St. Sebastian Church

5th October

St. Maria Faustina Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament was born in Poland as Helena Kowalska on Aug. 25, 1905. Young Helena had no intention of entering religious life, but at age 19, while attending a dance with her sister Natalia in Lodz, she had a vision of a suffering Jesus, who asked her, “How long shall I put up with you and how long will you keep putting Me off?” After praying at the Cathedral she departed for Warsaw, where she joined the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. On April 30, 1926, at the age of 20, she was clothed in the habit and received her religious name.

Faustina wrote that on the night of Sunday, Feb. 22, 1931, while she was in her cell in Plock, Poland, after partially recovering from tuberculosis, Jesus appeared wearing a white garment with red and pale rays emanating from his heart. According to her diary, Jesus told her to “Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: ‘Jesus, I trust in You’. I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and then throughout the world. I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish.” Read more

Tadev: Dev boro dis dium, Simao Titiv. Aiz sokallim fuddem khoim vochunk bhair sorlai?

Simao: Dev tuka kurpa dium, Tadev. Amchea Ward-achea protinidik mellunk vetam, mhojem nanv borounk.

Tadev: Nanv borounk ?Anink kiteak Titiv?

Simao: Fuddlea mhoineant, 13ver Otubrache -san, Saininnichi Murti bhair sorchi asa, dhor eka ghorabeak bhett korunk. Zankam hi bhett svikar korchi asa tannim aplem nanv aplea protinidhi lagim diunk zai.

Tadev: Oi Titiv, ami kalchea disa amchem nanv boroun ghetlam. Read more

Sunday, 16th October ’22 is the Day of the Family Apostolate.
The Family Apostolate is the new focus of the Catholic Church, dedicated to bring Hope and Healing in family life; to draw people and families into a relationship with Jesus through prayer in order to revitalise our families and bring the Love of Jesus to a hurting world.

The family Apostolate is addressing afresh issues like inter religious marriages, single parent, the grieving and bereaved, the sick & elderly, and guidance to the youth to discern the beauty of Marriage, without ignoring the call to priestly and religious life. Read more

St. Sebastian Church Catechetical Association had organised Goan sweet dish making competition on 14th August 2022 at 10.30am. The main ingredient to be used was coconut and was exclusively for the parents of the catechism students. There were total 18 parents who participated and they came up with some delicious yummy Goan sweet dishes like Bibinca, batkh, Godxhem, Pattoleo, Holle, Pinagr, Rosache fov, shevio, Tovsalem etc. The dishes were presented in a creative manner by the participants keeping in mind the main ingredient i. e. Coconut.

The judges for the day were Mrs. Valinca Rodrigues and Mr. Setric Gomes. The participants were judged on the basis of taste, creativity, overall presentation and knowledge about the dish. While the judging was going on, the people were kept entertained by our very own dynamic Assistant to the Parish Priest Fr. Leslie Gomes and Talented musician of Aquem Mr. Shane Fernandes who played old konkani songs. Read more

Jivit Devachem, dennem funkeachem,
Korunk tachem zaumchem na mol.
Dev jivit hanv ghetam, sobitayen nettoitam,
Kednach zaunk diumchem nhoi pol.
Hem jivit taka mevlem, fulanim nettoilem,
Soddun aplo ganv ani ghor,
Francis tachem nanv, Assisi tacho ganv,
Povitr sobhent ruchichem foll. Read more

Bhurgem ek bhorvanso
Mogall Firgozkaramno,Rabindranath Tagore oxem mhonnta, “Every child comes with a message that God is not yet discouraged of man.”

Setembrant Saibinnichea zolm disache porbek novena disamnim zaitea bhurgeanchea nimitan birthday-ak mhonn lok misam dita. Tea borobor bhurgeanchea hatantlean dusreank khaunk mhonn cake ani chocolates hancho misa uprant xinvor zata. Dista fokot heach disamnim bhurgeanche birthday zatat kai mhonn. Zatat zait, punn halinch te-ui bi unnem zait gheleat. Read more

The world remembered Mother Teresa on 26th August,being the 112th Birth Anniversary of the greatest humanitarian of all times.
We have all read and heard several Mother Teresa quotes that inspire Love,Faith and Hope.One amongst them which should touch our hearts is:’If you can’t feed a hundred people,then feed just one’.Saint Teresa of Kolkata,as she was called after her canonization in 2016,showed the world how to love and serve the less fortunate ones around us.Although she was small and diminutive in size and stature,she more than made up for it in her zeal and dedication to the people she loved and helped.More often than not, she cared for those who were seen as outcasts and Read more

Have you seen a framed picture depicting Mary Kissing baby Jesus at your homes, convents or parishes? The picture is known as “Kissing the Face of God” by Morgan Weistling, nationally recognized as one of America’s top contemporary painters today and a successful illustrator in the Hollywood movie industry for fourteen years. The phrase “kissing the face of God” immediately can struck anyone with this powerful image of Mary and the Baby Jesus. It is an image that we have seen depicted many times, but never simply as a mother and her child with real tenderness. We start to contemplate the awesome privilege that Mary was given, being able to hold God in her arms, but also keeping in mind that He was still her baby. This cute little child whom she bore was also God in the flesh. And yet, she cuddled and kissed Him, just as all mothers do with their babies. This thought could propel everyone right into this painting that all want to be a very human representation of divinity. Our prayer is that the viewer will be struck with the amazing way that God chose to send His Son into this world — in pure humility.

Read more

History
The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, celebrated every year on 14 September, recalls three events:

1. The finding of the True Cross by Saint Helena Mother of Emperor Constantine

2. The dedication of churches built by Emperor Constantine on the site of the Holy Sepulchre and Mount Calvary.

3. The restoration of the True Cross to Jerusalem in AD 629 by the Byzantine emperor Heraclius, after it had fallen into the hands of the Persian Emperor Chosroes II in the AD 614 Sasanian conquest of Jerusalem. Read more

Padre Pio also known as St. Pius of Pietrelcina was born in a Roman Catholic family on 25th May 1887. Born to poor peasant farmers, in Pietrelcina, southern Italy, he was given the name Francesco Forgione. Although they were poor in material goods, his parents were certainly rich in their faith life and in the love of God. Though illiterate , they narrated bible stories to their children every day. They also attended mass and recited the rosary daily.

Being born and brought up in such a spiritual family, Francesco decided to dedicate his life entirely to God at a tender age of five. As a young boy, Francesco had already shown signs of grace. He was even able to see and communicate with his guardian angel. His fellow students admired his deep spirituality, humility, kindness, obedience, modesty, simplicity, charity and piety. Read more