From: [email protected] To: http://www.heraldgoa.in/Goa/Special-moment-for-those-carrying-St-Xavier-relics-/81360.html?utm_source=Email%2Bnewsletter&utm_medium=email
Special moment for those carrying St Xavier relics24 Nov, 2014, 11:39PM ISTA- A+Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on google_plusone_shareShare on pinterest_shareMore Sharing Services2MELVYN MISQUITAOLD GOA: It was an honour and rare privilege for the selected few who shouldered the Sacred Relics of St Francis Xavier during the inaugural ceremony of the XVII Exposition. And 24 hours after that, they were yet to overcome the excitement of the once-in-a-lifetime experience they had on Saturday.For a senior priest, however, this ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experience occurred twice within less than an hour, when he had the rare fortune to have held the relics on two occasions during the solemn procession from the Basilica of Bom Jesus to the Se Cathedral.It was also special privilege for a family in Aldona, as a woman and her mother-in-law had the privilege of carrying the relics at the Expositions in 2014 and 2004 respectively.Fr Saturnino Dias, president of the Cathedral Chapter and Director of the Missionary Animation Centre, admitted that he was not scheduled to carry the relics twice. “I thank God and St Francis Xavier for giving me this unique privilege to have carried the relics twice during the solemn procession on Saturday,” said Fr Dias.On the first occasion, Fr Dias was on the right side to carry the crystal urn, as priests brought out the relics from the Basilica at about 12.20 pm. At the main door of the Basilica, they handed it over to members of the Pastoral Parish Council (PPC).“On the first occasion, I was not initially part of the group of priests to carry the relics from inside the Basilica. In fact, I did not even participate in the rehearsal for this event. But after the rehearsal, some senior priests came to me and requested me to carry the relics as a representative of the Cathedral Chapter,” said Fr Dias.“I initially wanted to give this privilege to another canon, but the priests insisted that I should carry the relics as president of the Cathedral Chapter,” he added.On the second occasion, Fr Dias was on the left side of the relics as he along with other canons and members of the exposition committee carried the relics at about 12.45 pm from the main door of the Se Cathedral to the site, where the relics have been placed for veneration.“I certainly cannot explain this unique privilege and I can only attribute it to divine intervention for this experience,” said a grateful Fr Dias.For Lourdes M Vaz of Old Goa, it was an ‘ethereal’ experience. “When I was informed about the privilege of carrying the Sacred Relics, I was thrilled. It is one of the rarest of the rare moments of one’s life. When I actually held the relics, an ethereal feeling of peace and serenity descended upon me,” recalled Vaz.Gail Misquita of Aldona also had the privilege of carrying the relics as member of the exposition committee, during the last stop in the Se Cathedral. “While I carried the casket on my left shoulder, I got to touch the casket with my right hand and it was a special experience for me,” said Misquita. Incidentally, her mother-in-law, Silvia Misquita, had had the privilege of carrying the relics during the exposition in 2004.The experience was equally special for Fr Tomas Lobo, parish priest of Alto-Porvorim.“Since my childhood, St Francis Xavier has been my favourite Saint whose blessings I regularly seek. Thankfully, I have always experienced the providential care at the intercession of my beloved Saint. I felt blessed by God to have carried the relics of someone very close to my heart. It was God’s favour and St Francis Xavier’s gift,” said Fr Lobo. =========http://www.heraldgoa.in/Goa/Thousands-queue-up-to-venerate-on-Sunday/81359.html?utm_source=Email%2Bnewsletter&utm_medium=email Thousands queue up to venerate on SundayOLD GOA: Thousands of devotees queued up to kiss and venerate the relics of St Francis Xavier at the Se Cathedral on Sunday.24 Nov, 2014, 11:39PM ISTA- A+Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on google_plusone_shareShare on pinterest_shareMore Sharing Services0TEAM HERALDOLD GOA: Thousands of devotees queued up to kiss and venerate the relics of St Francis Xavier at the Se Cathedral on Sunday.Being a weekly holiday, all eight masses for the day witnessed large congregations in the pandal specially erected outside the Basilica of Bom Jesus. The masses were celebrated at 6, 7, 8, 9.15 and 11 (English) in the morning, while masses in the evening were celebrated at 4, 5 and 6 (English).The theme for Sunday’s services was “Let’s celebrate the kingdom values of Christ, keeping the needy in mind.” Two masses in different Indian languages, Tamil and Malayalam, were celebrated on Sunday. Both masses had a large congregation of devotees from Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In addition, members of the national Marriage Encounter Group also participated in a mass.Besides the Masses, other religious services were also made available to the faithful, who have come from different parts of India