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Feast of St Francis Xavier :3rd DEC

Born in the Castle of Xavier near Sanguesa, in Navarre, 7 April, 1506; died on the Island of Sancian near the coast of China, 2 December, 1552. In 1525, having completed a preliminary course of studies in his own country, Francis Xavier went to Paris, where he entered the collège de Sainte-Barbe. Here he met the Savoyard, Pierre Favre, and a warm personal friendship sprang up between them. It was at this same college that St. Ignatius Loyola, who was already planning the foundation of the Society of Jesus, resided for a time as a guest in 1529. He soon won the confidence of the two young men; first Favre and later Xavier offered themselves with him in the formation of the Society. Four others, Lainez, Salmerón, Rodríguez, and Bobadilla, having joined them, the seven made the famous vow of Montmartre, 15 Aug., 1534.

After completing his studies in Paris and filling the post of teacher there for some time, Xavier left the city with his companions 15 November, 1536, and turned his steps to Venice, where he displayed zeal and charity in attending the sick in the hospitals. On 24 June, 1537, he received Holy orders with St. Ignatius. The following year he went to Rome, and after doing apostolic work there for some months, during the spring of 1539 he took part in the conferences which St. Ignatius held with his companions to prepare for the definitive foundation of the Society of Jesus. The order was approved verbally 3 September, and before the written approbation was secured, which was not until a year later, Xavier was appointed, at the earnest solicitation of the John III, King of Portugal, to evangelize the people of the East Indies. He left Rome 16 March, 1540, and reached Lisbon about June. Here he remained nine months, giving many admirable examples of apostolic zeal.

On 7 April, 1541, he embarked in a sailing vessel for India, and after a tedious and dangerous voyage landed at Goa, 6 May, 1542. The first five months he spent in preaching and ministering to the sick in the hospitals. He would go through the streets ringing a little bell and inviting the children to hear the word of God. When he had gathered a number, he would take them to a certain church and would there explain the catechism to them. About October, 1542, he started for the pearl fisheries of the extreme southern coast of the peninsula, desirous of restoringChristanity which, although introduced years before, had almost disappeared on account of the lack of priests. He devoted almost three years to the work of preaching to the people of Western India, converting many, and reaching in his journeys even the Island of Ceylon. Many were the difficulties and hardships which Xavier had to encounter at this time, sometimes on account of the cruelpersecutions which some of the petty kings of the country carried on against the neophytes, and again because the Portuguese soldiers, far from seconding the work of the saint, retarded it by their bad example and vicious habits.

In the spring of 1545 Xavier started for Malacca. He laboured there for the last months of that year, and although he reaped an abundant spiritual harvest, he was not able to root out certain abuses, and was conscious that many sinners had resisted his efforts to bring them back to God. About January, 1546, Xavier left Malacca and went to Molucca Islands, where the Portuguese had some settlements, and for a year and a half he preached the Gospel to the inhabitants of Amboyna, Ternate, Baranura, and other lesser islands which it has been difficult to identify. It is claimed by some that during this expedition he landed on the island of Mindanao, and for this reason St. Francis Xavier has been called the first Apostle of the Philippines. But although this statement is made by some writers of the seventeenth century, and in the Bull of canonization issued in 1623, it is said that he preached the Gospel in Mindanao, up to the present time it has not been proved absolutely that St. Francis Xavier ever landed in the Philippines.

By July, 1547, he was again in Malacca. Here he met a Japanese called Anger (Han-Sir), from whom he obtained much information about Japan. His zeal was at once aroused by the idea of introducing Christanity into Japan, but for the time being the affairs of the Society demanded his presence at Goa, whither he went, taking Anger with him. During the six years that Xavier had been working among the infidels, other Jesuit missionaries had arrived at Goa, sent from Europe by St. Ignatius; moreover some who had been born in the country had been received into the Society. In 1548 Xavier sent these missionaries to the principal centers of India, where he had established missions, so that the work might be preserved and continued. He also established a novitiate and house of studies, and having received into the Society Father Cosme de Torres, a spanish priest whom he had met in the Maluccas, he started with him and Brother Juan Fernández for Japan towards the end of June, 1549. The Japanese Anger, who had been baptized at Goa and given the name of Pablo de Santa Fe, accompanied them.

