Mapusa: Thousands of Christians as well as people from other religious faiths thronged to St Jerome’s Church in Mapusa to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Milagres, on Monday.
Masses were celebrated inside a pandal outside the church. Director of spiritual renewal Centre, Old Goa, Fr Henry Falcao was the main celebrant at the feast mass along with the other priests.
Father Falcao spoke about communal harmony and urged the faithful to treat people from other religions equally in his homily. “We need to rise against differences of caste, creed, religion and this can be possible if we keep our gaze above and see eternity,” Father Falcao said.
A number of Hindus attend this feast because folklore states that Our Lady of Miracles was one of seven sisters who converted to the Catholic faith. Hindus consider ‘Milagres Saibinn’ as the sister of the Hindu deity ‘Lairai’ in Shirgao. Devotees offer candles, oil, money, anatomy in wax or even sarees to the ‘saibinn’ with an intention that their favours will be granted.
The main attraction of the Mapusa feast is the fair, especially the furniture display and sale.