Goa has a deep connection with Portugal and the Portuguese language, and this was evident at the special Sunday mass held in the Portuguese language at the ongoing 18th decennial Exposition of the Sacred Relics of St Francis Xavier, in Old Goa.
Thousands of devotees attended this special mass celebrated by the Auxiliary Bishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Maputo, Fr Tonito Francisco Xavier Muananoua, in the Basilica of Bom Jesus on Sunday, December 1, 2024.
In his sermon, the bishop spoke about Goans who have settled in Mozambique (Africa) and their deep connection with the saint.
The hour-long mass was concelebrated by eight deacons and priests, including the Bishop of Madagascar, Bishop Rosario Saro Vella.
Among the congregation was a couple in their 80s, who had booked their flights to Goa nearly 10 months in advance so as to attend both the exposition as well as the Portuguese mass.
“We live in Porto, in Portugal, and usually come to Goa on vacation. This time, we booked our flights well in advance, in February/ March, so that we get a good deal and the flight tickets are a bit cheaper,” said Zenia Gomes, who is in Goa along with her husband and currently staying in Mandrem.
We live in Porto, in Portugal, and usually come to Goa on vacation. This time, we booked our flights well in advance, in February/ March.
Zenia Gomes, tourist from Portugal
“We are staunch believers of St Francis Xavier, and when we got to know that there is a mass in Portuguese, we decided not to miss it at all,” she added.
After mass, the couple proceeded to Se Cathedral for the veneration of the relics of St Francis Xavier.
This special Portuguese mass was celebrated by the Auxiliary Bishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Maputo, Fr Tonito Francisco Xavier Muananoua, in the Basilica of Bom Jesus on Sunday, December 1, 2024.
KONKANI HYMN IN PORTUGUESE
For Zenia and her husband, it was their first time attending a mass in Portuguese outside of their home country. The hymns at the mass were sung in Portuguese by the choir of the 10.30 am Portuguese mass of the Immaculate Conception Church in Panjim, every Sunday.
Interestingly, this was also the first time, after almost a century, that the iconic Konkani hymn, Sam Franciscu Xaveira, was translated and sung in Portuguese.
Talking to Gomantak Times Digital, Oscar de Noronha, who is an author, released the Portuguese version of the traditional hymn.
"The hymn goes back to the 19th century. I had read that the tune was composed by Raimundo Baretto, who worked as a choir master at Se Cathedral,” Oscar explained.
The story goes that while Raimundo was returning from the State treasury in Panjim, his boat capsized on the way, and the money he had collected was lost. He prayed to St Francis Xavier to save him, and vowed to compose a song for him in return.
Till date the author remains unknown.
“The work of translating Sam Franciscu Xaveira began around October, and we decided to release the hymn at the Portuguese mass, today,” shared Oscar, who is also a member of the Portuguese choir in Panjim.
"It felt great as this is one of the most iconic Konkani hymns. And now, the Goan diaspora has a Portuguese version to sing. The tune remains the same, too,” added Oscar.
The online version of the hymn is available at https://youtu.be/GRYIB-Yp3lk?si=cy-8CPW4JqM8rU7R
GREAT EXPERIENCE
The close-knit Portuguese-speaking community made up about a tenth of the congregation at Sunday’s Portuguese mass. Among them was Jesus Rebeiro, from Panjim, who attended the celebration along with his family.
“There is a huge Goan community in Mozambique and they made arrangements for the auxiliary bishop of Maputo to come to Goa and celebrate the mass in Portuguese. It was an honour for all of us to attend the mass and be a part of the celebration,” he shared.
There is a huge Goan community in Mozambique and they made arrangements for the auxiliary bishop of Maputo to come to Goa and celebrate the mass in Portuguese.
Jesus Rebeiro, a devotee from Panjim
Another devotee who had travelled from Portugal, especially for the exposition, was shocked to see what had become of the Goa where he was born.
“I’ve come to Goa on vacation after many years, and we planned to come at this time because of the exposition. But, I’m shocked to see the Goa I had left some 50 years ago. It has changed a lot, and our rich culture is slowly dying,” he sighed.
Another devotee who had travelled from Portugal, especially for the exposition, was shocked to see what had become of the Goa where he was born.
While many of the attendees were from Goa, several, such as Portuguese teacher, Maureen Alvares, had travelled from as far as South Goa to participate in the special mass, and was happy to be a part of the celebration.
And, irrespective of whether they had come from near or far, post the Portuguese mass, the devotees headed to Se Cathedral to venerate their beloved St Francis Xavier.