the goan I network
PANAJI
Three bishops, over 25 priests, religious sisters and hundreds of faithful joined in the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Venerable Fr Agnelo de Souza at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in New Delhi on Sunday.
Archbishop William D’Souza of Patna, the main celebrant at the Solemn High Mass, recalled that Fr Agnelo with his asceticism, and saintliness inspired people to come to the Lord.
Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, Secretary General of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India and a member of the Society of Pilar, in his homily described how Fr Agnelo received his faith from his mother who entrusted the family into the hands of the Heavenly Mother even as she on her death bed knew she was leaving behind very young children.
Bishop Mascarenhas emphasised on the need for mothers to impart the faith to their children.
Bishop Ignatius Mascarenhas of Simla-Chandigarh appreciated the Pilar Fathers for the hard work in very remote areas.
Fr Alarico Carvalho, Regional Superior of the Agnel Region, introduced the celebrants to the gathering and Fr John Marcus Fernandes, Provincial of the Delhi Province of the Pilar Society, later proposed the vote of thanks.
Fr Anthony Fernandes, Administrator of CBCI Centre and a Pilar Father and Fr Bento Rodrigues, Director of the Greater Noida Bal Bhuvan of the Agnel Region organised the celebrations, states a CBCI press note.
Venerable Agnelo D’Souza (1869-1927) was a saintly missionary from the Society of the Missionaries of St Francis Xavier (Pilar Fathers Goa). He worked in the missions of Goa and Karnataka and was the Spiritual Director at the Rachol Seminary, Goa.
The process for the cause for his canonization is at an advanced stage in Rome and the process of miracles has been opened in 2018. Prayers were offered for his early beatification.
