Bajjodi Parish Gives Grand Send-off to Fr Dominic Vas, Welcomes Fr Prakash Dcunha

A heartfelt farewell was accorded to Rev. Fr Dominic Vas OCD, outgoing Parish Priest of Infant Mary Church, Bajjodi, on Friday, June 5, while the Parish community warmly welcomed Rev. Fr Prakash Dcunha OCD, as the new Parish Priest. Rev. Fr Prakash Dcunha was received at the entrance of the church by Rev. Fr Dominic Vas along with members of the Parish Pastoral Council. A brief but meaningful ceremony followed inside the church under the leadership of Very Rev. Fr Santosh Rodrigues, Bishop’s Delegate.

During the ceremony, Fr Prakash Dcunha was formally entrusted with the stole, the Holy Bible, and the keys of the Blessed Sacrament as symbols of his pastoral responsibility and the official assumption of office as Parish Priest of Infant Mary Church. Following the installation ceremony, a farewell programme was organized in honour of Fr Dominic Vas. Addressing the gathering, Fr Dominic expressed his sincere gratitude to the parishioners for their love, support, and cooperation throughout his three-year tenure at Bajjodi.

After the programme, nearly 150 Parishioners and Carmelite Priests accompanied Fr Dominic Vas to Ryshivana – Christian Spirituality Centre at Ranipura, Kuttar, where he has been appointed as the new Superior and Director. Ryshivana is a renowned spirituality and retreat centre nestled amidst scenic surroundings overlooking the Arabian Sea, the Netravathi River, and lush greenery. The centre features 70 rooms, two chapels, two halls, and a spacious dining facility, providing an ideal environment for spiritual formation and retreats.

The centre regularly hosts short-term and long-term retreats, spiritual programmes, and formation courses for priests, religious sisters, and lay faithful from various Parishes.

The Parish community thanked Fr Dominic Vas for his dedicated pastoral service and wished him abundant blessings in his new mission, while extending a warm welcome and assuring full cooperation to Fr Prakash Dcunha in his new pastoral assignment at Bajjodi.