and abroad. A number of priests made themselves available to administer the sacrament of Reconciliation to the devotees in the Sacristy of Bom Jesus Basilica.While the inaugural ceremony of the XVII Exposition took place on Saturday, the nine-day novena to St Francis Xavier will begin on November 24 and will go on till December 2, which will culminate with the feast of St Xavier on Dec 3.Meanwhile, the Apostolate of the Inter Religious Dialogue of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman will organise its annual interreligious meet at Old Goa on November 27 at 10.30 am. The theme for this year’s meet is ‘Celebrating co-existence of religious diversity in Goa.’The programme will consist of Bhajans and hymns, a prayer/unity dance and a skit by students. The highlight of the meet will be the sharing of reflections by three prominent speakers of the widely practised faiths in Goa. Brahmidevi will speak on behalf of the Hindus, Ambrin Baig for the Muslims and Maria Helena Souza for the Christians. Archbishop of Goa and Daman Filipe Neri Ferrao will preside over the meet and deliver his message. =========http://www.epaperoheraldo.in/Details.aspx?id=9453&boxid=16262846&uid=&dat=11%2f24%2f2014 Media Centre at Old GoaTEAM HERALD PANJIM: A media centre and photo exhibition was inaugurated by the Minister for Forest and Environment Alina Saldanha at the exposition venue at Old Goa.The exhibition is organised by Information and Publicity Department.Director of IP, Arvind Bugde, AIO ( Publicity & Exhibition) John Aguiar, videographer and in- charge of photo unit Lourenco Fernandes, Information Assistant Shanto Naik, photographer Silvestre Estibeiro and others were present.Titled ‘ Expositions down the ages, the exhibition has on display photos showcasing the events of expositions down the ages.The exhibition will continue till January 4, 2015.==========http://www.epaperoheraldo.in/Details.aspx?id=9455&boxid=163614734&uid=&dat=11%2f24%2f2014 Letters to the editor (Nov 24th) The good samaritan It all happened on Dec. 3rd 2004, the feast of St. Francis Xavier at Old Goa. My family along with 2 kids went to pay our respects to the sacred relics after a brief halt at my aunt’s place in Old Goa. The family parted ways and decided to meet at a designated spot soon after veneration. My brother had taken my ailing mother on a wheel chair. No sooner my children and I kissed the sacred relics and reached the decided venue, I saw that my brother and mother were nowhere to be seen. Walking through the fair and managing both the kids appeared to be a big task at that hour. To make matters worse, I was left with no money to travel back as I had offered till the last rupee inside the church. I boarded a KTC bus at 8 pm, but only to realise much later that it went up to only Karmali. I alighted and asked the conductor for a one rupee coin to call my family. He was kind enough to offer Rs 10, just in case if the rupee coin doesn’t get me through. Thanks to the cash, I boarded the bus to Ponda and finally reached home to my desperately waiting family members. The concern and thought of the conductor was worth more than a million dollars. Thank you Mr Suresh Naik from Tuem, the good samaritan and conductor of KTC. Mrs. Sandhya Fernandes , Aldona ======== JoeGoaUk <[email protected]> St. Francis Xavier Exposition 2014 - Inaugural Massetc (pics and video)Inaugural Mass - 22.11.14https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15662835928/in/photostreamBishop of Mangalore Aloysius D'Souza was the main celebrant of the Mass, which had as concelebrants archbishop of Goa and Daman Filipe Neri Ferrao, archbishop emeritus Raul Gonsalves, and bishop of Itanagar John Thomas.Fr. Alfred Vaz, Vicar General Fr. Jose Remedios etchttps://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15663003930/in/photostream/https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15664348489/in/photostream/https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15849741782/in/photostream/https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15664627357/in/photostream/https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15663048360/in/photostream/https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15662890098/in/photostream/https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15230762753/in/photostream/https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15849806932/in/photostream/https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15662911628/in/photostream/Bishop of Mangalorehttps://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15228123594/in/photostream/https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15663045400/in/photostream/https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15228305834/in/photostream/https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15824754246/in/photostream/ Devoteeshttps://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15664602767/in/photostream/https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15850381825/in/photostreamhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15850401435/in/photostream/Altar