Thane-based Lawrence Massey has always been involved in decorating the church since he was a child for the many celebrations over the years, but little did the Mumbaikar know that it would influence his life later. He explains, “I had a very strong inclination towards Christian art since childhood. In church, people used to often come to me with broken statues and Christian articles and I used to restore it and give it to them because I used to like doing that as a hobby.” However, life went on and Massey did his bachelor’s in mass media before working as a social media manager and public relations professional over the years. Unfortunately, like many other people around the world, the Mumbaikar lost his job during the Covid-19 pandemic but when one door closed another opened, and it was nothing short of a miracle. 

Mumbai’s Catholic community just like others around the world celebrated Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, popularly called the birthday of Mother Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, on September 8. It is widely celebrated in the city and particularly at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, popularly known as Mount Mary Church, which continues into the Bandra Fair. It not only attracts members of the Christian community but also followers of other religions in the country. They come to seek the blessings of Mother Mary. Interestingly, one of the most popular stories of the earliest version of the Bandra church is how a Koli fisherman found the statue of Mother Mary floating in the Arabian Sea after he had a dream about it between 1700 and 1760. Over time, the statue was restored and replaced with a baby in the arms. 

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