THANE: Prayers, family get-togethers and a simple but traditional feast mark the celebration of the birthday of Mother Mary for the Christian community in the lake-city on Saturday, September 8.While thousands of devotees throng to churches to attend mass, many visit Mount Mary church in Bandra or Irla church. Some also go on a pilgrimage to Velankanni. “On this day, we celebrate the birthday of Mother Mary, who went on to bring Jesus Christ into the world. We begin the day by attending a mass at Mount Mary church in Bandra. The famous Bandra fair begins on Sunday so we will be going there again along with our family,” said Agatha Pinto (59), a Manpada resident.City churches have also organized special prayer services and get-together services for devotees. “We had organised novenas for the last nine days in preparation for the feast. As our church is known to grant the prayers of people asking for children, there will be a special prayer in the mass for all these couples. There will also be a get-together for 300-plus couples whose prayers have been answered,” said Fr. Biju Kollamkunnel, parish priest of Mother of Victory shrine at Tikujiniwadi.Following the prayer service, devotees will spend the rest of the day with a feast at home.“Unlike Christmas and Easter , this is one of the simple festivals as Mother Mary was a simple woman. We will be preparing sanna and chicken curry and spend the day with our family and friends,” said Elizabeth Rodrigues (21).Meanwhile, some families have decided to tone down the festivities due to the recent Kerala deluge. “Many of our friends and distant families suffered a lot because of the floods. We will be keeping the celebration simple by limiting it to the prayer service only, and offering our prayers to all those affected in the Kerala deluge,” said Shaju Anthony, a parishioner at St. Thomas Church here.

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