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Pilgrims' journey to Anjediva
in hope of saving Church
Devika Sequeira,DHNS,ANJEDIVA ISLAND(GOA) Feb 5
Hundreds of pilgrims from Goa, Karwar, Kumta and other parts of
North Canara journeyed to Anjediva Island on Sunday to pledge their
solidarity, as last-ditch efforts are still being made to save the
Church of Nossa Senhora das Brotas (Our Lady of the Springs), which has
become the biggest casualty of the Indian Navy's Seabird project at
Karwar.
"This is the biggest turnout we have had for the Church feast,"
said one of the nine priests who came to the island to celebrate what
many believe could be the last Mass in the 274-year-old church. Already,
the centre of the roof has caved in, and the monsoons would cause
irreversible damage if repairswere not allowed, pointed out Fr Brito
DSilva, attached to St Anne's Church, Binaga.
Anjediva, which was once part of Goa, was handed over to the Indian
Navy for the Seabird Project some years ago. Last year, the Naval
authorities informed the Goa Catholic Association that access to the
island would be disallowed from May 2003, with construction on the North
Breakwater connecting Binaga to Anjediva well under way. The Navy also
asked that the church be "shifted", a proposition everyone agrees is
virtually impossible.
For the many Catholic devotees, some of whom had travelled from as
far as Panjim (100 km from Karwar), Vasco and Margao (from the Goa
side), the religious and historic significance of the church made it a
cause worth fighting for to the end. Many others felt the Indian Navy's
security concerns were exaggerated, particularly since pilgrims came to
the island only twice a year, on October 4 (the feast of the Chapel of
St Francis of Assisi) and January 2 (the feast of the Church of Our Lady
of Springs). "There are no physical security aspects involved here to
deny us access twice a year," says former MLA Herculano Dourado who had
travelled all the way from Vasco. He pointed out that it was impossible
to shift the church."How do they expect us to carry away history?" he
argues.
According to archival records, the Anjediva Church, built around
1500 (the present one is rebuilt in 1729) is one of the oldest Latin
rite churches in India. The island itself, just two and half square km
and four kms off Karwar, served as a key defence establishment for the
Portuguese with a fortified fort. At the peak of the Portuguese colonial
power here around 1768, Anjediva had a governor with his own staff of
350 men.
With the issue now being officially negotiated between the
Archbishop of Goa Raul Gonsalves and Indian Naval authorities, many hope
this would not be the last feast celebrated on the island. Some devotees
from Karwar say they have approached Congress MP MargaretAlva to help
sort out the issue.
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