ASIA/INDIA - Exposition of the relics of St. Francis Xavier

New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) - Preparations are underway in the Archdiocese of Goa for the exposition of the relics of St. Francis Xavier, who will be exposed for the veneration of the faithful from 22 November 2014 to 4 January 2015.
The exposition, scheduled every ten years, draws millions of pilgrims in Goa and is a very important event for Indian Christians, but also for civil authorities: the event of the exposition was officially included in the calendar of the Office for Tourism of the Government of India. The last exhibition of the relics, in 2004, attracted more than 2.5 million pilgrims in Goa.
As Fides learns, the local Churches are preparing themselves thanks to the valuable contribution of the religious.
On 22 November, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay, will celebrate a Mass to begin the period of the exposition, and the relics will be transferred, with a solemn procession from Bom Jesus Basilica to the Cathedral in Goa. Worship will be held daily, with a Mass and confessions offered in various languages. The pilgrimage will also be attended by the faithful of other religions. The closing Mass will be celebrated on January 4, 2015 by Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, Apostolic Nuncio in India.
St. Francis Xavier, known as the Apostle of the East, was one of the first companions of St. Ignatius of Loyola, and evangelized in India, Indonesia and Japan. He died in 1552 and his mortal remains are kept in Bom Jesus Basilica in Goa. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 02/10/2014)