Exposition: Spiritual heritage preserved by Canons

[First appeared in Herald - 30 November, 2014]

MELVYN MISQUITA
30 NOV 2014
PANJIM

Fr Saturnino Dias, president of the Cathedral Chapter, (extreme right)
along with two other Canons on the opposite side, carry the relics of
St Francis Xavier inside the Se Cathedral during the 2104 Exposition.
Photo by Miguel N V Fernandes

If millions of devotees get to venerate the relics of St Francis Xavier at the Se Cathedral during the ongoing XVII Exposition, they need to be grateful to the selfless and dedicated service of a small group of priests for this rich spiritual heritage.

Had it not been for efforts spanning over 165 years by a group of senior clergymen called Canons (Cónegos in Portuguese, Kon’g in Konkani), who constitute the Cathedral Chapter (Cabido in Portuguese, Kabid in Konkani), Bom Jesus Basilica and Se Cathedral could well have been reduced to ruins.

“If some magnificent churches like Bom Jesus Basilica are still surviving in Old Goa today, it’s mainly due to efforts of my predecessors. The Canons were among the few clergymen who remained in Old Goa, when the city was virtually abandoned due to many reasons,” claims Canon Fr Atanasio Lobo, secretary of the Cathedral Chapter.

Established in 1534, the Cathedral Chapter comprised a group of Canons, a highly respected and influential group of senior clergymen, who were advisors and collaborators of the bishop, even to the point of substituting him in his absence. Besides being the bishop’s ‘senate and counsel’, they celebrated solemn liturgical functions in the cathedral and assumed administration of the diocese when the bishop died.

The Canons, who were associated with Se Cathedral and whose one member was parish priest of the Cathedral, ended up also being administrators of the Basilica and later, the sole clergymen in Old Goa, due to a series of events.

Following declining health conditions and other factors prevailing in Old Goa, the archbishop vacated his Archiepiscopal Palace in 1695 and shifted to another palace in Panelim (near Ribandar).

According to Fr Saturnino Dias, president of the Cathedral Chapter, staff employees of the Chapter were among the few parishioners left in Old Goa from 1695 onwards.

“This is because the population deserted the place and both civil and ecclesiastical authorities abandoned the city due to insalubrious conditions at Old Goa,” says Fr Dias.

If people left Old Goa due to health reasons, other factors forced the exit of religious congregations from Old Goa.
“With the expulsion of Jesuits from Goa in 1759, Bom Jesus Basilica and the adjacent Casa Professa (Professed House) was placed under the care of four Dominicans for some time,” said Jesuit Province Archivist Fr Gregory Naik.

“In 1761, a commission which included the Viceroy, the archbishop and other civil and ecclesiastical authorities took over administration of the Basilica,” said Fr Naik.

Canons Antonio de Menezes and Canon Caetano de Melo were then appointed administrators of the College of Bom Jesus and Houses of Bom Jesus respectively from 1780-1782. Then, two priests from the congregation of Vincentians became administrators of the Basilica from 1782 to 1792. They were followed by Canon Caetano de Melo as administrator of the Basilica.

About eight decades after the expulsion of the Jesuits, other religious congregations were forced to abandon their activity, when the Portuguese government ordered the suppression of all religious orders from Goa in 1835. This left the Canons, who were diocesan priests, the sole clergymen to remain in Old Goa.

With the suppression of all religious orders, many churches (St Luzia, St Domnic, St Alex, Holy Trinity, Our Lady of Light, Our Lady of Grace, Church of the Carmelites, etc) and church institutions (Santa Casa de Misericordia or Holy House of Mercy, Hospital of St Lazarus, etc.) in Old Goa fell into decay and were reduced to ruins by the end of 19th century.
The few churches that survived in Old Goa were mainly due to efforts of the Canons.

“These loyal, selfless and dedicated Canons were the only ones who did not abandon many churches at Old Goa. They managed to administer these churches by forming administrative bodies comprising 2-3 canons per church and they preserved these huge structures from funds generated out of the produce from vast orchards around the churches,” said Fr Lobo.

