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St. Francisco Xavier - his life and times (Part 5) By Dr. Jose Colaco Upon arrival, Fr. Francisco walked over to the Hospice and took-up his residence there. He then had an audience with Bishop Juan de Albuquerque, in order to explain his mission to him. Fr. Francisco also presented his credentials as a Papal Nuncio, to the Bishop. But he offered his services entirely at the disposal of the Bishop's command and guidance. The Bishop, recognising Fr. Francisco's sincerity and humility bade, him to go forth and serve according to the dictates of his heart and conscience. Fr. Francisco made Old Goa his headquarters. >From his base at the Hospice in Old Goa, Fr. Francisco commenced his missionary work with astonishing zeal and with amazingly little rest. During the course of a normal day, he would be nursing the sick, comforting the dying and administering the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion to them. He would then visit the prisons where he often counselled the inmates to repent for their sins of the past and change their way of life. He would then proceed to the Igreja da Nossa Senhora in order to teach the little children to pray. Similar classes were also held for adults. Fr. Francisco was well known in the city as the priest who called upon the people of the town to prayers - by walking around the streets and ringing the bell. He celebrated Sunday Mass at the Igreja before proceeding to the Home for the Lepers on the outskirts of the city. There he would administer Communion to the lepers after administering the Sacrament of Penance. Fr. Francisco preached in Portuguese and his words had to be translated into Konkani, the native language of Goa, as Portuguese was not understood by many Goan residents of Old Goa. Fr. Francisco attempted to overcome this language barrier by setting-into-tune most of the common prayers and teaching. He had also brought with him from Europe, a printing press but was unable to set it up. Inspite of their inability to fully comprehend what Fr. Francisco was preaching and teaching, a large number of Goans were overwhelmed by this ' holy man ' and his simple, humble, selfless and saintly ways. These Goans converted to Christianity and swelled the church attendances. The set-tunes, too, had become very popular among the Goans - they were heard singing these 'songs' even as they worked with their fishing nets and in their rice fields. They were also very popular with the little children. This state of affairs, of course, delighted Fr. Francisco, very much. He had also been approached about the development of the College of the Holy Faith, for the spiritual education of citizens of various nations. It was envisaged that these men, of different races and nations, would return to their homeland and spread the Word to the natives of those lands. Fr. Francisco was an obvious choice as a director. He had already served as a professor in Paris. He, however, was unable to assist in this project, at this time. He was commanded by the Portuguese Governor of Goa, Dom Martim Afonso de Souza, to proceed to the Fishery Coast of South India. This is a curious turn of events. A mere four months after his arrival in Goa, he was commanded to leave and go elsewhere. There was work he had commenced and there was no replacement yet. Besides, there was more work to be accomplished in Goa. He was barely over the hurdle of Konkani and did not have a clue of Tamil or Malayalam - and yet, this hurried departure from Goa. It is true, that the Portuguese had a vital spice interest to deal with in South India; but the exit of Fr. Francisco may have served another purpose. Were his sermons and admonishments becoming too much of an interference in the 'Portuguese way of life' in Goa ? Was this tiny Jesuit touching a raw nerve among them or was he 'rocking the boat' a bit-too much for their comfort ? Was political pressure applied from within Goa to ensure Fr. Francisco's absence from Goa ?. Fr. Francisco left Goa for the Fishery Coast at the end of September 1542. In his letters to Rome, he records that he is being sent to Cabo Camurim or present day Kanya Kumari - the southern most tip of India. He was concerned about the perils of the sea voyage and the heat. But he overcame his concerns by accepting these perils and hardships and making them a source of comfort and consolation for him. November 23, 1996 comments to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Click here for more information on Dr Jose Colaco Photos By William Rodrigues during The Feast Of St. Francis Xavier 4th Dec, 2000 CREDITS Article By Dr Jose Colaco Photos By William Rodrigues Input & Services By Cecil Pinto Presented by Goa-World Team www.goa-world.com (C) Copyrights Reserved
