Team Goemkarponn
Sinquetim: In the quaint town of Sinquetim, Navelim, a significant religious event is set to take place on February 23, 2025, as the Enfermos Chapel prepares to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Infirm. This annual celebration, which falls on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday and the Carnival festivities, is a cherished tradition for the local community.
The Enfermos Chapel, with its rich history dating back approximately 200 years, is closely associated with Rev. Fr. Marcelino de Noronha. The chapel’s first mass was concelebrated in 1968, and it has since become a beacon of hope and healing for the villagers. A unique silver bowl, prayed upon with a special prayer linked to Nossa Senhora de Enfermos, is a central element of the chapel’s healing traditions. Villagers believe that the water from this bowl, taken to the homes of the sick and recited with the prayer, possesses miraculous healing properties.
On February 23, 2025, the chapel will host masses at 7:15 AM and a High Mass at 9:30 AM. Every Sunday, a mass is celebrated at 7:15 AM, where the sick and infirm gather to pay homage to Our Lady of the Infirm. The altar of the chapel features an image of Nossa Senhora das Enfermos, with a sick patient at her feet and the miraculous silver bowl placed in a velvet pouch inscribed with a cross.
This feast is more than just a religious celebration; it symbolizes the community’s resilience and the belief that old age and sickness are not diseases but tools of strength and survival. Dr. Lida Joao, an educationist and former Chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee-South Goa, highlights the significance of this event, emphasizing that Nossa Senhora de Enfermos is the community’s hope and unwavering support.
