Night before Exposition, armed police personnel to guard casket inside sacristy

Panaji: The casket containing the relics of St Francis Xavier will be brought down on Wednesday evening itself, in an hour-long private ceremony with Archbishop Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrao in attendance.
The decennial Exposition of the relics will begin from Thursday, as the relics are moved from the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa to the Se Cathedral. Earlier held at the basilica itself, the Exposition of the relics has been held at the nearby Se Cathedral since 1952.
“On the evening of Nov 20, we will bring down the sacred relics in a very private ceremony and take it to the sacristy,” convener of the Exposition committee of the Archdiocese, Fr Henry Falcao, told TOI.
The ceremony will begin at 5pm and is expected to last an hour. Apart from the cardinal, the ceremony will also see the attendance of auxiliary bishop Simiao Purificacao Fernandes, vicar general Fr Jose Remedios Fernandes, rector of the basilica Fr Patricio Fernandes, and convener Falcao.
“We will have some volunteers who will help bring down the casket, responsibly. Everything is being done manually (with a scaffold),” said Falcao.
Once brought down, the casket will be taken to the sacristy, where the cardinal will lead the prayers.
“We invite the local police as well to be part of the ceremony, as a representative of the state, and for security. We have asked a senior officer to be deputed, besides an armed guard, who stays through the night. The police have started guarding the basilica and the cathedral,” said Falcao.
The Exposition will begin Nov 21 and conclude on Jan 5. The relics will be kept at the Se Cathedral for veneration by devotees for 45 days.