Team Herald
CANACONA: With the date of celebration of the feast of Our Lady of Springs Church at Anjadiv island getting closer, Department of Public Grievances, in a letter, has requested the South Goa Collector to address the grievance of Natividad D’Sa addressed to the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, New Delhi regarding celebration of feast on Anjadiv island.
Speaking to Herald Natividad D’Sa, a septuagenarian from Canacona, said that he had made an online complaint last month to the Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, New Delhi for allowing faithful to celebrate feasts of Our Lady of Springs church on February 2 and St Francis de Assisi on October 4 on the island of Anjadiv.
The island of Anjadiv admeasuring about 1.5 lakh sq mt is now in possession of the Defence and has these religious shrines built over 500 years ago.
D’Sa added that when the government of Goa gifted this island to the Defence authorities had promised to continue the celebrations and since 2004 citing security and presence of vital military installations in the vicinity of the island, the authorities have banned entry of civilians on the island.
“In the past, I had petitioned various authorities including the PMO (Prime Minister’s Office), this petitions are at various stages of hearings,” D’Sa added.
“The church of Our Lady of Springs on Anjadiv, which itself is the first church to be built in India outside of Kerala is of lot of importance to the Christian community and we are only asking the Navy in whose possession the island is, to fulfil their commitment which they made when the island was gifted to them by the Government of Goa. This is my only prayer to them,” D’Sa said.
