(Photo): Dr Saverio Cannistra, Superior General of the Order of the Discalced Carmelites, celebrates Mass at the site of the ancient Carmelite Church in Old Goa.
By Melvyn Misquita –
Goa: Given its rich history spanning over five centuries, the Church in Goa is presently home to as many as 70 Catholic religious societies and congregations, which run several catholic institutions in the archdiocese.
Visits by the international heads of these religious congregations to Goa have been occasional and it was a rare coincidence when heads of two of the world’s leading Catholic religious congregations made separate visits to Goa to preside over key conferences of their respective congregations in February.
While Dr Saverio Cannistra, Superior General of the Order of the Discalced Carmelites (OCD) was in Goa during the first half of February, Fr Arturo Sosa, the Superior General of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), visited the State in the last week of February.
Highlighting the significance of his visit to Goa in February, Dr Cannistra, who heads the 55,000-odd members of the OCD across the world, said this was his second visit to Goa.
“My visit in February was in the context of the celebration of what we call the Extraordinary Definitory of the Order, that is, the meeting of the superiors of all the circumscriptions of the Discalced Carmelites in the world,” said Dr Cannistra. “We gathered to dialogue and take decisions about a very important issue: the renewal of our legislation 50 years after the Second Vatican Council.”
He said Goa was chosen for the Extraordinary Definitory to mark the fourth centenary of the arrival of the first Discalced Carmelites to India at Old Goa. “We wanted to celebrate with the brothers of all over the world this anniversary. Today, India is the region of the world where there are more members of the male branch of the Order. So we wanted to express our gratitude to the Lord and our appreciation for the history of Indian Carmel,” said Dr Cannistra.
The Superior General, who heads the 4,000 friars, 11,000 nuns and 40,000 secular Carmelites all over the world, said he would cherish his visit to Goa.
Sharing some of his experiences of his stay in Goa, Dr Cannistra said: “All participants to the Extraordinary Definitory and I have been so much touched by the warm and generous hospitality of our brothers and sisters of Goa. They made all the possible efforts in order to prepare and organize this meeting at its best.”
“Everything was really lovely: the house, where we were accommodated, the St Joseph Vaz Spiritual Renewal Centre, the pleasant climate, the Mass celebrated on the site of the ancient Carmelite Church and monastery, the loving welcome of our cloistered sisters in the monastery of Chicalim and the cultural programme that took place in our convent in Margao.”
“I will remember Goa as a place of amazing natural beauty, inhabited by very lively and dynamic people,” said Dr Cannistra.
Fr Charles Serrao, provincial of the Karnataka-Goa OCD Province, said the Extraordinary Definitory was only the second of its kind in the history of Carmel in India.
“As many as 75 Provincial Superiors were present representing 83 countries of the world. We had a fruitful, internal, spiritual deliberations on the life of the Order. They were given one day Indian and Goan cultural exposure. Many of them are visiting India for the first time.
Describing Dr Cannistra as a very simple, spiritual person and dignified in his approach, Fr Serrao said Dr Cannistra had been very “content with the Goan hospitality, the food and various cultural aspects.”
Fr Sosa, the superior general who heads approximately 16,000 Jesuits across the world, addressed the Jesuit Conference of South Asia (JCSA) during their bi-annual meeting at the Pedro Arrupe Institute, Raia.
“During his short and packed visit to the Goa Province of the Jesuits, Fr General touched the hearts of Jesuits and their partners in mission. Fr General endeared himself to people wherever he went, spending time with them and allowing them to get photographs with them,” recalled Fr Roland Coelho SJ, Jesuit Provincial of the Goa Province.
“This was Fr Sosa’s first visit to Goa and he was happy to have been able to interact with so many people. He said his visit was fruitful and was very satisfied,” said Fr Coelho.
“He also had a good meeting with Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao and discussed various aspects of the work of the Jesuits in the archdiocese and the world,” Fr Coelho added.
[Courtesy: The Goan]