Saint’s Exposition Helps Reunite Families

Panaji – A group of 300 faithful, hailing from Pakistan, have traveled hundreds of miles, crossing hostile borders, to venerate the relics of St. Francis Xavier that is on display during the 16th Solemn Exposition in Goa. Their prayer? To seek the saint’s intervention and bolster their country's relations with India.

The pilgrims arrived in Goa on December 21. The Exposition that began on November 21 will end on January 2, 2005.

According to Church sources, more than 1 million people have venerated the relics so far during the exposition. From time to time, other Christians from Pakistan have also Other Pakistanis made pilgrimages, but the group of 300 is the largest.

Father Robert D'Silva, who led the group, said the Exposition has convinced authorities of both countries "to let bygones be bygones."

“India and Pakistan issue visas to each other's citizens, but the process is difficult. More often than not, visa applications still are rejected,” he said.

The two nations have fought three wars since they were created in 1947 by dividing British India, and they have restricted air, road and rail links between them. In the late 1990s, they were at the brink of war again, this time with each country having demonstrated a nuclear weapons capacity.

Fr. D'Silva is parish priest of St. Lawrence's Church in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, on the country's southern coast. He initiated the pilgrimage and credits St. Francis' intervention with making it possible.

During a special liturgical service, Father D'Silva beckoned the Jesuit saint's blessing for the two nations to live in peace. "Pray not just for the people of Pakistan, but also of Hindustan (India) so the nations will be united in love and peace," he prayed, advising the people to make "opportunities of difficulties," not "difficulties of opportunities."

The priest thanked authorities in both countries for liberally granting visa applications for the pilgrims. He also commended authorities for clearing customs and immigration formalities much faster than usual.

He led prayers in English, Urdu and Konkani at the special Mass outside the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa.

Later, Father D'Silva shared that when he proposed the pilgrimage, most people were skeptical, since authorities usually issue only a few visas at a time. However, this time the authorities issued 400 visas for the Exposition.

The pilgrimage gave most of his companions an opportunity to renew family ties. Some even found lost relatives. "In some cases it was an emotional reunion because they were seeing each other after 30 years, in other cases the in–laws had never seen them," the priest said.

During Portuguese rule in Goa from 1510 to 1961, hundreds of Goans migrated to Karachi, Pakistan, the nearest friendly port. However, subsequently, icy relations between India and Pakistan prevented Goans in each country from visiting their relatives in the other.

For Deborah Santamaria, World Goa Day coordinator for Pakistan, the pilgrimage helped reconnect her to her roots in Goa after 16 years. Her first visit for an exposition also allowed her 8–year–old daughter Naomi to meet her relatives in India. “The Exposition is the gateway for family reunions despite various nationalities,” she said.

"With Saint Xavier's intercession, we are confident the Indo–Pak thaw will improve," Santamaria hoped. Her aunt, Bella D'Souza, 67, with whom they stayed, expected "a great Christmas this year" with so many relatives.

Catherine Lobo, 46, teaching at the Agha Khan University, Karachi said that her visit to venerate the relics of St. Xavier and spend time in Goa, has been “very fulfilling.”

“It has been an emotional pilgrimage for me. I believe in roots and wanted my children to know the reality about Goa, its people, and my husband’s relatives. So I could tell my kids back home stories about Goa… something I have often been told by my husband,” Lobo said.

“I was told that it was a beautiful place, peaceful with gorgeous beaches and simple folk having their own orchards to grow things. Arriving here, I was overjoyed at seeing that it was better than I had imagined,” Catherine said.

She said she had heard a lot of about St. Xavier through her in–laws and thought of undertaking the pilgrimage not just to fulfill a long–standing dream, but also pave the path for her children to make a pilgrimage to India.

“I will travel to Vailankani to see if India is safe for a woman to freely move around,” she said, adding that she had never left her five children alone, but would like them to visit Indian pilgrimage sites.

Talking about finding her kin, she said that the last she had heard about her husband’s cousin was over 30 years ago.

Lucy Rodrigues D’Souza, 82, her husband’s cousin, said, “We were always in Mumbai, but after my uncle and aunty migrated to Canada, I returned to Goa. There were no letters exchanged and the only source of information about the welfare of others in Karachi was through my brother in Canada, who occasionally offered tit–bits of information. Occasionally, a card would come by, but that was decades ago.”

“We are happy that Catherine Lobo is here, meeting us for the first time,” she said.

Lobo says she is too happy that she is now a great link to her husband who has not visited his roots for over 20 years.

Karachi–born Francis Almeida, 49, who is settled in Norway, said the pilgrimage helped him meet siblings and other relatives. His brother came from Karachi, while his sister was about to arrive from Canada.
Willie de Cunha, 63, who settled in Portugal after leaving Karachi a decade ago, said that St. Francis Xavier has been his family's inspiration for generations. De Cunha saw the saint "in action" when he unexpectedly met his 32–year–old son from London on the exposition grounds. "This kind of happening strengthens people's faith," he added, having witnessed the three previous expositions.