Boys, girlhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15664642897/in/photostream/https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15848403141/in/photostream/https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15664383119/in/photostream/Money collectors, Volunteershttps://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15824586256/in/photostream/Policehttps://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15662852458/in/photostream/https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15662854888/in/photostream/Gate / Pathhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15664364069/in/photostream/https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15663024530/in/photostream/https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15230731183/in/photostream/AA adhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15664372879/in/photostream/Robotic camera ? that does areal videography etcRemote controlled devicehttps://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15824593966/in/photostream/https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15848433601/in/photostream/ PIhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15849812982/in/photostream/Empty (after body or casket removed for Exposition)https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15664423109/in/photostream/https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15230787233/in/photostream/https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15849821782/in/photostream/Opening from this sidehttps://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15228169734/in/photostream/https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15850461165/in/photostream/https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15848461911/in/photostream/https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15230802373/in/photostream/Video: Mass and Relics photo showhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA0TDylS8boSome politicians also spotted in the processionAavertano Furtado, Michael Lobo, Ticlo, Alina, Monseratte, Churchill, Vijay Sardesai. Rohan etc also spotted in the processionpicshttps://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15672809519/in/photostreamhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15672810569/in/photostream/https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15671475980/in/photostream/https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15671476700/in/photostream/https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukoldgoa/15671477470/in/photostream/more herehttp://joegoauk.blogspot.in/2014/07/st-francis-xavier-exposition-2014-15.html [email protected] ===========http://www.heraldgoa.in/Goa/Old-Goa-turns-into-a-sea-of-faith/81319.html?utm_source=Email%2Bnewsletter&utm_medium=email Old Goa turns into a sea of faithThousands attend inaugural Mass of the Exposition of the Sacred Relics of St Francis XavierBy TEAM HERALD | 23 Nov, 2014, 12:40AM ISTA- A+Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on google_plusone_shareShare on pinterest_shareMore Sharing Services8 OLD GOA: Eyes moistened and voices faltered as the Sacred Relics of St Francis Xavier emerged from the Basilica of Bom Jesus at Old Goa a little after the noon hour on Saturday. For the thousands of devotees and religious who had come to Old Goa for the inaugural of the XVII Exposition of the Sacred Relics of St Francis Xavier, it was a moving experience as they joined in the procession taking Sacred Relics from the Basilica, where they are permanently housed, to the Se Cathedral where they will be kept for public veneration till January 4. The former capital of Goa was awash with priests, nuns and devotees from all over Goa and different parts of India who had come to participate in the Mass. There were religious from different religious orders, both priests and nuns – Franciscan and Carmalite friars in their distinctive cassocks with their cowls and the nuns each in their habits and sarees – mingling with devotees from South and North, families from Goa and different parts of India, each distinct in their dress and behaviour but united in their faith in St Francis Xavier as shown by their presence.It was as Bishop of Mangalore, Aloysius D’Souza, the main celebrant at the pontifical high Mass, said, “an occasion to bear witness to our faith and be inspired to life the same faith.”Bishop D’Souza concelebrated the Mass along with Bishop John Thomas of Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh), Archbishop of Goa Filipe Neri Ferrao, Archbishop-Emeritus Raul Gonsalves and Rector of the Basilica Fr Savio Baretto. In his homily, Bishop D’Souza spoke about the extraordinary man and the extraordinary deeds of the man known as ‘Goencho Saib’, his life and his beliefs.Making references to the life of the Basque Saint who had all material goods that he could have wanted and was looking at a bright future in the conventional sense till he met St Ignatius of Loyola, leading him to question the life he was leading and instead chose to lead a life as an evangeliser, at the other end of the world.