OLD GOA: Irrespective of religion, people from different walks of life flocked to Old Goa from dawn till dusk to celebrate the feast of St Francis Xavier.

At the high mass, the Archbishop of Goa and Daman, Rev Filipe Neri Ferrao welcomed the bishop of Mangalore, Rev Peter Paul Saldanha, who was invited as the main celebrant for the festive mass. Bishop Emeritus of Port Blair, Rev Alex Dias and the auxiliary bishop of Ranchi diocese, Rev Theodore Mascarenhas were the co-celebrants on the occasion.

During the homily, reflecting on the theme ‘Rooted in Christ, like St Francis Xavier, go and do likewise’, Saldanha said that St Francis Xavier used simple tools like a cross in one hand and a bell in another in order to proclaim the word of God and spread faith. “As a disciple and missionary of Christ, how did he spread the word of God?” he inquired.

“St Xavier took many risks in his life, but did not fear anyone,” Saldanha said, “and for that reason he still exists among us. It is that faith we received from God that draws us to him today.” “We are called to be God’s prophets,” he added, “and St Francis is an inspiration to all of us.”

“As we cast our eyes on this great saint and missionary,” the bishop of Mangalore said, “awareness needs to be created among us. And if we have love for Christ and the fire is burning within us, why can’t we give the same to others?” he questioned.

Reflecting on the word of God, Saldanha said that Christ died and rose from the dead and appearing to his 11 disciples, he appealed to them to go to the ends of the world and proclaim God’s word. “St Francis sowed the seed of faith and today we all are witnesses of it through our staunch faith and Christian life,” he added.

“When we listen to the word of God, believe in the creed and the Ten Commandments, healing comes about,” the bishop stressed. “St Francis believed in the power of God through sacraments. With the help of simple prayers,” he said, “he forgave sins and thus prepared people for the kingdom of God.”

“We all need to be disciples of Christ,” Saldanha said, “and unless we become disciples, we cannot be missionaries. 

“To be a true missionary,” he said, “we also need to get people to Christ.”

The Sebastian choir from Borda led by Fr Simon D’Cunha helped the congregation to pray devoutly and sing God’s praises throughout the celebration. The chief minister, Pramod Sawant, opposition leader, Digambar Kamat, ministers, MLAs and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

After involvement in the Eucharistic celebration, people were also seen in long queues to venerate the relics of the saint in Bom Jesus Basilica shrine. Huge crowds were also witnessed in the fair erected near the Gandhi square. The traffic police assisted in the smooth flow of the traffic throughout the day.