Margoa: A Catholic priest’s prompt action saved two Hindu students and averted communal tension in a Goa church.
Our Lady of Snows Church in Rachol witnessed a tense situation after two Hindu students spat out Holy Communion they had inadvertently received during Mass.
The “sacrilegious act” offended Catholics attending the Sunday Mass on March 5. They detained the students and handed them over to the police.
The police released Sunny S Agrawal from Madhya Pradesh and Bhajraj Singh from Maharashtra after they submitted a written apology.
The media in Goa commended parish priest Father Eremito Rebello for his “prompt intervention” that averted an ugly situation. The priest’s action also saved the youth who study engineering at the Goa campus of Birla Institute of Technology and Science, (BITS) Pilani.
The incident had triggered anger and outrage among the local parishioners who cried foul over the sacrilege.
The students entered the church during 8:30 am Mass and joined the Communion procession.
A parishioner Wilfred Gomes told the media that the duo took the Communion and went out of the church. “One of them threw out the Holy Communion from his mouth, while the other took it in his hand and was taking a clip on his cell phone. One of them tried to cover it with his feet,” he added.
Angry parishioners roughed up the youth who pleaded innocence, stating they had no intention to show disrespect to the Communion or hurt the religious sentiments of the Catholics.
They said they had come on a two-wheeler for sightseeing and made their entry into the church.
Only Catholics, who have prepared themselves by going to confession, are allowed to receive the Communion.
The youth raised the villagers’ suspicion as they were in Bermuda’s and jackets with backpacks that violated the recent dress norms in church issued by the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman. Two villagers video filmed the youth receiving the Communion and immediately going out and spitting it out.
As the Mass was still in progress a large crowds came out and caught the youth and accused them of hatching a conspiracy to create communal discord.
Father Rebello completed the Mass and forgave the youth after they wrote letters of apology. Police officer Alvito Rodrigues arrived as the priest was shielding the youth. The police questioned the youth in front of the crowd.
Agarwal showed his bag that contained a diary where he highlights important places he wants to visit in India. They came to Rachol which houses a 17th century church. They said they received the Communion thinking it was ‘Prasad’ as given in a Hindu temple. They spat it out since the Communion tasted different.