The Novena of Grace at Old Goa

The Novena of Grace at Old Goa is held every year on March 4 at the Bom Jesus Basilica, Old Goa. This is a unique novena which ends without a feast celebration.

During the period of the The Novena of Grace at Old Goa, 6 masses are celebrated daily at 6 am 7 am 8 am 430 pm 530 pm and 630 pm followed by a penitential procession.

In many places in Europe and America, this novena is becoming popular as the devotion to St Francis Xavier increases. In Bom Jesus Basilica in Old Goa, the novena was first held in 1922 but the real impetus to the novena was given in 1967 by Fr George de Sa SJ who was then the rector at the Basilica.

According to the historical account by P Rayanna S J in his book St Francis Xavier and his shrine, the genesis of the novena of Grace dates back to 1663 when the Viceroy of Naples ordered the consecration of the country to the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady. The whole town and all its churches were decorated and embellished for the occasion.

One December 11, 1633, Marcello Mastrilli a young Jesuit priest in the Jesuit College was directing a work man on a ladder. Through a mishap a hammer fell on the head of Mastrilli 30 feet below. At first look the gravity of the injury was not apparent but soon the patient grew worse in spite of the best treatments available. One the night of January 3, 1634 his condition was so severe that the physicians gave him only a quarter of an hour more to live. When his condition deteriorated even more severely, the novena to St Francis Xavier was recited with the patient promising the saint he would go to the missions if he was cured.

That night when everybody was expecting him to die, St Francis Xavier appeared to him in the garb of a pilgrim and cured him telling him at the same time that he would become a martyr one day. Miraculously Mastrilli’s health started improving and he soon became healthy again. On completely recovering, he wrote an account of his cure in the morning after the night he was expected to pass away.

In 1636 he started for Japan in keeping with his promise and within a year of his arrival in Japan he was killed and he died a martyr on October 18 1637 at the age of 34.

This incident in 1633 was the start of the Novena of Grace to St Francis Xavier and it continues till date every year at the Bom Jesus Basilica, Old Goa.