PANJIM: The annual Novena of Grace to obtain graces through the intercession of St Francis Xavier began on March 4 and will continue till March 12 at Bom Jesus Basilica, Old Goa. Till March 11 the Eucharistic celebrations will be held at 6, 7 and 8 am and at 4.30, 5.30 and 6.30 pm (English).
Sources at the Bom Jesus Basilica, informed that the Way of the Cross will be held at 3.30 pm regularly.
On March 12, the masses will at 6, 7, 8, 9.30 am (high mass), and at 3.30, 4.30, 5.30 and 6.30 pm (English). After 9.30 am mass, there will be a penitential procession.
On March 6, a mass will be held at the chapel of St Francis Xavier at 10 a.m.
According to a historical account contained in a book ‘St Francis Xavier and his shrine’ by P Rayanna, SJ, the genesis of the novena of Grace dates back to 1663, when the Viceroy of Naples ordered the consecration of the country to the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady. The entire town and its churches were decorated for the occasion. While a young priest in the Jesuit College, Marcello Mastrilli, was on December 11 directing a workman on a ladder, a hammer accidentally fell from the workman’s hand or belt and hit Mastrilli on his head. At first the gravity of the injury was not apparent, but soon the patient’s condition grew worse despite of the best medical treatment. On the night of January 3, 1634, when Mastrilli’s condition began to worsen, they had started a novena to St Francis Xavier, the patient promising the saint to go to the missions if he was cured.
That night, when everybody was expecting the young priest to die, St Francis Xavier appeared to him in the grab of a pilgrim and cured him completely, telling him at the same time that he would die a martyr. Mastrilli’s health was immediately restored, he ate a good meal and wrote an account of his cure that very night.
News of this miracle soon spread all over Italy and beyond and since then the novena to St Francis Xavier became known as the novena of Grace.
Rector of Bom Jesus Basilica, Fr Savio Baretto informed that Fr Mastrilli was sent as a missionary to India and was instrumental in preparing the silver casket where the body of St Francis Xavier is kept by collecting funds from the faithful as he was grateful to the saint for giving him a new life.
Fr Mastrilli died in Japan as a martyr and since then the novenas have commenced and through the sacrament of penance and holy Eucharist people have started experiencing many cures and miracles.
Fr Baretto said that there are two treasures in the Basilica mainly the silver casket and a painting of St Francis Xavier which Fr Mastrilli had seen in his dream. Fr Baretto said that the novena of Grace are popular in the West was as in Goa people give more importance to St Francis Xavier feast on Dec 3.
Fr Baretto said that he is at the Basilica for the last 14 years and the crowds for the novena of grace in picking up as more and more people are experience the grace.
In Goa, the novena of grace was started by late Fr George De Sa. The novena is held every year at the Old Goa from March 4 to 12.
