Karkala : Thousands of devotees are visiting the St Lawrence Shrine at Attur in Karkala which is celebrating its annual fair for three days from January 29. The theme of the three day annual festival of the shrine is ‘‘Lord, increase our faith.’ This is the first festival at the St Lawrence Shrine after Udupi Diocese was formed.

The first mass of the fair was held on January 29 and was celebrated by Fr John Barboza, the Vicar  of Karkala Deanery. Devotees from various places of the district, state and also from neigbouring states are visiting the shrine to seek the blessings of St Lawrence. A total of 30 masses will be held during the three day festivities while there will also be special prayers in Konkani and Kannada for the sick. On January 31, the  festival mass of ‘Giyadh Mai’ would be celebrated by Very Rev. Msgr Baptist Menezes, the Vicar General of the Udupi Diocese.