“When you visit the body of Francis, what do you feel? Remember, it is the same body which lived in our land five centuries ago. The same feet which walked our streets and paths, the same hands which served us and administered sacraments, the same tongue and mouth which preached the Gospel and praised God, the same heart in his body, the heart that felt compassion and mercy, the same eyes which looked with kindness,” Bishop D’Souza told a packed audience that included people from different parts of India and even the world. Concluding his sermon, Bishop D’Souza said that St Francis Xavier became a great missionary and was known as the patron of missionaries. He prayed that this Exposition would inspire young people to become Evangelizers of the Church, just like St Francis Xavier.Earlier, Archbishop Ferrao welcomed the dignitaries and the gathering. “The theme of this whole ecclesial event is ‘Faith Creates Communion, Strengthens Family, Commissions to Renew the Society.’ Each day we shall be reflecting on different aspects of our life, related to this theme, with the help of God’s Word. Let us pray that this whole spiritual event may be of genuine benefit to our lives,” he said. ====== http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31804&articlexml=Exposition-of-sacred-relics-of-St-Francis-begins-23112014018035 Nov 23 2014 : The Times of India (Mumbai)Exposition of sacred relics of St Francis beginsTEAM TOIEvery 10 Years, Lakhs Line Up To Venerate `Lord Of Goa'The body of St Francis Xavier has weathered many astorm over the centuries. Though the majority of it is in Goa, parts of the body have reached far and wide. Once every 10 years, the sacred relics of St Francis Xavier are lowered to the eye level. And on Saturday , Goa woke up to the 17th Exposition of the sacred relics of St Francis Xavier.The decennial event, that is expected to draw about 50 lakh visitors, including pilgrims from across the country and world, will end on January 4, 2015. During this period, the relics will be venerated, even kissed, by the faithful. The solemn event started with groups representing the Church's various organizations, cathecists, youth, and religious, taking turns carrying the relics from the Basilica of Bom Jesus--where the relics are housed atop the mausoleum--to Se Cathedral, about 400m away . Prior to the procession, a Pontifical Mass was led by the bishop of Mangalore, Aloysius D'Souza. The exposition is held for the faithful to get a closer glimpse of the miracle that is the incorruptible body of Goencho Saib, the Lord of Goa, as the Spanish missionary is called. Devotees have often reported miraculous healings at past expositions. Xavier died on the island of Sancian, off China, in 1552, aged 46. And despite three burials--in Sancian, Malacca, and Goa--and no preservation effort, his body is yet to turn to dust. Given the craze for relics during the Portuguese rule in Goa, several parts of the body have been distributed among the religious, monarchs and nobility . Xavier, one of the founders of the religious order, Society of Jesus, arrived in Goa in 1542, as a last-minute replacement to another Jesuit. Shunning all comforts, his was a hectic life of preaching, teaching, caring for the sick, including those with leprosy, and praying. His simplicity, charisma and work with the fishing communities and the downtrodden, won him followers from Goa to Cochin and from Malacca to Japan. It is little wonder then that every day of the nine-day novenas that lead up to the feast day of December 3--the day Xavier died--has masses in different languages. ARM, SHOULDER BLADE There was a time when collecting relics was a fad.Francis's right arm was divided on two separate occasions--on November 3, 1614, a major portion of the forearm went into the silver reliquary in the Jesuit church of the Gesu, Rome, while a smaller part went to Malines, Belgium The second amputation was in April, 1619. Japan's Jesuits got the upper arm, while the shoulder blade was divided into three parts for each Jesuit college in Cochin, Malacca and Macau. Two were lost when the Dutch occupied Malacca in 1643 and Cochin in 1661. The third is at Macau's St Joseph's seminary In 1636, all the viscera of the now canonized St Francis Xavier are distributed as firstclass relics in regions both east and west St Francis Xavier's arm is in a reliquary at the church of the Gesu in Rome COFFIN During the exposition in 1744, a light pinewood coffin covered with silver cloth and gold lace was made for the body of the saint. It was richly adorned with purple canvas, silver motifs, and red damask. Inside it lay a goldlaced mattress and pillow. It had three locks with three keys--for the archbishop, governor and administrator. This coffin was used for all the expositions up to 1952-53 TOE When the body of Francis Xavier arrived in Goa in 1554, thousands of devotees thronged the shoreline, hoping to possess some part, but vigilante Jesuits prevented any incident. But during the exposition that followed, a devout Portuguese woman bit off a small toe, while another person cut off a piece of flesh CRADLE The cradle, with exquisite motifs, is used to place the sacred relics of St Francis Xavier for veneration in the Se Cathedral. It was used during the last exposition in 2004 for the same purpose as well OFFERINGS Small wax sculptures of body parts