Leaders appeal for wider celebration of India's first saint

Saint Garcia, the first Indian to be canonized, is considered the principal patron saint of Vasai Diocese and second patron saint of the Bombay archdiocese.

Mumbai:  Leaders of the East Indian community in Mumbai have appealed to their people to celebrate February 6 as the feast of India's first Catholic saint Gonsalo Garcia, and recognize him as their "patron."

Saint Garcia, the first Indian to be canonized, is considered the principal patron saint of Vasai Diocese and second patron saint of the Bombay archdiocese.

The Mobai Gaothan Panchayat (MGP), an organization of East Indian Christians has asked its people to make the Feb. 6 feast of more encompassing with a desire to officially celebrate the day as ‘patron saint’s day’.

"We consider him to be the patron saint of the community because one of his parents was Indian and from our community,” said Walter Murzello, MGP spokesperson.

He said his organization aims to save the dying culture of the community and works for its development.

Saint Garcia was born to a Portuguese father and a Canarese (resident of the Konkan coast) mother in Bassein, on February 5, 1557.

"There is a Church in Vasai named after him. Since he was a local and one of the first saints, we consider him to be the patron saint of the community,” said Alphi D’Souza who heads the MGP.

Part of the celebration plan is to dedicate a church or chapel to the Saint Garcia in the Bombay archdiocese region. Other plans include a statue of his to be installed at the East Indian Museum in Manori with a brief history on his life and regular mass and novenas at Holy Cross Church, Kurla. They also plan to install his statue in some villages and organize prayers and novenas around statues.

“We consider Saint Garcia to be an important figure. Since he was a member of the local community, they would consider him to be their patron saint. He definitely has some local roots. But it is for East Indians to decide that he is their patron saint,” said Fr. Nigel Barrett, spokesperson of the Archdiocese of Bombay.

Source: DNA