They landed at the city of Kagoshima in Japan, 15 Aug., 1549. The entire first year was devoted to learning the Japanese language and translating into Japanese, with the help of Pablo de Santa Fe, the principal articles of faith and short treatises which were to be employed in preaching and catechizing. When he was able to express himself, Xavier began preaching and made some converts, but these aroused the ill will of the bonzes, who had him banished from the city. Leaving Kagoshima about August, 1550, he penetrated to the centre of Japan, and preached the Gospel in some of the cities of southern Japan. Towards the end of that year he reached Meaco, then the principal city of Japan, but he was unable to make any headway here because of the dissensions the rending the country. He retraced his steps to the centre of Japan, and during 1551 preached in some important cities, forming the nucleus of several Christian communities, which in time increased with extraordinary rapidity.

After working about two years and a half in Japan he left this mission in charge of Father Cosme de Torres and Brother Juan Fernández, and returned to Goa, arriving there at the beginning of 1552. Here domestic troubles awaited him. Certain disagreements between the superior who had been left in charge of the missions, and the rector of the college, had to be adjusted. This, however, being arranged, Xavier turned his thoughts to China, and began to plan an expedition there. During his stay in Japan he had heard much of the Celestial Empire, and though he probably had not formed a proper estimate of his extent and greatness, he nevertheless understood how wide a field it afforded for the spread of the light of the Gospel. With the help of friends he arranged a commission or embassy the Sovereign of China, obtained from the Viceroy of India the appointment of ambassador, and in April, 1552, he left Goa. At Malacca the party encountered difficulties because the influential Portuguese disapproved of the expedition, but Xavier knew how to overcome this opposition, and in the autumn he arrived in a Portuguese vessel at the small island of Sancian near the coast of China. While planning the best means for reaching the mainland, he was taken ill, and as the movement of the vessel seemed to aggravate hiscondition , he was removed to the land, where a rude hut had been built to shelter him. In these wretched surroundings he breathed his last.

It is truly a matter of wonder that one man in the short space of ten years (6 May, 1542 – 2 December, 1552) could have visited so many countries, traversed so many seas, preached the Gospel to so many nations, and converted so many infidels

. The incomparable apostolic zeal which animated him, and the stupendous miracles which God wrought through him, explain this marvel, which has no equal elsewhere. The list of the principal miracles may be found in the Bull of canonization. St. Francis Xavier is considered the greatest missionary since the time of the Apostles, and the zeal he displayed, the wonderful miracles he performed, and the great number of souls he brought to the light of true Faith, entitle him to this distinction. He was canonized with St. Ignatius in 1622, although on account of the death of Gregory XV, the Bull of canonization was not published until the following year.

The body of the saint is still enshrined at Goa in the church which formerly belonged to the Society. In 1614 by order of Claudius Acquaviva, General of the Society of Jesus, the right arm was severed at the elbow and conveyed to Rome, where the present altar was erected to receive it in the church of the Gesu.

Cyclone Alert in Goa

The Indian Meteorological Observatory in-charge, K V Singh confirmed that the deep depression now lay 420 kms South-West from Goa.

The State is expected to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall associated with gusty winds during the next 24 hours, as the low pressure over Lakshadweep and surrounding areas still persists.

The Meteorological Department has asked fishermen to avoid venturing into the sea as it might remain choppy due to continued rains.

At present the depression is placed at 13.5 degree North-70.5 degree east. Currently the depression is moving towards North-West and is later expected to move towards North-East and South-East.

According to the Meteorological Department Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are expected to get heavy to very heavy showers accompanied by thunderstorm during next two days.

Meanwhile, post monsoon showers continued to lash the city for the third consecutive day with an overall 8.1 mm of rainfall being recorded since Sunday.

Happy Diwali – Festival of Light

Happy Diwali

INDIA, I CRY / Remo Fernandes

Thanks Remo.

Blast in Margao-Goa, Near Grace Church

19 OCTOBER 2009

A second man injured in a scooter bomb blast in Madgaon on October 16, Yogesh Naik, died on Tuesday morning. He had been hospitalized at the Goa Medical College on Friday after the blast and had been in a critical condition since. Malgonda Patil, who was injured in the blast alongwith Naik, had died on Friday night.

Both the men were suspects in the blast and the police had registered a case against them under sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and the Indian Penal Code for waging war against the nation. Malgonda was from Sangli district of Maharashtra, while Yogesh Naik was a Goa resident. Goa’s Transport Minister, Sudhin Davalkar, meanwhile, finds himself fighting off allegations that his family may in some way be linked to last Friday’s blast.Davalkar’s wife spends three hours every day with Sanatan Sanstha, the Hindu right-wing group that’s accused of the blast.

The scooter used to trigger the blast belonged to Nishad Bakle, a man related to the minister. Davalkar has claimed that his wife volunteers with the Sanstha, and visits their ashram to meditate. Davalkar also says the scooter used in the blast was sold by his relative a few months ago.

