The Society of the Missionaries of St. Francis Xavier, Pilar, commonly known as the Pilar Fathers or the Pilar Society, is a Roman Catholic religious society of apostolic life for men, headquartered at Pilar in Goa, India. The society engages in pastoral, missionary, educational and social work in India and overseas, and takes its inspiration from the missionary legacy of St. Francis Xavier, the sixteenth-century Jesuit missionary associated with Goa.
| Type | Roman Catholic religious society of apostolic life (clerical, for men) |
|---|---|
| Common name | Pilar Fathers / Pilar Society |
| Patron | St. Francis Xavier |
| Headquarters | Pilar, Goa, India |
| Members | Priests and brothers (Pilar Fathers and Brothers) |
| Apostolates | Mission, education, parishes, social work, media |
The society is rooted in the tradition of indigenous missionary congregations that emerged in Goa in the colonial and post-colonial periods. Pilar, a hill site in Tiscolim-Goa Velha near Panaji, has long been a centre of religious life and is home to the Pilar Monastery and the shrine of Our Lady of Pilar. The Society of the Missionaries of St. Francis Xavier developed at this monastery and identifies its mission with both the local Goan Church and the broader Indian Catholic missionary endeavour.
Members of the society serve in a range of ministries:
The Pilar Monastery complex includes the church and shrine of Our Lady of Pilar, formation houses, a seminary, and educational institutions. The site is also a place of pilgrimage and is associated with the cause of Venerable Padre Agnelo de Souza, a member of the earlier Pilar community whose remains are venerated at the monastery.
As one of the indigenous Indian Catholic societies of apostolic life centred in Goa, the Pilar Society contributes to the missionary, educational and pastoral life of the Catholic Church in India. Its work in schools, parishes and missions extends the legacy of Goan Christianity beyond the region, while its base at Pilar remains a focal point for liturgy, formation and pilgrimage.