Team Herald
MARGAO: The famous Fama De Menino Jesus was celebrated at Our lady of Merces Church, Colva on Monday.
The High Mass was celebrated at 5.30 am, followed by a solemn procession led by Fr Simpliciano Fernandes, Parish Priest of Colva Church. Thousands of devotees who thronged the Church to celebrate and be part of this auspicious fama, were appealed to maintain order and buy Infant Jesus chords and Holy Pictures at the Confraria counter.
Historically, the statue of Menino Jesus was discovered by a Jesuit priest named Fr Benito Ferreira SJ off the coast of Mozambique. He brought the statue to the Church of Our Lady of Merces in Colva, where he was stationed. The idol was placed on the church’s altar, quickly becoming a focal point of devotion and veneration.
However, the celebration of Menino Jesus was interrupted when the Jesuit Order was transferred to the Rachol Seminary, taking the idol with them. The villagers, deeply attached to this deity, fervently requested the return of the idol, but their pleas were rejected. The villagers returned home only to discover that the ring on Menino Jesus' finger had miraculously reappeared in the altar niche of the church. In a joyful response, they crafted a new statue, placed the ring on its finger, and resumed their veneration.