Panjim: The Archdiocese of Goa and Daman will be consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on Saturday, even as Pope Francis travels to Fatima in Portugal to lead the centenary celebrations of the apparitions of Mary in that town.
As Catholics the world over, celebrate the centenary of the apparition of Mary to the three shepherds at Fatima on May 13, 1971 in the midst of World War I, in Goa the World Apostolate of Fatima (Goa unit) in collaboration with the Archdiocese, will be celebrating the anniversary of the apparition with a special programme at the Se Cathedral, Old Goa.
Giving details of the programme, the international secretary of the World Apostolate of Fatima, Dr Celcio Dias said there will be a special prayer, followed by Divine Mercy chaplet at 3 pm, following which there will be a presentation on the Apparition of Our Lady by Fr Peter Gama, parish priest of Mapusa’s St Francis Xavier Church.
Dias said that around 4 pm there will be an adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, followed by the solemn high mass offered by the Archbishop of Goa and Daman, Rev Filipe Neri Ferrao, along with Bishop of Belgaum, Rev Peter Machado, who is the national ecclesiastical advisor of World Apostolate of Fatima in India.
The consecration of the Goa Archdiocese to the Immaculate Heart of Mary will be at 5.45 pm, and be led by the Archbishop, followed by the release of a souvenir and procession with the statue of Our Lady which will start from the Se Cathedral and go to the Church of Cruz Milagres.
The event will conclude with a prayer and final blessing by the Archbishop.Bishop Machado, who will be present for the celebration, is the moderator of the World Apostolate of Fatima, at the All India level and Fr Conceicao D’Silva is the spiritual advisor for the Goa unit.
There will be various other programmes all over the Archdiocese on the day and the World Apostolate of Fatima has called on priests to lead the Act of Consecration publicly on Saturday at the end of Masses.
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Evening with Our Lady at Margao Monastery
The Carmelite Monastery, Margao will organise an Evening with Our Lady as a part of the celebrations of 100 years of apparition of Our Lady of Fatima with an Eucharistic procession, rosary, benediction and Solemn Eucharistic Celebration and Consecration of families, on Saturday from 6pm onwards at the Carmelite Monastery Chapel. Fr Archibald Gonsalves OCD, will preside over the Eucharistic celebration.