log on to thegoan.net THURSDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2024 @thegoanonline Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 16 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 154 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 EXPOSITION: THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY BEGINS DELHI ARCHBISHOP COUTO ACCOMPANIED BY 10 OTHER BISHOPS TO LEAD THOUSANDS AS ST FRANCIS XAVIER’S SACRED RELICS ARE UNVEILED TODAY; 8 MILLION PILGRIMS FROM ACROSS GLOBE EXPECTED THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The mega religious event billed to attract as much as 8 million people from across the globe is finally here: the decennial exposition of the sacred relics of St Francis Xavier at Old Goa. After weeks of planning and preparations, Reverend Anil Couto, the Archbishop of Delhi, will lead the congregation of thousands at Thursday morning's Eucharistic celebration inside the Basilica of Bom Jesus. At least 10 other bishops will co-celebrate with Couto, including Cardinal Felipe Neri Ferrao and Auxiliary Bishop Simião Purificação Fernandes, before the casket holding the life-size relics of the sixteenth century Spanish saint is unveiled and taken in an elaborate ceremonial procession on an e-carriage to the See Cathedral. A choir comprising 50 musicians and singers will add to the solemnity at the inaugural mass which will be conducted by Fr Romeio Monteiro. This year's is the eighteenth Exposition which will continue for 45 days until January 5 next year when the casket will make its journey back to the Basilica. Thursday's inaugural ceremony will feature a few breaks from tradition including transporting the casket in a uniquely designed carriage mounted on an e-vehicle, depicting the mausoleum where the relics are kept inside the Basilica. Previously, this journey of nearly 500 metres between the Basilica and the See Cathedral used to be on the shoulders of Catholic laity chosen by the Church authorities, who would take turns to shoulder the casket along this route. The carriage will be tailed by a 100-member brass band ON PAGE 5 Diplomats from 5 nations to attend inaugural ceremony ‘Walking pilgrimage’ of Maha villages to get bigger PANAJI: Diplomats from five different countries will attend the inaugural ceremony of the 18th Exposition of the Sacred Relics of St Francis Xavier at Old Goa on Thursday. Diplomats from the The Holy See, Peru, Argentina, Colombia and Solomon Islands will attend Mass and later venerate the Sacred Relics in the See Cathedral. These diplomats include the Ambassador of Peru as well as the Deputy Chiefs of Missions from the Holy See Embassy, Embassy of Argentina and Embassy of Peru. The specially designed EV carriage which will be used to carry the Scared Relics of St Francis Xavier from the Basilica of Bom Jesus to the See Cathedral at Old Goa on Thursday. which will play to the tunes of three hymns dedicated to St Francis Xavier and will be led by Fr Simon D'Cunha, who heads the Diocesan Commission for Sacred Music. Meanwhile, the Feast of St Francis Xavier will be celebrated on December 3, where the main celebrant for the Feast Mass will be Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the Pro-Prefect of the Section for the First Evangelisation and New Particular Churches of the Dicastery for Evangelisation at the Vatican. Archbishop of Goa Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao and other bishops will concelebrate at the Mass with Tagle. Eventually on January 5, the relics will be taken back to the Basilica again in a solemn procession. Cardinal Ferrao will lead the Eucharistic Celebration closing the Exposition. Meanwhile, Fr Henry Falcão, the convenor of the >Continued on P6 PANAJI: For close to four decades, hundreds of Christians from villages in dioceses of neighbouring Maharashtra and Karnataka walked to Old Goa on a pilgrimage every year to reach in time for the December 3 feast of St Francis Xavier. This year, however, it will be different, bigger and they will be joined by their Hindu and Muslim brethren. 60 Goan artists display works on life of SFX PANAJI: An art exhibition featuring the work of over 60 Goan artists, mostly revolving around the life and legacy of St Francis Xavier, is currently on display, coinciding with the decennial exposition of the relics of the sixteenth century Spanish saint at Old Goa. Styled “Footprints of Hope”, the exhibition is housed in the restored 17th-century Convent of St John of God and was opened by Cardinal Felipe Neri Ferrao on Sunday last. Church releases special postal commemorative cover PANAJI: The Diocesan Centre for Social Communications Media (DCSCM) has released a very special postal commemorative cover on the occasion of 18th Exposition of Relics of St Francis Xavier of Goa, popularly known as ‘Goencho Saib’.