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Our Lady of Merces Church, Goa

S.A.Clements - The Our Lady of Merces Church, Merces, Goa is called ‘Nossa Senhora das Merces Igreja em Merces, Goa’ in Portuguese. The Our Lady of Merces Church, Merces, Goa is popularly called ‘The Merces Church’ locally in Goa. The Merces Church was originally a chapel dedicated to Nossa Senhora das Merces (Our Lady of the Favours) and was founded before 1600. The Merces Church became a parish in 1613. In 1885, the former parish of Santa Barbara was suppressed and affiliated to the Merces church. A new parochial residence at the Merces Church was inaugurated in November, 1997. The Our Lady of Mercy Church, Colva, Goa is popular as ‘The Colva Church’ locally in Goa. Originally the Colva Church was a chapel built in 1630 and affiliated to the parish of Benaulim. In 1635, Our Lady of Mercy Church, Colva became a full- fledged parish. Infant Jesus (Menino Jesus de Colva) is venerated in this church with special devotion. Much before the crystal white sands of Colva made her a favourite among tourists visiting Goa, the centuries old ‘Fama’ of the feast of Menino Jesus (Infant Jesus) celebrated traditionally with pomp and solemnity at the Our Lady of Mercy Church, Colva, made the picturesque South Goa village known far and near. Colva is the only place in Goa where the celebrations on the feast day pale when compared to the festive atmosphere on the Fama day – the day meant to announce the start of the novenas that lead to the feast day and blessing of the symbolic ‘maddi’ that is erected in front of the church. History has it that the statue of Menino Jesus was found off the coast of Mozambique in the 17th century by some shipwrecked sailors led by Fr. Bento Ferreira, a Jesuit missionary. On his posting to Colva in 1668, Fr. Ferreira had the statue grandly enthroned on a special altar. The annual Fama began soon after, with the statue being kept for public veneration. Power struggles in Portugal which led to the suppression of the religious orders, forced the Jesuits to flee to the Rachol Seminary, carrying along with them the statue. Attempts by the Colva villagers to get back their statue proved futile. They decided to make a replica of the original. Their only possession a golden ring, believed to have been found after it slipped off the original statue, was mounted on the new statue. The devotion was thus restarted.