Interestingly
a local legend explains the story behind this statue. In 1600, the
missionaries planned for a new and larger church in another location
more central to the Christians of Siolim. As it was difficult for the
people to travel right up to the hill of Shirkothe, where the
previous church of Mae De Deus was present. So, in order to build a
new church they were falling short of funds. At the same time two
Portuguese merchants travelling to India via konkan coast ,were
caught in a severe storm.
They
had with them a statue of St. Anthony and vowed that if they made to
the port safely they would build a church where they would land. And
this so happened, that the ship landed at the Chapora river and
docked on the left bank near the village of Marna. Co-incidental,
they met the Franciscan missionaries who were looking for funds to
build a new church.
As a
promise made they soon began constructing the church. The work had
begun of building of the church. An unusual snake began to appear and
started harassing the workers and began disturbing the rector
directing the construction. Every time they built the foundation he
would destroy it. The snake was an obstruction due to which they
decided to construction the church else where.
But
the saint worked another miracle. To their great astonishment, the
next morning they saw the cobra hanging to the snare of the cord, in
the hand of the saint. There were no sign of the snake any more. The
statue was seen with a strangulated snake on to a string in his right
hand. Thus making it possible to construct the church. In the church,
the statues, paintings, and even the church bell, depicts St. Anthony
holding a serpent tied with a cord to commemorate this miracle.
