the goan I network
MARGAO
Braving scorching heat and the humid conditions, thousands of devotees from far and wide poured in at the Padre Pio Chapel at Moddi, Navelim village on Saturday noon to venerate the relics of the most-loved Saint popularly known in Goa as ‘Amcho Sant Anton’.
Capuchin Priest, Fr Simon Rico Fernandes says: “We are so very happy to celebrate this moment of grace for the entire people of Goa. St Anthony is loved by everybody and people in Goa like to call him ‘Amcho Sant Anton’. For every family, he is such a Saint that he can make himself loved by his simplicity, prayers and penance.”
Fr Simon said that God has given St Anthony the quality to work miracles, saying that St Anthony is known as the miracle Saint. “His miracles are of high quality. The miracles make him dear to all people and his name and fame transcends across religious bars,” he said.
Explaining the significance of the exposition of the relics, Fr Simon said the relics visiting the Chapel is a first class relic, meaning the relict is a part of the body, which is very, very integral to the body.
Commenting on the two-day exposition of the relic at Padre Pio Chapel at Moddi, Navelim, Fr Simon said “it was beyond our expectations. People were there at the dawn, the entire hillock was full with people, that was something unusual,” he added.
Navelim MLA Luizinho Faleiro, Velim MLA Filipe Neri Rodrigues, Cuncolim MLA Clafacio Dias, Nuvem MLA Wilfred D’Sa, Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao, former Minister Avertano Furtado were the prominent political figures from Salcete who were spotted at the Padre Pio Chapel for veneration of the relics.
Additional Collector Agnelo Fernanndes told the media that the relics were received at Cortalim before it was brought under security to the Padre Pio Chapel. The traffic police made elaborate arrangements for traffic and parking arrangements. DySP Prabodh Shirwaikar along with his traffic team was personally present at the spot.
Says Luizinho Faleiro: “I am happy that the relic of St Anthony is being exposed in Navelim in my constituency. I hope and pray that it will strengthen the faith of the people and also bring blessings for them.”
He said he had a couple of meetings with the authorities in the last few days to put in place the arrangements since the exposition may draw around two lakh devotees.
His Velim counterpart, Filipe Neri said that people of Goa throng to St Anthony Chapel every Tuesday at Deussua-Chinchinim, which falls in his constituency. “The exposition of the relic gives a life time opportunity to the devotees, especially the younger generation to venerate St Anthony’s relics,” he added.
The veneration of St Anthony’s relics will culminate with a thanksgiving Eucharistic celebration at 3.30 pm on Sunday followed by the final blessing. Episcopal Vicar, South Fr Lucio Dias will celebrate the Eucharist mass on Sunday noon along with the Provincial Minister, St Anthony Province, Goa Waldhine Rodrigues. Fr Simon told the media that the relics will then be taken to the Dabolim airport before it is headed to Singapore.
