The Hamsa (containing the Evil-Eye) is a palm-shaped amulet popular throughout the Christian community of Goa, India and commonly used in jewelry and wall hangings. 

(Hamsa as seen in Hamsa Bracelet Set)

The indigenous population of the erstwhile Portuguese colony of Goa underwent a large-scale conversion to Christianity after its conquest and occupation by the Portuguese Empire, led by admiral Afonso de Albuquerque in 1510. After conversion to Roman Catholicism, they were usually granted Portuguese citizenship.^[1] Almost all the present-day Goan Catholics are descendants of these local converts to the religion. They constitute the largest Christian community in Goa and account for 25 per cent of the total Catholic population in India.^[2] TheMangalorean Catholic and Karwari Catholic communities of the Indian state of Karnataka are also largely descended from these Goan converts. 

During the mid-16th century, the Portuguese colony of Goa, especially the city of Goa, was the center of Christianisation in the East.^[4] Christianisation in Goa was largely limited to the four concelhos (districts) of Bardez,Mormugao, Salcette, and Tiswadi.^[5] Furthermore, evangelisation activities were divided in 1555 by the Portuguese viceroy of Goa, Pedro Mascarenhas.^[6] He allotted Bardez to the Franciscans, Tiswadi to theDominicans, and Salcette, together with fifteen southeastern villages of Tiswadi, including Chorão and Divar, to the Jesuits.^[6] The city of Velha Goa was shared among all, since all the religious orders had their headquarters there.^[6] Prior to that, the Franciscans alone Christianised Goa till 1542.^[7] Other less active orders that maintained a presence in Goa were the Augustines, Carmelites, and Theatines.^[8] The first mass conversions took place among the Brahmins of Divar, and the Kshatriyas of Carambolim.^[9] In 1534, Goa was made a diocese and in 1557 an archdiocese. The Archbishop of Goa was the most important ecclesiastic of the East, and was from 1572 called the "Primate of the East".^[10] While the Portuguese rulers implemented state policies encouraging and even rewarding conversions among Hindu subjects, it would be false to ascribe the large number of conversions solely to force. On the contrary, the rapid rise of converts in Goa was mostly the result of Portuguese economic and political control over the Hindus, who were vassals of the Portuguese crown.^[11

^{This process of Christianisation was simultaneously accompanied by Lusitanisation, as the Christian converts typically assumed a Portuguese veneer.[12]} The most visible aspect was the discarding of old Hindu names for new Christian Portuguese names.^[12] The 1567 Provincial Council of Goa—under the presidency of the first Archbishop of Goa Gaspar Jorge de Leão Pereira and after his retirement under that of George Themudo, Bishop of Cochin—passed over 115 decrees.[13] One of them declared that the Goan Catholics would henceforth not be permitted to use their former Hindu names.^[13] Consequently, the converts typically had to adopt the surnames of the Portuguese priest, governor, soldier or layman who stood as godfather for their baptism ceremony.[12] For instance, the Boletim do Instituto Vasco da Gama lists the new names of some of the prominent ganvkars (Konkani: Freeholders). Rama Prabhu, son of Dado Vithal Prabhu from Benaulim, Salcette, became Francisco Fernandes; Mahabal Pai, son of Nara Pai, became Manuel Fernandes in 1596. Mahabal Kamati ofCurtorim became Aleisco Menezes in 1607, while Chandrappa Naik of Gandaulim became António Dias in 1632. In 1595 Vittu Prabhu became Irmão de diago Soares and the son of Raulu Kamat became Manuel Pinto inAldona, Bardez. Ram Kamat of Punola became Duarte Lobo in 1601, while Tados Irmaose of Anjuna became João de Souza in 1658.[14] Since in many cases, fathers and sons were not necessarily baptised in the presence of the same godfather, this would lead to them having different surnames.^[15] For instance in 1594, the son of Pero Parras, a ganvkar from Raia acquired at baptism the new name of Sebastião Barbosa. Later in 1609, another of his sons converted and took the name of João Rangel.[15] As a result, members of the same vangodd (clan) who initially all shared a common Hindu surname ended up adopting divergent Lusitanian ones.^[15

^{However, the converted Hindus retained their mother tongue (which in most cases was Konkani) and caste status, even after becoming Christian.[16]} Based on their previous caste affiliations, the new converts were usually lumped into new Catholic castes. The converts from the priestly Brahmin class were Bamonns (Konkani: Brahmins).^[17] All Brahmin subcastes such as the Goud Saraswat Brahmins, Padyes, the Daivadnyas, and especially the goldsmiths and a few merchants, were lumped into the Christian caste of Bamonn.[17] The converts from the Kshatriya and Vaishya Vani castes became Chardos (Kshatriyas);^[17] and those Vaishya Vanis who couldn't become Chardos formed a new caste Gauddos.^[18] Those converts from the Gaudas, Kunbis and other lower castes were grouped together as Sudirs, equivalent to Shudras.[19]^[20] The Bamonns, Chardos, and Gauddos have been traditionally seen as the high castes in the Goan Catholic caste hierarchy. (wikipedia)

Generally in Goa also, the Madonna for example, is depicted in flowing garb that is almost sari-like, and her feet rest on a crescent moon or medialuna. The crescent moon rests on a sphere representing the world. Since many Goans converted to Christianity under the Portuguese, local religious art developed syncreatic elements: it was predominantly Christian but incorporated Hindu Indian influences. Christians in the Middle East incorporate the Hamsa and evil- eye as well into their religious images and relics.

