The Fama of Menino Jesus of Colvá, Goa: Faith and Festivity across History

The Fama is a poetic deity that broadcasts good news. This allegoric figure has been used by the Catholic Church to announce the beginning of a period of special prayers to the patron-saint or patroness of the parish, which culminates in the Feast. The Fama is an event of minor relevance in the liturgical calendar, except in Colvá, Goa. Each October, this scenic village celebrates with solemnity, religiosity and festivity, the Fama of the Menino Jesus, which attracts vast number of devotees across the world, including expatriate Goans who specially return at this time of the year. Only on this day, devotees are allowed to kiss the small statuette of the Child Jesus that has long been venerated in the local church and is considered miraculous. This image is a replica of another statuette, which was in this church for over seventy years till it was carried away by the Jesuits to the Rachol College in 1722. The history of the older image was lost in the mists of time, and is surrounded by legends about its origin and its removal from the Colvá Church.
Author José Venâncio Machado uncovers interesting facts relating to this image from his research of several manuscripts of King João V of Portugal (1706 – 1750) and his Overseas Council, as well as a bundle of manuscripts pertaining to a lawsuit between the Jesuits and the inhabitants of Colvá, going back to between 1726 and 1729 – a rare judicial case regarding the ownership of a statuette. Together, these documents allowed the reconstitution of the fascinating history of this statuette.
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