are kept by the faithful at the foot of the mausoleum as votive offerings to petition the saint to seek cure or relief from their disease, disorder or affliction, or just in gratitude for favours already granted FAR FROM DUST FIRST BURIAL Francis is put in a Chinesestyle wooden coffin and his body is covered with quicklime before burial EXHUMED The grave is opened as the remains are to be taken by ship to Malacca. The body is fresh. A finger-sized piece of flesh is cut as evidence to the ship's captain. The wound is full of blood IN MALACCA In Malacca, the body is buried without coffin, in a tiny grave, at the door of the sacristy in the church of Our Lady of Mount. It suffers breakages EXHUMED AGAIN On August 15, 1553, the body is exhumed and found to be fresh BACK IN GOA Lopo de Noronha, captain of `Santa Cruz', carrying the body, anchors the ship at Coulao (Kollam, Kerala), and takes a boat to Goa to convey the news. Fr Melchoir, Jesuits' provincial, sails to receive the body now at Batecala (Bhatkal, Karnataka). In Old Goa, cannons are fired to welcome the body, which spends a night at Our Lady of Help church, Ribandar. The body, now in a wooden coffin with damask lining--an offering of Francis's friend, Diogo Pereira--is brought to the Quay of Viceroys. The coffin is taken to São Paulo church on March 16, 1554 MEDICAL CHECK Before the body is exposed to the public in 1554, the viceroy asks his physician, and the vicar general and administrator of the Bishopric of Goa, Dr Ambrósio Ribeiro, to examine the body and attest its incorruption 1ST EXPOSITION The body is exposed for public veneration for three days. On day four, it is buried near the main altar in the church of São Paulo. When the church is demolished in 1560, the body is exhumed. It is finally kept at Casa Professa do Bom Jesus KING STEPS IN On April 2, 1755, Portugal king Dom José I orders the coffin shouldn't be opened without his special orders. In 1759, Jesuit monopoly on the body ends THE BODY From 1878 to early 1955, the body is examined repeatedly and thoroughly and found to be incorruptible LIFE & TIMES 1506 | The sixth and last child is born to Dr João de Jasso and Maria d'Aspilcueta at Xavier castle in Navarre, Spain, on April 7. He is named Francis 1525 | Francis, 18, leaves his ancestral home for France to study at the University of Paris 1529 | At the college of St Barbara, Francis shares a room with (Pedro) Peter Faber and (Inigo) Ignatius of Loyola, who will later change his life by dinning Jesus Christ's famous words: `What does it profit a man to gain the whole world if he loses his own soul?' 1534 | The converted Francis joins Inigo with some friends; they all promise to serve Jesus in poverty and chastity 1537 | After leaving Paris the previous year, they go to Rome to be blessed by the Pope before their pilgrimage to the Holy Land. On June 24, Francis is ordained priest with Inigo and four others. They preach and nurse the sick. They form a society named after their `lord and captain', Jesus 1541 | Francis embarks for India on April 7 with the new governor, Dom Martim Afonso. The Pope had appointed Francis his `Nuncio for the remote East' (ecclesiastical diplomat) 1543 | The college of St Paul, in Goa, was established for the priestly forma tion of local candidates. Francis was asked to be rector. But he longed to spread the Gospel. So, after the monsoon, he left for Cochin 1545 | Francis visits the tomb of the Apostle St Thomas. In August, he leaves for Malacca. He translates articles of faith for the locals. He also collects information about Japan and China 1547 | After visiting many areas, returns to Malacca 1548 | Francis goes back to Goa, but his attention is drawn to Japan by Angero, who describes his country to Francis in detail. Francis stays in Goa for nine days, and then proceeds to Bassein. In April, he returns to Goa, sends more priests to Malacca, and starts planning his Japan visit. He takes keen interest in the students' formation at the college of St Paul 1550 | Francis studies the Japanese people and their religion. While the people are open, Buddhist monks create difficulties. He summarizes the Christian doctrine in Japanese 1552 | Francis arrives in Goa in February. In April, he leaves for China, accompanied by Fr Gago, Bro Álvaro Ferreira, António de Santa Fé, and an Indian servant, Cristóvão. En route, he visits Cochin and Malacca.In November, his friends persuade him to cancel his trip to China, but Francis refuses. He is left alone on Sancian island with António and Cristóvão. A Chinese merchant, who had promised to take him to China, doesn't turn up. In December, Francis gets a fever and his health deteriorates rapidly. António realizes the moment has come, and puts a crucifix in Francis's hands. On December 3, Francis sleeps forever, worn out and white-haired from his strenuous life, at just 46 years of age 1613 | Relics kept at Professed House of the Jesuits 1619 | Pope Paul V beatifies Francis on October 25 1622 | Francis, along with Jesuit superior, Ignatius of Loyola, are canonized. He has since been known as St Francis Xavier, and is Goa's best-known saint ===========Official website of the Exposition:http://sfxexposition2014.com/
