PANAJI
The decennial 18th Exposition of the Sacred Relics of St Francis Xavier will officially conclude on Sunday, bringing to an end a 45-day spiritual event at Old Goa which drew an estimated 8 million devotees from across the world.
The public veneration of the Sacred Relics of the 16th century Saint at the See Cathedral, which had begun on the evening of the inaugural ceremony on November 21, 2024, came to an end on Saturday evening.
The solemn closing ceremony of the 18th Exposition will take place on Sunday, beginning with a prayer service in the See Cathedral at 9 am.
A solemn procession to carry the Sacred Relics in the specially-designed EV carriage from the See Cathedral to the Basilica of Bom Jesus will begin at 9.30 am.
After the Sacred Relics are placed back at the mausoleum in the Basilica, a Mass will be celebrated in the pandal outside the Basilica at about 10.30 am, to be presided over by Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao and concelebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Simiao Fernandes and a large number of priests.
