CARDINAL GRACIAS SAYS FAITHFULL MUST FOLLOW THE FOOTSTEPS OF GOENCHO SAIB

OLD GOA: Thousands of devotees from far and wide and cutting across religious borders on Friday gathered at Old Goa to solemnly participate in the masses and celebrate the feast of St Francis Xavier, venerated as Goencho Saib.

The theme for this year was, ‘Witness to Christian Values in the Footsteps of Francis Xavier and Blessed Joseph Vaz.’ Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the Archbishop of Mumbai who presided over the 10.30 a.m. high mass, said in his homily, "St Francis Xavier and Blessed Joseph Vaz challenged the Catholic community to live to the standard, laid by them. We should follow in their footsteps."
Focusing on how to make faith and values more relevant in a changing world, he stressed on the duty for evangelising and a greater need to re-evangelise those already baptised as Christians.

In July, Pope Benedict had announced the formation of a Pontifical Council for New Evangelisation to be headed by Archbishop Salvatore Fisichella with the purpose of re-evangelisation.

The Pope said then that the Council was entrusted with, "the important task of promoting a renewed evangelisation in countries where the first announcement of the faith has already resounded and Churches of ancient foundation are present, but are living (through) a progressive secularisation of society and a sort of ‘eclipse of the sense of God.’"

Elaborating on the spirit behind the formation of the Council, Cardinal Gracias said that in the new age of globalisation guided by material acquisition and pursuit of individual goals to the exclusion of others, many had lost their way and hence there is an urgent need to renew one’s faith in God and His word through Jesus.

Outlining how this could be achieved, he stressed that the best place to start was in the family. "This is the place where we gained our initial faith, values and direction in life and it is here that we need to start once again."

He said a new beginning could be made by showing more concern for other family members, respecting one’s parents and elders and making Christ the centre of our lives. Although couched in Christian terminology, the call given by Cardinal Gracias to turn back to the family for guidance and renewal, in the wake of the negative forces unleashed by globalisation, has a universal meaning.

Archbishop-Patriarch, Filipe Neri Ferrao, Archbishop Patriarch and Emeritus, Raul Gonsalves, Bishop, Alex Dias concelebrated the high mass which was attended by the devotees, overcrowding the huge pandal erected in front of the Basilica of Bom Jesus Church.

A large number of pilgrims who camped at the Basilica and in open spaces surrounding the church spaces, a day before the feast, queued to kiss the silver casket where the sacred remains of the saint are enshrined (NT)