Mogall Firgozkaramno,
“Adeus korcho vellu paulo,
Ai mhojem kalliz re fapsota.”

Ho manddo hanvem ani tumi zaite pavtt dusreank mhonnla astolo. Atam mhakach ho aikunk kalliz zhodd zata ani dolle dukhanim bhortat.

Sat (7) vorsam hanga Aquem St. Sebastiao firgojent umedin sarlea uprant atam hangasorlo bhair sortanam fokt donuch vostu mhonntam. Poilem mhollear, “Devak argham”.

Hanga sat lamb vorsam khoincheanuch sodd-soddit sorun ghelim. Devachea adharan sodanch bori bolaiki meuli. Sevadhormik, somajik ani arthik vavr korunk umed kednanch unnem zaunk nam. Goroz tea vellar, goroz tea mon’xancho adhar ani sohokar meulo. Zaitea borea monachea firgozkaramnim fuddem sorun zaito tenko dilo. Soglleanchi apurbai dista. Read more

My dear parishioners,

It has been a great honor and privilege to serve the St. Sebastian parish as an assistant to the Parish Priest for these past four years. Together, I  have celebrated the sacraments, shared in the joys and sorrows of life, and grown in  faith. I am  truly grateful for the opportunity I had to have ministered among you.

I want to thank each and every one of you for your steadfast faith, your generous service, and your warm welcome. You have supported me, encouraged me, and prayed for me, and I deeply appreciate. I am deeply indebted to our Parish Priest, Fr. Andrew Pereira, for the support extended to me during these past four years in this Parish. Thanks to all the members of different groups and associations of this Parish and all the church staff for your unending support.

I will treasure the memories of our time together in my heart. Please know that you will remain in my prayers and I ask that you continue to pray for me as well. May God bless this parish community through the intercession of our patron St. Sebastian and may the Lord’s presence continue to be felt here.

Thank you, and May the Lord be with you always.

Fr. Leslie Gomes (Asst. to the Parish Priest)

The Feast of the Most Sacred Body and Blood of Christ, also known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ or Corpus Christi, is a Catholic feast celebrated on the Sunday after Trinity Sunday. The Eucharist is at the very heart of Catholic worship and spirituality, and is considered the “source and summit” of the Christian life, as it brings the faithful into the closest communion with Christ.

The feast was established in the 13th century by Pope Urban IV, in response to a Eucharistic miracle and the championing of the feast by St. Thomas Aquinas. It celebrates the real presence of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist. This feast highlights the central place of the Eucharist in the life and mission of the Church. It is a celebration of Christ’s gift of the Eucharist to the Church at the Last Supper. It is an opportunity to publicly affirm the Catholic belief in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Read more

The essence and heart of our Christian life is for us to welcome and receive God’s Goodness, Tenderness and Merciful Love, and to let ourselves be transformed by that love. When we walk with God we lack nothing.

(A)  SACRED HEART OF JESUS”- We celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the Friday in the 3rd week of Pentecost that is on the 7th of June this year. The Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is celebrated the next day i.e. Saturday, 8th June.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus is the actual heart of Jesus. It is depicted with a crown of thorns and flames around it. We are reminded of the Presence, Protection and Power of Jesus in our life. The heart is the seat of love in the human body, therefore it is from the heart that the Love of Jesus flows for us. Read more

My interest in St. Anthony arose in my school days when I was in IV or V standard. Our class teacher always invoked his name for lost things even for small items like attendance book, Register or even a lost report card.  I later understood that he was one of the most famous saints that Catholic church ever witnessed and venerated. He was a priest, a miracle worker and a defender of faith.

Volumes of information are available on St. Anthony in various domains but for now let us go deeper in finding things about St. Anthony that we may have heard of, read, listened but never pondered on. Pope Benedict XVI explicitly mentioned that he was one of the most popular saints of the entire catholic church venerated not only in Padua but around the world. Read more

Fr. Andrew: A Beacon of Courage

Courage is doing what is right even when you are afraid. This is a lesson I have learned from Fr. Andrew over the past five years. Under his guidance, I transitioned from being just a parishioner to a moderator, a journey I consider a divine gift. As we bid farewell to our Parish Priest, I want to express the gratitude of the entire Aquem Parish for the remarkable growth and development we’ve experienced under his leadership from 2017 to 2024. The impact of his contributions will always be remembered, and a part of him will remain with us, continually praying for us. We wish Fr. Andrew good health and all the best in his future endeavors.

Fr. Leslie: A Heart Full of Innocence

Remaining childlike is a tremendous state of innocence, and this perfectly describes Fr. Leslie. He possesses an innocent soul, one that expresses joy through Singing and sorrow through tears, with his face reflecting every emotion. Over the past four years, I have come to appreciate his keen eye for beauty and his soulful voice. As we say goodbye to Fr. Leslie, we hope that one day he will return as our Parish Priest. Until then, we send him off with our heartfelt blessings. God bless you, Fr. Leslie.

-Soccorina Fernandes
(PPC Moderator)

When you are a priest you must understand that this life includes being reassigned every few years to a new parish. On one hand it is an opportunity to move on and grow in your priesthood. To take what you have experienced and learn from it. What you did right, what you could have done differently – and apply these experiences at your next assignment and throughout your priesthood.

St Sebastian Parish has been through this many times before, but when it comes down to that last moment – a moment to say goodbye, we are unable to handle it as well as we thought we would. Our much loved parish priests, Fr. Andrew and our Assistant Parish Priest Fr. Leslie are both assigned to move to a new parish. We accept this move to the new parish as a common and regular practice in our Catholic Church that priests move within their diocese to serve another parish after a set amount of time. A little change, a little pain, but eventually a transition considered beneficial for the priest and parish alike.  It is a thoughtful and orderly process that is classic for Catholics. Yet, I must confess that Fr. Andrew and Fr. Leslie’s impending departure is very painful for us. However, we are consoled by the fact that they have laid a very good foundation for us to build upon. Read more

(18th May, 2024)
“Confirmation is the Sacrament by which Catholics receive a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Through Confirmation, the Holy Spirit gives them the increased ability to practice their Catholic faith in every aspect of their lives and to witness Christ in every situation”. After much preparation and a long await, 18th May 2024, was indeed a ‘Red Letter Day’ for us Aquem parishioners. The beautifully decorated church with the warm welcome entrance decor, the altar bearing the tongues of fire and an array of colorful flowers, creative side panel decor with doves and the pews for the confirmands, marked with the symbol of the dove created a spiritual ambiance, for the solemn ceremony to be held. 70 young, enthusiastic boys and girls, immaculately attired beautifully added color to the solemnity of the day’s ritual. Read more