“Despite insalubrious conditions and other adverse influences, these Canons remained steadfast in Old Goa. After all, the Cathedral Church is also the church of the Chapter and in the absence of Se Cathedral, these Canons could not move to any other church,” added Fr Lobo.

As administrators of the Basilica from late 18th century till mid-20th century, these Canons supervised a number of expositions, right from the first Exposition (February 10-12, 1782) to the tenth Exposition (December 3, 1952 to January 6, 1953).

“Canon Franklin de Sa was in charge of the Basilica for about 37 years, from 1919 till his death in 1956. Aware that he was old and unable to administer the Basilica, which would also include the tenth Exposition, the archbishop agreed to the Jesuit superior’s request to depute two Jesuit priests as assistants to Canon de Sa. Following the death of Canon de Sa on April 30, 1956, the archbishop appointed Fr Estanislaus Martins as the first Jesuit rector of the Basilica, after a gap of nearly 200 years,” said Fr Naik.

Given their close association with the Basilica and the Se Cathedral, the Canons have been an integral part of Expositions of the relics of St Francis Xavier.

The Canons were prominently seen in their unique black cassock with white cotta and black mozzetta during the 1974 Exposition, while the relics were being shifted to the Se Cathedral.

More recently, the Canons also made their presence felt during the inaugural ceremony of the XVII Exposition on November 22, when they were among those carrying the relics from the entrance of Se Cathedral to the final stop in front of the altar.

Fr Dias, who incidentally had the rare honour of carrying the relics twice during the procession on November 22, said: “The first Archiepiscopal Palace and various monuments within the city were administered by the Chapter. If some of them, including the Basilica and Se Cathedral, are still standing, it is only because they were administered or taken care by these loyal and dedicated Canons for over 165 years.”

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Special moment for those carrying Relics of St Xavier

[First appeared in Herald - 24 November 2014]

MELVYN MISQUITA
24 NOV 2014
PANJIM

Fr Saturnino Dias (left), Fr Lucio Dias (centre) and
Fr Tomas Lobo (right) carry the relics of St Francis
Xavier outside the main gate of Basilica of Bom Jesus.
Photo by Vincent Braganza.

It was an honour and privilege accorded to a limited number of people, as those who carried the relics of St Francis Xavier during the inaugural ceremony of the XVII Exposition were yet to overcome the excitement of their once-in-a-lifetime experience on Saturday.

For a senior priest, however, this ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experience occurred twice within less than an hour, when he had the rare fortune to having held the relics on two occasions during the solemn procession from the Basilica of Bom Jesus to the Se Cathedral.

It was also special privilege for a family in Aldona, as a woman and her mother-in-law had the privilege of carrying the relics at the expositions in 2014 and 2004 respectively.

Fr Saturnino Dias, president of the Cathedral Chapter and Director of the Missionary Animation Centre, admitted that he was not scheduled to carry the relics on two occasions. “I thank God and St Francis Xavier for giving me this unique privilege to have carried the relics twice during the solemn procession on Saturday,” said Fr Dias.

On the first occasion, Fr Dias was on the right side to carry the crystal coffin, as priests brought out the relics at about 12.15 pm from the inside of the Basilica to the main door of the Basilica, where they handed it over to members of the Pastoral Parish Council (PPC).

“On the first occasion, I was not initially part of the group of priests to carry the relics from inside the Basilica. In fact, I did not even participate in the rehearsal for this event. But after the rehearsal, some senior priests came to me and requested me to carry the relics as a representative of the Cathedral Chapter,” said Fr Dias.

“I initially wanted to give this privilege to another canon, but the priests insisted that I should carry the relics as president of the Cathedral Chapter,” he added.

On the second occasion, Fr Dias was on the left side of the relics as he along with other canons and members of the exposition committee carried the relics at about 12.45 pm from the main door of the Se Cathedral to the site, where the relics have been placed for veneration.

