Team Herald
TALAULIM: The traditional feast of St Anne, popularly known as ‘touxeanchem fest’ was celebrated at St Anne’s church in Talaulim with religious fervour and gaiety.
Participating in the festive mass, the Archbishop of Goa and Daman, Filipe Neri Ferrao said that childless couples and men, women seeking spouses flock this holy place with deep faith in their hearts. He reminded the congregation that we all have acquired faith from our ancestors and all need to grow by that staunch faith.
Ferrao mentioned that not much information of St Joaquim and St Anne is provided in the Holy Bible. “But if we want to know and reflect on the life of St Anne,” he said, “then we can get it through the simple life of Mother Mary, the daughter of St Anne.
The Archbishop said that St Anne was a woman of deep faith and she is a perfect example of staunch faith to all the spouses and families. He stated that man of faith trusts God and bows down to His will even at his workplace.
“Like her mother,” Ferrao revealed, “Mary bowed down to the will of God and every step of her life she lived in faith. “Similarly, like St Anne, Mary was also a person of service and vivid example is her voluntarily assistance to her cousin Elizabeth during emergency. In the family of St Joaquim and St Anne, there was an environment of service,” he added.
“Mary like St Anne was a person of deep concern hence she reached out to the hapless family at the wedding in Cana,” the Archbishop stated. “Let our devotion to St Anne help create an environment of faith, service and concern in our families,” he said.
Ferrao expressed concern over the deteriorating life in Goan families and said that selfishness has resulted in disrespect for life and split among spouses. “Family prayer is a must in families which will help bear fruit in abundance. Through prayer God’s plans come fulfilled in life. Of late, storms are witnessed which shake the foundation of families,” he grieved.
Speaking about the auspicious occasion, the parish priest of St Anne church, Fr Johnsie Pereira said that annually faith draws people from different religions to this sacred place. “Intercession has helped many hopeless cases to be solved with the gift of a child or finding a life partner,” he added.
Pereira said that this feast is also called ‘Touxeanchem Fest’, due to the large offering of cucumbers and seeking for the blessing of a child in return. “This festival of offerings continues till date and it is a healthy practice as faith is strengthened of the faithful,” he mentioned.
The dean of Goa Velha deanery, Fr Roland Carvalho, besides priests of the neighbouring villages also participated in the Eucharistic celebration. Colourful stalls with a variety of sweets lined up outside the church compound added to the festive celebration. Continuous downpour throughout the day did not deter the faithful from flocking this sacred place and seek numerous blessings.
