Goa's Archbishop, Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrao, has announced that the Exposition of the Relics of St. Francis Xavier is scheduled to take place from November 21, 2024, to January 5, 2025. This sacred event, occurring every 10 years, is a significant occasion for spiritual preparations and pilgrimage arrangements, especially for overseas visitors to Goa. The last solemn exposition (XVII) occurred from November 22, 2014, to January 4, 2015.
The holy relics of St. Francis Xavier, preserved in a silver casket at the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa, are brought down for exposition every decade. During the exposition, the mortal remains are taken in a procession to the Se Cathedral for veneration. Cardinal Ferrao's early announcement aims to facilitate preparations and encourage widespread participation in this revered event.
St. Francis Xavier, known as the "Apostle of the Indies," passed away on December 3, 1552, on Shangchuan Island, China. Pope Paul V beatified him on October 25, 1619, and Pope Gregory XV canonized him on March 12, 1622. In 1624, St. Francis Xavier was designated co-patron of Navarre, leaving a lasting legacy as one of the greatest missionaries in history, often compared to Paul the Apostle.