Team Herald
PANJIM: The novenas and feast of St Francis Xavier are going to be a digital experience this year.
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In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the novenas for the feast of St Francis Xavier – which commence on November 24 – will not be open for the people at the Basilica of Bom Jesus. Instead, the masses will be streamed online live and telecast on some local channels.
The veneration of the Relic of the Saint will, however, be allowed. The feast of St Francis Xavier will be celebrated on December 3.
“Due to COVID-19, the novena masses will not be open for public at the Basilica,” Church authorities said, adding that all masses will be live on their official website www.bomjesus.org and their YouTube channel, as well as on some local channels.
From November 24 to December 2, masses at the Bom Jesus Basilica will be celebrated at 6am, 7am, 8am (English mass) and 5pm. On the Feast day, the mass will be held at 6am, 7am, 8am (English) and High Mass at 10.30am.
There will be language masses every day from November 24 to December 3 at 6pm. The daily language masses include Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, French, Italian, Telugu, Portuguese, Marathi, Kannada and Spanish.
Every year thousands of devotees attend the Novena masses at the Basilica, while on the Feast day, faithful from across world throng the Church.
After almost six months, churches at the world heritage complex in Old Goa were re-opened for the faithful, beginning with the Se Cathedral in September.
