MAPUSA: On Monday Mapusa remained unnaturally silent. There were no crowds outside the St Jerome Church, where the feast of Our Lady of Milagres takes place, nor the fair surrounding the square, as the festivities were cancelled following the lockdown and Section 144 CrPC imposed in the State due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is perhaps for the first time in the town’s history that the Milagres feast mass had to be held behind closed doors. While devotees were not allowed to visit the church, the mass was streamed live on social media and telecast on local cable networks so that people in their homes could participate.
“We can call it a bad time,” Mapusa Municipal Council chairperson Ryan Braganza said. He added, “The feast as well as the fair was cancelled, but the priests held masses three times on the occasion of feast which were also streamed via social media for the people. Besides, with the cancellation of the celebration, the Church followed the State government guidelines.”
Mapshekars took the cancellation of the festivities in their stride. “I think the lockdown is more important than celebrating the feast. People are suffering all over the world due to COVID-19. Our government has managed to clear all positive COVID-19 cases in the State, however, as citizens we should understand and follow the lockdown so that no more coronavirus positive case are detected in Goa,” said a devotee Eric Fernandes.
On the feast of Milagres, people from all over Bardez would throng to Mapusa. They would come to seek the blessings of Our Lady, but on Monday the people stayed home. “Thousands of people used to come to take the blessings of Milagres Saibinn, however, if the celebration was not cancelled it would have violated the social distancing norm. The morning mass was broadcast on social media and it helped the people to pray while they are indoors,” local resident Diana D’Souza said.
Another local, Vijay Bhike said, “Our Milagres Saibinn will protect us from all the evils including COVID-19. Let God forgive us if knowingly or unknowingly we have done wrong with Mother Earth. Let’s be good human beings and do something for the needy people in these times of the pandemic.”
Mapusa MLA Joshua D’Souza has the last word, “The celebration was cancelled, however, the masses were held and I would thank all the people of Mapusa as well as people from all over the State for supporting this decision.”
