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NT News Service
The feast of Our Lady of Snows, popularly known as ‘Konsachem fest,’ will be celebrated with pomp and gaiety on August 5 at the Raia church.
The feast novenas began on July 26. The masses on the feast day will commence from 6 a.m., 7 a.m., 8 a.m., followed by the blessing and cutting of the corn at 9.15 a.m. The High Mass will be at 10 a.m. Fr D Silva will be cut the corn along with the assistant priest of the Raia church.
History reveals that there was no snowfall in Italy during the 15th century and the people there had torrid times beating the heat. People were all upset and did not know what to do. They prayed to the God wholeheartedly and vowed to build a church to a place where snow falls. The prayers of these people were heard and luckily snow fell and they heaved a sigh of relief. Villagers, as vowed, constructed the church on the top of the hill where the snow fell and named the church as Our Lady of Snows Church.
The church at Raia, was the first church, in Salcete in yesteryears to be named as the Snows Church and it was dedicated to the patron who came down from Italy during the 15 century. There was no separate church for the people of Raia till 1668 and as such the faithfuls were forced to go at the Raitura church and the Jesuit college church for celebrating the feast.
With concern for the increasing Christian population at Raia, the Jesuit priest, Fr Jorge Caldaria wrote to the Portugal government and highlighted the need of having a separate church at Raia. And, records reveal that the then Portugal government accepted the proposal and permitted to construct the new church at Raia.
“It took nearly 30 years and lot of devotees’ sacrifice to complete the Raia church work where we celebrate the feast on August 5 every year,” said Parish priest referring the records. It was completed in 1699 and blessed in presence of 22 odd Jesuit priests.
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KONSACHEM FEST
Goa-World.Com Team adds:
This feast is celebrated at the unusually named Our Lady of The Snows Chruch at Raia near the town of Margao in Salcete taluka. The feast is known locally as Konsachem Fest after the sheaves (konsa) of rice harvest which are cut at the time of the celebration. Raia is a small village on the outskirts of Margao. The local church here, also known as the Raia Church is the scene of this feast which draws hundreds of Hindu and Christian devotees from all round the state. The Church has a sickle which is said to have been specially sent across to Goa, by the Pope in Portuguese times. The local parish priest cuts the first sheaves of the season's rice harvest from the nearby fields. He also gives blessings for a rich harvest for future seasons and the sheaves are then distributed among the devotees present. These are then used by the devotees to prepare some rice dish at their home. Some of the sheaves are also sent to the Governor of Goa and the Archbishop of Goa Diocese as a symbol of love, good wishes and prosperity. On this a as per tradition, a football tournament is held at the local grounds among the clubs of the surrounding areas.
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