Goa: Religious services waft down from Mandur church

PANAJI: In these stressful days of the Covid-19 pandemic, parishioners of Our Lady of Amparo Church at Mandur in the Tiswadi taluka have largely been able to keep their spiritual quotient buoyed from the comfort of their homes.
While many faithful from other parishes presently avail live-streamed religious services — often interrupted by network glitches — parishioners in Mandur wait to hear the resonant voice of their parish priest, Fr Roland Carvalho, over the church’s public address system early in the morning to begin their spiritual connect with God as they sip a cup of tea or go about their daily chores.
By increasing the volume of the church’s sound system by a few decibels, Carvalho has been able to reach out to most of his parishioners and even border residents of Neura and Azossim, on either side.
“We feel like we are in church when Mass begins at 7am or 8am on Sundays,” Albert Fernandes, an elderly parishioner, said.
Ensconced on a hill slope, the elevated location of the 300-odd-year-old church provides an optimal platform to transport religious services to several areas, including the scenic Dongorim island which is now connected by a culvert.
“Parishioners in eight wards, except Manxebhat beyond Dongorim hill, and nearby villagers have responded well to the daily service,” Carvalho said.
This new normal in Mandur began on curfew day, March 22, before the nationwide lockdown begun.
“On March 21, I celebrated the last Mass with my parishioners, a simple service instead of the solemn one I had planned earlier to mark the silver jubilee of my priesthood,” Carvalho said.
Although Mandur has reported a few Covid-positive cases recently, villagers like Joaquim Fernandes say the daily religious services are crucial to keeping their spirits up. “The morning service has now become even more important for us to prayerfully connect with God,” Fernandes said.