The Feast of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception is celebratedat the Panjim church on today, with a lot of religious fervour. At this time,the church is ornately decorated and the entire church square is dotted withstalls. It is a spectacle in the heart of the city, with a multitude of localspresent to pay homage to their patroness thronging the church for the sixmasses celebrated during the day, interspersed with tourists looking to satisfytheir curiosity as to what the melee is about.
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception celebrates belief inthe Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is a feast that isalways universally celebrated on December 8 exactly nine months before thefeast of the Nativity of Mary, which is celebrated on September 8 of thefollowing year.
Religious historian, Father Nascimento Mascarenhas says, “Ibelieve that the Immaculate Conception is part of one of the dogmas of theCatholic Church. This is because despite being without original sin and full ofgrace, Mary was always faithful to the word of God. Even though she did notinitially understand what Angel Gabriel told her, she was ready to obey hisword, and considered herself to be his handmaid.”
The church had initially been loosely termed the Shrine ofNossa Senhora da Immaculada Conceicao before being raised to a Parish Church in1600. When asked whether any specific reason has been recorded as to why Panjimhas Our Lady of Immaculate Conception its patroness, Father Cleto Pereira, theParish Priest of Panjim said, "Inorder for the residents and parishioners of Panjim to remain under Mary'sprotection, the founders of the city chose Immaculate Conception."
One such member of the public, 46 year old Francis Menezes,a resident of Panjim with roots in Divar, said, “We have a strong affinity tothis church. My family attends all the masses including the novenas. It is afamily tradition that was started by my great-grandfather.”
And the buzz is just as great from those less affiliatedwith the church. “We normally see the church associated with Bollywood. It isgood to see a more cultural aspect attached to it,” says Gautam Basu, a touristfrom Kolkata.
With the surroundings adorned with decorations, the cityvirtually heralds the festive season, and is a spectacle that is worthwitnessing.
