Sunday, August 5, 2007

Of St. Francis Xavier's Arm

From Time Magazine 1931

In Goa. Guns boomed, bells pealed, fireworks flared in Goa, Portuguese India last week as 10,000 persons milled through the Bom Jesus Church to kiss the feet of St. Francis Xavier, whose coffin was opened for public veneration for the 13th time since his death in 1552. The corpse was officially reported to be "in good condition." During the next month a million pilgrims are expected to view it. St. Francis Xavier, one of St. Ignatius Loyola's associates in founding the Society of Jesus, is regarded by his church as the greatest missionary since the time of the Apostles. The church in Goa was made a shrine to his memory, but the Society of Jesus secured his right arm in 1614, placed it in the Jesuit mother church, Rome's Gesu.


Original article (here)

1 comment:

Gerard said...

Useful links on the current state of the Old Goa World Heritage site! Might interest you!

http://bygerarddsouza.blogspot.com/2011/10/old-goa-master-plan-scuttled.html