Mysore/Mysuru: The Diocese of Mysore in association with Mysore Diocesan Educational Society (MDES) felicitated the meritorious Catholic students of SSLC, PUC, Degree, Post-Graduation, Doctoral and other professional courses from Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Kodagu districts at the Meritorious Catholic Students Felicitation Ceremony held at St. Philomena’s Indoor Stadium at Bannimantap in city recently.

MDES with a rich experience of more than six decades in the field of education has been honouring the meritorious Catholic students and institutions since 2012. It has been managing more than 150 educational institutions under its umbrella in the Southern districts of Karnataka.

The event was off to an auspicious start with the lighting of the lamp. Rev. Fr. Vijay Kumar, Secretary and Correspondent, MDES, welcomed.

Most Rev. Dr. K. Antony William, Bishop of Mysore, who presided, said that this felicitation should act as a stepping stone towards building a glorious future for oneself.

The Bishop highlighted the 5Gs which are vital for a meaningful life. He opined that gratitude for the blessings received, generosity in giving back to the society, gesture of courage to face the challenges of life, faith in God, the belief in the power of prayer and finally being a source of grace to one’s family and friends must be inculcated in every individual’s life.

While congratulating the Correspondents heading the institutions at the grassroots for contributing towards the refinement and quality control in MDES, he also appreciated the teachers for providing impartial,  quality and value based education.

John Michael Cunha, former Judge, High Court of Karnataka, who was the chief guest, said, “Life is an opportunity for continuous learning. Educational institutions must act as a catalyst for the same.”

He also expressed happiness over the academic excellence of rural students and went on to add that their thirst for success and knowledge could be attributed to the fact that they were aware of the harsh realities of life and took pride in being a successful student from the rural background himself.

MDES felicitated 840 students this year for academic excellence. The winners of MDES Sports Meet and MDES Essay Competition were also awarded during the event. Rev. Fr. Francis Assisi D’Almeida, Secretary, KRCE, Bengaluru;  Most Rev. Dr. Thomas A. Vazhappilly, Bishop Emeritus, Mysuru; Rev. Msgr. Dominic Vas, OCD, Episcopal Vicar for the Religious, Diocese of Mysore; Rev. Fr. Madalai Muthu, Treasurer, MDES; Rev. Fr. Avinash, Administrator, MDES and Rev. Fr.  Bernard Prakash Barnis, Rector, St. Philomena’s Autonomous College and Post Graduate Centre, were the guests of honour.

Rev. Fr. Arokiya Anthony, Priest In-charge, St. Joseph’s Institutions, Jayalakshmipuram Campus; various Parish Priests,  Joyce Lobo, CEO, St. Joseph’s and St. Mathias Institutions; Moses Jayashekar, St. Joseph’s State Schools, Seby Mavley, CEO – Training and Development, Heads of various institutions, teachers and students were present.