How Goa churches are making Hindi language of the Mass

As the state’s demographics shift, its churches are adapting and making space for migrants and the language they understand, with Masses and catechism classes being provided in it

Every Sunday morning, as the church bells of Our Lady of the Rosary in Caranzalem rang out, Shobha Kujur took her usual seat. She unfailingly attended Mass. But, at the end of the hour-long service, she wasn’t entirely pleased.

Kujur, who hails from Jharkhand, understood little Konkani, and almost no English. The sermons, hymns, and prayers, though familiar in rhythm, often held no meaning to her. “There’s nothing like listening to the word of God in your own language,” says Kujur.

She wasn’t alone. Across Goa, thousands of migrants longed for a service in a language they understood.

‘Word Of God In Our Language’
That finally changed in 2022, when the Jesuits at the Caranzalem parish introduced a Hindi Mass. They realised it could become a true spiritual support for them, so it was taken up as a combination of social and pastoral mission. The Jesuit priest Fr Simon Fernandes first initiated this Mass, and now, Fr Joe Nazareth continues it at the Caranzalem church, with support from the parish priest, Fr Pio Almeida. This soon became a lifeline for dozens who had felt left out of the liturgy.

“Hindi is our language, so it feels good to hear the word of God in a language we understand. Those words, I feel them in my heart. We can relate to everything that is being said,” Kujur says.

Hindi Masses are now becoming a regular feature in parish churches across Goa. Changing demographics has even led to a couple of parishes providing catechism (a manual of religious instruction) classes in Hindi.

The archdiocese of Goa and Daman, one of the oldest and most significant in Asia, has around 6.2 lakh Catholics living within its boundaries. Traditionally, most Masses in the state are celebrated in Konkani, though the archdiocese officially lists English, Marathi, Portuguese, Gujarati, and Hindi among its liturgical languages. During the novenas (nine days of prayer) for St Francis Xavier in Old Goa, Masses are celebrated in a vast range of languages, including Spanish, Italian, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, and Hindi, catering to both pilgrims and migrant workers who speak those languages. The novena Masses in Indian languages are typically well-attended.

Many churches have Hindi Masses once a month. In Caranzalem, it’s held at 11.30am on the fourth Sunday, and at 4pm, a similar service is held at Siolim. The popular Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church in Panaji has a Hindi Mass on the third Sunday of every month.

In North Goa district, which has a larger migrant population, the parishes of Old Goa, Calangute, Saligao, Pilerne, Mapusa, Bicholim, Porvorim, Olaulim, Valpoi, Caranzalem, and most recently Ponda, all have Hindi Masses

Celebration Of Immigrants
In recent years, the global Church leadership has focused on migrants, with Pope Francis making migration a central theme of his papacy, even stating that driving away migrants is a ‘grave sin’.

In Goa, the archdiocese celebrates pravasi divas (Migrants’ Day), and last year, its Hindi Mass filled up the Caranzalem church, a large, modern structure with seating at two levels. Auxiliary bishop Simiao Purificacao Fernandes was the main celebrant.

According to Census 2011, for every 10,000 individuals in Goa, over 6,500 identified Konkani as their mother tongue, 1,029 listed Hindi, and 466 mentioned Kannada as their first language. However, locals say the number of Hindi-speaking people in the state has been increasing over the years.

“Initially, we had just a few people, but now there are around 60-70 Catholics who attend Hindi Mass regularly here,” said Ignance Tirkey, who also teaches catechism in Caranzalem. “This is a very good initiative by the Church for all of us. The priest speaking the same language, the liturgy, everything provides new meaning to our lives.”

In Pilerne, home to one of Goa’s busiest industrial estates, a Hindi-speaking member is part of the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC), a consultative body of the parish that is meant to function as the principal form of collaboration and dialogue.

Need For Hindi Liturgy
“There are so many Hindi-speaking Catholics, the number is growing and there is a genuine need for a Mass in their own language,” said Fr Derick Fernandes, parish priest of St John the Baptist Church, Pilerne. “Several parishes already had Hindi Masses, and the archbishop has been supportive. Here, we also have catechism in Hindi. The group is very active.”

That enthusiasm was evident again on Oct 19 this year, when the archdiocese of Goa and Daman celebrated the jubilee of migrants at St Ann’s Church, in Ponda, with — not surprisingly — a Mass in Hindi. The event, it was said, was “an invitation and a reminder for the migrants to renew their gift of hope, to surrender their sufferings and concerns to the Lord of hope, and to share it with others as pilgrims and missionaries of hope.”

“Hindi Masses have been taking place for quite some time in different centres,” said Fr Donato Rodrigues, convener of the Diocesan Commission for Migrants. “People from neighbouring parishes go to these places once a month. It gives them an opportunity to take part in the Mass in their own language. Many of our priests, who have been working on missions, are fluent in Hindi.”

For many migrants, the sound of familiar words spoken from the pulpit offers something beyond ritual — it’s a sense of home. And in a state known for its cultural mosaic, Goa’s churches are making sure that faith, too, can reach people in many tongues.

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