Fr Simião Fernandes
The vision of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan-2002 of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman states, ‘Set ablaze by a deep personal as well as communitarian experience of God – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – we, the Church in Goa, hand-in-hand with all our sisters and brothers, move as a vibrant community of love, towards our common goal – the building of the Kingdom of God.’ The Church in Goa has taken a number of initiatives to make this vision a reality and multiple structures have been erected through which the vision is gradually being realized.
The Archdiocese, in recent times, felt the need to have a Spiritual Renewal Centre to provide Christ’s faithful with a place which could serve as a power house of prayer and also enhance their spiritual growth through various renewal programmes and activities. After prayerful reflection and consultation, the site of Cruz dos Milagres located at Monte de Boa Vista, Old Goa, and associated with the apparition of the Lord in 1619, was deemed fit to achieve the above goal. Furthermore, this site was and is very dear to the hearts of Goans as it was closely connected with our patron Blessed Joseph Vaz, who drank of the springs of grace that flowed from this holy site and through his ministry, energized so many with the experience of the Divine.
The Archbishop then appointed the Cruz dos Milagres Project Supporting Committee and the Portaria entrusted the Committee with a four-fold task: To create awareness about the project; to start a campaign of intercessory prayer for the project; to support the Cause of Canonization and to promote devotion to Blessed Joseph Vaz; to start a fundraising drive for the project.
Taking into account the magnitude of the project and the need of major financial resources, a special committee for fundraising was constituted as also a team of experts to assess the progress at the site and make fresh proposals as the need arose.
The project envisaged, primarily, the restoration and renovation of the Church of the Cruz dos Milagres and its attached structures, where Blessed Joseph Vaz lived before leaving Goa on his missionary endeavour, and also the construction of a new facility block, which would include conference halls, dining hall, residential rooms, dormitories and various other facilities.
The plan of the project, which had as its main architect Tulio D’Souza, was executed in three phases. In the first phase restoration and renovation of the Church of the Cruz dos Milagres was taken up; in the second phase the new facility block and in the third phase restoration of the convent and the cloister was taken up.
The work for the first phase commenced with a prayer service presided over by Archbishop-Patriarch Filipe Neri Ferrão on June 16, 2011. The foundation stone for the second phase was also laid by the Archbishop on April 21, 2012. The main contractor for the project was Arsenio Associates.
On April 21, 2013, the renovated Church of Cruz dos Milagres and its attached structures were inaugurated with a Solemn Eucharistic celebration along with the Rite of Blessing presided over by Archbishop-Patriarch Ferrão. The priests of the Archdiocese, representatives of the lay faithful from parishes as well the religious were present for the inauguration. The date also coincided with the birth anniversary of Blessed Joseph Vaz.
On November 17, 2014, the Spiritual Renewal Centre, which has seen the light of the day through the fruitful collaboration, generous contribution from parishioners and individuals, fervent prayer and selfless toil of many, will be inaugurated.
The Spiritual Renewal Center will aim to help people grow unto the fullness of Christ in the footsteps of St Joseph Vaz by believing in the transforming power of God’s love and the illuminating presence of the Spirit. It will seek to offer people a haven for prayer, reflection, study and spiritual nourishment in order to be aware of one’s own self, to strengthen bonds of brotherhood and to nurture one’s relationship with the Divine.
Some of the objectives would be: to offer Christ-Centered, Biblically based, Spirit led ongoing faith-formation programmes; to organize courses on the teachings of the Church and the Word of God; to conduct recollections/retreats, both directed and otherwise, of various time-slots for different age groups; to make available for people facilities for counselling and spiritual guidance; to make room for personal and communitarian prayer and enrich oneself through various methods of prayer; to empower the lay faithful for various apostolates/ministries in the Church; to provide opportunities to deepen one’s knowledge of the Sacraments and to help draw strength from the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation; to offer couples, parents, families, opportunities to strengthen marital and family life and to promote the devotion to St. Joseph Vaz and the Miraculous Cross.
During the construction it was felt that another phase which would have added facilities like more rooms and space for spiritual growth and enlightenment was required. Trusting in God’s guidance and man’s generosity, we hope that the fourth phase will see the light of the in the near future.
As the Church in Goa waits for the inauguration, I can only say with the psalmist: “I was glad when they said to me, ‘let us go to the house of the Lord!’ Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem” (cf Ps 122: 1-2).
–The writer is Convenor, Cruz dos Milagres
Project Supporting Committee
