The Feast of St. Francis
Xavier commemorates the death of St. Francis Xavier,
patron saint of Goa. Fondly called the Goincho
Saib or the Lord of Goa, St. Xavier was a Spanish
Jesuit missionary who preached Christianity in
many parts of Asia. After achieving great success
in Goa, St Xavier set sail for China but breathed
his last at the Sancian Island, about 10-km from
the mainland of China, on December 2, 1552.
The venue for the feast is the Basilica of Bom
Jesus in Old Goa. St Francis Xavier is hugely
renowned Christian saint and his feast attracts
a whole lot of devotees from all over the country
and even across the world. It is believed that
even after his death, the body of the pious saint
did not rot away like the rest of the mortals.
Today, his body is preserved in a silver casket
in the Bom Jesus and is displayed every ten years.
After the last exposition in 1994, the authorities
found out that the body is longer in a condition
to be displayed, hence further exposition appears
impossible in future. However, the feast is celebrated
every year and if you wish to pay your respect
to the saint, you can be a part of this feast. |