LONDON
One of the main activities of the Mission of Pilar Fathers in UK has been the promotion of devotion to Venerable Fr Agnelo de Souza, a saintly son of Goa.
Since the last 35 years, the Pilar Fathers have been promoting the Cause of Beatification of Venerable Fr Agnelo among Goans settled in the UK through the Association of Friends of Fr Agnelo and this fervour will continue with the celebration of Fr Agnelo’s Day at St George’s Cathedral, Southwark, in London at 3 pm on November 19.
Bishop Pat Lynch, SS. CC., retired auxiliary bishop of Southwark archdiocese, will be the principal celebrant to lead the congregation to pray for the beatification of Venerable Fr Agnelo. Friends of Venerable Fr Agnelo (UK) and Pilar Fathers will coordinate the event.
The Goan Chaplaincy UK will also celebrate Novena Masses across London and Swindon.
The Masses in London will be at St Boniface Church, Tooting (November 10 at 6.30 pm), St Mary Magdalen Church, Willesden (November 11 at 4 pm), St Lawrence’s Church, Feltham (November 12 at 6 pm), St Joseph’s Church, Wembley (November 13 at 6.30 pm), St Mary’s Church, Croydon (November 14 at 6.45 pm), Church of Our Lady and St Christopher, Cranford (November 15 at 6 pm), Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Hayes (November 16 at 6 pm), St John Bosco Church, Leicester (November 17 at 6 pm), St Anslem’s Church, Southall (November 18 at 4 pm), St Peter and St Paul Church, Mitcham (November 18 at 6.30 pm) and St Martin and St Michael Church, Hounslow (November 19 at 4 pm).
Fr Agnelo Day Masses will be celebrated at Holyrood Church, Swindon, at 9 am and 7 pm in Konkani on November 20.
All Novena Masses will be in Konkani except at Tooting, Croydon, Mitcham and Southwark.
FERVOUR IN UK
The fervour to Ven. Agnelo in the UK traces its origin to the efforts of late Fr Sergio Mascarenhas SFX (the Vice-Postulator to the Cause of Beatification of Venerable Fr Agnelo) who had envisioned the Mission of Pilar Fathers in UK, mainly for the purpose of promoting the Cause of Beatification of Venerable Fr Agnelo among Goans settled down in the UK as well as for the promotion of the cause of missionary activities of Society of Pilar in India.
During one of his visits to UK in the mid-1980s, Fr Sergio had contacted several Goans interested in the promotion of this Cause, including the Asian Chaplain (Fr Arthur Moraes, of Goan origin but a priest of the Archdiocese of Westminster). It was Fr Moraes who promised Fr Sergio that he would provide for the lodge and board to the Pilar priest sent to UK for the promotion of this Cause.
As part of these efforts, Fr Francis Carvalho was sent to the UK in 1988 to pursue the main purpose of the Mission of Pilar Fathers in UK, the promotion of devotion to Venerable Fr Agnelo in UK.
A short while later, devotees of Ven. Agnelo came together for a meeting and it was decided to constitute an association of devotees of Venerable Fr Agnelo to assist the Pilar priest in promoting the Cause of Beatification of Venerable Fr Agnelo. As suggested by Fr Sergio Mascarenhas, this Association was later christened as The Association of Friends of Fr Agnelo.
