he faithful from India and the world over will descend on the historical city of Old Goa to kiss the sacred relics of the 16th century saint Francis Xavier when the 17th decennial Exposition unveils on November 22 this year. Preparations for the Exposition are in full swing with the Church,
Archaeological Survey of India and various state government departments working to make the event a hassle free one.The last Exposition in 2004 drew around 34 lakh pilgrims. The numbers are expected to touch 60 lakh visitors this year. Pilgrims have been calling theChurch up from various states. A single parish in Kerala has confirmed that 1300pilgrims will be present. The faithful will be accommodated in the new Retreat House in the vicinity of the Church of the Cross of Miracles in Old Goa. The government is also arranging for tents that will be set up behind the Pastoral Institute and close to the panchayat office. Arrangements are also being made to provide mattresses.
The tents which will be set up right from November 22 till January 4 will also have a caterer providing food at affordable rates. Last exposition pilgrims were housed near Dauji but this was found to be too far for them so this year all the tents are in the vicinity.
Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza
says preparatory work is on for the special
event, even though on the surface it may
seem like nothing is happening. “We’re
making provisions for good roads, drinking
water, traffic arrangements, security, toilets
and accommodation. We don’t want a
single pilgrim to be inconvenienced. The
government has no reservations for
spending for the event and no reason
not to spend money as provision for the
Exposition has already been made in the
budget.” Many expat Goans, he says, are
scheduled to arrive for the event.
A new road is being built by PWD
near the Dempo Shipyard through the
Bakhia property joining the existing
road abutting the Old Goa Jetty and
joining the Ela- Dauji road. Work for the
improvement, widening and up-gradation
of roads of the NH-4 bypass and others
in and around Old Goa are also in the
pipeline. PI Traffic Panjim, Darmesh Angle
says new parking spaces have been
identified aside from the old places at
Bakhia property, Pinto garage and Ella
farm. There are plans to introduce a
few traffic islands around Old Goa and
have shuttle buses to ferry people from
certain parking lots to the Church. Special
parking provisions are being made for
the old, sick and differently abled and
volunteers will help ferry them closer
to the Church using wheelchairs.
The Expo secretariat has identified the
location for five new toilet blocks and
will also set up portable toilets and baths.
The government also has plans to reduce
the number of stalls in the fair. Each year
during the novenas and feast the panchayat
decides on the number of stalls. During
the last Exposition the Collector was
overseeing the problem of the stalls. Additional
Collector North Goa Swapnil Nail
says the PWD has put together rough
plans and these are yet to be finalized.
The final decision regarding the stalls
will be taken by the state level monitoring
committee jointly with the panchayat.
The government is setting up yet another
tent in front of Sé Cathedral which
will serve as an exhibition centre where
the 65 religious congregations in Goa
will display their charism and share how
they live it. Various dioceses in Goa will
put up short plays with 20 themes based
on the life of St Francis Xavier and his
relevance in people’s lives today. The
programmes in the evenings will be of
a slightly longer duration than those in
the mornings. The Pillar and Diocesan
priests are also arranging short musicals
all connected to the theme of faith.
The Church doesn’t want the faithful
to dismiss the Exposition as just another
festival. They are preparing the faithful
for the faith experience which is the
basis of the theme of this year’s Exposition.
“Faith creates communion and strengthens
the family and commissions to renew
society. This theme is divided into the
celebration of faith, journey of faith and
witness of faith,” Fr Alfred Vaz, convener
of the St Francis Xavier Exposition Committee
says.
Cardinal Oswald Gracias will be present
for the feast on December 3 and the
Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal
Salvatore Pennacchio from Delhi will be
present for the farewell mass.
Every Saturday evening at 7:30 pm
there will be vigil prayers at Sé Cathedral
in the presence of the relics of the saint.
“For Goans St Francis Xavier is the centre
of our faith, but we want them to realize
that Jesus is the centre of our faith. St
Francis Xavier is only a model to be
inspired by, because he lived the life of
Jesus. That’s why during this vigil people
will be praying to Jesus together with St
Francis Xavier,” Fr Vaz says.
Pilgrims wanting to celebrate mass in
their own language will be allowed to do
so between 12-3 pm each day. There will
be a special mass for the sick on November
30 during which vehicles will be allowed
to drop the sick closer to the Church.
A special art exhibition will be open
to the public at Kristo Kala Mandir attached
to Se Cathedral where work of
two famous artists, Angelo da Fonseca
and Antonio X Trindade will be on
display only during the Exposition.
The 16th century Sé Cathedral has
received a fresh coat of paint on the interior,
with only a few finishing touches
left. In comparison, its exterior is weathered
and will receive a coat of paint
only after the monsoon. Workers in the
Basilica are also working around the
clock, meters above the ground and
paint brushes in hand, preparing the
Basilica for the grand event.
The cradle on which the relics will be
kept during the Exposition has already
been sent for gold gilding. The relics
have not received any treatment, Fr
Savio Baretto, rector of the Basilica, says
the body was never embalmed.
In Goa, the body was kept open and
was encased in a glass coffin only in
1953. Nobody is sure of where all his
relics lie today as when the body was
open many people had access to it.
This year is also very special for the
Jesuits as they celebrate 200 years of the
restoration of their society after they were
suppressed the world over. Many Jesuits
from various parts of the world are expected
to come for the Exposition as the beginning
of the suppression took place in Goa. The
main house of the Jesuits in the East was
in Old Goa and is called the Professed
House. The first public exposition was
held in 1782 when rumours spread wild
that the Jesuits who were banished, had
left for Rome with the body. This exposition
was held to assure the people that the
body was still in Goa.
