CHURCH OF ST. THOMAS, ALDONA The Church of St. Thomas remains an awe inspiring presence in Aldona. It was built in 1596 on a high plateau on the banks of the Mapusa River. A flight of broad steps cut into a cliff and lead to an open plain that surrounds the grand white building. |
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IMAGE COLLECTION Flora Rodrigues, 2010 (Facebook) Samreth Singh, 2009 (Flickr) Theo Elliot, 2010 (Flickr) Tony Fernandes, 2008 (tonferns.blogspot.com) (Google Images) |
SOURCES OF INFORMATION The church commemorates the day of Dia Dos Ladroes in June. It is known that on 12th June 1741 some women in the farm spotted a gang of desperados in wee hours who were trying to attack the church. After alerting the villagers by tolling the church bell in order to avoid any delay these women took some agricultural implements and attacked them. Some of the gang got drowned while others ran for their life. However the Portuguese government was so proud of their bravery that a special event was hoisted. More... In the December 1995 issue of Youth and You, part of Voice of St. Thomas, the parish newsletter, editor , Melvyn Misquita warned that preparations for the grand arrival must be balanced with an awareness of the spiritual significance of the event. He wr ites : " That an external glitter, gaiety and splendour is always associated with such an event is beyond doubt, but welcoming the spiritual arrival of the fourth centenary celebrations is and must be accepted as central. Then only will our joy of being privileged to participate in this arrival seem meaningful. This I believe, along with our ancestors, constituted the main reason to welcome and embrace the arrival of Christianity four hundred years ago." More... Aldona is a village in Bardez, and a census town in the North Goa district in the state of Goa, India. More... A neo converted Saraswat Brahmin woman was on her death bed. She was advised by people to chant the name of Jesus. She refused to take the name of Jesus because she insisted that he belonged to a carpenter’s family (Shudra). Then a well wisher advised her to pray to Sant Tome (St Thomas) for her quick recovery. The woman was immediately cured of her illness. So the neo converted Brahmins (Bamons) started considering St Thomas as their kuldev (patron saint). Thanks to the church of St Thomas of Aldona, great efforts were made by the church to educate the faithful about the fact that Jesus had followers and disciples from all communities. Besides, Christianity does not believe in the caste system. There were great miracles in the village of Aldona. And the firm belief that it was due to the protective shield of Bom Jesus and Sant Tome that there were no thefts taking place in the village. According to Cacilda De Souza from Aldona, “Many a times, Jesus as a young boy and Sant Tome were visible to Aldonkars”. More... Right in the Heart of Aldona is the age old Church of St Thomas, the Patron Saint of Aldona. Since the church is located on a uphill, this makes a fantastic view to see the enchanting mines of Sirigao above the lovely tiny island known as Khorjuem. Other Roman Catholic Churches in the vicinity : St. Alex, Calangute and Our Lady of Miracles, Mapusa. The best way to see around Aldona is by Bus. The buses are available and run across the length and breadth of Aldona and neighbouring areas periodically every 30 mins. Note If one feels lost, he is free to approach the kind and hospitable people around who will aid him to his destination. More… Não posso precisar bem o ano, mas é fácil identifica-lo a partir das seguintes duas pistas. O caso ocorreu após a invasão de Goa pela União Indiana e no período em que a igreja de Aldonã , cujo padoeiro é S. Tomé, se encontrava vaga com a morte do seu pároco o Pe. António Barreto. Num dia desse ano, eu que ultimava as minhas investigações nos cartórios paroquiais (indo muitas vezes na minha motorizada ou a pé), dou comigo num anexo da sacristia da igreja de Aldonã e ao puxar o gavetão de uma longa cómoda ouço o ruído de algo pesado a rolar. Pego no objecto , mal embrulhado em simples folhas dum jornal, e vejo que era uma imagem, puída pelo tempo, vento e chuva. More… “I was actually initiated into the subject by my grandmother who was from Aldona, in Goa. She never missed an opportunity to talk about St Thomas, who was the patron of her village. St Francis Xavier meant everything to me, but very little to her. She was interested in the very Apostle of Christ our Saint and St Francis Xavier too ! There was no difference in earlier times, she used to tell me as a child between those whom we call “Christians” today and the other people of Goa; there existed no odious discrimination in the villages between “Christians” and “Konkanis”. Her own family was known as “Noronha”, which was the Portuguese version of Narayana, i.e. “People of the Lord !”. That went into my head like a nail. It has brought me to the tomb of St Thomas at Mylapore, finally. More… |
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