Are you faced with a desperate situation? The prayer to St. Jude helps remind us that nothing is impossible with God, even help when you feel all is lost and helpless. 

St. Jude was one of the twelve Apostles. Mark’s (3:18) and Matthew’s (10:3) gospels refer to him as Thaddeus (a surname meaning “amiable or “loving”), possibly in part to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot, our Lord’s betrayer! John’s gospel refers to him in the last supper as “Judas… not the Iscariot” (14:22).

( St.Jude medal pictured here in Dream Bracelet Set)

A prayer to St. Jude:

Oh glorious apostle St. Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the name of the traitor who delivered thy beloved Master into the hands of His enemies has caused thee to be forgotten by many, but the Church honors and invokes thee universally as the patron of hopeless cases--of things despaired of. Pray for me who am so miserable; make use, I implore thee, of that particular privilege accorded thee of bringing visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of. Come to my assistance in this great need, that I may receive the consolations and succor of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations and sufferings, particularly (mention your request), and that I may bless God with thee and all the elect throughout eternity. I promise thee, O blessed St. Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favor, and I will never cease to honor thee as my special and powerful patron, and to do all in my power to encourage devotion to thee. Amen

Many cultures use talismen, relics, medals or other objects of veneration in our world. In the Western world, medals bearing the likeness of Christ, the Blessed Mother and, more frequently, the saints has been a custom for over a thousand years. The medals offered by Saint Evolution are in that tradition. 

Saint Evolution bracelet medals are spiritual reminders and "bookmarks" in our lives. Often, they bear the image of a saint who we honor, and are reminders to imitate their lives. The holiness of St. Therese of Liseaux, the humility, poverty and charity of St. Francis of Assissi, the apostolate of Mother Seaton, and Brother Andre are virtues to emulate. Medals mark our place and bring us back to being thoughtful, compassionate and kind.

Rather than being simply ornamentation, these bracelets are intended to help us be the kind of people we admire.

(St. Therese Medal seen in Joy Bracelet Set)

Saint Anthony was canonized (declared a saint) less than one year after his death.

There is perhaps no more loved and admired saint in the Catholic Church than Saint Anthony of Padua, a Doctor of the Church. Though his work was in Italy, he was born in Portugal. He first joined the Augustinian Order and then left it and joined the Franciscan Order in 1221, when he was 26 years old.  St. Anthony became a Franciscan in the hope of shedding his own blood and becoming a martyr. He lived only ten years after joining the Franciscan Order.

So simple and resounding was his teaching of the Catholic Faith, so that the most unlettered and innocent might understand it, that he was made a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XII in 1946. Saint Anthony was only 36 years old when he died. His great protection against their lies and deceits in the matter of Christian doctrine was to utter, simply and innocently, the Holy Name of Mary. When St. Anthony of Padua found he was preaching the true Gospel of the Catholic Church to heretics who would not listen to him, he then went out and preached it to the fishes. This was not, as liberals and naturalists are trying to say, for the instruction of the fishes, but rather for the glory of God, the delight of the angels, and the easing of his own heart. St. Anthony wanted to profess the Catholic Faith with his mind and his heart, at every moment.

Saint Anthony is typically depicted with a book and the Infant Child Jesus, to whom He miraculously appeared, and is commonly referred to today as the "finder of lost articles." Upon exhumation, some 336 years after his death, his body was found to be corrupted, yet his tongue was totally incorrupt, so perfect were the teachings that had been formed upon it.

Anthony's fame spread through Portuguese evangelization, and he has been known as the most celebrated of the followers of Saint Francis of Assisi. He is the patron saint of Padua and many places in Portugal and in the countries of the formerPortuguese Empire.^[12] 

He is especially invoked and venerated all over the world as the patron saint for the recovery of lost items, and is credited with many miracles involving lost people, lost things and even lost spiritual goods.^{[13][14]   Catholic org}

^{FEAST DAY: June 13}

Here is a typical petition, as found on the back of a Saint Anthony holy card:

Unfailing Prayer to Saint Anthony

Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints.

O Holy St. Anthony, gentlest of Saints, your love for God
and Charity for His creatures made you worthy, when on
earth, to possess miraculous powers. Miracles waited on
your word, which you were ever ready to speak for those in
trouble or anxiety. Encouraged by this thought, I implore
of you to obtain for me (request). The answer to my prayer
may require a miracle. Even so, you are the saint of
Miracles.

O gentle and loving St. Anthony, whose heart was ever full
of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the
Sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms, and
the gratitude of my heart will ever be yours.

(St.Anthony Medal as seen in Acknowledgement Bracelet Set)

Amen. (Say 13 Paters, Aves, and Glorias)