Here's an academic debate which has spilled over to the columns of the local newspapers (Herald/O Heraldo):
Milagris and Lairai: fostering the bond of divine unity Sushila Sawant Mendes QUOTE: Goencho Sahib unites us all. We have many such unifying factors. Every generation of the people of Assolna, Velim and Cuncolim have grown up with the belief that the Goddess Shantadurga of Fatorpa is the sister of Saude Saibin of the Church of Our Lady of Health in Cuncolim. The festival of the Sontrios in Cuncolim and the devotional visits of the Catholics to this temple is a graphic representation of this undying belief. Tomorrow is both the feast of Milagres Saibin at Mapusa and the Shree Devi Lairai Zatra at Shirigao, both to be celebrated on the same day after thirteen years, on April 24 this year. UNQUOTE https://www.heraldgoa.in/Edit/By-invitation/Milagris-and-Lairai-fostering-the-bond-of-divine-unity-/204119 Mary to Mira: Just a sound away? Oscar de Noronha QUOTE The article titled ‘Milagris and Lairai: fostering the bond of divine unity’, by historian Dr Sushila Sawant Mendes (O Heraldo, April 23, 2023) has added to the myth rather than clarified it. One would expect to be enlightened on the origin of the statue of Our Lady of Miracles (Milagr Saibinn, in Konkani), or the story of the Seven Sisters, or even be favoured with a sociological or anthropological explanation; but that was not to be. At any rate, as a lay reader, I wish to raise a few issues about its interface with Catholic practices in Goan society. UNQUOTE https://www.heraldgoa.in/Edit/Mary-to-Mira-Just-a-sound-away/204861 [Thanks to Eddie Fernandes' goanvoice.org.uk for pointing to this link] -- FN * +91-9822122436 * 784 Saligao 403511 Bardez Goa ------------------- YouTube Channels ------------------- FN https://www.youtube.com/c/FrederickFNNoronha/videos or https://bit.ly/FNOnYouTube FN1 https://bit.ly/FNVideos1 FN2 https://bit.ly/FNVideos2 ------------------- ------------------- ---------------- *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- Join a discussion on Goa-related issues by posting your comments on this or other issues via email to goa...@goanet.org See archives at http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/ *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-