Thousands of devotees have been attending the novenas of St Joseph Vaz being held at Sancoale. This year the novena and the feast masses are being held at a new location, the old Sancoale church, which is the Our Lady of Health (Nossa Senhora de Saude) Church.
The Church has historical and spiritual importance as it was in this Church that St Joseph Vaz wrote the famous ‘letter of bondage’ wherein he dedicated his life to Mother Mary. The construction of the Church was completed in 1606. In 1834, a mysterious fire destroyed it and now only the façade is left standing and is a protected monument. It is this church that St Joseph Vaz visited as a little boy. Though he was from Sancoale, he no longer belongs to just this village. He now belongs to the entire world.
Thousands of devotees from all over the world will be coming to Sancoale to seek his blessings. St Joseph Vaz is the patron saint of Goa and Daman. Hence it was logical to shift the venue to a more spacious location. The arrangements for the devotees here are excellent. There is ample parking space for two-wheelers and four-wheelers. The huge pandal that has been erected can accommodate hundreds of devotees attending the novena masses every day. The facilities available are comparable to those available for those attending the novenas and feast mass of St Francis Xavier at Old Goa. The greenery that surrounds the pandal presents a serene atmosphere and there is cool air blowing across from the Zuari River located close by. There is ample open space for the free movement of the devotees. This gives a spiritual atmosphere to the entire surrounding. All facilities like drinking water, washrooms, medical facilities in case of emergency, canteen, etc are in place.
Putting Information Technology to good use, the masses are broadcast live and recordings are also available on the websites. Indeed the new location has been God’s gift to the devotees of St Joseph Vaz. However, there are some aspects that need to be looked into. The approach road to the venue needs to be levelled and tarred. If possible the Church in Goa could even think of rebuilding this church by keeping the façade intact.
