During the period of Lent, many devotees pray and practice in order to understand the
Passion of Lord Jesus Christ. In Goa, the Walking Pilgrimage is one of the
major events on the Diocesan Planner. It brings together all the churches of
Goa in one gathering. All devotees walk 10 kilometres in the wee hours of the
morning, making their way from different destinations to one church. On Sunday,
March 1, 2020, this journey will culminate at the Sancoale Church at 7am.
“This is a spiritual exercise of prayer, reflection and
sacrifice, to start the season of Lent, which has been embraced by the faithful
as a walk with the Lord to experience Him in His passion and glory. The theme
of the Eucharistic celebration will be ‘Go and do likewise’ just like the Good
Samaritan,” says Fr Alfred Vaz, the convenor of St Catherine’s Church, Old Goa.
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Five venues across Goa will be the start off point for the
pilgrimage. Goa Velha by-pass junction for the deaneries of Aldona, Calangute,
Pernem, Mapusa, Panjim, Siolim and Bicholim; Mandur Church Junction for
deaneries of Old Goa, Goa Velha, Valpoi, Bicholim and Sanquelim; Verna Church
for deaneries of Canacona, Quepem, Sanguem, Verna and Ponda; Cansaulim Church
for deaneries of Raia, Chinchinim, Benaulim and Margao; and Vasco Da Gama
Church for Mormugao deanery. All the parishioners will arrive at their
respective centres before 3am.
Auta Mascarenhas from Loutolim is currently working as a nurse
at Goa Medical College, Bambolim. She attended the pilgrimage last year and is
all excited to make the 10-kilometre walk this year too. “The experience last
year was very good. We walked and sang hymns, recited the Rosary and prayed on
the way to Sancoale. We didn’t feel tired at all as we have been walking to Old
Goa for the last five years. We walk from Ambora to Old Goa, leaving the house
at 9pm and reaching Old Goa at 7am for the novena mass,” says Mascarenhas.
She adds, “The pilgrimage is in one spirit. Last, year, the
parishioners started walking according to their churches but gradually they all
merge into a big group. We had to walk on the highway from Verna but with the
help of volunteers, we had absolutely no problem on the busy traffic route.”
Monica Crasta from Old Goa felt motivated by Fr Alfred Vaz. “We
were part of the pilgrimage last year and it was not tiring at all. It was very
peaceful with prayers, hymns and the Rosary. There were buses for the different
churches. Our bus halted at Mandur from where we walked and reached the
Sancoale church at 6:30am. The only problem many devotees faced was the
shortage of chairs for the mass. Otherwise, despite being the first all Goa
pilgrimage, it was well planned with many volunteers and ample of water stops.
Fr Alfred motivated the people of Old Goa to go on this pilgrimage and we are
ready to go this year too,” says Crasta.
Elisa Rodrigues Gomes from St Cruz volunteered for the
pilgrimage last year and this year too. She had a hectic schedule last year as
she was following up on the medical emergencies that were arising. She retired
as a nurse from GMC, where she worked for 38 years and uses her experience to
help others whenever she can. “Walking for the pilgrimage is like walking with
Jesus. As a volunteer, we had to cover every corner of the area. Fr George and
I visited the five sub stations before the pilgrimage started, to check if they
have enough medicines for the patients. There were many devotees who started
walking without having a meal and ended up fainting. Many had heart problems
and still took the 10 kilometre walk. Serious cases were immediately shifted to
hospital and many were given first aid at the centre. I request the devotees
who will be part of the pilgrimage this year to have breakfast and carry their
medicines,” she advises.
The
Pilgrimage Walk will culminate at around 6am and will be followed by a
Eucharistic Mass at 7am. Buses that dropped the people at their respective
centres in the morning will later pick them up from the parking zone at
Sancoale after the Eucharistic celebration.
