The feast of Guardian Angel is celebrated on October 2 all over
the world but in Curchorem, the feast in honor of the Guardian Angel which is
celebrated on the third Sunday of November every year and the second Sunday if
the feast of Christ the King falls on the third Sunday of November. This year,
the parishioners are celebrating it today, November 13.
According to Fr Vital Miranda, parish
priest of Guardian Angel Church, Curchorem, currently there are around 7000
parishioners under its jurisdiction from 13 wards of Curchorem and Sanvordem
areas, both are located on either side of the Zuari River.
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To shed more light on the very existence
of the angels, Fr Vital Miranda says, “The Book of Exodus 23, 20-23 tells us
that Angels are God’s gift to each one of us and they are assigned to guide and
take care of each one of us wherever we are. Let not make them sad by our wrong
doing but make them happy by doing all the good things we can. Be a guardian
angel in small-small things and bring cheer to others with our kindness, love
and humble nature.”
In 1885, Fr Custodio Caitano Do Rosario Barretto commenced the
construction of the chapel on a beautiful hillock of Curchorem after obtaining
the decree from the then Archbishop Patriarch of Goa, D Antonio Sebastiao
Valente and completed it in 1887. The chapel was dedicated to Guardian Angel
was blessed by Fr Custodio on April 27, 1887 with a solemn Mass. Fr Antonio
Henriques Jacques dos Remedios had been appointed the first chaplain of this
chapel. During his tenure, he erected the way of the cross in the chapel
premises.
As per the available records, the chapel which was then
affiliated to Tilamol parish was raised to a quasi-parish church, with
jurisdiction over the entire village of Sanvordem-Curchorem, which hitherto
belonged to the parish of Shiroda. Later, the chaplaincy was elevated to curacy
and then in 1936, the curacy was elevated to a full-fledged parish with Fr
Camilo Conceicao da Alcantara Costa became the first parish priest of
Curchorem-Sanvordem.
The parish was under the pastoral care of the Society of Pilar
from 1953 to 1997 before handing over it back to diocesan priests in 1998. Fr
Anthony Silva, former provincial of the Goa province of the Society of Jesus
informs that the Society wanted to expand their missionary work. In 1951, they
started their work in Sanguem mission and soon in the year 1953, Guardian Angel
Church was entrusted to them. “In 1917, when it was a chapel affiliated to
Tilamol church, Venerable Fr Agnelo D’Souza was appointed as (Capelao Curial),
the first resident chaplain,” says Fr Anthony.
He further adds that when the Curchorem church was allotted back
to the Diocesan priests, they took up the pastoral work at two more churches,
Anjuna (birth place of Fr Agnelo) and Agonda in Canacona (the birth place of
their Society).
It is believed that Guardian Angel Church, Curchorem, was the
only church in the whole of Asia dedicated to Guardian Angel till 1935 as
another church dedicated to the Guardian Angel was established at Mangalore,
Karnataka and Fr Golbert Noronha was appointed as its first parish priest.
(Schirl
Ema Carvalho is a third year student of Bachelors in Legislative Law at G R
Kare College of Law, Margao and a parishioner of Guardian Angel Church,
Curchorem.)
