Team Goemkarponn
OLD GOA: The relics of St. Francis Xavier (SFX) have been revered by more than seven million devotees at the 18th Exposition at Se Cathedral in Old Goa, according to Fr. Henry Falcao, convenor of the Exposition Committee.
“45 days have gone by so quickly,” stated Fr. Falcao. Today, January 4, is the final day of the devotion. There won’t be any adoration on January 5; instead, the relics will be taken to the Basilica of Bom Jesus on Sunday. On November 21st, we got began. The days have flown by. It was an amazing experience for me. Faith, love, and devotion brought millions of people to Old Goa.
One of the positive aspects of this exposition, according to Fr. Falcao, was the excellent organization. People have expressed gratitude and left a ton of good evaluations. There were several facilities available to everyone who visited. Everything went very smoothly. I would say that was the positive aspect.
Regarding the people who came here, I would say that there was always a flow, even though there were some highs and lows. It was good to see that. There was a large crowd today. “There were large crowds on Novena and Feast days,” he remarked.
“We currently have a population of roughly seven million. After two or three days of the Exposition, we began counting the attendees,” Fr. Falcao continued.
On January 2 and 3, about 100 people with visual impairments from Maharashtra and Goa worshipped the relics of St. Francis Xavier. Milagres Costa, the president of the Blind Welfare Association, Goa, who is located in London, took the initiative to bring them to Old Goa
Following the relics’ ceremonial return to the Basilica of Bom Jesus, a liturgy will be held.
At the enormous pandal erected outside the church, Archbishop of Goa and Daman Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrao will preside over the liturgy.
Nuns and priests will participate in the parade. It won’t be feasible for everyone to walk in the parade.
As a thank you, Fr. Falcao stated, “representatives of security personnel, helpers, medical staff, cleaning agencies, the police, and all those who volunteered during the 45 days of the Exposition will be allowed to participate in the procession.”
