Dear brothers and sisters, and the viewers of this web site Barkur.com, I am Fr. Joseph Anthony Andrade better  known as Fr. Tony Andrade. I was born and brought up in Barkur. My primary education was in Barkur. In 1980 I joined the seminary to become priest and was ordained to the Holy Order of priesthood on the 19th of December, 1992. I served a short period of time in Bangalore (India) and then went to the USA to serve in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in the state of Minnesota. Presently I am the parish priest of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church located in St. Paul, Minnesota (visit our web site:- www.stthomasap.org).

I Hope and pray this column "Spiritual Corner" will inspire many viewers of our Barkur.com web site. As all of us know the need of spirituality in our daily life. We walk our faith journey trusting in God our creator and we are certain one day we will meet our creator God in Heaven. Meanwhile here on earth we need good insights to enlighten our minds and hearts in our spiritual life. in this column I will write articles which will be short and precise that may help our interested viewers to reflect on their own spirituality. I welcome others also to share their articles and reflections. This column is open to all the faith denominations. What is important is that we inspire each other on our own spiritual journey.

My sincere thanks to Kishoo de Barkur, the designer of this beautiful web site, and for giving me this opportunity to share my thoughts and reflection on our Barkur.com web site.

Fr. Joseph Anthony Andrade

Happy Independence Day to all the Barkurians who made their home in the United States of America.     (Here is the American flag with the Eagle, the national bird) The 4th of July is one of the important holidays for us here in America. That day is remembered as Independence Day. America was freed from the colonial powers of the British in 1776.  Today the United States of America is one of the most powerful nations in the world. People from any part of the world, of any religion, or of any culture and tradition can come here and make their home. America is the land of the immigrants and a land of opportunity for a better life. Every one is equal and no one is above the law. Those of us who came here years ago and also newcomers are experiencing the hospitality of these people. On this Independence Day of America let us pray to God our Creator to bless this nation and all the people who live and work here. We wish you all a happy and enjoyable 4th of July weekend. Fr. Tony Andrade and the parishioners of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, St. Paul MN-55119 (U.S.A.)