INDIA The exhibition of the relics of Saint Francis Xavier began in Goa

This solemn event is repeated every ten years and attracts thousands of pilgrims who pray before the remains of the great evangelizer of Asia. The theme chosen this year is “We are messengers of the Good News” and the event will continue until January 5. The journey of the urn from the Basilica of Bom Jesus to the cathedral was accompanied by a human chain made up of a thousand young people.

Goa () – Today the exhibition of the relics of Saint Francis Xavier was solemnly inaugurated in the ancient city of Goa, a great spiritual event that every ten years attracts thousands of pilgrims to this city in southern India where the remains of the great missionary of Asia. Popularly known as “Gõycho Saib” – the patron saint of Goa – the Spanish Jesuit Francisco Javier, one of the first companions of Ignatius of Loyola, landed precisely here in 1542 and later made the city the base of his missionary journeys, until his death. , on December 3, 1552 on the island of Shangchuan, at the gates of China.

The exhibition began today and will last 45 days, until January 5, 2025, intertwined with the beginning of the Jubilee of the universal Church. The relics – which are usually kept in the Basilica of Bom Jesus – were solemnly carried in procession to the cathedral, where they will remain on display every day from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the worship of the faithful, renewing a long tradition of spiritual veneration. For this year, the theme “We are messengers of the Good News” was chosen, which will be the central motif of the daily masses celebrated in the Konkani language and English for millions of faithful devotees.

The Card. Filipe Feri Ferrao, archbishop of Goa and Darman, welcomed numerous Indian bishops and more than 400 priests who concelebrated at the inaugural Eucharistic liturgy presided over in the Basilica of Bom Jesus by the archbishop of Delhi, Msgr. Anil Joseph Couto, before more than 40 thousand faithful. In his homily, the prelate described Saint Francis Xavier as “a man on mission,” and noted that his life was a living testimony of the announcement of salvation in Christ. The archbishop urged the faithful to be inspired by his dedication, imitating his fervor in discipleship and his courageous testimony of the Gospel.

Before beginning the religious celebrations, the Governor of Goa, PS Sreedharan Pillai, and the head of the local government, Pramod Sawant, also paid tribute to the relics, which at the end of the ceremony were transported to the cathedral aboard a specially designed electronic vehicle. designed. They were accompanied by the clergy, selected representatives from different sectors of society and a human chain made up of 1,000 young people, a symbol of unity.