PANAJI
The commemoration of the 98th death anniversary of Venerable Agnelo de Souza will be celebrated in Pilar on November 20.
The main theme of the celebration is “Venerable Agnelo inspires us to be pilgrims of Hope”. Auxiliary Bishop of Bombay Dominic Savio Fernandes will preside over the Solemn Mass at 9.30 am.
The Mass timings on this day are as follows: 5.30 am, 6.45 am, 8 am, 11.30 am, 4 pm, 5.15 pm and 6.15 pm (English).
The Novenas will be held from November 11-19. Each day of the Novena is dedicated to praying for a specific purpose: 11th (Tuesday) is dedicated to Peace in the World; 12th (Wednesday) is dedicated to migrants and refugees; 13th (Thursday) is dedicated to the Youth and Unemployed; 14th (Friday) is dedicated to Children; 15th (Saturday) is dedicated to Priests, Religious and Vocations; 16th (Sunday) is dedicated to Family and Childless couples; 17th (Monday) is dedicated to Environment; 18th (Tuesday) is dedicated to the Sick; 19th (Wednesday) is dedicated to Missions and Missionaries
Timings for the Novena Masses are as follows: 5.30 am, 6.45 am, 8 am, 9.15 am, 10.30 am, 4 pm, 5.15 pm and 6.15 pm (English). There will be a Night Vigil on November 14 from 9.30 pm to 5 am the next day.
Masses in other languages will also be held on the following days: Tamil Mass will be celebrated on November 16 at 11.30 am in the pandal; Hindi Mass will be celebrated on November 16 at 12.30 am in the pandal; Malayalam Mass will be celebrated on November 16 at 11.30 am in the Mission Seminary Chapel.
A special Mass for the sick will be celebrated on November 18 at 10.30 am. Mass for the Spiritual Brothers and sisters will be celebrated on November 16 at 10.30 am. Every Mass will be followed by a Novena prayer and prayer over the sick.
Priests will be available for confessions and counselling. All masses will be streamed on YouTube Society of Pilar India, and also telecast on Prudent TV and other local TV, digital, social media channels.
As in the past, the flow of vehicular traffic will be one-way. All vehicles will enter the Pilar hillock from the Neura road and exit through the regular Pilar Hillock Road. Shuttle services will be available at the foot of the Pilar Hillock for those commuting by bus.
For smooth vehicular movement, parking arrangements are made behind the Pilar Seminary and devotees and pilgrims are request to collaborate with authorities.
Venerable Agnelo de Souza was born in the picturesque village of Anjuna on January 21, 1869. His parents, Miguel and Simphorosa, were devout Catholics and saw that their children grew up in the ways of faith and good morals.
Ven. Agnelo, a saintly member of the Society of Pilar, was a preacher of God’s Word and preached missions, retreats in most of the Churches of Goa. He passed away at dawn of November 20, 1927. The canonisation process of Venerable Fr. Agnelo De Souza is going on in Rome.
