Constructed in 1928, the 94 year old chapel of St Francis Xavier in Caranzalem is a striking symbol of the Catholic community’s devotion to ‘Goencho Saib’.
December 3 is a public holiday in Goa for good reason; St Francis Xavier has been revered as the protector and patron saint of the state for centuries. The feast of St Francis Xavier at Old Goa is an annual celebration, with worshipers from across the state flocking to Old Goa to take part in the feast. For the Catholic community in Caranzalem, however, the feast of St Francis Xavier is celebrated not once, but twice every December.
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Located at the junction between Kerant and Taleigao, the chapel of St Francis Xavier has been a prominent landmark among Caranzalem locals for nearly a century. The chapel, with its yellow walls and courtyard adjacent to the crossroads, is run by a committee formed from churchgoers residing in the surrounding wards. Mass is celebrated at the chapel on the weekends, primarily by priests from the Taleigao Parish, whose jurisdiction the chapel falls under. The chapel was constructed in 1928, and blessed in 1930. It was later enlarged in 1935 and has been renovated since.
This year, the chapel feast of St Francis Xavier was celebrated on December 17. The first mass was celebrated by Fr Jeophil Dias while Fr Roncy Braganza celebrated the High Mass and led the procession through Kerant. The chapel was filled to capacity for both masses, with seating arrangements being made in the courtyard to accommodate those who could not find a seat in the pews. The novena masses were celebrated prior to the feast day from December 8 to 16, and the banner of St Francis Xavier was blessed on the day of the first novena.
The chapel feast is celebrated every December on the third Saturday of the month for two reasons. The first is to give due importance to the feast of St Francis Xavier at Old Goa on December 3. Attending the feast at Old Goa is among the highlights of the Advent season for the Catholic community. The second is to give importance to the Sundays of Advent. Each of the four Sundays of Advent has been given particular importance by the church, and this takes precedence over the celebration of any other solemnities on these Sundays. “In the month of Advent, feasts are not celebrated on Sundays because of that the chapel feast is always held on a Saturday,” says Linda Menezes, a resident of Eugenio Wado.
The feast is preceded by nine days of novenas that are celebrated every evening, leading up to the feast day. Two masses are celebrated on feast days; a 7 am mass and a 9:30 am mass. The earlier mass is convenient for office goers and allows them to take part in the celebration. The latter mass is celebrated as the High Mass, and capped off with a procession along the Kerant main road leading back to the chapel. A small fair comprised of a few stalls is set up opposite the courtyard on the feast day.
