As part of the preparations for Konkani Manyata Diwas, St Sebastian Church, Bendur, organized a Konkani Singing Competition for the parishioners on August 17 in the church hall. The event was jointly organized by the Catholic Action League (CAL), Catholic Sabha, YCS, youth commission, and family commission.

The competition was held in solo, duet, and group categories, with participants classified into different age groups. The programme began with a hymn sung by the choir members, invoking God’s blessings on the occasion. Vinod D’Souza, vice president of the parish pastoral parishad, welcomed the gathering and introduced the distinguished judges Dheeraj Lobo, high school counsellor, St Aloysius Gonzaga School, Mangaluru, and a renowned singer associated with the Blue Angels Choir, Echoes Choir and Youth choir Bendur, and Sr Lolita, from Bethany Mother House, in-charge of St Sebastian School, Bendur, and an accomplished singer.