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

As will be the case with many this writerrsquos 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 470yearold mortal remains or relics of the saint All of it mdash except his right hand For in the early 1600s the arm was severed and shipped to Rome to be preserved in the Church of GesuThe relics are carried in the cart built by the Sequeira brothers PIC COURTESYWIKIMEDIA COMMONS YoutubeAt 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 Vasairsquos quaint Giriz village wersquore hardly surprised From rural Amravati in eastern Maharashtra to altars in Aberdeen Scotland therersquos barely any ground their sculptures statues and replicas havenrsquot coveredArtisans at the Giriz workshop PICSSayyed Sameer AbediOn 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 ldquoCan you believe itrdquo he smiles as he hands us his reference picture Itrsquos an AIgenerated visual of the Holy Family sent in by a Dubai family ldquoItrsquos more detailed than what we usually receive and so it needs more attentionrdquo he addsA workinprogress shot of the cartWhile 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 ldquoI 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 mouldsrdquo Mark reveals as he points towards the mould for a bas relief that portrays the missionary work of the saintThe bas relief depicting St Francis Xavierrsquos missionary workThe 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 ldquoIt 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 monthrsquos time to finish the exteriors We worked from 7 am to 12 pm every day of the weekrdquo recalls Benzoni rather gleefully Do the long hours never get to them we wonder ldquoIt doesnrsquot feel like work at all I would work longer hours if I could but our families already think we are a tad crazyrdquo he laughsThe fibre and silicone mould used to craft itThe 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 wonrsquot mdash 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 FrancisBenzoni left and Mark Sequeira work on a piece with an AIgenerated reference pictureAmidst the polished wood sculptures we notice a rather understated piece of woodwork ldquoThat one is a bust of our father Renold Sequeirardquo Benzoni tells us lsquoRenold Unclersquo to the neighbourhood and lsquoMichelangelo of Vasairsquo for the world the veteran sculptor passed away during the COVID19 pandemic leaving an evidently lasting legacy ldquoI 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 treerdquo Benzoni reveals Just how Renold Uncle would have liked to be remembered wersquore sureAt Sequeira Art World Small Giriz St Francis Xavier Road Vasai WestCall 7798380913 for queries