By Thomas Scaria
Mangaluru, March 1, 2020: Parishes under Mangalore Catholic diocese on March 1 organizing various programs during Sunday Mass as part of the southern Indian diocese’s observation of “No suicide day.”
“Suicide cases have increased in a very alarming way in the region, especially among the young people and students,” said Father Austin Peter Peres, parish priest of the Holy Redeemer Church in Darebail in Mangalore city, explaining the reason for the observation.
According to him, suicide cases have increased even among Catholics in the diocese.
The victims included Father Mahesh D’Souza, a 36-year-old Catholic priest of Udupi diocese who ended his life for unknown reasons. He was serving as assistant parish priest of Our Lady of Health Church Udupi and the principal of Don Bosco School attached to the parish.
Father Peres says life is “a precious gift from God, and humans have no right to take it away.” He asserted that every problem has a solution and counselling services are available. Jesus is the healer who is always available to help for those who turn to him, he said in his homily.
An awareness program was organized in connection with each Mass in different languages in all the 112 parishes. Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha of Mangalore has declared 2020 as the year of life and issued circulars to parishes requesting an intensive awareness campaign against suicides.
The programs organized by the Laudato Si Committee in each parish included an awareness talk, pledge, plating of saplings as sign of life, distribution of handbills, wearing of an yellow badge, seminars and workshops and a life line support.
The diocese is also organizing a “Happy Face Contest” through selfie to highlight face is the index of mind.
Clara D’Cunha, a suicide life-line counselor, told Matters India that most calls she has received were from educated people. People from rural areas hardly seek counselling, she added.
A study done in Mangaluru this year has revealed that 5 percent students in the age group of 14 to 25 years have a history of suicide attempts. According to the study, 6.79 percent of the students had suicidal ideation or thinking about or planning suicide.
The suicide by Veerappa Gangaiah Siddhartha Hegde, the owner of the popular Café Coffee Day Siddhartha, in Mangalore on July 29, 2019, by jumping to the Netravati river had triggered a series of similar suicides cases at the same spot.