Three Kings Day or the Feast of Epiphany is the final celebration
with which the 12 days of Christmas end on January 6. It is believed that on
this day, the Three Wise Men, Melchior, Gaspar (or Caspar), and Balthazar,
presented Baby Jesus with symbolic gifts of gold, frankincense and myrhh.
Reis Magos
The feast of Epiphany or Holy Magi (Three Kings) which will be
celebrated on January 6, 2023, is the main feast of the parish of Reis Magos
Church in Bardez. “It is the only church in Goa that is dedicated to the Holy
Magi. Although liturgically, it is celebrated on the first Sunday after
Christmas, the Vatican has granted special permission to celebrate this feast
on January 6 to three parishes in Goa, Reis Magos, Cansaulim and Chandor,” says
Oswaldo Mendonça, a parishioner of Reis Magos Church.
One of the attractions of the feast in Reis Magos is the
enactment of the adoration of Baby Jesus by the Magi for the feast Mass. Three
men dress as kings and take part in the solemn feast Mass. It was started in
late 1960s by the then parish priest Fr Cirilo Metodio de Souza. During the
earlier days, three young boys used to dress as Magi or Kings and participate
in feast Mass and the procession thereafter. Each king would be accompanied by
another small boy dressed as shepherd carrying small live goat, which has been
since discontinued. Since last 20 years, young boys or men dress as kings and
offer the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh at the crib in the church
before the start of the feast Mass. They later join in the procession at the end
of the Mass.
This year, the main celebrant of the feast mass is Fr Dr Socorro
Mendes, parish priest of St Anthony’s Church, Siolim. The three youngsters from
three different Somudais (Small Christian Communities) who will be dressing
Kings are Cloyd Dias, Aaron Rodrigues and Steve Fernandes.
A huge fair of stalls selling various items is set up along the
roadside at the foot of the Church. In olden times, there used to be lot of
wooden furniture, spices, salt fish, copper vessels, grinding stones etc. for
sale which is not found now. All the villagers, both Catholics and Hindus,
enthusiastically celebrate the feast with sumptuous lunch and relatives and
guests gracing the occasion.
Chandor
The Feast of Our Lady of Bethlehem and the Three Kings will be
celebrated with religious fervour at Our Lady of Bethlehem Church, Chandor on
January 6. “Belem Saibinnichi Fest will be celebrated with Masses at 5.30 am, 7
am, 8.30 am and 10 am. There will be blessing on vehicles after every Mass,”
says Joseph Antao, a parishioner of Our Lady of Bethlehem Church, Chandor.
Darwin Cardozo, an ex-parish council moderator, says, “This
year, three persons dressed as kings will be Aiken Menezes from Cavorim,
Shyaden Menezes from Culsabhat and Maverick Dias from Cavorim. For the last two
years, there were no kings due to the pandemic.” Fr Jean Da Cruz Fernandes,
parish priest of Our Lady of Bethlehem Church, Chandor will be celebrating the
Mass.
Cansaulim:
Every
year, the Feast of Epiphany and the Feast of Our Lady of Remedios is celebrated
on January 6 with a lot of devotion. “Three boys, each from Cansaulim, Arossim
and Cuelim are chosen to represent the Three Wise Men who went to visit Jesus
with gifts after his birth. The three boys chosen to be the kings this year are
Nathaniel Julius Gracias from Cansaulim, Gibson Dave Gomes from Arossim and
Naashon Ildefonso Jacques from Cuelim,” says Berny Claire Dias from Cansaulim.
The Feast of Our Lady of Remedios will be held with Masses at 5 am, 6.15 am,
7.30 am, 8.45 am, 4 pm and the High Mass at 10.30 am, celebrated by the main
celebrant, Canon Lucio Alexander Dias.