“I certainly cannot explain this unique privilege and I can only attribute it to divine intervention for this experience,” said a grateful Fr Dias.

For Lourdes M Vaz of Old Goa, it was an ethereal experience. “When I was informed about the privilege of carrying the sacred relics, I was thrilled. It is one of the rarest of the rare moments of one’s life. When I actually held the relics, an ethereal feeling of peace and serenity descended upon me,” recalled Vaz.

Gail Misquita of Aldona also had the privilege of carrying the relics as member of the exposition committee, during the last stop in the Se Cathedral. “While I carried the casket on my left shoulder, I got to touch the casket with my right hand and it was a special experience for me,” said Misquita. Incidentally, her mother-in-law, Silvia Misquita, had had the privilege of carrying the relics during the exposition in 2004.

The experience was equally special for Fr Tomas Lobo, parish priest of Alto-Porvorim.

“Since my childhood, St Francis Xavier has been my favourite Saint whose blessings I regularly seek. Thankfully, I have always experienced the providential care an intercession of my beloved Saint. I felt blessed by God to have carried the body of someone very close to my heart. It was God’s favour and St Francis Xavier’s gift,” said Fr Lobo.

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Relics of St Francis Xavier: Venerated the world over

[First appeared in Herald - 23 November 2014]

MELVYN MISQUITA
23 NOV 2014
PANJIM

While the relics of St Francis Xavier are enshrined in the Mausoleum at the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa, the past five centuries have seen various parts of the body distributed, preserved and venerated in different parts of the world.
 

Relics of St Francis Xavier are carried during the
XVI Exposition in Old Goa.
Photo by Vincent Braganza.

Millions of devotees are expected to venerate the relics of St Francis Xavier during the XVII Exposition at Old Goa. But this privilege of venerating a relic will not be restricted to Goa alone, since various parts of the saint’s body have been distributed and preserved in different parts of the world. All these various relics are also revered with traditional fervour during the feast of St Xavier on December 3.

The relics of St Francis Xavier are known to have been preserved and venerated in churches and chapels in Old Goa, Margao, Panjim and Canacona in Goa, as well as in Mumbai. Elsewhere in the world, the relics are reported to have been encased in reliquaries at Japan, Macau, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Canada and USA.

It may be noted that relics are usually classified in three categories. A First class relic is a part of the body (bone, hair, a fingernail, etc.), while a Second class relic is something owned or worn. A Third class relic is more common and it could even include someone touching a religious object to a first-class relic and that object would be a third-class relic.

In his book ‘St Francis Xavier and his Shrine’, the Jesuit scholar P Rayanna provides details on some of the various relics of the saint which have been venerated across the world, since the death of the saint five centuries ago.

One of the very first relics of St Francis Xavier was taken by the servant who was sent to exhume his body on the desolate coast of Sancian and is reported to have cut off a piece of flesh, a finger’s length, from the left knee. 

Except for a big toe, all the other toes from the right foot of St Francis’ body are missing. In 1554, a Portuguese lady, Dona Isabel de Carom, anxious to have a relic of the saint, bit off the little toe from his right foot. This toe in the possession of the family of the Count of Nova Goa in Portugal, was donated to Santa Casa De Misericordia, a state run Portuguese Charity who also maintains a well known museum in Lisbon. 

From the very beginning the sacredness of relics of St Francis Xavier was obvious to everyone. “The miracle body of the saint naturally drew passionate responses and people even craved to have personal possession of his relics,” Fr Victor Ferrao, professor at Rachol Seminary says.

In 1556, St Paul’s College had a reliquary containing some hair of the saint, presumably taken out from the coffin. His right hand was cut on two separate occasions. The first operation took place on November 3, 1614, by order of Father General Claude Aquaviva. The arm was cut off at the elbow and sent to Rome the following year. It is kept in a silver reliquary and venerated in the church of Gesu. A small piece of this relic was sent to Malines, Belgium.

