The chapel dedicated to St Anne, the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the wife of St Joaquim, is in Mangueiral vaddo in Santo Estevao. Liturgical services are held here once a week by priests from the church. The feast is celebrated this year on Saturday, May 20.
ORIGIN
In the days of old, there when there was no public transport, Catholics residing in Mangueiral vaddo, especially the elders and the infirm, would find it quite difficult to participate in the religious services in the Church, which was quite a distance away. Hence, they felt the need to have a place of worship here. Ligorio Simpliciano Fulgencio Pereira and Apolinia Visitacao de Sequeira, widow of Flaviano Antonio de Fonseca, residents of this vaddo, gifted a small part of their property for the construction of the chapel here, which was blessed on January 30, 1915.
EXTENSION
In 1920, the parish priest, Fr Antonio Leandro Roberto de Rosa, whose basque is mounted on a pedestal just outside the chapel, reconstructed and extended it. During the Novena or Feast Day or when any special religious services were held here, the chapel could not accommodate all the faithful. Hence the outside of the chapel, adrar, which has the appearance of amphitheatre or an open auditorium with tiers of seating arrangement, was used during this time. In 2006, a ceiling was erected over it by the villagers.
The chapel has three entrances, the left side in the past was meant for women while the right for men. Above the main entrance of the chapel is a lateral belfry tower having a medium size bell.
ALTAR
The altar is dedicated to the patroness, St Anne, whose image is in the centre of the arcade behind. In front of it is a large and richly adorned altar, with two beautiful engraving spiral pillars that beautify the main altar, pilasters and other embellishments, with coping stone in the centre.
Below the altar piece, is a painting depicting three themes. On the left is the Triadology – the doctrine of Trinity, the Supreme Supernatural Mystery of the Holy Trinity – Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. In the centre is the picture of St Anne. The third painting is that of Lamb of God, symbolising our Lord Jesus Christ and hovering above is the Dove symbolising the Holy Spirit.
The sanctuary of the chapel is separated by a communion rail of carved teak wood which earlier was meant for the women to receive Holy Communion kneeling down, while men received Holy Communion in the sanctuary near the altar. After the first column of the chapel on the right side, is a square platform of stones, which is used usually on the feast of St. Sebastian, where the statue of the saint is kept. This statue is taken to the Church once a year in a procession and after a few days it is brought to the chapel.
At the back of the altar, attached to the chapel is the vestry room to store vestments and other chapel material.
FEAST
Prior to the Feast is the Maddi, followed by nine-day thematic Novena and during these days, the statue of St Anne is exposed in the chapel. After the Feast Mass is the procession through the streets of Mangueiral vaddo. The streets are decorated with Bonderam and the houses along the streets are lit with candles and incense is burnt at the door steps. The brass band accompanies the procession. After the procession is the solemn blessing, which is followed by the veneration of the statue.
There is also a small fair outside the chapel, with traditional Goan sweets such as grams, laddoos, caddio boddio, etc. The festivities end in the evening with a football match or a tiatr or a dance at Casa do Povo Santo Estevao community hall.
(The writer is Superior at Casa Professa, Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa)
