the goan I network
MARGAO
Nearly two decades after local residents knocked the doors of the authorities to shift the St Francis Xavier Chapel located on the Old Market-KTC road at Madel, a new chapel will be finally blessed and inaugurated on the Margao municipality owned land on November 23, just metres away from the old chapel site.
Ahead of the blessing of the new St Francis Xavier Chapel at Madel, the old Chapel structure, which was located on the old market-KTC footpath, was razed down late Thursday night after shifting of the Holy Cross to the new chapel.
The new chapel will be blessed and inaugurated on Saturday at 5.30 pm with an Eucharistic celebration organised by the Fabrica Da Igreja De Deus Espirito Santo.
Residents of Madel, especially the committee members of the St Francis Xavier Chapel had first knocked the doors of the authorities with a plea to shift the chapel to a safe place. The proposal mooted by the chapel committee, however, remained in cold storage of the authorities as they could not find the required land for the relocation of the chapel.
Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai told the media on Friday that the matter was taken by him with the government since this is perhaps the first time in the history of Goa that
the people, hailing from the minority Catholic community, had volunteered to shift the chapel to ease traffic congestion.
“I salute the people of Madel in my constituency for having volunteered to shift the chapel. This is the first instance of governance by consent with the government and the people coming together to usher development with consent,” he said, and hoped that people from Fatorda and the rest of Goa will take a cue from the people of Madel.
