The two great saints of the early church, Saints Peter and Paul, are commemorated on June 29 with a liturgical feast in their honour. Peter and Paul were apostles who were crucified in Rome. It is a significant celebration for Christians in Goa.
The History of ST.peter and Paul Festival
Saint Peter and Saint Paul were both patron saints of Rome and regarded as cornerstones of the Church. Saint Peter was the first pope and founder of the Roman Church, as well as one of the 12 apostles. He has martyred in the circus of Nero sometime around 64 AD. As he was not a citizen of Rome, he was crucified.
Peter asked to be crucified upside down because he didn't think he was deserving of the same death as Jesus. In the Vatican Necropolis, he was laid to rest close to the circus.
Following his conversion to Christianity, Constantine the Roman Emperor constructed a church in the saint's honour above his grave. The Vatican's St. Peter's Basilica now refers to this building
In addition, he was an apostle who wrote most of the New Testament. He never met Jesus, but despite this, he is regarded as the most important apostle in spreading the gospel and the fledgling religion of Christianity.
As a result of Nero's persecution of Christians, Saint Paul was martyred. He was executed by the less severe beheading because he was not a citizen of Rome. Legend has it that Saint Paul's skull bounced three times, each time generating a spring of water.
Highlights of Feast of St. Peter and Paul
The fishermen's community in the Bardez taluka also observes the Sangodd convention during the Saint Peter and Paul festival, which is held on June 29.
The celebration gets started in the storm by the fisherman in the towns along Goa's northern bank. The fisherman intertwine their pontoons to build boats that serve as transient stages. Small models of churches and chapels are built on these stages.
Following a sizable feast and the morning church session, Sangodd is celebrated. There are performances of folk dances, tiatrs (local dramatic theatre), and music in front of spectators who stand on the waterway's banks.
In the communities of Sinquerim and Candolim, the Sangodd are highly well-liked. The flatboats displaying the models travel up the waterway to St. Peter's Chapel from this location. At each stop, the stage productions on stage begin, followed by the planning of fireworks.