the goan I network
OLD GOA
The Catholic community in the State and across the world will focus on the life and times of St Francis Xavier later this month, as preparations are being finalised at the Bom Jesus Basilica for the novenas and feast of the famed Jesuit saint.
The main celebrant for the feast mass of St Francis Xavier, to be held on December 4 at 10.30 am will be Bishop Gerrard Lobo of Udipi, who will preside over the Eucharist and also deliver the homily.
Speaking to The Goan, Rector of Bom Jesus Basilica Fr Patricio Fernandes explained the purpose of celebrating the feast on December 4, instead of the traditional December 3.
"In the Catholic Church's liturgical calendar, Sundays are days dedicated to Jesus. So, if feast of a saint comes on Sundays, especially in certain seasons like Advent, it's not celebrated on Sunday, but deferred to the following day," said Fr Fernandes.
"Hence this year, novenas will begin from November 25, instead of November 24."
Dwelling on the theme for the feast ‘Like St Francis Xavier, the love of Christ urges us on', Fr Fernandes said everyone who is baptized is inebriated in the presence of Jesus.
"But it takes some time for people to get to know how God truly loves and cares for us, since we live self-centered lives," he said.
"Our love is very often self-centric. It is what I can get from it. But when it becomes an experience of Christ, then we move out of ourselves and then the best in us begins to flow because Christ is urging us on. This is the message that we would like to give to the people. There is no love without sacrifice. So, this love always entails a certain amount of sacrifice, otherwise there is no love," he concluded.
DURING NOVENAS: Masses will begin at 6 am, 7.15 am, 8.15 am, 9.30 am, 10.30 am, 3.45 pm, 5.15 pm, (all in Konkani) and 6.15 pm (English).
ON SATURDAYS, SUNDAYS (NOV 25, 26 & DEC 2, 3): Masses will begin at 5 am.
FEAST DAY (DEC 4): Masses will begin at 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.30 (feast mass) in the morning and 12.30 pm, 3 pm (Spanish), 4 pm, 5 pm and 6 pm (English).
8.15 AM MASSES ALLOTTED TO PARISHES: Sarzora (Nov 25), Old Goa (Nov 26), Chandor (Nov 27), Quepem (Nov 28), Cuncolim (Nov 29), Sanvordem (Nov 30), Pernem (Dec 1), Sirsaim (Dec 2) and Tropa (Dec 3).
3.45 PM MASSES ALLOTTED TO DIOCESAN CENTRES: Biblical & Animation (Nov 25), Lay Apostolate, Media and DPS (Nov 26), Family, CCR & Patriarchal Tribunal (Nov 27), Liturgical Centre (Nov 28), Education & Catechetical (Nov 29), Priests, religious, brothers (Nov 30), Youth (Dec 1), CSJP & Caritas (Dec 2) and Women Religious & CRI (Dec 3).
MASSES IN OTHER LANGUAGES: Tamil (Nov 26 at 11.30 am), Malyalam (Nov 26 at 12.30 pm), Hindi (Nov 26 at 2.30 pm), French (Nov 28 at 2.30 pm), Italian (Dec 1 at 11,30 am), Portuguese (Dec 2 at 11.30 am), Marathi (Dec 2 at 12.30 pm), Kannada (Dec 3 at 11.30 am) and Spanish (Dec 4 at 3 pm).
NO MASSES: 10.30 am on November 25 and November 30.
SPECIAL SERVICE: An inter-religious meet on November 30, followed by Konkani mass at 12.30 pm.
Preparations in right direction: Rector
OLD GOA: Stating that preparations for the forthcoming novenas and feast of St Francis Xavier are moving in the right direction, Basilica Rector Fr Patricio Fernandes informed that a meeting has been held with the government officials and everything that has to done is in place.
"The movement has begun. Some of the things have begun to happen like cleanliness and repairs. The ASI is in action, painting the place. The actualization will take place immediately," Fr Fernandes told The Goan, while adding that arrangements of priests, choirs is also falling in place.
"By the end of this week, it will be known to all those who are engaged in different works for the novenas and the feast," he informed.
Fr Fernandes also informed that the pandal would be installed in a mechanized way this time around.
On arrangements for pilgrims coming to Old Goa from other parts of Goa and neighbouring states, Fr Fernandes informed that generally every year, old people coming to the Basilica from the 60s are allowed to come and stay here.
"They just keep their bags in the corridor and cook outside. We know them and we allow them because this is their tradition. We do not take in new people. The old people whom we know, we allow them and we have a list of them," he stated, while informing that those people who have a special devotion, their generation also keep coming.
"Even if they are abroad, they come and live in a simple way," he said.
