St. Sebastian Church

History

On 31 December 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) was formally notified about a cluster of cases of pneumonia in Wuhan City, home to 11 million people and the cultural and economic hub of Central China. By 5th January2020, 59 cases were known and none had been fatal. Ten days later, WHO was aware of 282 confirmed cases, of which four were in Japan, South Korea and Thailand. There had been six deaths in Wuhan, 51 people were severely ill and 12 were in a critical condition. The virus responsible was isolated on 7th January and its genome was shared on 12th January. The cause of the severe acute respiratory syndrome that became known as COVID‐19 was a novel coronavirus, SARS‐CoV‐2. Read more

Mogall Firgozkaramno,
Ap-aplea ganvchea askareachi porob lagim ieta mhollear soglleank ganvant kuxalkai bhogta. Vorsam fattim ghorant lhan bhurgeank vorsacho ek vistid vo kalsanv meuta mhonn jiv khuxal zatalo. Atam mhonn tuka mhoineak ek vo don tori xinvche poddtat, ani te bi tosleach somoiar ghalpache. Ganvchem fest mhonntoch soirim bhurgeank gheun thodde pautt don dis adinch ieun ravtalim ani fest zalea uprant don disamnim porot vetalim. Ferient bhonvunk mhonn mai-pai bhurgeank 2 vo 5 rupoi ditalim. Ani ghora portotanam chonneacho donno ani kaddeo-boddeo hatant dhorun nett’tan choltalim. Atam urleat teo fokot osleo adleo teo iadi. Read more

“I have come in order that you might have life – life in all its fullness.” (Jn 10:10)

All of us are constantly on a search; a search which will lead us to the better. For some the search is at a basic level of their living, a search for daily sustenance. For others the search is at a much higher level, a search to find meaning in life, a higher purpose. This search leads us to take different paths in life. Some search for meaning in the worldly things, while others move up the order to find meaning in spiritual things.

We have examples of two people who set out on a similar search. On the one hand, Alexander the Great thought that he could be happy if he has the whole world, and he set out to conquer the world. On the other hand, Francis of Assisi thought that he could be happy if he loses even what he has and he renounced all his possessions. A search for happiness leads these two men on different paths. But now when we look back at the lives of these two men, we realize who actually found true happiness, true satisfaction. Alexander may have died an unsatisfied man, but Francis of Assisi experienced the fullness of Life. Read more

The festive days are here again. Time to be joyous and wish everyone a very happy and blessed Feast of our patron, St. Sebastian. May our protector, manifest his healing prowess and heal those suffering from deadly sicknesses and viruses and always protect and save us from all evil. Read more

The very word Carnival brings lot of excitement in our mind adrenaline triggers within as we used to do many things during these three days. The things were really exempted for the general life. One used to eagerly wait for carnival as there used to be amusement, entertainment, fun and frolic.

All these things I am going to write are my memories of 55 years ago. Fondly remembering and recollecting too.  I will definitely miss some but as you finish reading you may add more and make this story bigger.

As a child in 1960’s, primarily we had the feast of St. Sebastiaò in our Chapel which was very important to all AQUEM-cars including people from Davorlim, Aquem-Baixo and Navelim too, as we belonged to Navelim Parish. On the Fama day we had the procession which came via Margao, and vending through the streets of Aquem. The entire route from Navelim to Aquem was well decorated with Bamboo arches and bursting of crackers all the way. Read more

In the 4^th week of Lent, on 25^th March, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Annunciation. The cause for this celebration is something I did not know, but was enlightened by our Parish Priest Fr. Andrew, who revealed in his homily last year on 25^th March, that from 25^th March to 25^th December comprises the 9 months for the birth of Our Lord Jesus.

The Gospel of St. Luke (Ch. 1) begins with the annunciation of the birth of John the Baptist. Zechariah and Elizabeth were both old and could not have a child. But, “with God nothing is impossible”. The impossible happened. Elizabeth became pregnant. (vs.24) and “for 5 months she kept to herself remaining at home”. God respected Elizabeth’s feelings and waited till the sixth month to reveal this secret to Mary at the annunciation of Jesus, to confirm ‘the impossible” and strengthen her faith. Read more

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. So that you may be children of your father in heaven”

(Mathew 5: 43 to 48 and Luke 6: 27to 28,  32 to 36)

Because, our enemies are also the children of the one and only Living God. The wrong doer is a child of God and the victim is a child of God. Let us examine the seriousness of the above Teaching of Jesus with an appropriate example.  Read more

You already have been given what you need to begin to create your future. Don’t find yourself saying, “If only I had this… if only I had more money… if only this were different…. then I could do what I am supposed to do”.

People constantly overstate the importance of things they don’t have. Never let what you think you can’t do keep you from doing what you can. Prolonged idleness paralysis initiative for the resistant mind everything is impossible because it seems so.

Do not wait for special circumstances to act, use ordinary situations. We don’t need more strength, ability or opportunity. Use what you have been given. Read more