| Agnelo Gustavo Adolfo de Souza | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 January 1869 Anjuna, Goa, India |
| Died | 20 November 1927 (aged 58) Rachol, Goa |
Agnelo Gustavo Adolfo de Souza (21 January 1869 – 20 November 1927) was a Roman Catholic priest of the Society of Missionaries of St. Francis Xavier who performed missionary work in Goa, India.
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Padr Agnel, as he is known, was born in his native village of Anjuna to Minguel Arcanjo de Souza and Maria Sinforosa Perpetua Magalhães and died in Rachol. His parents had 9 children, which included 8 sons and a daughter. Padre Agnelo was the sixth child. From a young age he would remember sermons heard at mass and would teach doton'n, that is Catechism, to other children, some even older than him. When he was eleven, his parents were snatched away from him. At his mother's death, she recommended her children to Mother Mary. All were impressed by his behaviour even as a small child[1].
Padre Agnelo received a call to the priesthood. He studied Philosophy and Theology at Patriarchical Seminary of Rachol, where he secured the much coveted and singular acessit in his final year of study. After much prayer he joined the Diocesan Missionary Society of St. Francis Xavier of Pilar, Goa on 17 July 1897.
He was ordained on 24 September 1898, by the then Archbishop of Goa e Damão and Patriarch of the East Indies Dom Antonio Sebastião Valente.
On 8 September 1908, he made his total oblation to God, as a full-fledged missionary. 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. Padre Agnel was very humble and thoughtful.
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.
Padre 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 1936.
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.[2].
His day is celebrated on 20 November every year, with novenas beginning on 10 November. There is no feast day as yet, because he is not yet canonised. He is said to have wanted to die on the feast of the Sacred Heart, and God granted it.
In 2009, the high mass on his feast day was celebrated by Bishop Aleixo das Neves Dias, S.F.X., bishop of Port Blair. In 2010, the feast mass was celebrated by Most Rev. Filipe Neri Ferrāo, Archbishop of Goa and Daman. The theme wass "This is the Will of God" from 1 Thes 4/3. In 2011, the feast mass was celebrated on 19 November as the 20th was the feast of Christ the King. The main celebrant was bishop Allwyn Barreto, bishop of the diocese of Sindhudurg, a suffragan of the archdiocese of Goa and Daman.The theme was Maneavont Agnelachem Xegunni Jivit Apnnavum-ia, Amchem Jivit Novsorum-ia, i.e. Focussing on the Virtuous life of Ven. Agnelo, let us renew our life.
The hymn Padr Agnel, amchea ixtta (Father Agnel, our friend) is written in his honor[3], besides Padr Agnelak, Altaracho Man and many others.