The unveiling ceremony highlights the pivotal event of Good Friday: the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It serves as a reminder of the suffering and sacrifice Jesus endured for the redemption of humanity’s sins. This ceremony encourages the faithful to reflect on their own lives in light of Christ’s sacrifice and to seek forgiveness for their sins.
Father Michael Goveas, Vice-Rector of the Basilica of Our Lady of Mount, delivers a sermon elucidating the significance of Jesus’ sacrifice and its relevance to the lives of the faithful.
Pilgrims light candles, offer flowers and spend time in silent contemplation at the Road Cross. Outside the basilica, vendors offer marigold flower garlands for sale. They also sell candles crafted in custom designs, tailored to the specific prayer and wishes of the devotees.
The interior walls of the basilica were originally embellished with murals depicting episodes from Mother Mary's life and Stations of the Cross. These were painted during the tenure of the first rector, Msgr Dominic de Sa (1943-50). However, they were later replaced by fiberglass panels created by a group of Goregaon artists under the personal direction of former Rector Msgr Nereus Rodrigues (1995-2016).
The third level of Mount Mary Basilica features a circular rose window bearing the inscription anno junilaei 1904—the golden jubilee year of the promulgation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception (December 8, 1854). The current basilica was also opened to the public in the same year.
Bandra Catholics come to seek the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary during troubled times, praying for miracles and offering thanksgiving for the fulfilment of vows and wishes. The devotion to Mary, known as Marian's devotion, is a central aspect of Catholic spirituality.
The basilica’s apse contains the figure of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Christ Child, positioned atop a seven-step-high white marble altar. The altar also features a tabernacle intended for the Eucharist, with the inscription panis vitae (Bread of Life in Latin).
Good Friday is observed at Mount Mary Basilica with solemnity and profound reverence, reflecting its significance among the Catholic Christians in Mumbai.
The Feast of the Road Cross is celebrated annually on May 31, commemorating the visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In Catholic Christianity, the visitation recounts the encounter in the New Testament when the pregnant Virgin Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John the Baptist. This event is described in the Gospel of Luke 1:39–56.
Mount Mary Basilica is designed in the neo-gothic style, which gained popularity in the late 19th century CE. Materials for its construction were transported by sea and carried up the hill using bullock carts and donkeys. The basilica is the fourth structure on the site. The first chapel, dedicated to Our Lady of the Mount, was established in 1570, at a time when Bandra was under Portuguese rule.