CANACONA
Jesus comes to us in a unique way through the Eucharist, and when He comes we receive Him in our body and soul, preached Fr Romeo D'Silva.
Fr D'Silva was delivering a homily at the special mass celebrated at Agonda Church wherein 43 children received the First Holy Communion, under strict Covid SOPs.
Sixteen girls and 27 boys were taught and prepared for the First Holy Communion with both online and offline catechism amid the Covid restrictions.
Only the parents along with the child receiving the Sacrament of First Holy Communion were allowed in the church after following strict Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) to participate in the Mass.
Each parent and child was checked with the thermal gun for temperature, they had to sanitize their hands, wearing of face mask was compulsory and they were made to sit maintaining social distance in the church hall. No group photography was permitted and no third person was allowed to wish anyone.
It was a unique view with all the children receiving the first Holy Communion not only dressed in white clothes but also wearing white-coloured face masks, which they had to briefly remove to receive the Holy Eucharist.
Back home, while most households organised celebrations, all limited it to very close family members and immediate neighbours to avoid crowding.
It was a heart-touching moment when the wife of a parishioner Paixao Fernandes, who was killed in a hit and run accident last Sunday, came to the Church with the son and hailed him to receive the First Holy Communion.
The body of Paixao, which is still lying at a Margao hospital awaiting postmortem, will be given final rites on Monday, sources said.
