August 27th 2022 is a day of great importance and pride to the people of Goa especially the catholic community of Goa and India. This is the day that Pope Francis elevated Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrão to the rank of Cardinal.
Filipe Neri António Sebastião do Rosário Ferrão (born on 20 January 1953) is an Indian Catholic prelate who has served as Archbishop of Goa and Daman since 2004. He was previously an auxiliary Bishop of the same archdiocese from 1993 to 2004. Ferrão was created a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2022.
Pope John Paul II appointed him auxiliary Bishop of Goa and Daman and titular bishop of Vanariona on 25th January 1994. He received his episcopal consecration on 10th April 1994 from Archbishop Raul Nicolau Gonçalves in the Se Cathedral in Old Goa, with bishops Aleixo das Neves Dias and Ferdinand Joseph Fonseca as co-consecrators.
On 16th January 2004, Pope John Paul named him Archbishop of Goa and Daman with the honorary title of Patriarch of the East Indies.
On 25th November 2006, the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman was reorganized as a metropolitan archdiocese with a suffragan diocese and no longer directly subject to the Holy See. Pope Benedict XVI named Ferrão its first archbishop.
On 29th May 2022, Pope Francis announced that he planned to make Ferrão a cardinal. On 27th August 2022, Pope Francis made him a cardinal priest, assigning him the title of Santa Maria in Via.
In February 2024, Ferrão was elected President of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences replacing Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Yangon, Myanmar.
On 23 October 2024, the Synod of Bishops elected Ferrão a member of the Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod.
Ferrão participated as a cardinal elector in the 2025 papal conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV.
Pope Leo XIV has recently appointed Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrão, president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India and Archbishop of Goa and Daman, as one of the members of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication, the Vatican body responsible for overseeing the Church’s global communication efforts.
All this was possible only because of his Simplicity , Intelligence, wisdom and down to earth nature. Cardinal Ferrao is indeed a matter of pride for all Goans. We pray that God keeps him healthy and strong forever committed to work in his vineyard.
Saint Monica
Saint Monica was the epitome of suffering pain in silence and patience, not only did she have patience with her husband but also with her mother in law and later with her son
When I think of her I think of the many taunts, awkward glances , hushed whispers that might have hurt her more than the deeds of her loved ones. I think of her as a woman of resilience who did not succumb to the pressures of society but stayed put with her faith and hope together with prayer. She continued praying for 17 long years for her son. even when words of discouragement were all that she got
Early Life and Marriage
Raised by devoted Christians, Monica was married off to Patricius, a pagan Roman official with a notoriously violent temper and an immoral lifestyle. For over twenty years, she endured his infidelities and the ill-temper of her mother-in-law. Through her patient cheerfulness, prayer, and forgiveness, Monica profoundly influenced her husband, leading him to convert to Christianity shortly before his death.
The Son on whom she never gave up
Her greatest struggle was with her eldest son, Augustine. While studying in Carthage, Augustine embraced a dissolute life, rejected the Christian faith, and fathered a child out of wedlock. When he secretly fled to Rome—and later Milan—to pursue teaching, Monica followed him across the Mediterranean, refusing to give up on his soul.
Perseverance and Prayers Answered
In Milan, Monica connected with Saint Ambrose, the local bishop who became her spiritual director. She wept and prayed continuously for Augustine’s transformation. A famous legend recalls a bishop consoling her with the words, “It is not possible that the son of so many tears should perish.” Her prayers were finally answered when a 32-year-old Augustine experienced a profound spiritual awakening, abandoned his sinful ways, and was baptized by Bishop Ambrose
Farewell with peace
Filled with peace, knowing her son had returned to God, Monica was exuberant but fell ill on their journey back to North Africa. She passed away in Ostia, Italy, at the age of 55. Her life is documented extensively in Augustine’s famous autobiography, The Confessions.(a must read)
I would also strongly recommend all especially Mothers to read St. Monica: The Fruitful Tears of a Mother
– Gladys Da Silva