Bishop of Northern Arabia makes first trip to Goa, says venerating Sacred Relics of Saint was a dream
Bishop Aldo Berardi, Apostolic Vicar of the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia, venerating the Sacred Relics of St Francis Xavier at the See Cathedral in Old Goa.
PANAJI
Such has been his devotion to St Francis Xavier that Bishop Aldo Berardi, Apostolic Vicar of the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia, was keen to make his first-ever visit to Goa and venerate the Sacred Relics of the Saint, thereby fulfilling a dream and accomplishing his vow as a missionary.
Not only was Bishop Berardi touched by volunteers and impressed with arrangements at the Exposition in Old Goa, he was also pleased to observe the deep faith and spiritual tradition among people in Goa.
Bishop Berardi was accompanied by Fr Gaspar Fernandes, a Goan priest of the Order of Capuchin Friars Minor (OFM Cap.) presently serving as Parish Priest of Holy Family Cathedral in Kuwait.
The Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia caters to the Catholic communities in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
IMPORTANCE OF VISIT TO GOA
Bishop Berardi admitted that he had never imagined that he would visit Goa.
“But since I am now in the Middle East, which is not far from Goa, it was my great desire to visit Goa specially for the Exposition, as it would be a great occasion and opportunity for me to make this spiritual pilgrimage to venerate the Relics of SFX,” said Bishop Berardi.
“Moreover, we have a strong Goan community in the Vicariate of Northern Arabia and they encouraged me to undertake this short pilgrimage to Goa. I thank Archbishop of Goa and Daman Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao who welcomed me in the Archbishop’s House with kindness.”
REACTION ON VENERATING RELICS
Bishop Berardi explained that his personal devotion has included the attachment to relics and spiritual heritage.
“This is because, I come from Europe (France) where we have a long heritage and tradition of Catholicism. I found a similar tradition and devotion here in Goa, where there are numerous Churches and Chapels, Crosses at roadsides and outside homes, and there is a great spiritual fervour and devotion,” remarked Bishop Berardi.
“The story of St Francis Xavier’s evangelisation was given to us as an example during our catechism classes as children. While I was seminarian, we had studied about the life and mission of St Francis Xavier. In fact, I wanted to become a missionary because of the example of St Francis Xavier, who left his own country and went to a distant land to meet people and spread the World of God.”
“So, visiting Old Goa and venerating the Sacred Relics of the Saint was a dream for me and it was a commitment for me to accomplish a vow as a missionary. Being at the Exposition in Old Goa was not a moment to learn or explain, but a moment to feel and experience.”
EXPERIENCE AT EXPOSITION
Bishop Berardi said he had prepared himself and had read about the rich Catholic heritage of Goa before visiting the place.
“I had also watched online the opening ceremony of the Exposition at Old Goa and had read media reports about the Exposition,” he said.
“Having personally visited Old Goa, I was touched by the volunteers and impressed with other arrangements at the Exposition. Everything was well organised and the volunteers were very helpful and were there to receive and help the pilgrims arriving from all over India and the world by providing assistance and information with a smile.”
“They have given so much of their time and effort for this important occasion not just for the archdiocese of Goa, but for the entire Church. These volunteers have played an important role to make the Exposition a deeply spiritual experience for millions of pilgrims. At the end, this is the Church in action, with each one member offering services and reaching out to others.”
The bishop said he was also happy to get a few moments to meet people at Old Goa and impart his blessings to them.
TAKING MEMORIES BACK
Admitting that his visit to Goa was only for a few days, Bishop Berardi observed that the Church in Goa is deeply rooted in its traditions and territory.
“I was pleasantly surprised to see several roadside posters on the Exposition, so it is a big event not only for the Church but for the region as well. The deep faith and fervour of the people and their dynamic living traditions which they have inherited form the past are some memories that will remain with me,” he said.
GOAN COMMUNITY IN GULF
Bishop Berardi said the Apostolic Vicariate in Northern Arabia has communities from Goa, across India and other parts of the world.
“We have 5-6 priests from Goa who serve the Goan community in different parts of the Vicariate and they celebrate Masses in Konkani. The feast of St Francis Xavier was celebrated with festive fervour in all churches across the Vicariate,” said Bishop Berardi.
The Catholic community in Bahrain has been celebrating the Feast of St Francis Xavier with traditional fervour for a number of years, but the feast this year was marked by added happiness as devotees venerated a first-class relic of the Saint at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia.
Bishop Aldo Berardi, the vicar apostolic of the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia, said the Relic ‘Ex Cute S. Francisci Saverii’ (From the Skin of St Francis Xavier) was given to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia in Bahrain by Archbishop of Goa and Daman Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao in 2023.
“We then got a reliquary designed and crafted in Rome especially for this Relic and this reliquary arrived in October this year. We were pleased to have the Relic of St Francis Xavier displayed for veneration at the Feast Mass in the Cathedral on December 3. The Catholic community was very happy to have a Relic of the Saint in the Middle East,” said Bishop Berardi.
The base of the reliquary has the Coat of Arms for the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia in silver.
“I thank Cardinal Ferrao for having given the Vicariate a first-class relic of St Francis Xavier. Incidentally, the Vicariate of Northern Arabia also has the relics of other Saints like St Alphonsa. Relics are important for people to connect with the Saint and enhance their faith,” Bishop Berardi added.
