St. Francis Xavier Exposition 2024: Here's Vasai’s saintly link with Bom Jesus Basilica

The relics of St Francis Xavier enshrined at the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa

As will be the case with many, this writer's last successful Goa trip feels like it happened ages ago. One sight from the sunshine state that is etched in our memory, however, is catching a glimpse of the ornate tomb of 16th Century saint and Jesuit St Francis Xavier at the iconic Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa from afar. Enshrined in an elaborate tomb carved by Italian sculptor Giovanni Battista Foggini are the 470-year-old mortal remains (or relics) of the saint. All of it - except his right hand. For, in the early 1600s, the arm was severed and shipped to Rome to be preserved in the Church of Gesu.

The relics are carried in the cart built by the Sequeira brothers. PIC COURTESY/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS; Youtube

At the ongoing decennial exposition, where the casket is ceremoniously moved from the Basilica to the nearby Se Cathedral, the faithful witnessed a Christmastime miracle of sorts. A replica of the right arm, clasping a cross, stood atop an intricate recreation of the tomb on which the casket lay. When we hear that the artists behind this marvel are the Sequeira Brothers from Vasai's quaint Giriz village, we're hardly surprised. From rural Amravati in eastern Maharashtra to altars in Aberdeen, Scotland, there's barely any ground their sculptures, statues and replicas haven't covered.

Artisans at the Giriz workshop. PICS/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

On a sleepy afternoon in Lahaan Giriz, we navigate its narrow lanes to find Sequeira Art World. The distant, but perpetual buzzing of chainsaws cutting through wood guides us well. At the workshop, Benzoni, the elder brother, is chipping away on his newest piece. "Can you believe it?" he smiles as he hands us his reference picture. It's an AI-generated visual of the Holy Family sent in by a Dubai family. "It's more detailed than what we usually receive, and so it needs more attention," he adds.

A work-in-progress shot of the cart

While most of the chiselling happens on the ground floor, the bigger secrets lie in the many rooms on the second floor of the workshop. Now accompanied by brother Mingleshwar and his son Mark Sequeira, we are shown the moulds that were used to create the panels that adorn the sides of the replica cart. "I visited the Basilica of Bom Jesus with permission from its parish priest Fr Adrian Furtado, who is also the brains behind the blueprint of the cart. Through our visits and reference pictures from various angles, we were able to design and prepare these moulds," Mark reveals as he points towards the mould for a bas relief that portrays the missionary work of the saint.

The bas relief depicting St Francis Xavier's missionary work

The cart is made using marine plywood for the flat panels and fibre to recreate the elaborate carvings and bas reliefs. What makes it even more special, is the record time it was built in. "It was sometime in September when Fr Furtado reached out to us. The chassis of the cart was already crafted by another electric vehicle manufacturer in Chennai, and we had a month's time to finish the exteriors. We worked from 7 am to 12 pm every day of the week," recalls Benzoni, rather gleefully. Do the long hours never get to them, we wonder. "It doesn't feel like work at all. I would work longer hours if I could, but our families already think we are a tad crazy," he laughs.

The fibre and silicone mould used to craft it

The Sequeiras can sit back now; the cart will speak for itself at the entrance of the Se Cathedral where it is placed till January 5, when the exposition ends. But they won't - the brothers have a long list of projects lined up for Christmas. One that is reaching conclusion at the time of our visit is a replica of the altar at the Nandakhal Church in Virar that will find a new home in Dubai. In another room, Benzoni shows us millennium crosses of varying sizes that will make their way to various dioceses across India to mark the holy year in 2025 declared by Pope Francis.

Benzoni (left) and Mark Sequeira work on a piece with an AI-generated reference picture

Amidst the polished wood sculptures, we notice a rather understated piece of woodwork. "That one is a bust of our father, Renold Sequeira," Benzoni tells us. ‘Renold Uncle' to the neighbourhood and ‘Michelangelo of Vasai' for the world, the veteran sculptor passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic leaving an evidently lasting legacy. "I made my first crucifix sculpture under his supervision when I was six years old. When he passed on, we expanded our workshop. An old Sivan tree stood where the extended space now lies. We sculpted the bust using wood from the same tree," Benzoni reveals. Just how Renold Uncle would have liked to be remembered, we're sure.

At Sequeira Art World, Small Giriz, St Francis Xavier Road, Vasai West.
Call 7798380913 (for queries)