The nine-day novena at the historic St Bonaventure Church in Erangal beach, Madh, began on January 3.
The church, built nearly five centuries ago when the Portuguese ruled the region, is an important place of pilgrimage. The nine-day prayers are part of the preparation for the feast of St Bonaventure on January 12.
The feast and the fair, held on the same day, attract around one lakh pilgrims from Mumbai and outside. Lenny Lobo, a member of Our Lady of the Sea Church, Madh Island, said the St Bonaventure Church was in ruins for a long time. Members of local churches restored the church and rebuilt the roof. A weekly service is held at the church apart from the annual feast. "Pilgrims come from as far as Goa. One couple who did not have children after 15 years of marriage was blessed with a child after attending the novena prayers. It is a matter of faith for people," said Lobo.
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The church, which is built with stone and lime mortar, has a marble plaque describing its history. Visitors from Mumbai can travel to the church after taking the ferry from Versova to Madh. "Before cars and buses became common, pilgrims traveled in horse and bullock carts. Many used to arrive on Saturday, a day before the feast, and stay here overnight," said Lobo.
The annual Erangal Feast is held on the second Sunday of January. According to the Bombay East Indian Association, St Bonaventure (1221-1274) born Giovanni di Fidanza, was an Italian Franciscan priest, theologian, and philosopher. He was declared a saint in 1482. He is revered by the East Indian community which traces its origins to the conversion of local castes to Roman Catholicism by Portuguese missionaries in the 16th and 17th centuries.
