By Elvis Fernandes
Pilar, Nov 20, 2-25: Thousands gathered at the Pilar hillock in Goa on November 20 to commemorate the 98th death anniversary of Venerable Agnelo de Souza, the saintly priest of the Society of Pilar.
The day, revered as Venerable Agnelo’s Day, drew pilgrims from across Goa and beyond.
Auxiliary Bishop Dominic Savio Fernandes of Bombay presided over the feast day Mass. He was assisted among others by Bishop Emeritus Alex Dias of Port Blair and Pilar superior general Father Nazareth Fernandes.
Bishop Fernandes, in his homily, invited the gathering to radiate the holiness of Venerable Agnelo to all. He expressed joy at the commemoration of the saintly priest, saying that the Church rejoiced because God had blessed Goa with “a priest of extraordinary holiness from its own soil.”
Speaking on the homily theme “Venerable Agnelo Inspires Us to Be Pilgrims of Hope,” Bishop Fernandes highlighted that the saintly priest lived a simple, humble, and hope-filled life.
He explained that the celebration was not only about remembering Venerable Agnelo but about taking him as a model: “We take him as our model so that we too may live with the same steadfast hope that shaped his entire life.”
The main celebrant underlined that Venerable Agnelo lived close to the poor, the sick, and the suffering, believing that “patience, endurance and suffering offered to God would bear fruit in holiness.” His hope, he said, was a deep theological virtue: “Even in his fragile body, he had a hope that was strong.” His devotion to the Blessed Sacrament showed that Christian hope “is not cold and passive but alive and active.”
Calling the venerable a “pilgrim of hope,” the bishop said the saintly priest walked with those who suffered and lifted those who had fallen. Summarising his impact, he affirmed: “Venerable Agnelo awakens us to radiate the fragrance and light of holiness not only in our own surroundings but to all.”
Several Masses were celebrated throughout the day by the members of the Pilar Society.
In the days leading up to the feast, a novena was conducted with special Masses in different languages. A Mass dedicated for the sick drew a large number of devotees. A night vigil was also held, where the devotees prayed for the canonization of Venerable Agnelo.
The saint was born Agnelo Gustavo Adolfo de Souza on January 21, 1869, as the sixth of nine children of Miguel Arcanjo de Souza and Maria Sinforosa Perpetua Magalhães. Goa was then part of Portuguese India. in the village of Anjuna, Portuguese Goa,
When De Souza was 11, his parents died suddenly. As his mother was dying, she entrusted her children to the care of Mother Mary.
Encouraged by an older brother who was a priest, Agnelo studied philosophy and theology at the Patriarchal Seminary at Rachol. As his health was poor, his superiors allowed him to live in a private house outside the seminary grounds.
After prayer and reflection, Agnelo joined the diocesan missionary Society of St. Francis Xavier of Pilar on July 17 ,1897. He was ordained a priest on September 24, 1898.
He died on November 20, 1927, the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He collapsed on the pulpit towards the end of the sermon. He insisted on waiting until the Benediction of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He was buried in Rachol. The parish priest who buried him said in Portuguese, “I have just laid a saint to rest.” His remains were brought to Pilar on January 10, 1939.
The beatification process was begun by the Pilar Society with the permission of the Goa patriarch in 1947. The second process was presented to the Sacred Congregation of Rites on October 5, 1959. The Sacred Congregation of Rites approved the third process in 1969, and the Vatican declared Agnelo a venerable on November 10, 1986.