All Roads Lead to Old Goa

ST XAVIER’S EXPOSITION

ALL ROADS LEAD TO OLD GOA  

September 7, 2014 

With a little over two months left for the decennial exposition of St Francis Xavier which will bring in over 60 lakh visitors to Old Goa, preparations have gone into overdrive. LISA ANN MONTEIRO unveils some of the plans and programmes being put in place for Goa's biggest religious event. 

The faithful from India and the world over will descend on the historical city of Old Goa to kiss the sacred relics of the 16th century saint Francis Xavier when the 17th decennial Exposition unveils on November 22 this year. Preparations for the Exposition are in full swing with the Church, Archaeological Survey of India and various state government departments working to make the event a hassle free one.

The last Exposition in 2004 drew around 34 lakh pilgrims. The numbers are expected to touch 60 lakh visitors this year. Pilgrims have been calling the Church up from various states. A single parish in Kerala has confirmed that 1300 pilgrims will be present.

The faithful will be accommodated in the new Retreat House in the vicinity of the Church of the Cross of Miracles in Old Goa. The government is also arranging for tents that will be set up behind the Pastoral Institute and close to the panchayat office. Arrangements are also being made to provide mattresses.

The tents which will be set up right from November 22 till January 4 will also have a caterer providing food at affordable rates. Last exposition pilgrims were housed near Dauji but this was found to be too far for them so this year all the tents are in the vicinity.

Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza says preparatory work is on for the special event, even though on the surface it may seem like nothing is happening. “ We’re making provisions for good roads, drinking water, traffic arrangements, security, toilets and accommodation. We don’t want a single pilgrim to be inconvenienced. The government has no reservations for spending for the event and no reason not to spend money as provision for the Exposition has already been made in the budget.” Many expat Goans, he says, are scheduled to arrive for the event.

A new road is being built by PWD near the Dempo Shipyard through the Bakhia property joining the existing road abutting the Old Goa Jetty and joining the Ela- Dauji road. Work for the improvement, widening and up- gradation of roads of the NH- 4 bypass and others in and around Old Goa are also in the pipeline. PI Traffic Panjim, Darmesh Angle says new parking spaces have been identified aside from the old places at Bakhia property, Pinto garage and Ella farm. There are plans to introduce a few traffic islands around Old Goa and have shuttle buses to ferry people from certain parking lots to the Church. Special parking provisions are being made for the old, sick and differently abled and volunteers will help ferry them closer to the Church using wheelchairs.

The Expo secretariat has identified the location for five new toilet blocks and will also set up portable toilets and baths.

The government also has plans to reduce the number of stalls in the fair. Each year during the novenas and feast the panchayat decides on the number of stalls. During the last Exposition the Collector was overseeing the problem of the stalls. Additional Collector North Goa Swapnil Nail says the PWD has put together rough plans and these are yet to be finalized.

The final decision regarding the stalls will be taken by the state level monitoring committee jointly with the panchayat.

The government is setting up yet another tent in front of Sé Cathedral which will serve as an exhibition centre where the 65 religious congregations in Goa will display their charism and share how they live it. Various dioceses in Goa will put up short plays with 20 themes based on the life of St Francis Xavier and his relevance in people’s lives today. The programmes in the evenings will be of a slightly longer duration than those in the mornings. The Pillar and Diocesan priests are also arranging short musicals all connected to the theme of faith.

The Church doesn’t want the faithful to dismiss the Exposition as just another festival. They are preparing the faithful for the faith experience which is the basis of the theme of this year’s Exposition.

“ Faith creates communion and strengthens the family and commissions to renew society. This theme is divided into the celebration of faith, journey of faith and witness of faith,” Fr Alfred Vaz, convener of the St Francis Xavier Exposition Committee says.

Cardinal Oswald Gracias will be present for the feast on December 3 and the Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal Salvatore Pennacchio from Delhi will be present for the farewell mass.

Every Saturday evening at 7: 30 pm there will be vigil prayers at Sé Cathedral in the presence of the relics of the saint.

“ For Goans St Francis Xavier is the centre of our faith, but we want them to realize that Jesus is the centre of our faith. St Francis Xavier is only a model to be inspired by, because he lived the life of Jesus. That’s why during this vigil people will be praying to Jesus together with St Francis Xavier,” Fr Vaz says.

Pilgrims wanting to celebrate mass in their own language will be allowed to do so between 12- 3 pm each day. There will be a special mass for the sick on November 30 during which vehicles will be allowed to drop the sick closer to the Church.

A special art exhibition will be open to the public at Kristo Kala Mandir attached to Se Cathedral where work of two famous artists, Angelo da Fonseca and Antonio X Trindade will be on display only during the Exposition.

The 16th century Sé Cathedral has received a fresh coat of paint on the interior, with only a few finishing touches left. In comparison, its exterior is weathered and will receive a coat of paint only after the monsoon. Workers in the Basilica are also working around the clock, meters above the ground and paint brushes in hand, preparing the Basilica for the grand event.

The cradle on which the relics will be kept during the Exposition has already been sent for gold gilding. The relics have not received any treatment, Fr Savio Baretto, rector of the Basilica, says the body was never embalmed.

In Goa, the body was kept open and was encased in a glass coffin only in 1953. Nobody is sure of where all his relics lie today as when the body was open many people had access to it.

This year is also very special for the Jesuits as they celebrate 200 years of the restoration of their society after they were suppressed the world over. Many Jesuits from various parts of the world are expected to come for the Exposition as the beginning of the suppression took place in Goa. The main house of the Jesuits in the East was in Old Goa and is called the Professed House. The first public exposition was held in 1782 when rumours spread wild that the Jesuits who were banished, had left for Rome with the body. This exposition was held to assure the people that the body was still in Goa.

VENERATION OF RELICS 

The kissing of the sacred relics will be held from 6 am till 7 pm. The relics will be kept on display for the public on November 22, but only after the relics are taken in a ceremonial procession from the Bom Jesus Basilica to Sé Cathedral during the Solemn Pontifical mass at 9: 30 am which will be attended by the Bishop of Mangalore and only after the security team is satisfied with the arrangements.

The kissing of the relics will end on January 3 as the relics will be taken back in procession to the Basilica on the morning of January 4. The Church hasn’t received a spectacular response from the faithful willing to act as volunteers so they will be requesting NSS volunteers to lend a hand too. 

Review Bureau 

link: http://epaperoheraldo.in/Details.aspx?id=7799&boxid=162424640&uid=&dat=09/07/2014