St Bonaventure Church in Erangal: 450 years of harmony and faith

St Bonaventure Church was established in 1575

Established in 1575 on the shores of Erangal, Malad, the sea-facing St Bonaventure Church has stood steadfast against the tides of time. Built by Fransiscan priests during the Portuguese reign in Bombay, this church has seen the arrival of the British, the handover of Bombay's reins from Portuguese hands to the British and the eventual exit of both colonisers, as well as the emergence of independent India. This year, this historical church marks 450 years of existence, a major milestone that devotees will celebrate at the annual Erangal Feast next Sunday, on January 12.

The feast, also known as Baravi Cha Sann (Festival of the 12th day, which celebrates the baptism of Baby Jesus) is famously hosted there on the second Sunday of January every year, when the small parish comprising the nearby Erangal and Bhati villages is abuzz with devotees visiting from the farthest corners of the city and beyond. "Visitors come from as far as Dombivli, Kalyan, Uran, Virar and Colaba to celebrate Mass and enjoy the daylong fete or mela set up by the sea. Last year, more than 1.5 lakh devotees came to celebrate," says Fr Sandeep Borges, the parish priest.

The fete draws 1.5-2 lakh people to Erangal every year during Baravi Cha Sann

But one of the most remarkable things about the feast, and the church, is how it is venerated by Catholics and non-Christians alike. In fact, the church owes its survival during the British Raj - and the subsequent attacks by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj - to non-Christians, who took care of the building and the statue of St Bonaventure after it was abandoned following the exit of the Portuguese from India. "The Portuguese were Catholics and the British Protestants. The new rulers of Bombay did not have much love for the Catholic traditions of this church and it was abandoned," explains former parish priest Mons Francis Correa, who studied the church's history and authored a book on it, titled St Bonaventure.

"For generations, there were no priests at this church. It was the non-Christian residents of Erangal who kept the Catholic traditions alive and protected the structure till the Church of Our Lady of the Sea Trust at Madh Island took charge of it in the 1980s," says the Monsignor.

Fr Sandeep Borges; Mons Francis Correa and Arthur Lobo

Erangal's population is still predominantly non-Christian, comprising mostly farmers, while Christians form the majority in the neighbouring fishing village, Bhati. To this day, the Erangal locals hold great faith in St Bonaventure, says Fr Borges. "They call him ‘jagrut dev'. In the old days, one window of the church would always be kept open so that they could see St Bonaventure's image. Now we have installed transparent window panes so they can still see him while we keep the dust out," he adds.

This tradition of harmonious co-existence plays a major role in Baravi Cha Sann as well. While the festivities begin on Saturday evening with Catholic devotees garlanding the statue of St Bonaventure with flowers, the celebrations end on Sunday evening when the non-Christian villagers honour the village's patron saint with apple garlands. These apples are then distributed among devotees. "St Bonaventure is venerated by Catholics and no-Catholics alike because he intercedes for them, and the requests of devotees have been granted. To this day, Hindu girls in the village come to the church before their wedding day to wash the feet of his statue with milk," says Mons Correa.

Celebrations have already begun for local parishioners since Friday, with daily Mass and Novenas for nine days in the run up to the Feast. Mass is held thrice a day - at 6.30 am in English, and at 5 and 7 pm in Marathi. "Every day, different priests will come from across the city to celebrate Mass with devotees. On Wednesday, the newly ordained Bishop of Vasai, Rev Thomas D'Souza will celebrate Mass," says Fr Borges.

The feast is also an important annual reunion for the East Indian community, which gathers here by busloads from gaothans across MMR. Some still follow centuries-old traditions and arrive by bullock carts (from farming villages in Madh Island and Uttan, among others) or boats (from fishing villages like Vasai).

Many arrive a day in advance and set up camp and cookfires there. They stay there overnight so they can take part in the Mass and then enjoy the fete on Sunday. The fair is a huge attraction for visitors of all faiths, who throng the beach in tens of thousands and shop from the stalls set up by parishioners selling everything from candles to handicrafts. The income from this fair tides them over several months, says the parish priest.

Parishioner Arthur Lobo, 74, who has participated in the festivities all his life, says, "St Bonaventure is a miracle saint; whatever you request, he fulfils it all. People of all religions come to celebrate. This is the only feast where devotees spend the whole day in festivities. Normally, people go home after the Mass, but in this feast, everyone enjoys the fair; they camp here overnight and cook and eat here and then leave after the Feast comes to an end."

Who was St Bonaventure?

Saint Bonaventure was a 13th-century Italian Catholic Franciscan bishop and the seventh minister general of the Franciscan order. Among Madh Island residents, he is considered to be a saint of miracles, with devotees reporting that a myriad of requests being granted, from conceiving a child, to finding lost objects.

Inputs by Rohan Koli