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Domnic Fernandes continues (Part II) his reminiscence of
Mapusa of the 1950s
http://www.goanet.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=426
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In the backdrop of the Archaelogical Society of India
(ASI) maintained Basilica de Bom Jesus , where the
sacred relics of St Francis Xavier are held in a
silver casket, at Old Goa (Ilhas) Tiswadi taluka Goa
the western State of India, over four thousand people
assembled this evening at 1734 hrs IST at a
specially erected shamiana to partake in the Eucharist
Mass to celebrate 500th Birth anniversary of St
Francis Xavier (07.04.1506) a native of Navarre in
Spain.
It was perhaps destined that a native of Spain should
commence his missionary endeavours and also find his
sacred relics held in one of Asia's most beautiful
tiny State of Goa in India which gifted by nature
could easily earn the sobriquet of the "Spain of the
East".
Many faithfiul were taken by surprise of this
celebration today, which otherwise received vide
publicity in the local print media and on the internet
in the past few days. This is because it is not the
birth day but the death anniversary of the Saint on
3rd December, (and that of another i.e his most
trusted friend St Ignatius de Loyola who died on 31st
July 1556 ) that is being celebrated, as feast days.
This year incidentally is also the 450th death
anniversary of Saint Ignatius de Loyola and 5th
centenary celebrations of the birth of Blessed Peter
Faber of Villaret in Savoy on 13th April, 1506. The
indomitable trio were indeed the co-founders alongwith
some others of the Society of Jesus, which has today
over 20,000 priests of this order world wide and the
Goa Province which constitutes Belgaum Pune and Ajra
Sidhudurga. In Goa there are 143 Jesuits.
St Francis Xavier set foot on this soil at Old Goa
just 100 metres away from the Basilica (where a
monument stands testimony to his visit) in then Goa
which constituted only Salcete Mormugao and Ilhas (now
Tiswadi) the Velhas Conquistas (Old Conquests
(1510-1961) nearly 464 years ago. It is "here at Old
Goa" that he arrived from Torre de Belem in Lisbon
(where a monument is erected as well (Fr Vasco Rego
sj who visited the spot in Lisboa Portugal ) after he
set sail and reached Goa via the river Mandovi after
6 months of voyage " according to Fr Vasco De Rego ex
Rector of the Basilica, and began his works in Asia
to reap a good crop of faithful for Christianity.
Following his death the Saint is revered not only in
Goa and India as "Goemcho Saib" but by people world
over. The decadal Expositions where the mortal
remains are brought down from the specially erected
altar for veneration by the faithful is a testimony to
the Saint's following even several hundred years of
his death enroute to China.
Many a times when tragic incidents or a natural
catastrophe e.g. tsunami affect other parts of the
world or India, the it is not uncommon to see Goans
always heave a sigh of relief and note with pride that
nothing will happen so long as "amcho Goemcho Saib" is
there. Even the Japanese who had established the
first tradelinks for mining of ore from Goa to Japan
pay homage to the Saint by describing Goa " in the
land of Saint Francis Xavier" .
The mass which witnessed the Main celebrant His
Grace the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, besides the
Bishop Emeritus Most Rev. Dr Raul Niclau Gonsalves,
Bishop of Belgaum Most Rev. Peter Machado and the
Provincial of Society of Jesus (a society founded on
27.9.1540 ) was a solemn sung Mass as a glowing
tribute to the Saint.
It may be recalled that the members of the Society of
Jesus were responsible for safeguarding the Konkani in
the Roman script and setting up the first printing
press in Asia to further its written communications to
network with the large indigenous natives. They set
up many educational institutions in Goa viz St brittos
High School and Loyola High School Margao, the Baga
Retreat Centre Fr Arrupe Home in Raia the Thomas
Stephen Konknni Kendra the Xavier Historical and
Research Centre at Porvorim are testimony of the
service to the community.
The newly appointed Bishop of Belgaum who partook in
the celebrations was on his maiden visit to Goa and
received a thunderous applause when he was introduced
to the gathering by His Grace the Archbishop of Goa
and Daman Filipe Neri Ferrao.
A special Portuguese delegation was also present on
the ocassion besides the Deputy Chief Minister of Goa
Dr Wilfred A De Souza.
A book on the life and times of St Francis Xavier by
Minguel Correia Monteiro from Portugal was released by
the Archbishop of Goa & Daman Rev Filipe Neri Ferrao.
Sidelights
a) though the Mass was held in the evening transport
arrangements were made (fare Rs 30/-per person) Old
Goa to Margao and so on
b) cake in plastic packets and cold drinks in
tetrapack containers were distributed to all those who
partook in the Mass( ironically the place is declared
as No plastic zone)
d)the beautifully decorated stage had the inscription
"Devachea and monxanchea mogan zolltem kalliz" Jesuit
Jubilee Year - 500.
e) Jesuits from all over India arrived for the
celebrations
f) a documentary on a VCD on the life and times of St
francis Xavier and the works of Jesuits in Goa was
shown to the audience after the Mass.
g) excellent traffic and police bandobast was made and
the crowd dispersed of peacefully
h)being a working day and the function being held in
the evening was the reason of the low turn out
considering the siginifance of the event.
i) Konknni Romi lipi version of Fransisk Xavierachea
Zolmancho Panchvo Xekddo (1506-2006)and its English
version alongwith Jezvit Jublev 2006 write -ups on the
trio Peter Faber Inacio de Loyola and Francis Xavier
were also distributed alongwith a holy picture of the
Saint and a key chain with St Francis Xavier logo.
j) a well uniformed choir of youth gave a beautiful
rendition of a special song sung to commemorate the
celebrations
k)another booklet Popular devotions to Saint Francis
xavier by Fr Moreno de Souza sj
l) the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman and the Jesuits
though function together otherwise there is a wide gap
between the Jesuits who display enthusiasm drive and
higher intelligentia then those under the diocesan
order. These differences are cold undercurrents that
come to surface on issues that affect the socio
economic standards of the Catholics in Goa --language
issue and script being one such issue.
m) there were several foreigners including a Japanese
team which covered the proceedings for their cable
networks.
from the Old Goa end
GODFREY J I GONSALVES
Borda Margao Goa (India)
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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