On the banks of river Zuari one can see the frontpiece (façade) of the Our Lady of Health Church, Sancoale. The façade remaining tall across centuries in itself is a miracle. This is the Church of Sancoale, where the son of the soil Saint Joseph Vaz, wrote the famous bondage letter dedicating his life into the hands of Blessed Virgin Mary. The Church was established by the Jesuits in 1600 but in 1834 the church was struck by lightning and some part of it was destroyed. Similarly in the 19th century, the village was hit by a plague which made the people to disperse to neighbouring villages of Margao and Loutolim. Written evidences state that the plague occurred in 1884. People may have abandoned the village but the church remained as it is and so remained the religious statues inside the Church. Among the various sacred images in the Church, one was the statue of Jesus which was usually used during the Good Friday service. Most Goan churches had and still have such statue of Jesus even to this date.
According to the oral testimony of people, there was a cloud burst at the site and the gushing waters carried the statue of Jesus into the Zuari river. On the other hand, according to Fr Moreno de Souza, in his book Saxtticheo Igorzo stated that since the Church was on the banks of the Zuari river, during high tide or bad weather, water might have entered the abandoned Church and the coffin with the statue of Jesus must have floated into the river.
The coffin containing the statue of Jesus floating in the Zuari River reached the Arabian Sea, and travelled through Vasco, Bogmallo, Velsao, Cansaulim, Majorda, Betalbatim, Colva, Varca, Cavelosim and finally reached Betul where River Sal and Arabian Sea meet together. The miraculous statue of Jesus travels such a long distance. Isn't it a miracle?
Now it so happened that the statue here was found by some locals. They immediately contacted the then 'Cabo do Mar,' (an authorative figure at sea) Fernando Alemao who happened to be from the village of Varca. After examining, Fernando Alemao recognised the statue of Jesus as the one used to ascend the cross. He put the statue in a canoe and carried it to his village through the river Sal. His house happened to be about 100 metres from the bank of the river.
Since it was already dawn, he carried the statue to his house, having decided to take it to the Church the next morning. However, around midnight, there was a loud noise and the house shook, and the room where the statue was kept was filled with incense and brightness. This was seen by the family members. The statue was carried to the Church the next morning and that day on, faithful in their faith and reverence termed it as a Miraculous Statue and adore it even to this day
Miraculous statue of Jesus, through which not just the people of Varca but people from other villages and other religions have witnessed miracles and on 27th November people from all over Goa travel to Varca Church to venerate the miraculous statue of Jesus. Why 27th November? Because on this day in 1636 in the convent of Santa Monica, the statue of Christ was found shedding tears, with blood oozing from the sides. To commemorate that day, the devotion of the Miraculous Statue happens on this day at the Varca Church
