Catholics all over the world celebrate with great joy the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The cause of this joy is echoed in the entrance hymn of the Mass ‘Let us celebrate with joy the Nativity of the blessed Virgin Mary for from Her arose the Son of Justice, Christ our Lord’.
In Goa the solemn celebration of this Feast had its beginnings in the Chapel of Our Lady of the Mount (Monte), in the city of Old Goa, some years after the Chapel was built in 1513 on this ‘Monte’. Some historians say it was rebuilt in 1557 and extended between 1570 and 1600, raised to Parish Church. Fr Gaspar Barzeus, a Jesuit, who lived and died in Goa between 1552 and 1553, started the solemn celebration of this Feast, preceded by the nine-day novena. The children of the City of Old Goa dressed in solemn apparel used to climb this Monte with baskets of local flowers called ‘Bonjetes’ along the three streets leading to the Monte, named in Portuguese Rua das Flores (Street of flowers). After the Feast Mass followed by procession they showered flowers along the path of procession singing: Sogott Sangata Mell’ia, Devache Mate, etc and placing some at the feet of Our Lady of Monte. It was a day of real jubilation in the City. The feast was called ‘Monte Saibinichem Fest’. From there it extended all over Goa of that time. Even the Feast in Chinchinim Church was called by the same name. It spread to Sawantwadi, Sindhudurg and Belgavi.
From the Monte in Old Goa the Feast moved to Mount Mary, Bandra and from there to the whole of Bombay and Bassein. Similarly Goan priests took it to coastal Karnataka. Monti Fest is very solemnly celebrated throughout Mangaluru and Chikmangaluru combined with the harvest festival. People prepare sweets from the new harvest and dishes from home grown vegetables.
Our Lady is honoured by the people with different names according to the people’s devotion and places. The Feast of Nativity is celebrated with great jubilation throughout Kerala with eight days preparation known as eight days Lent with recitation of family Rosary, prayer, penance and works of charity. The Jacobites and Orthodox Churches in Kerala observe this feast with far greater enthusiasm than the Roman Catholics.
In Tamil Nadu, the Feast of the Nativity is celebrated on a grand scale and Mary is venerated as Our Lady of Vailankanni (known as Lourdes of the East), where multitudes converge to honour Mother Mary and pray for her blessings. No doubt, throughout India this Feast of Nativity is celebrated by Catholics on 8th September but the places and regions mentioned above are considered to have this celebration with great solemnity. In the last 25 to 30 years the Feast of Vailankani is celebrated in some parts of Goa.
The Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of Jesus, the Saviour of the World. Her dignity emerges from the fact that she was chosen by God the Father from all eternity to be the Mother of his only Son Jesus, who assumed our humanity in order to redeem us from sin and restore to us the dignity of sons of God, sons in the Son and sons of Mary our Mother. Let us all rejoice in her Nativity and live joyfully as her children praising the Lord and loving our fellowmen.
