We all need an umbrella of protection at some point in our lives; doing that is the
Church of St Anne in Ponda, figuratively, by offering spiritual grace, and
literally, during the monsoons, as the church celebrates the feast of St Anne.
This church, along with three other churches in Goa, is now
solely dedicated to St Anne, the mother of Mary and grandmother of Jesus.
Originally, this church in Ponda, that was established in 1700, was dedicated
to St Anne and St. Anthony. The Jesuit missionaries administered to the
spiritual and pastoral needs of the people in early seventeenth century. The
existing church was built much later. The church baptism records show that the
baptism registration officially started in 1860, under then Parish Priest Fr
Minguel Jose Leandro Ferrira. The documents, all in Portuguese, are still preserved
in the church archives. In the course of the years, this church was entrusted
to the pastoral care of the Franciscans: Order of Friars Minor (OFM) in 1957.
After the Liberation of Goa, the parochial residence was built in 1967. It was
then renovated and extended in 1987 by Fr Valerian Quadros OFM who, was the
Parish Priest at that time.
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Religious celebration is a beautiful aspect of Goan life because
here, the feasts and festivals of one community are celebrated by other
communities as well, bringing together people in the purest of ways. The socio-
geographical area of Ponda especially, reveals that this town is home to a
number of temples, churches and mosques. There is harmony, unity, peace and
religiosity among people of different faiths. Even during the St Anne’s Church
feast, people of different faiths comes and receive blessings. A noted
intention for which people pray to St Anne is for the gift of child.
The
name ‘Anne’ comes from the Hebrew word ‘Hannah’, meaning ‘grace’. Tradition
tells us that Saint Anne was born in Bethlehem and married to Joachim from
Nazareth in Galilee. Joachim was an ordinary shepherd given the task of
supplying sheep for the temple sacrifices in Jerusalem. After two decades of
marriage, Anne and Joachim were childless. Once, when Joachim overheard
ridicule because of their childless state, it is said that he went into the
desert to plead with god to give them a child. After a time of fasting and
prayer, an angel appeared to assure Joachim that Anne will bear a child and
they were to name her Mary and dedicate her to God. People, in turn, ask St
Anne to make them fruitful and to keep them under the shadow of her grace. Here
feast day is actually July 26, a day also observed as the feast of St Joachim.
