By Bro. John Malvino Alfonso, OCD –
Pictures by Glenn Almeida and Joseph Fernandes –
Sancoale: Nearly 25,000 Catholics across Goa were on their feet in the wee hours of Sunday (1st March 2020) marching to Sacoale Old Church, as a part of Archdiocesan Walking Pilgrimage (Bhavarthachi Yatra) for the second consecutive year on the First Sunday of the Lent.
On 5th August, 1677, St. Joseph Vaz had written a “letter of captivity” or the “Deed of Bondage” to Mother Mary at the altar of the old Sancoale church where today only the facade of the church stands erect. Goa and Daman Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrão recalled the efforts of St. Joseph Vaz, Patron of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, who were on his feet to give Christ to others.
The Walking Pilgrimage was organised by the Archdiocese of Goa Daman to understand the salvific value of suffering, to spread the joy of being Christian, to gain God’s grace during difficulties and also an occasion for personal conversion. It is organised in Sancoale because ‘son of the soil’ (Sancoale) St. Joseph Vaz, during his spiritual journey in Sri Lanka walked sharing the message of Christ to the less fortunate. It was an opportunity given by Archbishop Filipe for the church in Goa from the last years Lent to walk with Christ, who first walked to the calvary for us.
Nearly 300 volunteers from Diocesan Youth Centre led by Fr. Savio D’souza, and Sancoale Parish volunteered their services. St. Luke Medical Guild, Catholic Nurses Guild and many others were of a great help. Adoration to the Blessed Sacrament conducted before the Eucharistic celebration, by Fr. Mario Costa, Parish Priest of St. John the Baptist Church, Carambolim, along with his parishioners helped the faithful to have deeper experience of Jesus.
“Five venues across Goa were identified this year. Last year there were six venues. But due to the narrow road, Quelossim centre was dropped,” said Fr. Alfred Vaz, convenor of the committee formed for the purpose of Walking Pilgrimage. Goa Velha, Mandur, Verna, Cansaulim and Vasco were the five centres which were identified from which faithful began the Walking Pilgrimage at 3.00a.m. There were also sub-centres to take care of the pilgrims.
Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao walks along with the pilgrims.The Archbishop presided over the Eucharistic celebration at the old church site, “Make Jesus as the centre of life to Jesus, give first place to Jesus through prayer, reading and reflecting on the Word of God and the celebrations of the sacraments and thus put on the mind of Jesus to become good Samaritan to the others,” said Archbishop Filipe in his homily on the theme, ‘Jesus, walked in the desert’.
Speaking on the adoration conducted before the Eucharist, Fr. Vaz said that “the faithful walked with Jesus and for Jesus, and when they come at the venue, they see Jesus and experience him.” Faithful reached the destination, Sancoale Old Chuch before 6.15 a.m. by covering nearly 10 kms. Around 25000 faithful from 19 deaneries and from all the parishes and chapels of the Archdiocese of Goa participated in the Walking Pilgrimage.
The faithful also had an opportunity to put down their petitions on a paper and archbishop raised those petitions up to God through a special prayer.
A special way of the Cross was held in all the parishes and chapel of the Archdiocese as a preparation for the Walking Pilgrimage on the first Friday of the Lent season. Fasting and prayers were also offered for the success of the event A Special logo was designed by Abishai Mascarenhas from Ambora with a Cross on the logo to identify the image of the Cross of St. Joseph Vaz, The feet represent the pilgrimage. Jesus walked to us with the Cross and from the Cross. We are now his feet to carry His message of love, peace, forgiveness to everyone.
Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao celebrating the mass.Fr. Alfred Vaz, Convenor of the Committee formed for the Walking Pilgrimage, Fr. Manuel Dias, Rector, St. Joseph Vaz Sancuaturay, Sancoale, Fr. Louis Alvares, Parish Priest of Our Lady of Health Church, Sancoale, Fr. Soccoro Colaco, Prefect of Discipline at the Patriarchal Seminary of Rachol, Fr. Mario Calvalho, Assistant to the Parish Priest of Goa Velha Church, Fr. Siran Rebello SAC, Parish Priest of St. Sebastian’s Church, Tormas, Fr. Ubaldo Fernandes, Parish Priest of Our lady of Guadalupe Church, Fr. Francisco Dias, Parish Priest of St. Joseph’s Church, Siroda and 115 priests concelebrated.
Reflecting on the life and mission of Jesus, Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrão said that Jesus walked in the desert, he prayed for 40 days and 40 nights, fasted and sought the will of God, deepen the experience of his Fathers love, face the temptation and won the battle of temptation. Thus showed us way to face the temptation.
“Sufferings and difficulties in life are not the hurdles to live life to those who live in Faith. But it is an opportunity given by God to deepen our faith,” he said. The prelate explained this through the experience of a deaf woman who participated in the walking pilgrimage last year taking the help of her neighbour. Reminding the faithful that we want to have the same experience, he said “we participated in this walking pilgrimage.”
‘We for You’, a new initiative of Caritas Goa was launched at the hands of Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrão, after the Eucharistic celebration as a part of Walking Pilgrimage at Sancoale, in the presence of Fr. Jolly Puthenpura, Assistant Director of Caritas India, Fr. Maverick Fernandes, Director of Caritas Goa and Fr Freddy Braganza of the Apostolate for Pastoral Care of Tourism.
Fr. Maverick Fernandes, Director of Caritas India, explain the purpose of this initiative said that “‘We For You, is a volunteerism, is to consolidate tremendous resources that is available for volunteerism in the state of Goa. After the CANsurvive Compaign, we are experiencing a lot of benefits in volunteerism. Once again we taking this ‘We For You’, initiative to engage people in different services, in terms of natural calamities, disasters and also for organising different events.”
Archbishop appealed to the congregation to support this initiative of Caritas Goa
“We are reflecting in this pastoral year on the theme — ‘Go and do likewise.’ So I have suggested to have Good Samaritan Fund. We have in some parishes, but there are still parishes don’t have this fund. Have it in this pastoral year at least by Easter Sunday,” said Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrão on Sunday at Sancoale.
Stating that there will be temptations, not to have that fund in the name of construction of Church buildings, school buildings or lack of money, he appealed the faithful to give priority to this fund and utilise this fund for the benefits of the needy.