Feast of saint Lawrence celebrated with Pomp and religious fervour
Calangute: People from all walks of life flocked to the saint Lawrence church located a top the hill at sinquerim on Saturday, to celebrate the Feast of St Lawrence
The feast of St Lawrence is celebrated towards the end of the monsoons when the sandbar at the mouth of the Mandovi clears. It is a celebration of a new beginning of sorts which marks the reopening of the navigable channel in and out of the river.
In the old days, a rope was stretched between the church and Cabo Raj Niwas in Dona Paula, across the Mandovi. This was cut at the time of the feast celebrations as a symbol that the navigation channel was open for ships to pass through.
St Lawrence is also known as the Patron Saint of Sailors. This is evident in the only altar inside the church which is dedicated to him. His statue is encased in a glass case beneath the baroque reredos. The panelled vaulting is exquisitely decorated and the risers of the steps of the altar have attractive blue and white tiles.
As per sources the chapel was isolated and construction started in the year 1630,it took 13 years to complete due to some reasons .Viceroy D.Minguel de Noronha Count of Linhares discovered it and spent 5000 xerafins from his pocket and also from collections by the benefactors. The St Lawrence church Sinqueim, Goa is poplar called The Sinquerim church locally in Goa.
The Sinquerim church was built by the Viceroy of Goa and handed over to the Franciscans in 1636. In the year 1688 the Sinquerim church was upgraded to a parish after being detached from the parish of Candolim in 1776.
Calangute MLA Michael Lobo also attended the solemn feast mass and greeted the people on the occasion of the feast of Saint Lawrence
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