PORVORIM
After a gap of two years on account of the Covid pandemic, the feast of Epiphany, also known as the Three Kings Feast, was celebrated with joy and enthusiasm at the Reis Magos Church on Friday.
Several hundred devotees participated in the feast and one of the traditions was the depiction of Three Kings by different residents of the village and this time, Aaron Rodrigues, Steve Fernandes and Clyde Dias were the ‘three kings’.
The main celebrant at the Mass was Fr Socorro Mendes from the Siolim church, while Reis Magos Parish Priest Fr Orlando Marques also concelebrated the Mass.
Later while speaking to media persons, Fr Mendes said the Reis Magos church is the first church in Bardez which was built by Franciscans in 1555.
“The second, third and fourth churches built in Bardez were in Arpora, Candolim and Siolim, respectively.”
Stating that the Reis Magos Church has been declared a national monument by the Government of India, Fr Mendes informed that apart from Reis Magos, this feast of Three Kings is also celebrated at Cansaulim and Chandor on January 6.
“It is a tribute to the three kings who came with gifts to see the Lord as an infant. The most important aspect of this feast is that although being a Christian festival, it is celebrated by Hindus with equal zeal and passion.”
“Due to the Covid pandemic, there was no celebration of the Three Kings Feast for the last two years and this is why this event was not only celebrated by devotees from Reis Magos village, but devotees of nearby villages and tourists in large numbers also came to celebrate this feast,” said Fr Mendes.