The second amputation took place on April 27, 1619 where the rest of the right arm with the shoulder blade was cut off at the order of the same Father General in order to satisfy the request of the Jesuit Province of Japan for a great relic of its first apostle. The shoulder blade was divided into three parts, one for each college of Cochin, Malacca and Macau. Unfortunately these relics were lost when the Dutch took Malacca in 1643 and Cochin in 1663. 

In Macau, the relic including a good part of the shoulder 12 cm and the top part of that bone with the forearm is kept in a reliquary of solid silver in the seminary of St Joseph.

The demand for relics of the saint grew with each passing decade. Fr Feroz Fernandes at Pilar Seminary says that St Francis’ body remaining incorrupt added to the odour of sanctity felt by his devotees.

“The relics then became tangible assistance for people to pursue holiness as reflected in the life of the saint and to seek his intercession in their needs. Although saints do not perform miracles, God does and very often he does it through intercessors like St Francis Xavier,” he says.  

By 1636, all the internal organs were removed from the body of St Francis Xavier and distributed as relics in the East and West. Authentic records of these relics speak of them being taken from the breast, intestines, flesh and interior organs.

During the official inspection prior to the Exposition of 1782, the Inspector General of Goa had declared that a relic was with him at home. A part of it is still in possession of his descendants in Portugal while the rest reached its native Castle of Xavier in 1902.

After the exposition in 1890, one of the toes fell off. Archbishop Valente placed it in a crystal case in 1894. It is kept in the Sacristy of Bom Jesus and is offered to those who want to kiss it. There is no reliable information available about the other two toes. But it is known that during the Exposition of 1910, two joints of the fourth toe, which were hanging on a thin skin, fell down. The then Patriarch Dom Mateus de Oliveira Xavier placed them on February 17, 1911 in the reliquary already existing in the Sacristy. Even now, one can see two bits of bones in the reliquary which the pilgrims kiss. 

During the exposition of 1952, a dried skin of one leg was hanging. Dom Jose da Costa Nunes, the then Patriarch, cut it and out of it many small relics were made and placed in small reliquaries. In 1964 at the request of Fr Aires Fernandes, then parish priest of St Xavier’s Church, Dabul-Mumbai, a piece of this skin was offered to that church by Bishop Francisco Rebello, then Auxiliary to the then Archbishop Patriarch Dom Jose Alvernaz, and in charge of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman.  

“The Church,” says Fr Ferrao, “doesn’t accept exaggerated passion for venerable relics but at the same time remains very compassionate to the people who strive to express their love and devotion.”

But he clarifies, “The Church only venerates the relics and doesn’t worship any Saint. Worship is reserved for the triune God. There is hierarchy of veneration of the saints in the Church. The highest veneration is reserved for Mother Mary, then her spouse St Joseph, next are the Apostles and then the saints. Besides this, local patron saints can take precedence, on specific occasion as the case may be.”

In addition to the relics mentioned above there is a small bone of the saint that has been preserved and venerated at the St Francis Xavier Church in Bhatpal-Canacona in Goa. A large bone is preserved in the Holy Spirit Church in Margao. Relics are also preserved in the St Francis Xavier Chapel in Portais-Panjim and in the Precious Blood Parish at Cloverdale in Vancouver- Canada.

A reliquary of solid silver and gold containing first class relics of the saint is venerated in the Sacrament Catholic Parish in Rhode Island in the New England region of the United States. Another relic is reported to be in the St Francis Xavier Cathedral at Green Bay in Wisconsin, United States. Incidentally the cathedral claims to have the relics of an estimated 100 saints. Another relic is also part of the collection of the Western Jesuit Missions in the Saint Louis University Museum of Art, in midtown Saint Louis, Missouri-USA. The reliquary also houses the relics of other Jesuit saints.

