Team Goemkarponn
CANACONA: The Annual Traditional Feast of St. Anne was celebrated with great pomp and devotion at St. Anne’s Church in Agonda, Canacona, drawing hundreds of faithful.
The Feast High Mass, concelebrated by five priests, was led by the main celebrant and newly appointed Provincial of the Society of Pilar, Fr. Joaquim Rebello, SFX. In his homily, Fr. Rebello called upon the faithful to embrace community living, emphasizing that Somudai (Small Christian Communities) are the backbone of peaceful coexistence and essential to living a fruitful life of faith.
Festivities began early with a First Mass at 6:30 a.m., followed by the Feast Mass at 9:00 a.m. The celebration was organized by various parish associations, including the Confraria and PPC, along with other church groups.
Fr. Patrick Luis, Parish Priest of Agonda, Fr. Baltazar Fernandes (Assistant Parish Priest), Fr. Octavino Cunha, and Fr. Arvino Fernandes (Parish Priest of Utorda and a native of Agonda) were among the concelebrants of the feast Mass.
Adding to the celebration, a Konkani drama written and directed by Francis de Tuem was staged near the church to raise funds for church activities.
In continuation of the festive spirit, Agonda Church also celebrated the Feast of Santíssimo Sacramento (Blessed Sacrament) on Sunday, marked by a solemn high Mass. That evening, a tiatr by renowned Konkani artist Prince Jacob was also staged in aid of church funds.
The celebration of Santíssimo Sacramento marks the beginning of a series of local feasts at chapels and Holy Crosses, including those at Igrejwado, Dhavalkhazan, Val-Framento, Karashir-Moll (A), and chapels in Betul, Mirandawada, and Parvem. These events culminate in the Feast of the Miraculous Holy Cross at Vall-Agonda, located on the coastal edge of the village, on May 14.
