The miraculous chapel of Our Lady of Candelaria, Pilerne, Goa
The steps up to the chapel on the hill
As children we were taken to the miraculous Our Lady of Candelaria chapel on the hill. I hated going as we had to climb so many steps up to the chapel! But if Dad said we go, there was no discussion. The chapel was tiny and the statue nothing spectacular to us children, but any intention Dad or Mum made was almost instantly granted to them. I remember Dad had given my Uncle next doors house to the army to help him and his young family get rent to live on. However soon the family grew to eight kids and the family needed the house back to live in. The army refused and Dad ran around from office to office to beg for it to be returned. With no hope in sight he went to Candelaria and begged Our Blessed Mother and the house was returned in a few months.
The chapel is much bigger now
Over the years the chapel has been expanded by the faithful giving donations towards its renovation and expansion. It was the feast when we were visiting and it was such a special visit for me as all my memories came flooding back. We walked the distance from our home in Furtavaddo and that was a pretty distance. This time we happily drove by car and then were worried about parking!
Protective wall and tower
We went because the young Parish priest has become an old friend and gave our Steve such a wonderful taste of what his ministry will be like when he is ordained. That's when I felt a sense of peace, that my Steve will be happy in his chosen path. I left it all at the feet of Our Lady of Candelaria on the hill.
