TEAM HERALD

teamherald@herald-goa.com

MARGAO/BELGAUM: The feast of the Patron Saint of Goa, St Francis Xavier was celebrated with pomp and religious fervour at the Margao police station on Monday.

Fr Joseph Rodrigues was the celebrant at the Eucharistic celebrations of the feast mass.  In his homily, Fr Rodrigues said the body of St Francis Xavier reminds each and every human being to live a godly life and to emulate his good work.

Police officers and personnel and their families of both the Margao and Maina Curtorim police stations participated in the celebrations.

The Mass was followed by the traditional procession, which started from the police station and wend its way towards the post office, before culmination at the police station.

Margao Police station in charge, PI Sudesh Naik later proposed the vote of thanks.

Meanwhile,  while over 1,000 walking pilgrims from Belgaum and neighbouring areas reached Goa on Monday to take a glimpse of St Francis Xavier’s mortal remains, special prayer services, masses and celebrations marked the feast of Goencho Saib in Belgaum.

Special feast masses were offered at all the churches in Belgaum to commemorate the day.

In his homily during the feast mass that was offered at Immaculate Conception Church by the management, staff and students of St Xavier’s High School here, Vicar General of Diocese of Belgaum Msgr Lucio Mascarenhas urged the faithful to be conscious of their respective talents and vocations and give Christ’s message of love and compassion to their fellow beings.

“St Francis Xavier had a great ambition to be world famous, however the Lord intervened through St Ignatius of Loyola and transformed his life for the service of mankind,” said Msgr Mascarenhas.

Earlier, Principal of St Xavier’s Fr Philip Kutty sought blessings of St Francis on people of the region and urged them to a role model to others like St Francis Xavier. Fr Nelson Pinto, Fr Harry Roberts and Fr Cyril Braggs concelebrated in the Eucharist.

A large number of devotees of Goencho Saib took part in special prayers at different churches in and around Belgaum. A special novena service is underway at Immaculate Conception Church where annual feast of the church will be observed on December 8 every year.