Forty years ago, on February 6, 1986, Goa witnessed a moment of history when Pope John Paul II, now canonised as a saint, celebrated Mass in the open-air grounds of Campal, Panaji.
The event drew multitudes from across the State and beyond, leaving indelible memories for the tens of thousands who attended and those who played a role in organising the massive gathering.
So profound was the experience for them that their recollections, rich with emotion and detail, continue to resonate even today.
Fr Joaquim Loiola Pereira, narrates his experience like it happened just yesterday.
Now Secretary to Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao, Fr Loiola Pereira recalls his role as part of the 100-voice choir that accompanied the liturgy.
“When the final hymn was in progress, and Pope John Paul II was proceeding to the sacristy, he suddenly left his course and started walking towards the choir,” Fr Pereira said.
The moment caught everyone by surprise.
“Fr Peter Cardozo was conducting the choir with his back to the altar and had no idea of the approaching Supreme Pontiff. When the Pope reached the choir enclosure, most of the musicians on the first row, including myself, abandoned their instruments and surged forward to touch His Holiness. When Fr Peter saw the sudden movement under his nose, he shouted: ‘Kitem zalam re?’ (What is happening here?). We were least bothered by his shouts.”
The Pope’s words of appreciation remain etched in Fr Loiola Pereira’s memory.
“While the singers continued to sing with the remainder of the orchestra, we heard the great Pope say to us, in his strong Polish accent: ‘My dhaanks to the choir. Perfect Choir!’ That memory of having the Pope, now St John Paul, at an arm’s distance and hearing his words of praise for our choir, will always remain with me,” Fr Loiola Pereira added.
For former Superintendent of Police Fintan D’Souza, the recollection is equally vivid. Then a Police Inspector, he was in charge of the plainclothes policemen forming the inner security ring around the pontiff.
“He (the Pope) spoke to us (plain clothes policemen) directly. Those words are still fresh in my memory and close to my heart. I am lucky and blessed to have met two great persons who are now saints -- Pope John Paul and Mother Teresa -- while discharging my official duty providing security to them,” said D’Souza, who is now on the cusp of his 80th birthday.
Panaji resident Rui Ferreira remembers the spiritual intensity of the day.
“It was a spiritually elevating experience for me, my wife Suzete (then my fiancée) and my cousin Dr Maya Mascarenhas 40 years ago. Despite a massive crowd in the congregation, there prevailed an air of solemnity, serenity and religious fervour -- a feeling of pride, emotion and gratitude to witness the first ever visit of the Holy Father to Goa,” he said.
Having arrived before dawn, Ferreira and his family secured seats in the front row.
“This beautiful experience led us to get married on May 3 that year and helped face the challenges of life boldly, holding on to our values enriched by the Holy Father’s mass for 40 long years,” he added.
Mariadas Couto of Pomburpa recalls the logistical effort that brought thousands to Campal.
“Kadamba buses were pressed into service by 3 am to bring the faithful from different villages for the Mass being presided by His Holiness Pope John Paul-II on February 6, 1986. Multitudes converged at Campal. It was thrilling to hear His Holiness address the gathering with a few sentences in Konkani,” Couto said.
He also noted the symbolic presence of the papal chair, carved with the twelve apostles of Christ, brought from his home parish, the Mother of God Church in Pomburpa.
“It’s a privilege for us, parishioners of The Mother of God Church, Pomburpa, to be in possession of the Chair as the Papal Insignia which was used by Saint Pope John Paul-II for this Holy Mass,” Couto, the younger sibling of Delhi Archbishop, Anil Couto, said.
For others, the memories are more personal.
A lay faithful from Aldona now in her fifties did not attend the Mass but recalls her father’s role in helping a polio-stricken man from Mumbai reach the venue. “We had several laminated pictures of the Pope in Goa in our home, some of them donning our walls until 2022,” she said.
Panaji resident Salvio Fernandes had a unique responsibility as liaison between the papal team and the local media.
“So I got to go straight to the plane in Dabolim even before Pope John Paul II alighted. My job was to collect the manuscript of His Holiness’ homily for the next day’s mass and ensure it was translated in different languages and printed to be distributed to media persons at the mass in Campal,” Fernandes recalled.
His encounter with the Pope was deeply personal.
“My job done and on my way out of the plane, I saw the Holy Father seated alone. I instantly knelt and kissed the ring on his hand and he held my hand for some moments. It was an exhilarating experience for me,” he said.
The recollections of clergy, police, organisers, and lay faithful together paint a portrait of a day when Goa stood united in faith and reverence. But beyond the spiritual there were emotional and a few humorous moments too.
For instance, the Pope’s pronunciation of Konkani phrases during the Mass at Campal Grounds was so flawless, that many locals joked he was likely a Goan after all.
But it didn’t happen without labour. According to a clergyman privy to it, the Pope had gone through a rigorous 30-minute last-minute revision session of the Konkani phrases.
Then there was the humorous “Injustice”.
“While entering the Basilica of Bom Jesus, the Pope spent so much time greeting us priests on his right that those on the left felt ignored. But upon leaving, he purposely turned to the other side, playfully announcing he was now trying to ‘distribute justice’,” said one senior priest who was present there.
Yet another moment was with the religious sisters gathered outside the Basilica who couldn’t enter due to space constraints. He quipped that when he meet the religious next in Bombay, the message would be to keep the priests out.
The visit of Pope John Paul II to Goa was more than a liturgical event; it was a spiritual milestone that continues to inspire generations, forty years on.