There are also reports of the Goa Government considering a proposal to ban the sanstha for its alleged illegal activities.

17 OCTOBER 2009

Two persons were detained today in connection with the explosion in Margao town in Goa in which a member of a right-wing Hindu group allegedly linked to Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh was killed and another critically injured.The second person succumbed to his injuries on Saturday raising the death toll in the blast to

Goa Home Minister Ravi Naik said police were probing the links of right-wing group Sanatan Saunstha with the blast. “The scooter which was carrying the explosives belongs to Saunstha’s disciple Nishad Bakle,” he said.

A man named Melgunda Patil was killed in the blast while another, identified as Yogesh Naik, underwent treatment at the Goa Medical College hospital. He died on Saturday.

Police said both belonged to the Saunstha, which is allegedly linked to Pragya Singh.

The Sanatan Saunstha headquarters at Ramnathi in Ponda, 20 kms from Margao, was raided last night following the blast and two persons have been detained from that town in the wee hours of the day, police said. Further details about the detained persons were still awaited.

The blast, which occurred a few metres away from the site of ‘Narkasur’ effigy competition, a ritual held on the eve of Diwali, gutted three vehicles. Police have also found a bag containing a watch and an electric circuit about 20 kms from the explosion site.

16 OCTOBER 2009

It has been reported that there has been a blast in Goa – Near Grace church , close to the collectors office here in Margao around 9:30 IST.

2 people are seriously injured and shifted to Goa Medical College and Hospital where their condition continues to be critical, adding that the two have been identified as Melgunda Patil and Yogesh Naik Also 2 cars were damaged in this incident. Margao is the constituency of the Chief Minister of Goa Mr.Digamber Kamat.

The blast is during the Diwali season, when the Narkasur celebrations and competition were going on, the streets were crowded with people. The incident is reported as explosive hidden in a scooter found to be involved in this blast, there are no confirmed reports from police and officials as if now, the extent of damage is Low and the blast is been seen as a low intensity blast.

There are also unconfirmed witnesses that say this was a scooter fuel tank blast , where in someone lignite the fuel may be by mistake using a cigar bud. The police have cordoned off the area and got the bomb squad. People are not allowed to take their vehicles as if now.

May be the entire episode will be clear by day break tomorrow morning.

Goa Floods – Poinguinim,Agonda,Khotigao

As the incessant rains continued lashing the state , several people remained trapped in their houses in the border taluka of Canacona where over 250 houses have collapsed so far in the flood. (See pics as below)

Goa floods

The Goa State administration has confirmed that other 400 houses were inundated due to rains which has been hitting the state for last three days.Also Goa chief minister Digamber Kamat has rushed with other ministers as usual, to the affected area where the district administration coupled with army and navy has initiated intense rescue operations.The Official figures confirmed the death of two people who were washed away in the flood waters.

The CM addressing a press conference in the south district headquarters of Margao said that no efforts were spared to bring marooned people to safety.The villages Poinguinim, Partagali, Delem, Agonda and Khotigao remained under water. The sign of normally is near with brighter days Now..

Tribute To Father Of the Nation – Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948), also known as Mahatma Gandhi, was born in Porbandar in the present day state of Gujarat in India on October 2, 1869. He was raised in a very conservative family that had affiliations with the ruling family of Kathiawad. He was educated in law at University College, London. In 1891, after having been admitted to the British bar, Gandhi returned to India and attempted to establish a law practice in Bombay, without much success. Two years later an Indian firm with interests in South Africa retained him as legal adviser in its office in Durban. Arriving in Durban, Gandhi found himself treated as a member of an inferior race. He was appalled at the widespread denial of civil liberties and political rights to Indian immigrants to South Africa. He threw himself into the struggle for elementary rights for Indians

Gandhi became a leader in a complex struggle, the Indian campaign for home rule. Following World War I, in which he played an active part in recruiting campaigns, Gandhi, again advocating Satyagraha, launched his movement of non-violent resistance to Great Britain.

When, in 1919, Parliament passed the Rowlatt Acts, giving the Indian colonial authorities emergency powers to deal with so-called revolutionary activities, Satyagraha spread throughout India, gaining millions of followers. A demonstration against the Rowlatt Acts resulted in a massacre of Indians at Amritsar by British soldiers; in 1920, when the British government failed to make amends, Gandhi proclaimed an organized campaign of non-cooperation. Indians in public office resigned, government agencies such as courts of law were boycotted, and Indian children were withdrawn from government schools. Throughout India, streets were blocked by squatting Indians who refused to rise even when beaten by police.

