St. Sebastian Church

Democracy is what everyone speaks of and fair enough, most enjoy and appreciate it. But mindsets of people especially towards Christians is still the same but at a much lesser extent as compared to what and how it dated 450 years ago and to be specific during the time of inquisition. The way most orthodox look down upon the muslim and hindu- inter religious marriage, so do even the educated class and to be specific the ‘Brahmins’ of Goa look down upon Christians. I had personal experiences of the same. Read more

Your faith in God can make any sickness disappear’.

My name is Pearson Fernandes aged 24 and just like every person suffering from Covid-19, I was one of them. Covid-19 wasn’t just a sickness for the world but It was a battle against death or you could say survival.

I was tested positive in April.

Before Being tested I experienced symptoms such as body fatigue and headaches.

After being tested positive I had to be quarantined in the hospital. But due to limited symptoms, I was told to be quarantined at home. The first day I spent in the hospital and some more symptoms arose. I got fever and it followed with vomiting. So I had to be under observation for a while and then I was prescribed certain medication and I was told to be quarantined and to visit the hospital the next day again. Read more

Dental health is an important part of your overall health. It is also an important part of your pre-natal care. Pregnancy increases the risk of certain dental health problems that may lead to pregnancy complications. For e.g some studies show a link between gum disease and premature birth. Premature birth is birth that happens too early ,before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Taking good care of your mouth ,teeth and gums during pregnancy can help you have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.  Read more

Tadev: Simao Titiu, Dev boro dis dium. Tum ani tujim ghorchim koxim asat?
Simao: Baba Tadev, ami sogllim borim asanv, Devache kurpen. Punn tum chintest-so distai, kitem zalem ani ho tuzo ‘mobile’ gheun khoim vetai? online class-ik network sodtai kitem?
Tadev: Nam, Titiv, hanv tukach mellonk ietalom.
Simao: mhaka mellonk, anink kiteak?
Tadev: Zannaim Titiv, mhaka konnem ek video-cher sondex pattoila tachi mhaka matxe somzonni divxi?
Simao: Koslo sondex? Read more

Mogall Firgozkaramno,
Fr. Stan Swamy (sarkhem nanv Fr. Stanislaus Lourduswamy) July-ache 5ver 2021, Mumbai hospitalant hea sonvsarak ontorlo. Tacho zolm 26ver April, 1937 hea vorsa Viragalur, Tamil Nadu zal’lo. 1957 vorsa to Jesuit sounstent bhitor sorlo ani aplem gorjechem xikop zalea uprant padriponnachi makhnni ghetli. Tea uprant tannem unchlem somajik xikop Phillipines ani Belgium korun degree ghetleo. Tachea itlea sogott xikpak ani uxearkaiek lagun tannem zaiteo zutt’teo choloileo. Punn tachea khasgi umedik lagun tannem Tribals ani Dalits heam durboll lokam modem Jharkhand aplo chodd vavr korunk tharailem. Tea lokache zaite hok samballunk to bharim vavurlo ani zaiteo sovloteo tankam adkollim modem jikhun ghetleo. Zaitea gorib lokak ekthaim kele ani tanche modem zagrutai haddli. Haka lagun Fr. Stan Swamy ek Industrialist ani serkari mon’xancho dusman zaun poddlo. Read more

“Even a caged bird can sing” is the emotional outburst from Fr. Stan Swamy who said goodbye to this cruel world on 5th July, 2021. The 84 year-old Jesuit priest was an activist who, till his last breath, fought and championed the rights and causes of the Adivasis, Dalits and marginalized living in pitiable conditions in remote villages of India, especially in the state of Jharkhand. He used his might to educate them and instill confidence in them to fight for their rights and free themselves from bonded captivity. As was expected, he was despised by the mighty, harassed, persecuted and finally jailed last October on trumped up charges under draconian laws and treated as a Maoist. He was literally tortured in jail by denying treatment for his various ailments including Parkinson’s disease. Even a sipper to drink liquids was made available to him only after his appeal to the Courts. His appeal for bail was rejected several times until he was admitted to a private hospital when his condition deteriorated after getting infected with Covid in the jail. But it was too late to prevent his death in custody. What a sad end to a most cruel and inhumane story.

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Continuation…..

THE “3”

The “3” of the playing card represents the Most Holy Trinity. The English word “Trinity” comes from Latin “Trinitas”, meaning “the number three”. Trinity, in Christian doctrine, is the unity

of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three persons in one Godhead-God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The doctrine of the Trinity is considered to be one of the central Christian affirmations about God. These three persons have equal status and are equally divine. The trinity represents heavenly most holy family. Each person of the trinity has their particular function, God the Father is the creator (Gen 1, 1- 2, 25), God the Son is the redeemer (Jn 3, 16) and God the Holy Spirit is the sanctifier (2 Thess 2, 13). When we receive any Sacrament the whole trinity is present. The sacrament of Baptism is given by using the Trinitarian formula, as commanded by Jesus (Mt 28, 19). The holy trinity is the model of love and helps each other to carry out their function. The holy trinity invites us all to be connected to our families, to spread love in our family and to be models of love. Read more

On 4th August is the feast of St. John Maria Vianney, when we celebrate Holy Priesthood. St. John Vianney, Patron of Priests, was a simple Priest in France, who stole the hearts of those around him. I find it fitting today to write on the role of priests in our lives and vice versa. Bear with me as I write what you already know.

It is a reality of all priests that even before the Ordination every Priest knows the joy and Miracle of Priesthood. No Priest will look at his Priesthood and say it is because he is capable or perfect. He knows he has faults and failings, yet he has set his life aside to proclaim Jesus to the world. Often, we the laity demand /expect much from Priests. We forget that they are like ourselves, who need to be understood and cared for, because they have given their life for each of us just as Jesus did.
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Luke 1:28 – because Mary is, “full of grace”.On August 15, we celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – the most important Marian feast in the Church calendar.

Catholics believe that on this day the body and soul of Mary – Mother of Jesus was taken up into heavenly glory after completing her earthly journey by her beloved Son and His Angels. In her lifetime, Our Lady had three great ecstasies, of which the Assumption was the greatest.

The privilege of the Assumption was granted to no one, but Mary.
Pius XII in 1950 in Munificentissimus Deus dogmatically defined it by exercising papal infallibility. The dogma and a matter of faith has been divinely revealed by God. Signifying this event, she has been called, ‘Our Lady of Assumption’.

By a special honor, she was enriched by divine grace from the moment of her conception. Mary did not have original sin but conceived the Son of God, with full grace.

Mary is considered as the first Christian disciple.  Read more

“And He was transfigured before them, and His garments became glistening intensely white.”

The Transfiguration scene of Jesus is a representation of His coming of kingdom in its fullness.

Most of the narratives in the Bible are so compact that they overflow and are open to multiple levels of interpretations. This is certainly true to the story of transfiguration of Jesus. The episode about the transfiguration of Jesus is certainly a divine fact that took place on earth.

The transfiguration was the presentation of the glorification and the divinity of Jesus before humans. On this occasion His body underwent a change in form, so that it shone as bright as the sun. The episode of transfiguration comes at a time, when the public ministry of Jesus was coming to a close. Read more