosco Boarding for Girls, Uttan

One of the notable beneficiaries was Vatsalya Hostel in Silvassa, run by the Franciscan Sisters of Christ the King. Home to 150 Adivasi girls, the hostel provides education and life skills to tribal children who might otherwise face poverty, child labor, or early domestic work. Through education, the sisters affirm the dignity of every girl and nurture hope for a brighter future.

The parishioners of St. Anthony, especially its children, offered not just gifts but also solidarity with the less privileged. As the parish priest, Fr Francis Carvalho, shared: “Taking our children’s offerings to these orphanages is the best way of celebrating Mary’s Birthday. The smiles of the children who received them are the greatest blessing for our parish.”