the church, built in 1999, in line with the Tower further enhances the beauty of the Holy Place. Fr. Alban Dsouza took charge as the rector of the St Lawrence Minor Basilica, Attur on 6 July 2021. Faith and belief This church being widely acclaimed as having the power to intercede with God, attracts not only the residents of Udupi District but also pilgrims from all parts of India. This parish of St Lawrence is all set to celebrate the completion of 200 years of its existence in January 2001. A new church building as a memorial of the Bicentenary was blessed on 21 January 2001 by the Bishop of Mangalore. The Annual Festival popularly known as 'Attur Jatre (Festival)' is both a religious and cultural fete, as people from all faiths throng the church on this occasion. People of all religions are equally fond of the Attur Church or the Attur Jatre. Another significant characteristic of the church is the jatre(festival) that takes place every year during the last Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of January inviting lakhs of devotees into its arms. Shrine elevated to Minor Basilica Pope Francis had elevated the shrine of Saint Lawrence at Attur – Karkala to the status of a Minor basilica on April 26, 2016. St Lawrence Shrine is the 22nd basilica in India and the second in Karnataka, with St. Mary's Basilica, Bangalore being the first. The Proclamation and Dedication of the St. Lawrence Shrine Attur, Karkala as Minor basilica was held in a grand manner on 1 August 2016, the Proclamation and Dedication of the shrine as Minor Basilica took place during the mass. Three Cardinals, 40 Bishops and more than 300 priests and nuns along with 15,000 devotees witnessed the historical occasion. The Eucharistic celebration began at 10 a.m. with the procession of priests followed by bishops and cardinals. In his introductory remarks, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Mumbai, the chief celebrant of the Holy Eucharist, said that the elevation of the shrine of St. Lawrence to a Minor Basilica was an honor not only for Udupi Diocese but also to the State and the country. St. Lawrence, who was regarded as the “saint of miracles,” would shower his blessings on his devotees, he said. Then, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis , Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Syro Malankara Catholic Church, Thiruvananthapuram, read the Proclamation Decree in Latin language. Gerald Isaac