The ' Feast of Matievello or Rakhneacho Khuris' will be celebrated on 27th October 2008 at Goemchembhatt , Velim. The Eucharistic celebration will be held at 9.00 a.m. and the main celebrant will be Fr. Romano Gonsalves , the Velim Parish Priest and the co- celebrant will be Fr. Arnolf Mazarello , a son of Velim. The history goes that the 1st feast mass was celebrated by a saraswat hindu family from Margao. This year the feast will be celebrated by the family of Lida João from Baga, Velim. Devotees of all religions throng in thousands to this miraculous cross known for granting favours.
Margao: The renowed feast of 'Matievoilo Rakhneacho Khuris' near Vellim will be celebrated on 27th October. There are 2 other crosses too on the tip of the other 2 hills.The feast of all these 3 crosses are celebrated on the same day. This year happens to be the 28th feast and this year the feast is celebrated for the first time by the João family of Baga , There are a lot of traditions attached to this cross, firstly on 27 th at 12.01 a.m. (midnight) there is a ritual of lighting of candles and pouring of coconut feni, and singing and chanting of prayers heralding the arrival of the festival .Thereafter, the feast mass which will be celebrated for the 1st time at 9.00 a.m. so that the devotees from various villages can make it there , to take part in the Eucharistic celebration. Situated amidst the scenic beauty of Baga and surrounded by a beautiful pond of pink and white lotuses lies the miraculous 'Matievoilo Rakhneacho Khuris' on the tip of the Goenchembhatt hill. the 1st feast mass it is said was celebrated by a Hindu Saraswat .The cross has about 262 steps which one has to climb to reach the cross, and at each of these steps you find people whose favours are granted waiting with sweets, sugar etc. in trays , whereby the people coming down from the cross after the mass take a pinch of sugar or pick up a sweet and sweeten their tongue or taste buds. This year the Main Celebrant for the festive mass will be the Velim Parish Priest , Fr. Romano Gonsalves who has been untiringly working for the Eucharistic Celebration along with the Asst. Parish Priest , Fr. Arvino Fernandes ; besides Fr. Arnolfo Mazarello, son of the Velim Village would also be one of the co- celebrants along with other Priests / Celebrants. After the feast mass concludes, at about 12.00 noon the males from Goenchembhatt come down from the hill in a procession singing with flags accompanied by the beating of the drums and you have at the foot of the cross the traditional sweet i.e. the 'firi' prepared by the women folk of the ward which is carried by these males persons to the " Pandava Ghole" also known as the 'Vagachi Ghole' and placed at the entrance of this cave and is then followed by a few other rituals . The story goes like this that when the shepherds used to tend the flock of their masters from some families from Baga , which used to be attacked by lions , so in order to prevent the same the cross was erected by the owners of the flock of cattle . Slowly people would come there to pray for other favours , for e.g. jobs, for the gift of a child or any other favour they wanted to be answered and even some people attend the litany which is there between 6.00p.m. to 7.00 p.m. in the evening on 27 th where devotees prayer requests are announced and prayed for by the people gathered there followed by distribution of sweets offered by the devotees . This year the feast is celebrated for the first time by the João family of Baga , Velim. Says Lida João - " It was at the litany in the evening which she accidentally happened to be present in 2006 that a voice told her to celebrate the feast and she says that readily the feast of 2008 was available and according to her it is God's plan that the devotion of this miraculous cross be spread far and wide to the nook and corner of Goa which is the focus for promotion of secularism. There is a chapel built now with the funds pouring in from different quarters , for the favours granted .The chapel bell they say was donated by one of the ex. Parish Priest of Velim , Fr. Rosario Menezes . They say there used to be a Priest from Cuncolim who celebrated a mass every year as a symbol of Thanksgiving. Photos: http://www.goanet.org/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=41 "Churchgoers are like coals of fire, Together , they glow; apart, they die out" "CONVITE" IRMA, FRANCIS, LIDA AND ZOYA - THE JOÃO 's Invite you and your family for the feast of the " Matievoilo Rakhneacho Khuris", the miraculous cross with 262 steps at , the Goenchem - Bhatt - Velim . The Eucharistic Celebration will be at 9.am . on 27 th Oct , 2008 followed by refreshments at the venue till 11 a.m. CASA DE FRANCISCO BAGA, VELIM.
