PANAJI
Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão celebrated his first Mass in Rome, after being made cardinal by Pope Francis on Saturday.
The Mass was celebrated on Sunday in the Chapel of the Collegio Urbano, with the attendance of four other cardinals from India, Archbishop of Bombay Oswald Cardinal Gracias, His Beatitude George Cardinal Alencherry (Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church), His Beatitude Baselios Cardinal Cleemis (Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Church) and Cardinal Anthony Poola from Hyderabad, as well as two bishops, Apostolic Nuncio Emeritus to South Africa Archbishop Blasco Collaço and Archbishop of Bangalore Peter Machado.
About 50 priests, including 12 priests who went from Goa, 20 relatives of Cardinal Ferrão and 60 others, mostly Goans who gathered from different places from the globe also participated in the Mass.
The Mass was in English with hymns in English and Konkani. Cardinal Oswald Gracias preached the homily.
It was followed by a lunch in the same college premises. Fr Basilio Monteiro, a Goan priest teaching in St John's University New York, raised the toast, and everyone sang ‘Argham Tuka Somia’ and ‘Viva re Viva’.
Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão along with four other Indian Cardinals, bishops and a number of priests from Goa and elsewhere, after celebrating his First Mass in Rome on Sunday.
