For the first time, the House of Commons, the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, celebrates the feast of St. Francis Xavier, and a Konkani song will be sung in his honor on December 4.
St. Francis Xavier is the patron of Goa and affectionately addressed “Goencho Saib” on December 4 this year.
He was born on April 7, 1506, in Javier, Spain, and died on December 3, 1552, on Shangchuan Island, Jiangmen, China. His place of burial is at the Basilica of Bom Jesus, Velha Goa, western India.
His family was very important and rich, and they were from Navarra, a province in Spain.
At age 46, he passed away from a fever on the island of Sanchian, which could be seen from China. He failed to reach the mainland, which was his goal. That would be the right of a fellow Jesuit named Matteo Ricci. He thought that Asia would be open to Christianity if China did. His goal was bigger than anything one person could ever do.
St. Francis Xavier blesses those who work in missions. His popularity has always been very high, not just among Catholics but also among many people who are not Catholic.
He is most likely the most well-known Jesuit. Together with St. Ignatius Loyola, he was made a saint in 1622.
Two people, notably Pamila Rodrigues and Seema Malhotra, MP for Feltham and Heston, are hosting the event in the House of Commons.
Fr. Feroz Fernandes of the Goan Chaplaincy in the UK will officiate the religious service. He is the former editor of the Society of Pilar's weekly newspaper, "Vauradeancho Ixtt," and the former content editor of Radio Veritas Asia, Manila, the Philippines.
Fr. Fernandes, who was just named parish priest of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Osterley, took over the church on December 1.
Pamila Rodrigues is organizing the event on December 4, and Seema Malhotra, the MP for Feltham and Heston, will be the host. Fr. Feroz Fernandes will lead the holy service.
A group of people comprising Inacio Palmeira, Ziniada Palmeira, Michaela Palmeira, and Teodoro Colaco will sing Konkani hymns.
It is reported that representatives from the High Commission of India and Imtiyaz Shaikh, who is the Deputy Mayor of Swindon Borough Council, are scheduled to attend the program.
Father Fernandes, who was just named parish priest of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Osterley, will take over the church on December 1.
“Celebrating the feast of St. Francis Xavier at the House of Commons is a recognition of the excellent work Goans are doing in the UK. For Goans everywhere, the saint remains a unifying factor in working for the upliftment of ordinary people through social initiatives and public policy. Looking around the Hounslow area and beyond, Goans excel with a community spirit, working towards common values in the public arena,” Father Fernandes told RVA News.
It’s the need of the hour to come together to foster peace, uphold unity, and celebrate diversity.
He explained that every community shines when each local borough is a haven of safety and a hub of positive opportunities.
“Going forward, Goans are increasingly participating alongside Indian brethren and other nationalities and ethnicities to make every place thrive with healthy behaviors of care, sharing, and being fair—a quintessential display of Goan ethos,” the priest added.
“I encourage young Goan and other leaders to become social entrepreneurs, leveraging initiatives towards care for our common home, respect for one another, and working out sustainable, long-term, people-centric frameworks,” Fernandes added.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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