March 25 is the feast of the Annunciation, when Jesus was conceived within the body of the Virgin Mary, as she accepted her call to be the Mother of God - the moment at which the Incarnation took place. At Mary’s "Fiat", God began existing in a human nature - a human nature at the earliest stages of its development within Mary’s body. Today is also observed, around the world, as Pro-Life Day. The feast of the Annunciation has been symbolic chosen as its exactly nine months before Christmas, and it invites us to focus on the baby in the womb of Mary, reminding us that Jesus was once an unborn child himself.
St. Andrew’s College celebrated the feast of the Annunciation of the Lord and World Pro-Life Day with the Holy Eucharist in the college chapel. Bishop Barthol Barretto, the main celebrant, shared in his homily that we are living in a world that is beset with the evil, violence, war and the killing of the unborn. He stressed that the church believes that by celebrating the Feast of the Annunciation with special solemnity, and by spending more time meditating on its doctrinal and spiritual lessons, the faithful can be even more rooted in their pro-life convictions and spurred on to effective action in defence of life. The prayers of the faithful were dedicated to the Pro-Life movement as well as to the people of Ukraine.
After the Holy Eucharist, Bishop Barthol along with other priests and people headed towards the new constructed Grotto at St Andrew’s Ground. Bishop Barthol blessed the Grotto and consecrated it to Our Lady. The Grotto is donated by Mrs Andrade. Fr Magi Murzello, Rector of St Andrew’s College, thanked everyone present, especially Mrs Andrade and her family.