Team Herald
PANJIM: The Novena in preparation for the feast of St Joseph Vaz will be celebrated with congregation at the old Our Lady of Health Church, Sancoale, from January 7. The feast will be celebrated on January 16.
During the novena and the feast the congregation will be half the usual capacity, following all SOPs and the Diocesan Guidelines, especially with regard to wearing the mask, sanitisation and social distancing.
The faithful who cannot be accommodated inside the pandal will be provided a place outside the pandal.
The Novena Masses (January 7 to 15) schedule is Morning: 5.00 am (only on Sunday, Jan 9); 6.00 am; 7.30 am and 9.15 am (Deanery-wise ‘Romaria’ Mass), all in Konkani.
Evening: 4.00 pm Konkani (Deanery-wise ‘Romaria’ Mass) and 6.00 pm in English.
Two additional Masses will be held on January 9: in Malayalam at 10:45 a.m. and in Tamil at 12:15 p.m.
Masses on the Feast day (Jan 16) will be as follows: Morning: 5.00 am; 6.15 am; 7.30 am; 8.30 am; the Concelebrated Solemn High Mass at 10.00 am will be presided over by Most Rev. Alwyn Barreto, the Bishop of Sindhudurg.
Evening: 4.00 pm in Konkani and 5.30 pm in English.
Bearing in mind the dangers of Covid-19 pandemic, the usual 12.00 noon Mass on the Feast day at the Oratory Room of St. Joseph Vaz, Sancoale has been dropped.
During the days of the Novena and on the Feast day, the Sanctuary of St Joseph Vaz, Sancoale will be open to pilgrims and devotees for the veneration of the statue, relic from 7.30 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. and from 3.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m.
