Rohan Fernandes
This year, the annual 'Procession of Saints' at Goa Velha was held on Monday, March 27, 2023.
The procession consisted of over 30 statues of Catholic saints, popes, kings, martyrs, queens and cardinals.
Statues of 2 of Goa's favourite saints, St Anthony and St Joseph Vaz, were also among the saints in the procession.
This unique Lenten procession is held only in Goa and Rome by the Catholic community.
This procession was first held in Goa in the 17th century.
The statues are placed on special 'charols' (a special kind of palanquin), and carried by four people, who are generally from the village.
The procession started from St Andrew's Church and followed a fixed route before returning to the church.
The procession began at around 5.30 pm and lasted for about two and a half hours, well after dusk.
The statues were placed in a fixed order inside the church, where they are kept for public veneration till March 29, 2023.