Feast of Our Lady of Mercy Church, Colva, Goa
14-Oct-2019
Our Lady of Mercy Church, Colva, Goa
Our Lady of Mercy Church, Colva, Goa is called ‘Nossa Senhora das Merces Igreja em Colva, Goa’ in Portuguese. The Our Lady of Mercy Church, Colva, Goa is popular as ‘The Colva Church’ locally in Goa. Originally the Colva Church was a chapel built in 1630 and affiliated to the parish of Benaulim. In 1635, Our Lady of Mercy Church, Colva became a full- fledged parish. Infant Jesus (Menino Jesus de Colva) is venerated in this church with special devotion.
Much before the crystal white sands of Colva made her a favourite among tourists visiting Goa, the centuries old ‘Fama’ of the feast of Menino Jesus (Infant Jesus) celebrated traditionally with pomp and solemnity at the Our Lady of Mercy Church, Colva, made the picturesque South Goa village known far and near. Colva is the only place in Goa where the celebrations on the feast day pale when compared to the festive atmosphere on the Fama day – the day meant to announce the start of the novenas that lead to the feast day and blessing of the symbolic ‘maddi’ that is erected in front of the church.
History has it that the statue of Menino Jesus was found off the coast of Mozambique in the 17th century by some shipwrecked sailors led by Fr. Bento Ferreira, a Jesuit missionary. On his posting to Colva in 1668, Fr. Ferreira had the statue grandly enthroned on a special altar. The annual Fama began soon after, with the statue being kept for public veneration. Power struggles in Portugal which led to the suppression of the religious orders, forced the Jesuits to flee to the Rachol Seminary, carrying along with them the statue. Attempts by the Colva villagers to get back their statue proved futile. They decided to make a replica of the original. Their only possession a golden ring, believed to have been found after it slipped off the original statue, was mounted on the new statue. The devotion was thus restarted.
Today, this statue is securely concealed in a triple locked vault.Celebrated annually on the second Monday (but not before the 12th) of October, the Colva Fama continues to draw crowds from all over the world to the Our Lady of Mercy Church, Colva.
The Religious order based in the parish of Our Lady of Mercy Church, Colva, Goa is The Poor Sisters of Our Lady (PSOL). The Poor Sisters of Our Lady (PSOL) in Colva are based at Divya Prabha, 4th Ward, Colva, Goa.
The Educational Institutions based in the parish of Our Lady of Mercy Church, Colva, Goa is
Infant Jesus High School, Colva, Goa and Infant Jesus Higher Secondary School, Colva, Goa.
The Number of Catholics based in the Parish of Our Lady of Mercy Church, Colva, Goa is 7,550
The Feast of Our Lady of Mercy Church, Colva, Goa is celebrated on the Sunday on or after 8th September.
The Address of the Colva Church is Our Lady of Mercy Church at Colva, Goa 403708.