LONDON
The UK Quepemkars Feast 2024 was a vibrant celebration held on October 27, organised by Peter Miranda and Lenny Coutinho.
The festivities began with a Eucharistic celebration at the Queen of Apostles Church in Heston, London, led by Fr Renato Andrade, SFX, the newly appointed priest of the Goan Chaplaincy.
In his homily, Fr Renato introduced his personal experience on how faith can move mountains and that, having a loved one in good times and in bad times can make a difference.
Fr Renato have an example on how he spent his early days as a young boy in the seminary, where he loved to play football. One day as he was playing football with his friends in the seminary, he had a terrible accident when a ball hit his eye.
“Following this incident, I was admitted to a hospital and even visited several medical facilities where doctors would not give me any hope of recovery. My heart sank to watch the other boys playing football and I began to question my faith,” recalled Fr Renato.
“Despite being partially impaired, I kept my faith strong and kept praying while the other boys played. I eventually recovered my sight. Just as Mother Marry stood beside the Cross as Jesus gave up his last breath, in my case God was there throughout my difficulties.”
The choir, consisting of fellow Quepemkars, led the congregation in the singing of hymns. After Mass, a procession of Our Lady of Piedade took place.
The celebration then continued into an evening filled with dining and dancing at the church hall. The atmosphere was lively, thanks to the band ‘Popcorn Mix’, which energised the dance floor. A surprise band, ‘New Heads’ also entertained the crowd.
The event was compered by Larisa, Jolibr and Akiva, adding a touch of humour and warmth.
Participants of all ages enjoyed various games and won exciting spot prizes.
Guests savoured delicious food catered by Venchy caterers, while a fruit carving display by Hasty Fruit Carving delighted the eyes.
The cake-cutting ceremony included Fr Renato and Pamila Rodrigues, Representative of the Labour Party at Hounslow, sponsored the cake from Mama's cakes.
The highlight of the evening was a pair of gold earrings donated by Liston and family which was awarded to Doyle Azavedo, the winner of the housie. Additionally, there were four other raffle prize winners.
Resort Palmeiras Dourado and El Beauty Lounge were the sponsors of the event.
The event was captured by WeFlash photography, led by Aman Coelho and his team. The celebration ended on a high note with DJ Afromac spinning tunes that kept everyone dancing till the very end.
