IN HONOUR OF ST. ANNE.
In a few minutes from now the bell of St. Anne Chapel at Saligao will sound the day of the "Fama".
I recall the rosary, litany and other hymns sung in honour of St. Anne in my young days at the chapel and ably supported on the violin by late Mr. Blazio Fernandes from Mudd'davadi.
The Canticles, hymns, song and poems connected with St. Anne have almost as early as her cult and are now almost as numerous as her shrines. The first of these were naturally written in Latin and Greek, and these are the languages in which they are still presented for liturgical use in Churches of Greek and Roman rites. However they quickly crept into the vernacular, and now exist not only in most national languages, but in many more local usage, like Breton and Provencal, for instance. Some offer petitions to St. Anne or sing her praises; others tell her story, in more or less complete form, and lay considerable stress on her role as a grandmother. Most are reverent, almost worshipful in character; but a few are rollicking folk songs. Besides those devoted entirely to her, she appears incidentally in many which treat several other subjects; and there is a medieval mystery play in which she figures as a leading character.
The earliest surviving hymn in her honour appears to be one written in Greek during the fifth century by St. Romanus. Two centuries later, Andrew of Damascus, Archbishop of Crete, wrote a whole series of hymns praising her, in the same language. His contemporary, St. Sophrone, Archbishop of Jerusalem, wrote in the same vein, though more briefly, in Latin. From then on, the songs on St. Anne increased rapidly in quantity and variety. Erasmus and Chaucer were only two among the great medieval poets who lauded her. In the nineteenth century Thomas Moore, during the course of a trip down the St. Lawrence River, wrote the words for an air which was a constant refrain of Canadian boatmen, and left an interesting account of the circumstances under which he did so. The number of songs and poems more recently addressed to St. Anne or describing her are legion.
It was the Franciscans who implanted this devotion in Nagoa de Bardez during their tenure( 1560-1767) and Saligao formed part of this Community. When St. Anne's chapel was dedicated in 1843 in honour of St. Anne and affiliated to Nagoa Church, the devotion spread in the village of Saligao and so people from various wards of Saligao began to take part in the celebrations and novenas. Slowly the hindus also began to come and offer her flowers and candles with their petitions which they do up till to-day. At the time of the 150th centenary the hindu community participated in the festivities and offered a big diuli to the chapel as their memorial.
Also during the 150th Anniversary of St. Anne's Chapel, Saligao,( 1943-1993) I had collected quite a number of songs, hymns in konkani on St. Anne from various parishes in Goa and I regret that I have lost this collection.
Here I am giving some hymns in English collected from various sources. They will appear during the novena days. I hope the readers will profit by them.
Tamil Hymn to St. Anne of Pallakkuda.
Mid copses and forests, where drums and cymbals sound-
With a lagoon on one side, where fish frolick and sport,
On the other, the wide expanse of rock-fringed ocean-
Mid 'palu' trees with berries, luscious and shedding nectar,
Stands the great sanctuary of far-famed Palakkuda,
Where mercy is poured in torrents unending,
Where the sick are cured and restored to health,
Where favours full many and miracles so countless
Are wrought by St. Anne, who gave to this earth
A daughter all sublime, Mary, the stainless:
I worship her feet, at her shrine venerated.
Compiled by Fr. Nascimento Mascarenhas.22-07-2004.
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