Goemkarponn desk
VASCO: The Feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul or Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul is a liturgical feast in honour of the martyrdom in Rome of the apostle’s Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which is observed on 29 June.
The church recognizes that they may not have died on the same day, but the feast day honours the martyrdom of the two saints, sometime between AD 64 and 68, and tradition says that this is the day that they were both martyred in Rome by Emperor Nero. As a former fisherman, Saint Peter is the patron saint of net makers, shipbuilders, and fishermen, and because he holds the “keys of heaven,” he is also the patron saint of locksmiths.
The ramponkars, canoe owners of Baina, conducted their traditional blessing of the sea and their fishing gear on this day and Rev. Fr. Xavier Braganza, parish priest of Desterro church, conducted solemn prayers and showered holy water. The uniqueness of the day is that prayers are conducted to bless people from all religions who come together at the spot to work for their daily bread. This was appreciated by Fr. Braganza, who prayed for everyone’s well-being during their work and exhorted them to remain united in times of need.
At the end of the blessing of the sea, a huge wave lashed on the shore covering the ankles of all those gathered, but all stood still as nothing seemed to deter those gathered from continuing their solemn prayers to the almighty. A litany was then carried out by all those gathered around the ancestral cross.
