DEC 4, 11 .. ARAMBOL BEACH
OK.. Sunday Morning.. December 4th.. 2011.. I was up and going at 6AM.. lots to do.. TODAY I AM GOING TO ATTEND CHURCH here in Arambol Village at Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church ..
For MANY photos of the church go to .. Bobba Caps Doxology
There are three Masses at Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church in Arambol Village in Goa in India on Sunday mornings.. 6AM (a tad too early for me today).. 8AM (perfect) and 9:30AM (fine but I opted for 8AM).. daily there is one 7AM Morning Mass ..
I arrived at the church about 7:40AM and things were going STRONG.. I was seated at 7:45AM and on the phone with PATTI when .. ‘ Show Time ‘ began ..
How many were in church this Sunday Morning in Arambol Village ..
I HAD TO DO THE MATH since I could NOT believe the number of people I thought were in church..
Let me take you through the MATH.. there are sixteen (16) rows of church pews in the main church sanctuary.. each side of the main center aisle has three benches of pews.. and I will estimate that four (a VERY conservative number) people were sitting in each of the three benches on each side of the church.. I KNOW up to six people (smaller Goans) were sitting on some of these pew benches .. but stay with me..
So you have 16 rows times 6 benches of pews in each full row times 4 people on each bench .. got it ?
16 x 6 x 4 = 384 people ..
In front.. to the right of the altar .. you have another whole seating section.. ten rows of pews.. and I am estimating 12 people (six on each side) per row.. so add to the 384 above another 120 people..
Then to the left of the altar (as you face forward) is a music section.. organist and musicians and some choir people I think.. no number for this group of people..
THE CHURCH WAS FULL.. and my estimate is conservative .. on the LOW side .. there were AT LEAST FIVE HUNDRED (500) people in church for the 8AM Mass..
In Arambol Village in Northern Goa.. COME ON !
Well.. I DID the MATH and I am INTO MATH and estimating crowds ..
OK.. five hundred Goans and one tourist (me) .. guess what language was spoken.. giggle.. Goan !
I could NOT understand a word ONE..
A book had this on the cover.. GAIONANCHO JHELO .. since it had some music bars inside I assumed it was hymns.. it was..
Hymn C-6 was titled .. BAGENTLEAM FULAM MODEM .. got this ! ?
The chorus went thusly .. JEZUCHEA KALLZA SOVEM
BHETTOITAM KALLIZ MHOJEM .. got this ! ?
I (correctly) assumed the word JEZUCHEA had something to do with Jesus ( JEZU ) and was correct ..
So I was totally LOST as to understanding anything BUT I did KNOW Holy Communion when it was celebrated and I TOOK HOLY COMMUNION (and nine generations of my French Hugenot Protestant Ancestors are rolling in their Protestant Graves !) .. (heck I did NOT know the Roman Catholics were ALSO Christians until I was age 46 in February of 1982 so THERE !) ..
HOLY COMMUNION and the Priest(s) and the Eucharistic Ministers were FAST.. I guess that since the church was built in 1780.. they have had some two hundred and thirty plus years to figure out how to DO HOLY COMMUNION and DO it fast ..
I ALSO understood the COLLECTION PLATE.. I was proud to drop a five hundred Rupee note into the basket..
8AM Mass began promptly AT 7:50AM and was wrapped up sharp at 9:03AM ..
And these people cleared OUT and were gone.. and the next group started in for the 9:30AM Mass..
Two locals (the owner of my apartment and the internet cafe manager) I knew were at the 8AM Mass and BOTH said the same.. “No.. not unusual.. it is ALWAYS crowded.. in fact usually MORE crowded.. and YES.. 6AM Mass is also big..”
I WILL check out a 7AM Mass one day soon..
I am PROUD of MY Church in Arambol Village !
Much Joy and Much Love.. Cap ..