A few years back, after every feast in Goa, two members of the
parish would stand at the entrance of the church and distribute holy pictures
pertaining to that particular saint or occasion. The small business card size
picture would have a lovely image on the front and the back would give the
details of the donor of the mass with a small prayer. A well known Goan writer,
photographer and ethnographer, Pantaleao Fernandes from Benaulim is constantly
in search of something out of the ordinary that can be revived and preserved by
Goans. Through his new coffee table book, he throws light on the importance of
holy pictures which were distributed by families during special Masses. Now,
this tradition has almost faded away and the younger generation might have not
seen this norm.
Luckily for Fernandes, his grandfather,
Pantaleao A Fernandes, had collected these holy pictures right from 1890 till
he passed away in 1950. The collection was continued by his grandmother, Maria
Guilhermina Martins e Fernandes till 1990. Speaking about his grandfather,
Fernandes says, “My grandfather Pantaleao, whose name I proudly bear, was an
artist who has left a large number of striking pencil sketches, each dated and
signed. His ebony handled, brass tools of architectural drawing were also
carefully preserve which indicates that he was a meticulous, disciplined man.
This collection shows him to be a very social man who loved to travel inspite
of limited options to commute. And perhaps a devoted Catholic too, to lovingly
cherish and collect all these lovely pictures. Though I never met him
personally, I can gauge his personality through his sketches.”
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He adds about his special relationship
with his grandmother, “True to the theme of the collection, my earliest memory of
my grandmother whom we called Avo, is sitting in her lap and repeating the
prayers she taught me. And these prayers, I still recite. And it was to her
embrace, I would run for solace and warmth.”
The photographs of the holy pictures tell a lot of the time. The
attention to detail and the efforts put in by the artists as well as the
printers show that the job was time consuming and yet fulfilling for them. The
images itself are serene and the colours are also very beautiful. “Some of the
pictures have a caption ‘Printed in Italy’. These were probably hand painted by
leading artists there, reduced in size and mass printed, before being sent in
bulk to Catholic colonies around the world. The local presses then printed a
customised message of the buyers. One thus discovers several local printing
presses that were functioning back then,” he explains.
“As I discovered the pictures, I instinctively kissed them and
put them back. But then a date ‘1890’ on the rear of one picture stuck me.
Imagine, I was handling a picture that was one hundred and thirty years old! So
a second glance was demanded as the image drew my hand like a magnet and I
could see another layer there, a layer of art, intricate detailing, silver and
gold linings and the iconography. But the most striking moment came when I
discovered a picture distributed by my grandmother on the occasion of the
enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in our home in the year 1934, and
then another the following year with the notes on the rear side written by hand
for the first anniversary of the ceremony. The dates led me to discover that
even the altar for the enthronement was designed by my grandfather as I found a
pencil sketch, dated one year earlier. Another revelation was finding a pledge
on the rear of a picture of Our Lady of Rosary of Fatima, signed by my
grandfather to say the Rosary every day. And I suddenly found myself drawn to
this family prayer and continue the tradition he began,” informs Fernandes.
The book features holy pictures which were presented from birth
to death, all the Sacraments as well as ordinations, special intentions and
even Masses offered by institutes. The earlier pictures are written in
Portuguese and gradually change to English post 1961. Some portraits which
stand out are the souvenir of the first mass of Fr Arsenio Lucio Fernandes in
1924 which has the Three Hail Mary’s prayer printed on it. Souvenir of the
fifth day of the novena of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady
to light up the frontispiece of the Panjim Church in 1900 can also be found in
the book. Even the remembrance of the Feast of The Blessed Martyrs offered in
1946 features in the book with the names of the martyrs of Cuncolim. One of the
older photographs also features the souvenir of the feast of The Holy Wise
Kings celebrated at Reis Magos in 1899.
There are articles written by scholars like, ‘The Enthronement
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus’ by Fr Avinash Rebelo and ‘What are Indulgences
and how to obtain them?’ by Rev Dr Socorro Mendes. Other articles included are
by art historian, Dr Savia Viegas, psychologist Rev Dr Edison Fernandes,
sociologist Dr Afonso Bothelo and other prominent religious experts adding a
context to the whole volume. The Forward for the book is written by Archbishop
of Goa and Daman Filipe Neri Ferrao and a message from Cardinal Manuel
Clemente, Patriarch of Lisbon, Portugal.
The book appeals to all readers and Fernandes is quite surprised
by the prebooking orders. “Surprisingly, though this appears to be a niche book
for a select audience, it is quite the contrary. For the general Catholic it is
of course a book of devotion to the faith. To the artist, it is a collection of
art works. A closer look at the pictures reveals intricate patterns and
composition. To older generation, it is a revival of lost prayers. To the poet,
it is an outpouring of sentiments to the dear departed by their beloved ones.
Most importantly, hidden in these hundred plus pictures one could discover a
long forgotten link to one’s own family member. One may think that a non
Catholic may just ignore the book but surprisingly, quite a few Hindu friends
have already booked copies,” says Fernandes.
Currently, one can book a copy at a discounted 25 percent and
the book will probably not be available at book shops because the increase in
paper costs post Covid coupled with the high GST of 18 percent charged for
printing, makes it unviable to provide for the bookseller’s margin. The author
has to be contacted for the booking.
Having
written nine books, this being the fourth coffee table book, ‘Holy Pictures of
Goa’ is Fernandes’ most personal book as many family bonds were reconnected.
“Holy Pictures of Goa’ is certainly my most personal book. Though the pre
booking looks slower than my other books, I am determined to publish it, no
matter what. How can I keep this collection buried in my grandfather’s library?
There are at least a hundred connections to be made, lost friends discovered,
by other people out there,” concludes Fernandes.
