06 Jan 2024  |   04:34am IST

How Goa celebrates the Feast of Epiphany with its own tradition

The Feast of Epiphany is celebrated 12 days after Christmas, on January 6, and is the time when the Three Wise Men, also known as the Three Kings, visited Jesus. The feast is celebrated in Goa at Reis Magos Church, Our Lady of Bethlehem Church, Chandor, and Our Lady of Remedios Chapel in Cuelim

Inacio Noronha

The Feast of Three Kings will be celebrated in a grand festive manner at Chandor, Cansaulim and Reis Magos, today. The Feast brings to end the 12 days of Christmas and is believed that the Three Wise Men, Melchior, Gaspar (or Caspar), and Balthazar, presented Baby Jesus with symbolic gifts of gold, frankincense and myrhh on this day. Reis Magos

The Feast of Epiphany or Holy Magi (Three Kings) which will be celebrated on January 6 as the main Feast of the parish of Reis Magos Church in Bardez. “It is the only church in Goa that is dedicated to the Holy Magi. Although liturgically, it is celebrated on the first Sunday after Christmas, the Vatican has granted special permission to celebrate this feast on January 6 to three parishes in Goa, Reis Magos, Cansaulim and Chandor,” says Oswaldo Mendonça, a parishioner of Reis Magos Church.

One of the attractions of the feast in Reis Magos is the enactment of the adoration of Baby Jesus by the Magi for the Feast Mass. Three men dress as kings and take part in the solemn Feast Mass. This tradition begun in the late 1960s by the then parish priest, Fr Cirilo Metodio de Souza. During the earlier days, three young boys used to dress as Magi or Kings and participate in feast Mass and the procession thereafter. Each king would be accompanied by another small boy dressed as shepherd carrying small live goats, which has been since discontinued. Since last 20 years, young boys or men dress as kings and offer the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh at the crib in the church before the start of the Feast Mass. They later join in the procession at the end of the Mass. This year, Mauvin Dias, Aaron Fernandes and John D’Silva will be dressing up as the Three Kings/Magi.

The villagers, both Catholics and Hindus, enthusiastically celebrate the feast with sumptuous lunch in the company of relatives and guests gracing the occasion. There will be two Masses, first Mass at 7 am celebrated by Fr Orlando Marques, parish priest of Reis Magos Church and the Feast Mass at 9.30 am with the main celebrant Fr Mariano Travasso, in-charge of Seminary Niwas, Duler, Mapusa. In the evening, ‘Devachean’ a tiatr by Comedian Agostinho will be staged in the church compound.

Chandor

The Feast of Our Lady of Bethlehem and the Three Kings will be celebrated with religious fervour at Our Lady of Bethlehem Church, Chandor on January 6. “Belem Saibinnichi Fest will be celebrated with Masses at 5 am, 6.30 am, 8 am and 9.30 am,” says Darwin Cardozo, a parishioner and ex- parish council moderator of Our Lady of Bethlehem Church, Chandor.

Darwin says, “This year, three persons dressed as kings will be Johan Leander Mascarenhas, Marrod, Guirdolim, Chandor, Jayden Cardozo of New Township, Chandor and Jose Fernandes of Kulsabhat, Chandor.”

Fr Jean Da Cruz Fernandes, parish priest of Our Lady of Bethlehem Church, Chandor will be celebrating the Mass. This year, the theme is ‘Kuttumb Khuxell Sambalu-ia, Povitr Sobha Moxzbut Koru-ia’. Fr Jean said that each person of the family cherishes the gift of one’s own family given by God and this builds up a vibrant church. Young boys who had received Holy Communion can be given a chance to be dressed as Three Kings as a prior appointment is required. As the Three Wise Men went in search of Baby Jesus likewise, these young boys too may discover Jesus in their own life and become more and more like Jesus himself. The homily will be preached by Fr Albano Fernandes and the main celebrant will be Fr Jean Da Cruz Fernandes.

Cansaulim

Every year, the Feast of Epiphany and the Feast of Our Lady of Remedios is celebrated on January 6 with a lot of devotion. “Three boys, each from Cansaulim, Arossim and Cuelim are chosen to represent the Three Wise Men who went to visit Jesus with gifts after his birth. The three boys chosen to be the kings this year are Reev D’Costa of Arrosim, Hayden Francis Figueiredo of Cansaulim and Neil Antonio Xavier of Cuelim.

The Feast of Our Lady of Remedios will be held with Masses, commonly known as the Three Kings Feast, will be celebrated on January 6 at Our Lady of Remedios Chapel in Cuelim. “Preparations for the Three Kings Feast at Remedios Chapel have been underway since December 27. Daily masses at the Chapel began on December 28, with three sessions at 6 am, 7.30 am, and 5 pm, drawing a significant local attendance,” said Fr Ave Maria Afonso, parish priest.

“Starting January 1, we conduct Masses, and people bring their vehicles for blessings. On the Feast day, we will have Masses at 5 am, 6.15 am, 7.30 am, 8.45 am, and the main Feast Mass at 10.15 am, featuring three children arriving on horses as the Three Kings from Cansaulim, Cuelim, and Arossim. This tradition has been upheld for several years. Another Mass at 4.30 pm will conclude the feast day,” he added.

Fr Afonso clarified the historical context of the Feast, emphasizing that the Three Kings were Wise Men, not saints. They came to worship Jesus on the Holy Epiphany and the Feast commemorates that event. The celebration attracts a diverse crowd, including people from other religions seeking blessings. The theme for this year’s Feast is ‘Hanvem tumka kellam, toxench tumi-i kora’ for the Novenas and Feast