St. Sebastian Church

After the forty days of the Lenten season, we have just celebrated EASTER, the most important feast day on the Christian calendar. Joyfully, this celebration which marks the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ, represents the triumph of good over evil, sin, death and the physical body. May the spirit of Easter continue to live in us NOT just for this season, but the days ahead as well. This is also the time of the year, when the List of transfers of Diocesan priests is announced by the Archdiocese. Fresh postings of Parish Priests, Asst. parish Priests, Chaplains etc. Read more

On the first of May, workers all over the world join hands to strength their unity and to celebrate their solidarity. But the unity and solidarity of workers, as we know, could become political and oppressive if it is not deeply rooted in the brotherhood of man. And it is to give such a solidarity, that the Eucharist invites us to bring the fruits of our work to share with all men. To the Eucharist, all men without distinction and discrimination are called, to sit at the same table, so that men may feel deeply the one origin and the one destiny of all-the one Father who has called us to His kingdom of equality, freedom and brotherhood. And in St. Joseph, the humble carpenter of Nazareth church, a model and example of a worker who could inspire and guide the world of workers. Read more

The day I received my letter signed by Fr. Ligorinho Da Costa, the then Parish Priest, seven years ago, I was happy that I would be able to serve the Parish Pastoral Council once again after a break of three years.
I was chosen to be the Moderator and thus began the journey as a Parish Pastoral Council member. It was joyous, tiring, sometimes dejecting, sometimes fulfilling, but with co-operation, we were able to do the tasks that were entrusted to us.  I had two terms of PPC Membership and in both these terms I was the Moderator. Read more

Procreation is co-operation in God’s work of CREATION. It takes place when a man & woman engage in a sexual act. As a result of this act, most married couples look forward to the gift of a new life in their lives. This new life is a GIFT from God, and not a RIGHT of the Couples.
A couple can decide and plan the number of children they would like to have. This is called Family Planning. This would depend on factors like economic constraints and medical conditions. The Church is very much concerned with the methods employed in planning the number of children. Needless to elaborate here, the Church advocates only the natural Family Planning (NFP) method. Read more

The month of April went by with much rejoicing as Easter heralded the Resurrection of Jesus – our Risen Lord. Indeed, Easter is the promise of a new life and fresh beginnings to those who have embraced the Christian faith. Speaking of new beginnings, this May rolls out the appointments and transfers of various priests in the Diocese of Goa. New beginnings are in the offing for our Asst. Parish Priest Fr. Gregorio Cruz. Read more

Many people are not aware that when Rosary was introduced, it was considered to be recited with all the fifteen mysteries and they were often broken down throughout the day. In his famous book “The secret of the Rosary” St. Louis de Montfort encourages the reader to pray the entire rosary (3 rosaries each of 5 decades) every day. Throughout the history of the church, countless saints have prayed the Rosary and they not only found in it a sure guide to holiness but great benefits. Doctors of the church, as well as saints like St. Theresa of Avila, great religious founders like St. Domnic & St. Ignatius de Loyola, Mystics like St. Gemma Galgani, St. Padre Pio, all of these prayed the Rosary everyday and sometimes many times the entire Rosary. Read more

Melissa was just 14 years old, yet she was acutely aware of her humble background. She lived in a quaint coastal village in an old mud house with her parents and two younger brothers. Her father worked on a fishing trawler and her mother, Evelyn, worked in a departmental store near the tourist hub. The household had a meagre income, but there was love and care in abundance. And how thankful Melissa was for being born in such a loving family!
Although she was generally happy and easy going, Melissa had secret ambitions, hidden deep inside her heart. She wanted to become a doctor – a surgeon, to be precise. From her friend, Rose, Melissa had heard several heroic stories of her aunt Leona who was a successful and renowned cardiac surgeon in London. Rose would tell Melissa how Aunt Leona saved a life when every other doctor had lost hope, or about the awards she had won, or about the lavish lifestyle she had. Read more

My warmest wishes to you and your family – that the Love and Peace of Jesus may reign in your homes always.
We have spent 5 weeks of the Lenten Season, dwelling on the sufferings and death of Jesus on the cross. The next subject for reflection is His Resurrection! It would be something difficult for us to believe today, if Jesus did not appear to His own. My firm belief is that He appeared first to His Mother, to confirm to her that the promises made to her at the Annunciation had come true…. “That His reign will have no end”. Read more

We all know that by praying the Rosary every day, either at home with your family members or in a public place like Chapel or Church, we can obtain quite extraordinary benefits. The benefits are manifold but generally these can be listed as Spiritual, mental and physical benefits. These benefits are in addition to the 15 promises the Rosary provides, to all those who recite it. Read more

We are midway through the season of Lent and very shortly we will celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Easter is round the corner. Presently most of us, if not all, do practice some of the known ways of doing penance, fasting, giving alms, in keeping with the Lenten Spirit. In the words of Pope Francis, we can Fast from Read more