Celebrating Our lady

The Church of St Michal the Archangel, at Anjuna is a place of prayer and fellowship to a very vast number of people. There are about 5000 parishioners in21 wards. Formerly, Assagao and Anjuna used to be one big parish with the Church of St Michael at the center. However, after the people of Assagao built their own church (for the sake of convenience), Anjuna was left with only the church structure.

The people of Siolim, Assagao, and Anjuna belonged to the same Deanery and the inter-marriages between these three villages found them celebrating church festivals one after another… enabling the parishioners to attend all of them on different days.

In Siolim, although the church is named after St Anthony, they also celebrated a very special feast of Nossa Senhora de Guia-Guia (guide). The Our Lady here is the patroness of travelers.

In Assagao, the church is named after St Cajetan; but there too the Virgin Mother has a tribute. There is an added importance given to the feast of Nossa Senhora Bom Porto-Bom Porto (the safe delivery at childbirth).

In Anjuna, the church which was built in 1604 remains fortified under the patronage of the parishioners. Here the parishioners celebrate four very important feasts with special devotions as a community.

In August they celebrated the feast of St Sebastian on the second Sunday of the month.

In September they celebrate 2 feast – the Nativity of the blesses Virgin Mary on 8 September (also called Mother’s Day by many) and on 29 September is the feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.

On the second Sunday in January, the feast of Advogado Dos Pecadorres is celebrated.

This year the feast is on 10 January, the novenas having begun on New Year’s Day. In Goa, this is the only Parish that celebrated the feast of Advogada Dos Pecadorres.

This devotion is open to all and not just the parishioners.