Michelle Mendonca Bambawa, who moved to Goa from Mumbai in 2020, is excited to make her first visit to the exhibition of relics of St. Francis Xavier at Old Goa’s Se Cathedral this month.
“I have seen faith in our Goencho Saib,” said Bambawale, who did her school and college education in Pune. She recalled his visit to St. Xavier’s Church in Pune Cantonment and said it was truly inspiring that Goans from across the country and the world visited Goa to pay homage to him.
“On December 4, the day after the feast, for the first time in my life, I went to the exposition at the St. Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier,” said Bambawale, author of Becoming Goan: A Contemporary Coming-Home Story. The Indian Express.
Once a decade, Goa attracts many pilgrims from across the country and the world for the exhibition of the holy relics of St. Francis Xavier, known as ‘Goencho Saib’. Saint Francis Xavier, a Spanish missionary and co-founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), is also the patron saint of Goa.
Once a decade, Goa attracts many pilgrims from across the country and the world for the exhibition of the holy relics of St. Francis Xavier, known as ‘Goencho Saib’. (Express Photo)
He was first buried on a beach in Sangchuan Island, Taishan, Guangdong, China, and in December 1553 St. Xavier’s body was sent to Goa. The body is now in the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa where it was placed in a glass container encased in a silver casket.
The four-century-old silver-glass casket containing the remains is lowered from its resting place in the basilica’s mausoleum, and the decennial event attracts pilgrims from around the world.
Bambawale also spoke about the ‘Footprints of Hope: A Tribute to St. Francis Xavier’ art exhibition at the newly opened art gallery at the renovated Convent of St. John of God, adjacent to the Christian Art Museum.
Saint Francis Xavier, a Spanish missionary and co-founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), is also the patron saint of Goa. (Express Photo)
“I was thrilled to see so many artists I knew and admired, and I discovered many, many talented Goan artists in this beautiful, sacred place,” recalls Bambawa.
For Vilma Castellino, the long winding queue of pilgrims was certainly not a deterrent as she and her family traveled from Pune to Goa to venerate the holy relics of St. Francis Xavier at close quarters. A relative of Wilma Castellino from Australia and another friend from Canada said it was a moment of complete peace and joy to see “our goencho cybe”.
Judy Castellino, Wilma Castellino’s sister-in-law, said it was the ‘exhibition of a lifetime.’ “It was a surreal experience. Each of us was given a few seconds to touch the casket and seek the powerful intercession of St. Francis Xavier in our lives,” added Judy Castellino, who lives in Australia and visited Goa during the exhibition.
For Sally Callaghan, another pilgrim visiting from Canada, it was an unforgettable experience that she will always hold close to her heart. “It was a moment of absolute peace, joy and sublime grace to see our Goencho Saib after 35 years,” recalled Callaghan.
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