St. Lawrence Feast - Exclusive Report for Goa World
by Alister Miranda
Photographs by William Rodrigues

The majestic Sinquerim hillock, crowned by the Church of St. Lawrence, beside the historic Aguada Fort, was today resplendent with traditional Goan festive finery.
'Kadio Bodio' stalls, Goan 'Chouris Pao', 'Bentin' sellers, 'Fullan' ladies, and 'Kheo" (toy) vendors jostled with each other to attract the colourfully attired 'festakar's, young and old, that came from all over Goa. Particularly visible were the many newly married couples who consider this feast very special.

This feast is of most significance to Goa's fishing community, particularly the Bardez ramponkars and trawler owners, as this day symbolically marks the start of the fishing season. A priest would ceremoniously bless the sea from atop while the trawlers, fishing boats and canoes would religiously converge in the waters below. This being the high point of the Feast - a sight to behold - it used to be year after year.

But today although the solemnity and pomp was intact the trawlers and canoes were conspicious by their absence. The bewildered multitude wondered why. Was it in protest against the High Court's ban on fishing upto 15th August? But why fault The Almighty?

BOAS FESTAS anyway!

Photographs by William Rodrigues

A young devotee - Blessing of the Seas - 1 -  Blessing of the Seas - 2

Chouris Pao Vendorst - End of Pursanv - Kadyo Bodyo

Ruchik Chouris Pao - Splendid View - St. Lawrence Church, Sinquerim

Tantra Tantra Zham

Bentim zai Bai - Modern Chonnem Vendor - Statue for veneration - Overlooking it all

Courtesy: TheGoanForum
Bambino Martins" <bambino_m@hotmail.com>

Dear Gaspar and other Readers:

This morning I listened to a very interesting and morally uplifting homily on St. Lawrence. What follows is from memory. My short term memory is short(caput).

St.Lawrence was one of the deacons to Pope Sixtus and was some type of treasurer in charge of charitable activities of the Church in the city of Rome. One day under the orders of the Roman Emperor,the Pope was being taken away. St. Lawrence ran after the Pope and asked the Pope where he was going without his deacon. The Pope said: "Where I am going you will follow soon."

The pope was martyred. St Lawrence went through Rome searching out the poor and the disabled and helping them. Soon the Prefect for Rome(a Represantitive of the Emperor) asked that St. Lawrence be brought before him. The Prefect said to St.Lawrence :"I understand your are  giving the treasures of the Church to the misfits and unfits; Stop that and bring all the treasures of the Church for the Emperor to see." St. Lawrence said that he would do that in a few days. Then St.Lawrence send out messagers into the alleyways, highways and byways of Rome with the mesage that all the poor and downtrodden were to gather at the Emperor's palace on a certain day. When that day came St. Lawrence went to the Prefect and told him to request the Emperor to come out of the palace. The Emperor came out of the palace and demanded of St. Lawrence to know where all the treasures of the Catholic Church were. St. Lawrence told the Emperor that the souls of    each and every one of those poor anddown trodden (wo)men were the treasures of the Church.  One doesn't play a joke on  the Emperor of Rome, if St. Lawrence were a Court jester he might have gotten away with telling a joke to,  but not with  playing a joke on the Emperor.

St. Lawrence was condemmed to death by being roasted on an iron grid with red hot coals under the grid. After he had been on the grid for a while St.Lawrence turned to one of the persecuter and said: "I am well-done on this side; how about turning me over."

Bambino Martins <bambino_m@hotmail.com>

Sinkerim band katorpachi porob

Sinkere Agostache 10 ver Sant Lourensachi porob vhodda dobajean zata. Aixi poixileam ganvancho lok porbek veta. Portugez kallar he porbek veglloch ghonghonn zatalo. Tea disa Aguadchea kottant 21 nalli zataleot. Hem bar vo band katorlea uprant ramponnkar apleo rampnni doriant ghaltalet.

Portugalak Lokrajeo Republik sthaptoch Sinkere St.Lourensache porbecho dobazo bond poddun nalli marpachem bond zalem. 1924 vorsa te porbek nalli marunk Igorjechea Vigaran Rajpalachi porvangi ghetli.

1926 vorsa Goeant novo Rajpal ailo ani thoddeam disamni Aguadchem kott pollevnk gelo.  Tedna kottant aslolea komandant Ferreira de Menezesan taka zaiti khobor sangli ani te Igorjeche porbe disa 21 nallinche far marunk porvangi ghetli.

Adlea kallar Porbe adim Sinkere than Zuarichea tonkache vatten lamb dori banddun dovortalet. Agostache 10 ver St Lourensache porbechem dobajik Mis somplea uprant Nodincho Kapitanv  apli torsad ghevn ani Igorjecho Padr Vigar kap ghalun eka voddeant bosun doriant vetalet. To Kapitanv torsadin ti dori katortalo ani Padr Vigar doriacher axirvad ghaltali. Hi dori katorpachi rit somptoch nodint podlolo renvencho band ugtto zalo mhonn somzotalet. (Polle Bardezcheo Igorzo pustok). Hem bar vo band katortoch 21 nalli zataleot mhonn sangtat. Atam adli porompora sompli. Igorje lagim ek sthan asa tacher ravun Padri doriacher axirvadd ghalta.

Sinkerichea dongrar Dom Miguel de Noronhan 1633 vorsa ek kopel bandun St Lourensak bhettoilem. Uprant taka Igorjecho dorzo dilo. Thoim Franciskan Padri 1779 voros porian vavurlea uprant bhair sorlet. Ponn 215 vorsam uprant 1991 vorsa than hi Igorz Patriark Raul Gonsalvesan Fransiskan Padrink dilea.
E. Miranda
(V-Ixtt hanchea upkaran)

Reader's Comments 

Dear Mr. Menezes,

Tears welled up my eyes as I read the report on the celebration of the Feast of St. Lawrence at Sinquerim by Alistair Miranda, an accomplished writer. It brought that little piece of Goa into my heart. As a Lotlikar from Vanxem village, currently based in Dubai in the UAE, I sincerely appreciate your personal endeavours as well as the efforts of the Goa-world.com team for the yeoman's service you are rendering to the Goan diaspora globally . 

Congratulations and keep up the good work !

Warm regards

Malcolm Dias
PO Box 29127
Dubai
United Arab Emirates
E-mail: malcolmd@mail.com

CREDITS

Exclusive Report by Alister Miranda
Photographs by William Rodrigues

Scanning, Graphics & Transmission Cecil Pinto
Expressions - The Flower Shop

Prepared & Presented by Goa-World Team Kuwait

Special Thanks to Gaspar Almeida for the input and arrangement.