According to Fr Fernandes, the ancient custom of veneration of relics dates back to the reverence shown at the graves of martyrs. “It was even followed at the time of the Apostles and finds support in the Bible. The Catholic Church encourages a healthy reverence for the sacred relics,” Fr Fernandes says, “placing veneration of relics in the same category as visits to sanctuaries, pilgrimages, processions, the stations of the cross, religious dances, the rosary and medals.”

“Time and again the Church has asserted that the relics do not posses magical powers nor offer physical health benefits on their own. A relic cannot replace the Blessed Sacrament or the Eucharist. The church also shuns economic use and abuse of relics so much so that the relic cannot be put up for veneration without the authentication of the Postulator,” he says.

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Reverent US parish donated 350 wedding rings for SFX reliquary

[First appeared in Herald - 20 November 2014] 

MELVYN MISQUITA
20 NOV 2014
PANJIM

The beautiful reliquary encasing a relic of
St Francis Xavier is a prized possession of
the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Parish in
Providence, Rhode Island (USA).

Relics of St Francis Xavier have been prized possessions across the world for the past five centuries and many of these relics are encased in beautiful reliquaries.

But not all reliquaries are as valued as the relic itself.

When one parish in the USA appealed for contributions to make a unique reliquary to encase a relic of St Xavier eight decades ago, its reverent parishioners resorted to a magnanimous donation: an incredible display of affection, generosity and commitment to the cause.

Believe it or not, 350 wedding rings, gold and silver jewelry were generously donated by parishioners in 1934. These valuables were then cast into a refining furnace to prepare a magnificent reliquary of solid silver and gold which contains a first class relic (a piece of the body) of St Xavier.

This is the touching story of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Parish in Providence, Rhode Island (USA), where the reliquary is described in the parish website as “one of the prized possessions of the parish.”

The reliquary’s origin was printed in the Centennial Book of Blessed Sacrament Parish, but the story is described in detail in the ‘Providence Visitor’ (now known as The Rhode Island Catholic), the diocesan newspaper of the Diocese of Providence.

In its issue dated November 16, 1934, a copy of which is displayed on the parish website, the newspaper report states that the reliquary, “in which there are more than 350 wedding rings was completed for the Church of the Blessed Sacrament,” was formally blessed at devotions to St Francis Xavier on December 16, 1934.

“The reliquary, made entirely of sterling silver and gold, contains a first-class relic of St Xavier to whom parishioners of Blessed Sacrament Church pay special devotion on the third Sunday of each month.”

According to the newspaper report, the reliquary was “designed from suggestions of (then) pastor, Rev. Dr W A Doran” and its construction had begun about eight months earlier “after a solicitation of the same duration in the parish for gold and silver articles.”

Responding generously to the cause, the parishioners donated 350 wedding rings, watches, bracelets, chains and other jewelry to the church.

Describing the magnanimous generosity of the parish, the ‘Providence Visitor’ reported: “The gathering of the jewelry and the encasement befitting the spiritual significance of the relic was entered into wholeheartedly by the parishioners. Many gave family heirlooms to be melted and refined for use in the execution of the reliquary.”

The ‘Providence Visitor’ also included a detailed description of the reliquary. “The main feature of the shrine is a sterling silver hand holding the relic of the saint which is encased in a delicately chased cross of gold. The hand is supported by a round base flanked by three angels holding respectively the emblems of Faith, Hope and Charity.”

“Between the angels are three shields, one bearing the coat of arms of (then) Bishop Keough, another the coat of arms of St Ignatius of Loyola and the third, the emblem of the Jesuit order. The reliquary stands 23 inches and weighs 22 pounds.”
“The relic case is in the middle of the cross held by the silver hand. Around the circle containing the relic is a row of rhinestones.”

“The three shields at the base are carved out of solid silver and enameled. They are set in silver, oxidized finish, and produce a striking contrast with the shields on which they are applied.”

“Around the base of the hand, the name ‘St Francis Xavier, S.J.,’ in raised letters, is in white gold, standing out in its original color in contrast with the fine gold plating of the rest of that portion of the reliquary,” the newspaper report adds.

