Goa churches hold thanksgiving prayers for new Pope

The churches across Goa today held special prayers as a thanks giving to Pope Francis, on the day when he inaugurated his ministry in the Vatican.
"The special prayers were held in all the churches as per the circular issued by the Archbishop," Fr Fransisco Caldeira, spokesman for Archbishop of Goa and Daman, told PTI.
Parishioners in large numbers participated in the thanksgiving prayers, he said.
Filipe Neri Ferr�o, the Archbishop of Goa and Daman, in a circular issued, has asked all the Parish priests, chaplains, rectors of church institutions as well as superiors of religious communities in the Archdiocese to observe the day of prayer for the new Pope.

"It's a big day for our faith. New Pope has taken over and we wish him all the health and long life," Eduardo Sequeira, a parishioner of Mery Immaculate Conception Church in Panaji, told PTI, after attending the prayer.
Goa has 27 per cent of its population believing in Catholic faith.
The archbishop has also announced that the anticipated Chrism Mass to be held on March 21, at the Cathedral Church at Old Goa, will be also the Thanksgiving Mass for the new Pope.