Media Release
Pilar, Nov 6: This year the commemoration of the 98th death anniversary of venerable Agnelo de Souza will be celebrated in Pilar on the November 20. The main theme of the celebration is “Venerable Agnelo inspires us to be pilgrims of Hope”. Fr Dominic Savio Fernandes, auxiliary bishop of Bombay, will preside over the solemn mass at 9.30 am. The mass timings on this day are as follows: Morning: 5.30; 6.45, 8.00 and 11.30; afternoon/ evening: 4.00, 5.15 and 6.15 (English).
The novenas will be held from November 11th – 19th. Each day of the novena is dedicated to praying for a specific purpose. 11th (Tuesday) is dedicated to Peace in the World; 12th (Wednesday) is dedicated to migrants and refugees; 13th (Thursday) is dedicated to the youth and unemployed; 14th (Friday) is dedicated to children; 15th (Saturday) is dedicated to priests, religious and vocations; 16th (Sunday) is dedicated to family and childless couples; 17th (Monday) is dedicated to environment; 18th (Tuesday) is dedicated to the sick; 19th (Wednesday) is dedicated to missions and missionaries
The timings for the Novena masses are as follows: Morning: 5.30, 6.45, 8.00, 9.15 and 10.30 and afternoon/ evening: 4.00, 5.15 and 6.15 (English). There will be a Night Vigil on 14th from 9.30 pm to 5.00 am the next day. Masses in other languages will also be held on the following days: Tamil mass will be held on 16th at 11.30 am in the pandal; Hindi Mass will be held on 16th at 12.30 am in the pandal; Malayalam Mass will be held on 16th at 11.30 am in the Mission Seminary Chapel. Special mass for the sick will be held on 18th at 10.30 am. Mass for the Spiritual Brothers and sisters will be celebrated on 16th at 10.30 am. Every mass will be followed by a Novena prayer and prayer over the sick. Priests will be available for confessions and counselling. All masses will be streamed on YouTube Society of Pilar India, and also telecasted on CCR TV, Prime TV, Prudent TV, Goa365 TV, RDX TV, Goa9 TV, InGoa TV, GoaPlus TV and GCTV.
As in the past, the flow of vehicular traffic will be one way. All the vehicles will enter the Pilar hillock from the Neura road and exit through the regular Pilar Hillock Road. Shuttle services will be available at the foot of the Pilar Hillock for those commuting by bus. For smooth vehicular movement parking arrangements are made behind the Pilar Seminary. Kindly collaborate with the authorities. Let us flock to the Pilar hillock and storm the heavens for the early beatification of our brother venerable Fr Agnelo De Souza whose canonization process is going on in Rome.
Venerable Agnelo de Souza was born in a picturesque village of Anjuna on January 21, 1869. His parents, Miguel and Simphorosa were devout Catholics and saw that their children grew up in the ways of faith and good morals. Ven Agnelo, a saintly member of the Society of Pilar, was a preacher of God’s Word and preached missions, retreats in most of the Churches of Goa. He passed away at dawn of November 20, 1927.