Recently, the Catholic Church declared Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati as saints, which is a great blessing for the Church. At this time, a question comes to my mind: when will the Church declare Fr Agnelo a saint from Goan soil?
Fr Agnelo Gustavo Adolfo de Souza (SFX) was born on 21 January 1869 in Anjuna, Goa, and died on 20 November 1927 at Rachol. He was ordained a priest in 1898 and served in many places in Goa and beyond. He was known for his humility, spiritual guidance, and service to the needy.
In 1986, Pope John Paul II declared him “Venerable.” The next step towards sainthood, canonisation, depends on the confirmation of a miracle through his intercession. Thousands of devotees regularly pray for this, visiting Pilar every Thursday, and during novenas and feast days. Many faithful in Goa believe that Fr Agnelo has worked miracles and continues to listen to their prayers.
I appeal to our Church authorities, the bishops of Goa, the SFX priests, and Pope Francis to take this cause forward and declare Fr Agnelo a saint. The people of Goa have been waiting and praying for this recognition for many years.
