All Souls’ Day brings Goans to parish cemeteries to remember departed loved ones through prayers and tributes, as beautifully maintained graves reflect a tradition rooted in faith, love and remembrance
Paola Ann De Sequeira
O n All Souls’ Day tomorrow, all roads will lead to Goa’s parish churches. Most cemeteries will sport a spruced-up look, cleared of overgrown grass and weeds and given a fresh coat of whitewash after the monsoon. The day is reserved by the Church for Catholics in Goa and across the world to remember their dear departed through prayers and memorial services at the graves of family members and loved ones.
A tradition rooted in faith and remembrance
This tradition was first instituted by St Odilo, the Abbot of Cluny, in the late 10th century at the Benedictine Monastery in Cluny, France, and has continued down the ages.
In recent years, many church cemeteries have undergone considerable improvement. No longer the dark, gloomy and intimidating places they once were, several have been cleaned, paved, well-lit and beautifully maintained. Dedicated care has transformed these hallowed grounds into peaceful spaces where the living can visit without fear or hesitation.
Cemeteries adapt to shrinking burial space
Goa, however, faces a space crunch not only beyond cemetery gates but within them as well. Land constraints affect the living and the departed alike. There are fewer, if any, new “jazigos de família” (exclusive burial plots allotted to families) available today. Where there are no relatives to claim mortal remains after the prescribed moratorium period, they are deposited in cemetery wells. Where families remain, the remains are interred in wall niches, with personal details and tributes often reduced to a minimum. Yet, the depth of love and affection remains undiminished.
Many cemeteries have evolved into gardens of colour and beauty, with graves, niches and tombstones adorned with photographs, bouquets, garlands and flowers. This transformation is particularly evident on All Souls’ Day, when families visit year after year to honour their departed.
Tombstones offer glimpses into the past
Tombstones and memorials from earlier decades are particularly interesting. Wall niches of recent times carry heartfelt tributes that offer glimpses into the lives of the departed and the affection of those they left behind. Most inscriptions are in English, older ones in Portuguese and a few in Konkani.
The cemetery of St Inez Church remains among the oldest and most impressive. Those at Aldona, Moira, Calangute, Colvale, Thivim, Bastora, Anjuna and other villages are also well maintained and offer glimpses into history. Cemeteries south of the River Zuari, too, have much to reveal. While Margao’s cemetery is steeped in history, the tiny cemetery of St Anthony’s Parish at Galgibaga, set by the shore amid whispering casuarinas and the sound of waves, is among the most scenic. Imagine eternity by the beach!
Memories and tributes etched in stone
How do Goans remember their loved ones? The answer lies in the heartfelt inscriptions on tombstones and niches. Though long gone, the departed remain alive in memories, their stories and affection preserved in words carved in stone:
“Footprints in the sands of time, dearly beloved. You have left behind memories of you.”
“Seasons have passed by with loneliness. But feelings of love, memories, and blessings from you help and guide us through.”
“We have loved him in life. Let us not forget him in death.”
“Sleep on, beloved, and take thy rest. We loved thee well, but Jesus loved thee best.”
“A light from our midst is gone. A place is vacant in our hearts that can never be filled.”
“Loving and kind in all your ways, Upright and just till the end of your days, Sincere and true in heart and mind, What a beautiful memory you have left behind.”
As we remember our departed family members with love and thanksgiving, let us also say a prayer, light a candle or place a flower on an undecorated grave. Let us spare a thought for those who have no tombstones, niches or epitaphs to recall their lives, and pray especially for souls believed to be in purgatory who may have no one to pray for them. It is, after all, All Souls’ Day.
