Old goa: In a solemn and very private ceremony, the casket and crystal urn containing the Sacred Relics of St Francis Xavier were brought down on Friday evening, initiating the process for them to be kept for public veneration from Saturday.
Sources said that present at the 30-minute ceremony were Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao along with Fr Alfred Vaz (convenor of the Church Exposition Committee), Fr Savio Barreto (Rector of Basilica of Bom Jesus), Fr Jose Remedios Fernandes (Vicar-General), Fr Manuel Dias (Chancellor) and Fr Olavo Caiado (Director of the Centre for Social Communications Media). The priests arrived at the Basilica at about 5.30 pm and proceeded to the Mausoleum in the Chapel of Fr Francis Xavier, where Archbishop Ferrao invoked a short prayer before the Relics of St Francis Xavier. After reciting the prayer, the Archbishop and priests observed a few moments of silence.
The solemn ceremony to lower the crystal glass urn containing the relics of the famed 16th century Jesuit missionary was then set in motion. Under close attention of the Archbishop and the priests, a team of skilled personnel carefully and reverently lowered the casket from the mausoleum.
With reverence befitting the occasion, the personnel then carried the glass urn containing the relics to a short distance, where they handed it to Archbishop Ferrao and the five priests. The clerics then carried the casket to the historic 17th century Sacristy of the Basilica. Standing before the relics, the Archbishop and the priests sang the renowned Konkani hymn ‘St Franciscu Xaviera’, bringing to an end the solemn ceremony at about 6 pm.
The relics were left in the Sacristy for the night, amid a strong security cover. They will be brought out on Saturday and taken to the Se Cathedral where they will be kept for veneration.
Millions of pilgrims and devotees are expected to attend the six-week-long Exposition, which will commence with a Solemn Pontifical Mass on Saturday at 9.30 am, at which Archbishop of Mangalore Aloysius D’Souza will be the main celebrant. The mass will be celebrated at a specially erected pandal outside the Basilica. Besides Bishop D’Souza, Archbishop Ferrao and some other bishops, and a large number of priests will concelebrate the mass.
Once the relics have been placed in the Cathedral, the Archbishop will incense them and will pray along with the priests gathered. The devotees will then be allowed to kiss the Relics and can continue their journey of faith to a big pandal adjacent to the Cathedral, where the Religious Congregations will be showcasing their charisms and how they live it.
An exhibition on faith by the Diocesan Centres and stage presentations to live the message of faith in the present context are part of the Exposition programme. There will also be counselling and prayer line services in the pandal.
