---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Nelson Lopes <nellope...@gmail.com> Date: Thu, Dec 3, 2015 at 1:01 AM Subject: Relics of St Francis Xavier To: "Goa's premiere mailing list, estb. 1994!" <goanet@lists.goanet.org>
A little known facts of relics recalled to memory RELICS OF ST FRANCIS XAVIER ACROSS THE WORLD First class relics is a part of the body,2-Second class relic is something owned or worn. 3-someone may touch a religious medal, object to a first class relic. They are entombed in reliquaries of gold, silver distributed ,preserved ,venerated in different parts of the world. Jesuit scholar P .Rayanna documents the same in”St Francis Xavier and his Shrine” 1 apiece of flesh cut off from left knee by servant who exumed the body at Sancian,2- In 1554 a Portuguese lady Dona Isabel de carom bit off a little toe. It was in possession of Count of Nova Goa. Later donated to a charity Santa CasaDe Misericordia in Lisbon.3-In 1556 St Paul`s College had a reliquary of hairs from the coffin 4-Nov.3,1614 by order of Fr, General Claude Aquaviva, arm was cut at elbow and sent to Rome, venerated at the Church of GESU .5. A small piece of the relic was sent to Malines, Belgium. Again on April 27, 1619 by order of Fr General Claude the rest of the right arm with shoulder blade to Jesuit Province of Japan, the relic of the first apostle. 6-Shoulder blade divided into 3 parts to College of Cochin,Malaca,Macau.They were lost due to Dutch invasion of Malaca 1643,Cochin 1663, 7- The relic at Malaca, Seminary of St Joseph which is shoulder blade of 12cms with the fore arm. 8- In 1636 all internal organs , including from breast, flesh were removed ,distributed as relics to East &West. 9- Prior to official, exposition 1782 Inspector General of Goa that relic was with him and descendants at home in Portugal and the rest reached native Castle of Xavier at Narve 1902. 10- In 1890 a toe fell off and placed in a reliquary atthe sacristy of BOM JESus. In 1910 two joints of fourth toe fell off.Patriarch Dom Mateus de Oliveira Xavier placed them in the existing reliquary at the sacristy. In 1952 a dried, hanging skin of one leg was cut into many small pieces and placed into reliquaries by then Patriarch, Dom Jose da Costa Nunes 11- in 1964 a piece of skin reliquary was donated to St Francis Church Dabul Mumbai by Bishop Francisco rebello Auxilliary to Archbishop Patrick Dom Jose Alvernaz. 12 IN GOA 1…( a)St Francis Church Batpal Canacona (small bone ) b)….Holy Spirit Church Margao ( a large bone ) c…….A relic of the saint at St Francis Xavier Chapel,Portais Panjim 2—A relic at Precious Blood parish Cloverdale ,Vancouver Canada b)…..A first class relicBlessed sacrament Catholic Parish, Rhode island, U,S.A. A relic at St Francis Xavier at Cathedral, Green Bay Wiscosin USA Source “The Goan” dated 3 -12- 2015 Nelson Lopes Chinchinim