The Carnival Sunday is special for the parishioners of St Sebastian Church Aquem-Alto, Margao.
The annual feast of its patron falls on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. The first had apart from parishioners, an old connect with south Goans.
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As far as in the early 2000s, while the chapel now elevated to a Church in 2009, was part of Our Lady of Rosary Church, Navelim, there would be a huge procession from the Navelim Church to Aquem by foot, wherein the miraculous image of St Sebastian and also a relic was taken from Navelim to the Aquem chapel in great solemnity by the confraria members, dressed in the traditional attire, along with thousands of devotees hailing from far and wide with a brass band in tow.
Early history throws light that Margao and surrounding areas were hit by a devastating plague and in such circumstances, the miraculous image of St Sebastian, who is attributed by the Church as a doctor with healing powers, was taken around the city.
The plague subsided, and from then onwards, devotees throng to kiss the St Sebastian image and relics along with their children to invoke the blessings of the saint.
The procession has since been stopped citing growing traffic chaos within the city.
Meanwhile, the chapel also known as Pandava or Pudda Copel, was accorded a full-fledged status of a Church on Nov 3, 2002, thus being the first Church of the area.
The modern styled church building was inaugrated on May 21, 2006.
But the original establishment of the Catholic faith in the parish according to available sources were laid when a missionaries converted it from a private Hindu temple on the hillock known as ‘Pandavanchem Diull’, sometime in the late 15th Century into a Catholic chapel.
It is believed that one Tipu Santu Naique Sar Dessai, a self proclaimed descendent of the Pandavas, who owned the temple, embraced Christanity along with a many others in the area on the leap day of February 29, 1560.
He accepted baptism christening himself Sebastiao Coelho and from 1562, the feast was celebrated on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday.
The chapel has also another connect with history and heritage as the hillock, housing the chapel has ancient caves carved of laterite stone at the foot of the Monte Hill.
In the early 1900s, Fr Joao de Piedade Viegas, hailing from Carmona was appointed as the Chaplain of the chapel and he constructed and dedicated a side altar, apart from the main altar, dedicated to then Patroness, Our Lady of Rosary.
As the Handmaids of Christ (now at St Joseph High School, Aquem) were also then operating from the Chapel, another altar dedicated to St Joseph was constructed.
Thus apart from the main altar dedicated to patron St Sebastian facing South, there were two other altars facing east and west.
While renovating the Chapel in the early 90s, the eastern and western altars were demolished.
Earlier from 1562, the chapel was maintained by the Communidade of Aquem and soon after by the collection of funds by the locals, who celebrated the annual feast by choosing a ‘President’ (President), from within the Parish or collecting ‘Suscrisao’ (donations) from parishioners.
The caves adjoining the chapel are unique and only one or two of such are found in Goa and as folklore would have it, it is believed from oral generation-to-generation rendered history, that the Pandavas from the Mahabharata could have been staying there in exile, there is also the theory of famous Buddhist Monk, ‘Punna’, supposedly residing in the caves.
The caves are recognised as a monument of Heritage and Archaeologal interest and State importance by the Dept of Archives Govt of Goa – under ‘The Goa, Daman and Diu Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1978’ – and are a major draw for tourists, school kids and heritage lovers.
Hence, the chapel on which the first faith in the area took shape, the first church in the parish was elevated and which is one of the most oldest catholic chapels in and around south Goa, commands a high level of respect, reverence and devotion.
And as St Sebastian is aptly venerated by all, one can till date witness residents of all faiths, culture and creed light candles at the foot of the historic chapel, and if one stands at the ‘Patio’ (front porch) of the old chapel, every passerby will either pause to pay respects or if it’s a Catholic, will action the ‘sign of the cross’ to pay respects to the structure and the Saint within.
As times changed, the chapel has not been maintained as it used to be in earlier times.
The Parish school holds its classes inside it as also the sports club members conduct Table tennis, carrom tournaments, holds summer camps as also play inside the chapel. The parish also conducts dinners, parties and other entertainment activities, holds screenings of films in lent, football matches and other activities.
Today, being the annual feast of St Sebastian in the parish, here’s wishing all a very happy feast and may the parish of St Sebastian so also the historic chapel be blessed always.
