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Remembering Aquino Braganca (b. 6 April 1924), who fought for freedom
of the former Portuguese colonies in Africa. An online tribute
http://aquinobraganca.wordpress.com/ (includes many historical
references, some photographs and documents)
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Unique Procession Of Saints In Goa During Lent
By SAR NEWS
PANJIM, Goa (SAR NEWS) -- Every year, Monday of the fifth week of Lent
is the occasion of a unique Procession of the Saints (Santanchem
Pursanv in the local Konkanni language) in the Goan village of Goa
Velha, about 15 km from the capital Panjim.
This year, one more saint was added to the 30 statue procession – the
statue of local Goan Blessed Joseph Vaz (1651-1711), the patron saint
of the Goa Archdiocese.
The Procession of the Saints dates back to between 1614 and 1617 and
was started by the Franciscans – the first Order to reach Goa in 1517
– after the Portuguese conquest of Goa in 1510. They built their
monastery on the hill dedicated to Our Lady of Pilar and started the
procession of the laity belonging to the Third Order of Franciscans
“as a Lenten penitential practice,” according to historian Rosario
Rodrigues. Rodrigues donated the statue of Blessed Joseph Vaz this
year, having the carved the face himself.
It is said that the Franciscans had the image of a bruised face of a
man on a fine cloth, which they believed to be the face of Jesus, the
“Holy Face” miraculously imprinted on the towel that Veronica offered
him on his Way of the Cross to his crucifixion on Calvary. The
procession ends with this “Veil of Veronica” carried by the priest and
covered by a canopy, with which a final blessing is given to the
devotees. It is believed that the Veil of Veronica was originally the
only object of veneration and the statues of the saints were added
later.
According to some historians, the procession could have been to
counter the Hindu procession of palanquins. “I feel the procession
could have had some connection with the Hindu palki,” opines historian
Father Cosme Costa of the Pilar Society of St Francis Xavier.
“Perhaps the people told the Franciscans of the earlier processions
and the Franciscans added the other statues.” At one time there were
as many as 65 statues in the procession, but the procession was
stopped when Portuguese Prime Minister, the Marquis of Pombal,
expelled all religious Orders from the Portuguese territories in 1835.
Originally, the procession began from Pilar, the monastery of the
Franciscans. But when the procession was restarted in 1868, it began
from the Church of St. Andrew in Goa Velha, which is at the foot of
the Pilar hillock.
The procession begins from out of the main door of St. Andrew’s Church
after the celebration of the Eucharist outdoors into the streets, with
many devotees following the procession on foot or even crawling under
the statues as penance. The Church bells keep tolling and the choir
keeps singing throughout the procession. The saints, mounted on
tableaux, commemorated in the procession even today, are mostly from
the Franciscan and Dominican Orders, which came to Goa first.
The lead tableau is the Tau and crossed arms, symbol of the Franciscan
Order, followed by well-known saints like Anthony of Padua, Dominic,
Clare, Rose of Lima and little-known saints like Paschal Baylon, a
Franciscan lay brother, Philip of Jesus, the martyr of Nagasaki, Agnes
of Assisi and others. The tableau of Francis of Assisi, who saw the
vision of Our Lord Crucified and carried Christ’s wounds in his body
(called the stigmata) comes just before the Veil of Veronica.
“Over the years, the very purpose of the procession has gradually
changed. Originally, it was a penitential procession held in Lent. But
now, it has been converted into a feast with festive atmosphere,”
moans Father Raul Colaco, the parish priest of Goa Velha.
