Goans participate in the celebration of the Feast of St Francis Xavier in North Carolina.
THE GOAN NETWORK | DOHA
The Goan communities celebrated the Feast of St Francis Xavier with traditional fervour in North Carolina and South California in the USA.
NORTH CAROLINA
Goans along with other Indian-origin Catholics based in Raleigh, North Carolina, celebrated the Feast of St Francis Xavier with a Solemn Mass at St Michael The Archangel, High House Road, followed by a variety of cultural programmes.
The feast celebration of St Francis Xavier, the patron saint of Goa, was organised by the Goan Committee of St Michael The Archangel.
The Feast Mass was celebrated by three priests along with a deacon and was attended by around 200 Indian-origin Catholics based in Raleigh. The Mass was celebrated in English, while the church choir sang hymns in Konkani and English.
The feast celebration committee of the church also released a special booklet in English so that the parishioners attending the Feast Mass could take part by singing the hymns and also take an active part in the Feast Mass.
The Feast Mass in North Carolina was followed by dance and cultural programmes besides potluck dinner. During the dance and cultural programme, Goan culture in the form of Mandos and Dulpods took centre stage, besides showcasing different aspects of Goan culture and way of life.
Besides the December 3 feast, the Goans in North Carolina will come together to celebrate and stage several programmes during the Christmas and New Year events along with Indians tracing their roots to Mangalore, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
SOUTH CALIFORNIA
Goans participate in the celebration of the Feast of St Francis Xavier in South California.
Goans in South California celebrated the feast of St Francis Xavier on December 3 with a Solemn Mass followed by a cultural programme.
Fr Xavier D’Souza was the main celebrant of the Feast Mass, which was celebrated at Shahi Mahal Restaurant’s Banquet hall, Centralia Street, Lakewood, California and around 200 devotees attended the event organised by the Goan community from Southern California.
The Feast Mass was followed by a dance programme in which ‘Camp Seal’ band performed and kept the Goans in good spirits.
A buffet lunch comprising authentic Goan cuisine prepared by Lordwin D’Souza and Chef Joseph Clement of Mandovi Restaurant was served on the occasion. Pictures and videos of the event were captured by Cpics.
At the dance and cultural show, senior members of the Goan community in South California who have served the community and have brought laurels for the community in California were recognised and honoured by the organisers.