Gandhi was arrested, but the British were soon forced to release him. Economic independence for India, involving the complete boycott of British goods, was made a corollary of Gandhi’s Swaraj (from Sanskrit, “self-governing”) movement. The economic aspects of the movement were significant, for the exploitation of Indian villagers by British industrialists had resulted in extreme poverty in the country and the virtual destruction of Indian home industries. As a remedy for such poverty, Gandhi advocated revival of cottage industries; he began to use a spinning wheel as a token of the return to the simple village life he preached, and of the renewal of native Indian industries

Gandhi became the international symbol of a free India. He lived a spiritual and ascetic life of prayer, fasting, and meditation. His union with his wife became, as he himself stated, that of a brother and sister. Refusing earthly possessions, he wore the loincloth and shawl of the lowliest Indian and subsisted on vegetables, fruit juices, and goat’s milk. Indians revered him as a saint and began to call him Mahatma (great-souled), a title reserved for the greatest sages.

Gandhi’s advocacy of nonviolence, known as ahimsa (non-violence), was the expression of a way of life implicit in the Hindu religion. By the Indian practice of nonviolence, Gandhi held, Great Britain too would eventually consider violence useless and would leave India. The Mahatma’s political and spiritual hold on India was so great that the British authorities dared not interfere with him. In 1921 the Indian National Congress, the group that spearheaded the movement for nationhood, gave Gandhi complete executive authority, with the right of naming his own successor.

The Indian population, however, could not fully comprehend the unworldly ahimsa. A series of armed revolts against the British broke out, culminating in such violence that Gandhi confessed the failure of the civil-disobedience campaign he had called, and ended it. The British government again seized and imprisoned him in 1922. After his release from prison in 1924, Gandhi withdrew from active politics and devoted himself to propagating communal unity.

Unavoidably, however, he was again drawn into the vortex of the struggle for independence. In 1930 the Mahatma proclaimed a new campaign of civil disobedience, calling upon the Indian population to refuse to pay taxes, particularly the tax on salt. The campaign was a march to the sea, in which thousands of Indians followed Gandhi from Ahmedabad to the Arabian Sea, where they made salt by evaporating sea water. Once more the Indian leader was arrested, but he was released in 1931, halting the campaign after the British made concessions to his demands. In the same year Gandhi represented the Indian National Congress at a conference in London.

Sao Joao in Goa

Come Goa and in June/July, The Sao Joao celebrations, and the youth will be ready for the joyous cry of ’Viva San Joao’ and a big splash of water. The youth will take their dives in the wells, rivers , ponds of their villages, wearing a crown of leaves and flowers. This is said to be symbolic of the time in the Holy Bible when Elizabeth was favored with the visit of her cousin Virgin Mary, The mother of Jesus Christ, during her pregnancy and when, it is said, the unborn John jumped for joy in her womb.

Viva Sao joao

Luckily for those going to celebrating the feast of St. John (Joao in Konkani), the rains have so far been smiling, with the wells mostly full after the long wait for the monsoon this year, To enjoy the event, one has to be in the villages of Goa, where the fun lies. It is not only the men that jump into the wells but also the women . They come in a colorful procession, bringing with them fruit and the inevitable bottle of ’feni’. It is known that friendships have been built during the festival, leading to couples finding for themselves life partners.(Some say so )

Even thought we happen to say that the Tourist season is over ,we all see new faces in the vicinity especially all jumping into the open water pools. I guess this is the very essence of the slogan “365 days on a holiday “.

Linked to the festival is the ’sangodd’, where canoes, with colorful buntings, sail the rivers with participants joining in song and dance. They also wear different kinds of costumes, significant of those ancient biblical times, and in most cases, stand to win handsome prizes for the best and original costume.

Needless to say, this festival is the harbinger of the harvest season to follow, where farmers will be seen busy ploughing their fields and hoping for the rains to be kind to them, and help in the good yield for this year.

Viva Sao joao

Viva Sao joao

Goa In India.. Some Info..

Goa is India’s smallest state in terms of area and the fourth smallest in terms of population. Located on the west coast of India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its western coast.

Panaji is the state’s capital. Vasco da Gama is the largest city. The historic city of Margao still exhibits the influence of Portuguese culture. The Portuguese first landed in Goa as merchants, in the early 16th century, and conquered it soon thereafter. The Portuguese overseas territory existed for about 450 years, until it was annexed by India in 1961.

Renowned for its beaches, places of worship and world heritage architecture, Goa is visited by hundreds of thousands of international and domestic tourists each year. It also has rich flora and fauna, owing to its location on the Western Ghats range, which is classified as a biodiversity hotspot.

