It will be really a worthwhile, to remain under the spiritual grace of the Patroness St Anne especially during this season rain and festivity. St Anne's means "grace". This is one of the churches (among the four churches in Goa) which dedicated to St Anne. The original church of Ponda was dedicated to St Anne and St Anthony, was established in 1700. The Jesuit missionaries administered to the spiritual and pastoral needs of the people in early seventeenth century.
The existing church was built much later. The church baptism records show that the baptism registration officially started in 1860, under the parish priest was Fr Minguel Jose Leandro Ferrira. The documents were all in Portuguese. They are still preserved in the church archives. In the course of the years, this church was entrusted to the pastoral care of the Franciscans: Order of Friars Minor (OFM) in 1957. After the Liberation of Goa the parochial residence was built in 1967 but not what is today. The existing sanctuary was renovated and extended in 1987 by Fr Valerian Quadros OFM who was the parish-priest at that time.
Our ethnic Goans are famous for food and festivals. This kind of pleasant celebration life, we see, not only among our ethnic Goan christians, but also in the lifestyles of ethnic Goan, Hindus and Muslims. Besides, the Goan fun and forlic, dance and parties, what stand on top of the list, is nothing else but Goan hospitality and religious devotion. The socio-geographical area of Ponda will reveal to us that Ponda town is surrounded by many temples, mosques, chapels. There is harmony, unity, peace and religiosity among the people diffent faiths. Further, all come under the shadow of God's grace. During the St Anne's church feast the people other faiths comes receive the blessings and venerate St Anne. Their special intension to this saint is for the gift of child.
The name "Anne'" comes from the Hebrew word "Hannah" meaning grace. The history tells us that Saint Anne was born in Bethlehem and married to Joachim from Nazareth in Galilee. Joachim was an ordinary shepherd given the task of supplying sheep for the temple sacrifices in Jerusalem. After two decades of marriage Anne and Joachim were childless. Once, when Joachim overheard ridiculed because of their childless state, he said to have gone into the desert to plead with god to give them a child. After a time of fasting prayer an angel appeared to assure Joachim that Anne will bear a child and they were to name her Mary and dedicate her to God. The people of God asking St Anne to make them fruitful. They are praying to St Anne keep them under the shadow of her grace.
After the nine days of novenas and dedicated prayers to St Anne, do you think anyone can remain outside the shadow of God's grace?
St Anne’s Church Ponda: Under the shadow of Grace
We all like to be under someone's umbrella. If not, at least when it suddenly rains.