It was also mentioned that the reliquary would be placed on the altar each month at the devotions to St Francis Xavier in the church.

US parish greets Goans on Exposition

The Blessed Sacrament Catholic Parish in Rhode Island (USA) has greeted Goans on the occasion of the XVII Exposition of the Relics of St Francis Xavier from November 22, 2014 to January 4, 2015.

When Herald got in touch with the Blessed Sacrament Church, its parish secretary Liz Corsini sent photos of their prized reliquary encasing the relic of St Francis Xavier.

When informed that Goa would commemorate the Exposition in Old Goa, Corsini wrote: “On behalf of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Parish, the pastor Fr Charles Grondin conveys his blessings and good wishes (to the people of Goa).”

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Own Relic of St Xavier for Rs 60,000, courtesy ebay

[First appeared in Herald - 15 November 2014]

MELVYN MISQUITA
15 NOV 2014
PANJIM
 

A reliquary containing a Relic of St Francis Xavier and
an original document by a Vatican official dating back
to 1892 is up for sale on ebay in the USA.

While millions are expected to venerate the sealed Relics of St Francis Xavier during the forthcoming XVII Exposition in Old Goa, devotees have the opportunity to get a step closer and be the proud owner of a prized Relic of the Goemcho Saib.

The requirement: An amount of about Rs 60,000 ($990) and the services of a relative or friend in the USA.

A reliquary containing a Relic of St Francis Xavier and an original document by a Vatican official dating back to 1892, which purports to authenticate the Relic, is now up for sale on ebay in the USA.

According to the description offered by the seller, simply identified as ‘liturgy’, the reliquary “stands 7 1/4" tall and comes with the original matching document dated c.1892.”

The seller goes on to add, “The relic is a piece of wood from the coffin of Francis Xavier.”

The Relic is also secured with a sealing wax to make it tamper-proof.

The document, which is included along with the Relic, is reported to have been authenticated on May 24, 1892 by the Italian Cardinal Lucido Maria Parocchi (13 August 1833-15 January 1903), who served as Secretary of the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office.

Incidentally, the document authenticated by Cardinal Parocchi in Rome, clearly refrains people from selling or exchanging the Relic for any commercial value.

The document in Latin, when roughly translated into English, reads as follows: “Lucido Maria Parocchi, by the Mercy of God, Bishop of Albano, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church and Vicar General of His Holiness: ‘To all and everyone who will see the present letters we certify and testify that we collected, for the greater glory of Almighty God and for the veneration of His Saints, a sacred particle from the area of the tomb of St Francis Xavier, which we reverently placed in a round-shaped silver pyx with a glass face, having fastened it up and tied with a red silk thread, and endorsed it with our seal.

We present it with the faculty of preserving it, circulating it through the City and exposing it for the public veneration of the faithful. We however exhort those in whose hands this sacred relic may reach now or in the future that they should in no way sell it or exchange it for any object of commercial value. In proof whereof these testimonial letters are issued under our hand and seal and dispatched through our Custodian of Sacred Relics’.”

Aware that the Relic has sacred value, the seller advises the prospective buyer: “Please bid only if you intend to gift this item to the church for public veneration or will use it for its intended purpose. This is a rare holy devotional item, please respect and preserve it properly.”

Stating that the mode of payment would be through “credit card payments by phone”, with an additional Rs 1,000 ($16) as shipping and handling, the seller has ruled out international shipping of the Relic. Hence, a prospective Goan or Indian buyer would need the assistance of a relative or friend in the USA to purchase the product and having it transferred to India.

Relics of St Francis Xavier have been prized possessions for the past five centuries. The servant who was sent to exhume the body from the desolate coast of Sancian is reported to have cut off a piece of flesh, a finger's length, from the left knee of the body of Francis Xavier.

A Portuguese lady is reported to have bitten off a toe of the body as early as 1554, in a desperate bid to have a relic of the saint. Since then, various Relics of the saint have been distributed and venerated in different parts of the world.

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