Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Old Country Church - Goa, India

Church of St. Diogo, Guirim/Sangolda - Bardez, Goa. India
PEN & INK LINE DRAWING
Size: 12" x 9"
by Tony Fernandes


           The lyrics of my favourite song by Sean Wilson, somehow bring poignant memories of my childhood in Goa where I grew up and went to school at St. Anthony's High as a day-scholar. There seems to be such a stark similarity in the lyrics of the song to the days of my teenage years that I spent there. On Sunday mornings I walked to Church along with my folks  to attend Mass, and later in the afternoon for Catechism classes.  I served Mass in Latin as a young boy.

Thereafter, I completed my college education in Bombay, and later I worked far away from home. Every year I went on a holiday to see my Mum and Dad, and attended Mass in the same old  village church again re-living the times of my childhood, albeit just briefly, the difference being my childhood friends had grown up into men too. We met outside the church after the Mass, spoke about old times, bringing tears to my eyes that I vainly tried to hide.

          In my drawing of the old country church, on the far right is the cemetery. There lie the graves of my Mum and Dad.
Old Country Church


There's a place near to me, where I'm longing to be
With my friends at the old country church
There with mother we went, and our Sundays were spent
With our friends at the old country church.

As a small country boy, how my heart beat with joy
When I knelt in the old country church
And the Saviour above, by His wonderful love
Saved my soul at the old country church.

How I wish that today all the people would pray
As we prayed in the old country church
If they'd only confess, Jesus surely would bless
As he did in the old country church.

Of't my thoughts make me weep, for so many now sleep
In their graves near the old country church
And sometime I may rest, with the friends I love best
In a grave near the old country church.

Precious years of memories,
Oh what joy they bring to me they bring to me
How I long once more to be,
With my friends at the old country church...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ8YInU-Ihc

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