PANAJI
The church in Bastora is dedicated to St Cajetan, it is called Sao Caetano Igreja em Bastora in Portuguese. Though the feast of the saint is on August 7, the parishioners will celebrate it on August 11.
ORIGIN
Initially, there was a small chapel in Bhattbott vaddo, constructed by the Provision of November 22, 1752 and it was affiliated to the Ucassaim parish. The chapel was dedicated to St Cajetan, it was upgraded to the rank of a parish on April 1, 1947, at this time the archbishop of Goa was Dom Jose da Costa Nunes. In 2006, the Bastora Church building and the parochial house were renovated entirely.
CHURCH
The church is not very big, since it was a chapel earlier. Right above on the front façade is the statue of the patron in a glass case and below it on the middle window is a small image of Christ the King, which seems to have been put later. It has twin towers and in the left is the bell. To the right inside the church is the pulpit.
When the church celebrated its silver jubilee, a stone was inserted in the wall on the left side of the middle door, which had the following words inscribed on it: “St Caetanache Igorjecho Rupea-Utsovacho Ugddas”, 1947-1972, Bastora: 12-11-1972. In 2006, the church and the parochial house was entirely renovated.
ALTARS
The middle altar has the statue of Boa Esperanca, Borea Bhorvanxeachi Saibin, instead of the patron. To its right on the same altar are the images of St Sebastian and to the left of St Francis Xavier, who is portrayed administering the sacrament of baptism to a child.
There are two other altars besides the middle one; the altar to right has the image of St Cajetan, holding the child Jesus. Below it is the images of the Sacred Heart of Mary. The left altar has the image of St Anne, below it is the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
CHAPEL
It has two chapels under its jurisdiction: St Anthony’s Chapel in Santa Cruz vaddo and Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Bela Vista vaddo.
(The writer is Superior at Casa Professa, Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa)
