KOTTAYAM: “We were in a queue from 5 am onwards to get a seat in the front to view the canonization. The gates of St Peter’s Square were opened only by 8 am”, said Fr Antony Bunglowparampil, over phone from the Vatican.
When Deccan Chronicle contacted him, he was going back from St Peter’s Square to where he was staying.
Fr Bunglowuparampil said most of those in the queue were Malayalis, and they were holding the Tricolour and wearing the badges of St Chavara and St Euphrasia.
“There was no jostling or impatience. On the contrary, everyone was anxious to be a part of the historic function”.
“By the time the Bible was read, St Peter’s Square was filled with devotees and there was no more room for anybody else.
When the auspicious moment drew near, people were seen immersed in prayer. The atmosphere was suffused with faith. With their fingers on their rosary, people were repeating their prayers”, he added.
It drizzled when the function began. “It soon subsided and the weather turned as bright as crystal.
The flurry of excitement was apparent when the ‘madhyastha prathanana’ (intermediary prayer) was rendered in Malayalam. The faithful from the State began to recite the prayer in all fervour.
Malayali priests from India and those studying in Europe and America were present on the occasion. Nuns, laymen, children and bishops of various denominations were also present. A gathering of the CMI priests was held in the evening after the function.
