Agnelo de Souza

The Venerable Father Agnelo Gustavo Adolfo de Souza, S.F.X.
Orders
Ordination	24 September 1899 by Archbishop Antonio Sebastião Valente
Personal details
Born	21 January 1869 Anjuna, North Goa, Portuguese India
Died	20 November 1927 (aged 58) Rachol, South Goa, Portuguese India
Buried	Our Lady of Pilar Monastery, Pilar, Goa, India

Agnelo Gustavo Adolfo de Souza, S.F.X. ( 21 January 1869 – 20 November 1927), was a Roman Catholic priest of the Society of the Missionaries of St. Francis Xavier, Pilar who performed missionary work in the province of Goa, then part of Portuguese India. The cause for his canonization has been accepted for investigation by the Holy See, and has progressed to the point that he has been declared Venerable.

Life

Early life

Padr Agnel, as he is known, was born in the village of Anjuna to Miguel Arcanjo de Souza and Maria Sinforosa Perpetua Magalhães. His parents had nine children, eight sons and a daughter, among whom Agnelo was the sixth child. Even as a small child, all were impressed by his behaviour. From a young age he would remember sermons heard at Mass and would teach doton'n, that is the catechism, to other children, some even older than him. When he was eleven, his parents died suddenly. As his mother was dying, she entrusted her children to the care of the Blessed Mother.

Seminary

With the encouragement of an older brother who was already a priest, de Souza pursued a call to the priesthood. He studied philosophy and theology at the Patriarchal Seminary at Rachol. Always in very poor health, he was allowed to live in a private dwelling off the seminary grounds, where he was able to do his studies diligently. He secured the much coveted and singular honor of acessit in his final year of study.

Souza wanted to enter a religious institute, but they had been banned in the lands under the Portuguese Crown since 1835. After much prayer and reflection, de Souza joined the Diocesan Missionary Society of St. Francis Xavier of Pilar on 17 July 1897. He was ordained on 24 September 1899, by the Archbishop of Goa and Patriarch of the East Indies, Dom António Sebastião Valente.

Missionary

On 8 September 1908, de Souza made his total commitment to God, becoming a full-fledged member of the Society. His life as a true shepherd of souls took him to Siroda and Sanvordem in Goa, besides Kumta, near Karwar. He was their priest, preacher, confessor and administrator. He was seen by many to be very humble and thoughtful.

Spiritual Director

Seeing his holiness, the then Archbishop of Goa e Damão and Patriarch of the East Indies Dom Matheus de Oliveira Xavier, appointed Padr Agnel as the Spiritual Director of the Patriarchal Seminary of Rachol on 20 May 1918. Fr. Agnelo was called a model priest- humble, prayerful, self-denying and saintly- by the professors and students in the seminary. He was caring and loving to the staff of the seminary and was also referred to as Our Saint, in Konkani Amcho Sant.

Death and veneration

Padr Agnel died on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was on 20 November in 1927. He collapsed on the pulpit towards the end of the sermon. He insisted on waiting till the Benediction of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He showed the tranquility of a saintly man. He died and was buried in Rachol. The then parish priest who buried him roughly said these words Hanvem atanch eka Santak matiek laila, which means I have just laid a saint to rest. His remains were brought to Pilar on 10 January 1939.

Tomb of Father Agnel

The cause for his canonisation

The process of canonization was begun by the Society with the permission of the Patriarch of Goa in 1947. The second process was presented to the Sacred Congregation of Rites on 5 October 1959. The Sacred Congregation of Rites approved the third process of "De non-cultu" on 27 May 1969.Padre Agnelo was declared venerable by the Vatican on 10 November 1986.

A 'feast day' is granted only to the beatified or canonized persons. As Venerable Fr. Agnelo is not yet beatified or canonized like Saint Joseph Vaz or Saint Francis Xavier, he does not have a feast day. Fr. Agnelo was made a Venerable in 1986, and requires a first-class miracle to be beatified. The vice-postulator for his cause is Fr. Hilario Fernandes.

Legacy

Venerable Fr. Agnelo's day is celebrated on 20 November every year, with novenas beginning on 10 November. He is said to have wanted to die on this feast, and God granted his wish. A 'feast day' is granted only to the beatified or canonized persons. As Venerable Fr. Agnelo is not yet beatified or canonized like Blessed Joseph Vaz or Saint Francis Xavier, he does not have a feast day. Fr. Agnelo was made a Venerable in 1986, and requires a first-class miracle to be beatified.

Ven. Fr. Agnelo's Novenas and Day in recent years

In 2009 the Mass on the anniversary of his death was presided over by Bishop Aleixo das Neves Dias, S.F.X., Bishop of Port Blair. In 2010, the Mass was presided over by Filipe Neri Ferrão, Archbishop of Goa and Daman. The theme was "This is the Will of God", taken from 1 Thessalonians 4:3. In 2011, the anniversary service was celebrated on 19 November as the 20th was the Feast of Christ the King. The main celebrant was Allwyn Barreto, Bishop of Sindhudurg, a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman.The theme was Maneavont Agnelachem Xegunni Jivit Apnnavum-ia, Amchem Jivit Novsorum-ia (English: Focusing on the Virtuous life of the Venerable Agnelo, let us renew our life).

Ven. Fr. Agnelo's Novenas this year

In 2013, Fr. Agnelo's Novena Masses were held from the 11th to 19 November, at the adr besides the Pilar Saibinnichi Igorz (Our Lady of Pilar), at Pilar, Goa. The theme was based on Lhan Kristi Somudai-eô or Small Christian Communities, probably as the first convention of All-India Small Christian Communities took place from the 19th to 21 November 2013, at Velha Goa (Old Goa).

Maneavônt Padr Agnel-acho Dis/ Venerable Father Agnelo's Day

20 November 2013, was the 86th death anniversary of Venerable Padre Agnel. As he is not yet Beatified, there is no feast Mass, but is only celebrated as Maneavônt Padr Agnelacho Dis or Venerable Fr. Agnelo's Day.

Masses on this day of remembrance typically take place at 5.30 A.M., 6.45 A.M., 8 A.M., 9.30 A.M., 11.30 A.M. and at 3.45 P.M., 5 P.M. and at 6.15 P.M. In 2013, the Solemn High Mass was celebrated by Most Reverend Derek Fernandes, Bishop of Karvar at 9.30 A.M. The masses were celebrated in Konkanim, with the exception of the 6.15 P.M. mass, which will be celebrated in English.

Gaionam (Hymns) on Maneavônt Padr Agnel

The hymn Padr Agnel, amchea ixtta (Father Agnel, our friend) was written in his honor, besides Padr Agnelak, Altaracho Man and several others.

External links

• A website with some more information.
• [3], a website with a lot more information, and many important links.
• The Venerable Pilar Father - Fr. Agnelo de Souza at the website Society of the Missionaries of St. Francis Xavier, Pilar
• Venerable Agnelo D'Souza, a dedicated website
• [4], a dedicated webpage in Konkani