Geography and climate

Goa encompasses an area of 3,702 km² (1,430 sq mile). It lies between the latitudes 14°53’54″ N and 15°40’00″ N and longitudes 73°40’33″ E and 74°20’13″ E. Most of Goa is a part of the coastal country known as the Konkan, which is an escarpment rising up to the Western Ghats range of mountains, which separate it from the Deccan Plateau. The highest point is the Sonsogor, with an altitude of 1,167 meters (3,827 feet). Goa has a coastline of 101 km (63 miles).

Goa’s main rivers are the Mandovi, the Zuari, the Terekhol, Chapora River and the Sal. The Mormugao harbor on the mouth of the river Zuari is one of the best natural harbors in South Asia. The Zuari and the Mandovi are the lifelines of Goa, with their tributaries draining 69% of its geographic area. Goa has more than forty estuarine, eight marine and about ninety riverine islands. The total navigable length of Goa’s rivers is 253 km (157 miles). Goa has more than three hundred ancient tanks built during the rule of the Kadamba dynasty and over a hundred medicinal springs.

Most of Goa’s soil cover is made up of laterites which are rich in ferric aluminium oxides and reddish in color. Further inland and along the river banks, the soil is mostly alluvial and loamy. The soil is rich in minerals and humus, thus conducive to plantation. Some of the oldest rocks in the Indian subcontinent are found in Goa between Molem and Anmod on Goa’s border with Karnataka. The rocks are classified as Trondjemeitic Gneiss estimated to be 3,600 million years old, dated by the Rubidium isotope dating method. A specimen of the rock is exhibited in the Goa University.

Goa, being in the tropical zone and near the Arabian Sea, has a hot and humid climate for most of the year. The month of May is the hottest, seeing day temperatures of over 35 °C (95 °F) coupled with high humidity. The monsoon rains arrive by early June and provide a much needed respite from the heat. Most of Goa’s annual rainfall is received through the monsoons which last till late September.

Goa has a short winter season between mid-December and February. These months are marked by nights of around 20 °C (68 °F) and days of around 29 °C (84 °F) with moderate amounts of humidity. Further inland, due to altitudinal gradation, the nights are a few degrees cooler. During March 2008 Goa was lashed with heavy rain and strong winds. This was the first time in 29 years that Goa had seen rain during March.

Tourism

Tourism is generally focused on the coastal areas of Goa, with decreased tourist activity inland. In 2004 there were more than 2 million tourists reported to have visited Goa, 400,000 of which were from abroad.

Goa has two main tourist seasons: winter and summer. In the winter time, tourists from abroad (mainly Europe) come to Goa to enjoy the splendid climate. In the summertime (which, in Goa, is the rainy season), tourists from across India come to spend the holidays.

This tiny state is situated on the west coast of India, between the borders of Maharastra and Karnataka and is better known to the world as the former Portuguese enclave on Indian soil. With the rule of the Portuguese for over 450 years and the consequential influence of the Latin culture, Goa presents a somewhat different picture to the foreign visitor than any other part of the country. The state of Goa is famous for its excellent beaches, churches, and temples. The Bom Jesus cathedral is another famous attraction in Goa. The Fort Aguada too is a major tourist attraction. Recently a Wax Museum on Indian history, culture and heritage has also opened in Old Goa.

Beaches

The one reason to visit Goa is, its beaches. About 125 KM of the coast line is dotted with beaches. These beaches are divided into North Goa and South Goa Beaches. The further north or south you go, the more isolated the beaches get. However, if you’re looking for people, then visit some of the more popular beaches like Baga and Anjuna. These beaches are lined with shacks that provide fresh sea food and drinks. Some shacks arrange special events to attract more customers.

Historic sites and neighbourhoods

Goa has two World Heritage Sites: the Bom Jesus Basilica [25] and a few designated convents. The Basilica holds the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier, regarded by many Catholics as the patron saint of Goa (the patron of the Archdiocese of Goa is actually the Blessed Joseph Vaz). Once every twelve years, the body is taken down for veneration and for public viewing. The last such event was conducted in 2004. The Velhas Conquistas regions are also known for its Goa-Portuguese style architecture. There are many forts in Goa such as Tiracol, Chapora, Corjuem, Aguada, Gaspar Dias and Cabo de Rama.

In many parts of Goa, mansions constructed in the Indo-Portuguese style architecture still stand, though in some villages, most of them are in a dilapidated condition. Fontainhas in Panaji has been declared a cultural quarter, showcasing the life, architecture and culture of Goa. Some influences from the Portuguese era are visible in some of Goa’s temples, notably the Mangueshi Temple, although after 1961, many of these were demolished and reconstructed in the indigenous Indian style.