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Mother most pure, Mae de Deus Posted by: nt <http://www.navhindtimes.in/author/nt/> May 1, 2016 in Buzz <http://www.navhindtimes.in/category/supplements/buzz/> *Maria de Lourdes Bravo da Costa Rodrigues* On the first Sunday of May, the church of Mae de Deus, in the beautiful and well-known village of Saligao celebrates the annual feast of its patroness Mae de Deus (Mother of God). Saligaokars at home and those away try to be present on this auspicious occasion to participate at this annual feast. Besides, the religious ceremony which lasts for nine days of novenas culminates with the feast being celebrated today. This day was also well known for its annual dance called the ‘Foxes Nite’. Started by the well known Saligao Institute it was continued by Saligao Sporting Club, which in 2006 organised the XVth ‘Foxes Nite’. However, there is no event this year nor was there any since the XVth, if I am not mistaken. Local politics have taken over the organisation of the event. Why was it called Foxes Nite? ‘Foxes’- is a moniker that the people of Saligao were branded with for a hundred years or more, ever since the mid-1900s, by the rest of Goa. A couple of explanations are given to justify the name. Like most of the villages in Goa, rice had been the chief crop of Saligao. At some point of time, the villagers began to grow sugarcane. When the sugarcane ripened, foxes would descend from the hills to feast on the sweet cane stalks. The farmers drove them away successfully during the day and also at night. Another version is that the Saligaokars successfully cultivated the sugarcane as a crash crop and therefore were called ‘Uxellantle Kole’. Some said, because they were smart, niggardly and wily when it came to financial matters. Until the new church was built, Saligao village was attached to the Nagoa Parish. However, the village had some chapels and even a cemetery in 1839. The Archbishop Amorim Pessoa, on a Pastoral Visit to the parish of Nagoa in 1864, went to see the chapel of Our Lady of the Victory at Saligao and suggested to the villagers to have their own church. The idea was immediately put into execution and all began to work earnestly, the main person being Francisco Salvador Pinto, very influential and well connected with the Government. The village community at its meeting on November 5, 1864, decided to build the church on the site where it now stands, since it is centrally located. The foundation stone was laid on February 7, 1867, by the Vicar General of the Archdiocese, Canon Joachim Antonio do Rosario, commissioned by the Archbishop Amorim Pessoa. It would be interesting to know that the walls of this church are built with the stones of two religious institutions, the stones of the Chapel of Our Lady of the Victory, which was demolished and those brought from of the Church and Convent of Mother of God, Daugim, Old Goa, which were almost in ruins. The remaining came from a quarry close by. The Image of Our Lady of Mother of God was brought from Daugim on November 24, 1873, and was kept in the Minor Seminary at Saligao on November 25, and on the next day taken in procession to the new Church of Saligao. The church is a fine example of Gothic architecture. It was solemnly blessed on November 26, 1873, by the Promoter of Justice and Vicar of Panaji, Fr Domingos Jose Rafael Pinto. On the same day he gave charge of the parish to the Fr Caetano Xavier de Abreu from Panaji who was appointed by Order No 514 of October 24, 1873. On the same day the miraculous Image of Our Lady of Mother of God made the solemn entry and enthronement of the Image was made. There were protests from the neighbouring parishioners and Fr Camilo Teodorio Rodrigues, who was the administrator of the Convent of Mother of God who did not want to give away the miraculous Image. However, this difficulty was overcome by the Government Order of June 20, 1865, which order was approved by the King of Portugal by Order on April 4, 1874. Fr Gomes Catao tells us that besides the miraculous image which was then placed on the collateral altar (Gospel’s side), what was also brought from Daugim, was, another image of the same invocation, of black stone, which was on the frontispiece of the Convent and is exposed on the body of the Church, as well as an altar stone which is on the same collateral altar. In the church there are six altars dedicated to Christ the Redeemer, St Francis Xavier, SS Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Our Lady of Assumption and Our Lady of Piety. In the Church there are also some sacred relics. The beautiful Church in white with its Neo- Gothic architecture stands tall a tourist attraction in the state. -- _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ _/ _/ Frederick Noronha http://about.me/noronhafrederick http://goa1556.in _/ P +91-832-2409490 M 9822122436 Twitter @fn Fcbk:fredericknoronha _/ Hear Goa,1556 shared audio content at https://archive.org/details/goa1556 _/ _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ -- -- Saligao-Net is at http://groups.google.com/group/saligao-net To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe email [email protected] --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Saligao-Net" group. 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