St. Francis Xavier: One feast, different faces

For a Nigerian who hasn’t had any such experience celebrating St. Francis Xavier feast day, it was an awkward five hours dressed in regular tourist attire, camera in hand surrounded by a sea of worshippers in their Sunday best. It was reported that, over five hundred pilgrims began a two hundred and fifty kilometer walk […]

For a Nigerian who hasn’t had any such experience celebrating St. Francis Xavier feast day, it was an awkward five hours dressed in regular tourist attire, camera in hand surrounded by a sea of worshippers in their Sunday best.

It was reported that, over five hundred pilgrims began a two hundred and fifty kilometer walk to fulfill their devotion to St Francis Xavier reaching Bicholim, a town close to the venue of the event, in time for the feast to be celebrated on December 3, Monday.

“After walking for three days, the groups of pilgrims, who come from several locations including have reached Bicholim, their final stop before heading towards Old Goa to reach in time for the feast.”

They were joined by thousands of others as the day progressed.

Our reporter was told that this is an annual pilgrimage for devotees from Ambelim in Assolna in Salcette; Belgaum and Khanapur towns in Karnataka; Ichalkaranji, Ajra, Gadhinglaj, Chandgad in Kolhapur District of Maharashtra. The walk usually takes four days through dusty rocky roads down the Western Ghats and into Goa. It is a tradition that has been fed and maintained by faith for decades now.

Fr Joseph Monteiro, SJ the parish priest of Ajra parish who accompanied the pilgrims, was reported to say that people with all sorts of needs and intentions from childlessness, better jobs, better finances, prosperity in business and marriages, amongst others, seek the intercession of the saint in their prayers. Many others make the pilgrimage to say thank you for the favours they have received and prayers answered.  This ritual is said to continue for several days even after the feast.

Beyond this, for many of these people coming to Goa it is more than a devout exercise. It is a way of connecting with their roots.

Fr Monteiro said, “Many of the people here have strong connections with their ancestral villages in Goa, mostly in Bardez. They are eager to maintain this link. Although it’s mainly Catholics who make the pilgrimage, Hindus too join for devout reasons.

“The entire pilgrimage is one of the best examples of enculturation and communal harmony with all the pilgrims walking together with one aim in mind singing ‘bhajans’ (local praises) and praying along the way for four days that they are walking to Goa,” he added.

At intervals during their journey, they rest in schools and on the verandas of homes of villagers who offer them water and food as they take time to rest at night and daytime.

By 3am on Monday, other devotees had joined and begun their pilgrimage to Old Goa. Celebration of the Holy mass began at 4am with no less than eighteen thousand devotee in attendance at that first mass. There were other masses every hour from 5am to 9am; 10.30 which was the main mass celebrated by the Archbishop Anil Couto of Delhi. This was followed by other masses from 12.30pm to 6pm bringing it to a total of twelve masses in the day.

The Archbishop in his homily said that, “in today’s world it takes a lot of courage to live a life contrary to the prevailing materialistic, consumerist and hedonistic culture that does not believe in eternal values; but considers gratification of all sensual appetites as the primary and most important value.”

Cuoto said, “In the midst of such a situation Christians are called to live another set of values – the values of God which the Lord Jesus Christ has proclaimed.”

With the influx of pilgrims annually, a report on Goa’s ‘Herald’ newspaper stated that even after a pilgrim centre was promised by successive governments since 2004, Old Goa is celebrating another feast day without the promise fulfilled.

According to the report, “The centre is yet to the light of day, leaving many weary pilgrims to cope with inadequate facilities.

“Based on requests by church authorities, the government had in 2004 promised to put together a pilgrim centre after acquiring land for the project. The proposal was even incorporated in the master plan for the UNESCO World Heritage precinct. However, the master plan and the pilgrim rest house have suffered the same fate.”

Rector of the Basilica Fr Savio Barreto said in an interview with an Indian news medium Herald that he had brought up the issue of a pilgrim centre with Mr. Manohar Parrikar during his previous term as chief minister, when he had attended the feast Mass many years ago. “When he came recently before the start of the novena and met me, I had raised the issue of the master plan and the pilgrim centre and he assured to get it complete.”

The Herald said the need for a pilgrim centre was imperative as it was difficult to manage the facilities for pilgrims who stay in corridors of the Basilica that are woefully inadequate to cater to the throngs visiting the Basilica for the feast and the novena.

Scores of families of pilgrims make the corridors their home for the entire nine- day novena in addition to those pilgrims who come on foot from parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka.

“In 2010, the then Public Welfare Department Minister Churchill Alemao had inaugurated a temporary shelter for pilgrims outside the walls of the Basilica but that was later abandoned.

“There is no additional arrangement of toilets. Besides, the fair stall owners live in their own stalls and jump over the wall of the Basilica and use the Basilica’s toilets,” John Carvalho, president of the Save Old Goa Action Committee said.

“The Save Old Goa Action Committee has also taken umbrage against the local panchayat of Se Old Goa, which they say goes on giving stalls indiscriminately.”

The Feast of St. Francis Xavier commemorates the death of St. Francis Xavier, the patron saint of Goa. Thousands of devotees from all over the country and abroad, gather in Old Goa to attend the feast.

Best known for the ritual kissing of the Saint’s relic for good luck and happiness, devotees patiently stood in line as they made the two and a half hour pilgrimage into the Basilica of Bom Jesus, about just three feet away from the mass ground in obeisance to Goa’s patron saint.

Born to aristocratic parents in Spain, Saint Francis, along with Saint Ignatius of Loyola and five others, founded the Society of Jesus on August 15, 1534. St. Francis, widely known for his missionary work abroad came to Goa on 6th May 1542. He carried on the work of conversion in India, Malacca, Ceylon, Japan, China (Hong Kong).

He died at age 46 on December 2nd, 1552 before reaching mainland China. The remains of his mortal frame was shipped to Goa in 1553, December 11 and kept at the Basilica of Bom Jesus where it now stays.

That the body of the saint has remained incorrupt till date, have encouraged much debate and is considered to be a reflection of his power and miracle by the devout.

At the end of the feast, families sat around the Basilica to picnic as some others went shopping and visiting at the Old Goa fair, the largest in Old Goa. This colorful fair is reputable for its Chonnem (Grams), Khajem (Goan Sweet), Chourico-pao (Goan sausage and Bread) and Sorpotel.