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Resting
places
THOUGH we are writing the
obituaries for October here, the month of November is already on. It took
off with the All Saints' Day on the first, followed by the All Souls' Day.
However, Goa has undergone quite a bit of change--needed or
otherwise--over the years. One remembers that bells would begin to toll in
the afternoon of All Saints' Day and carry on till the All Souls' Day,
well past everyone had prayed and recited the beads, for every known
departed soul in the family. The traditional practice of tolling the bell
has been stopped in several churches in Goa now.
Once upon a time, not so long ago, there would be
masses on all the altars; each priest has three masses to say on that day.
How many priest are left in Goa now? Hardly any since most of the
youngsters opt out to become engineers, architects, computer programmers,
and so on. Now, the lone Padr Vigar celebrates the masses as per
the Sunday schedule, the third mass being in the cemetery. So, the
cemeteries are still spruced up for the All Souls'
Day.
One cemetery worth watching...You will say
that we are bragging about Assagao...but can't help. Just have a look at
it. The hardworking sacristan, Assis Fernandes, keeps it so neat and clean
that one could sleep there comfortably at night. In fact, it was the last
cemetery which managed to get a roof over it before a regulation was
passed by the Portuguese government that all the cemeteries should be open
to the sky.
The St
Inez graveyard is known for its tombstones with exquisite marble figures
on them. So are those at Raia and Loutulim. There are foreigners buried in
Goa's cemeteries...Germans and others in Vasco da Gama, Britishers at Dona
Paula (not a Catholic cemetery though), the ---- at Gaundalim (near Old
Goa). There are large ones like in Verna and some tiny ones in smaller
villages.
However, the cemetery which wears the latest look is the one at Duler in Mapusa, built just about a year ago. It is truly the only modern cemetery in Goa, with a mechanical contraption to lower the coffin in the neatly built graves. The rows of graves are systematically laid out at different levels, leaving pathways to walk over unlike those in which one can't move around without stepping over a grave.
The inside walls of the Duler cemetery have
nice niches for the remains of the departed but on the outside there are
several panels with religious pictures done in blue ceramics. The
parishioners had quite a time to cross over the hurdles placed in their
path by a politician, but eventually they succeeded in getting their final
resting place done.
A lot of credit for the construction of the Duler cemetery goes to the chaplain Rev Fr Simon Diniz, who has also renovated and extended the Chapel. Wish all the parish priests and parishioners would take care to ensure that their dead rest in peace decently. It's quite scarry to enter some of the dingy looking graveyards, with grass and bushes growing all over the place. There may be niches in the walls, but the bones of the dead are sometimes seen tied in potleos (bundles) or kept in rusting cans to rest in pieces. That's why, probably, one finds written on some of the cemeteries, like in Aldona, "Aiz mhaka, faleam tuka." (You shall follow me too.)
Joel D'Souza
October
21
Santiago-Chile: ARTHUR PHILIP LOBO, son
of Artur/Maria Angelica (Chile), nephew of Guiomar (Portugal), Cezar,
Ester (Nairobi) and Victor (Brazil), expired in Chile on Oct
21.
October 22
Saligao:
MARIO MELWYN FERNANDES, son of Paul/Joaquina, brother of Angelina and
Harrison, expired on Oct 22.
October 23
Cansaulim:
JOAQUIM FERNANDES, husband of Marcelina, father of Valent & Viola,
expired on Oct 23.
Dabal: JOSE RODOLFO D'MELLO, husband of Milagrina,
brother of Fr Agostinho (Pilar), father of Sarita/Joaquim, Joanita/John,
Antoneta/Seby, Menino/Viena, Piety/Avila, Raymond, Blanch, expired on Oct
23.
Merces: ANTONIO PIRES, husband of Milagrina, father of Maria,
Luiza, Ignatius, Marilia, expired on Oct 23.
October 25
Sancoale:
MOTHER NATIVITY SFN, Co-Foundress of the Congregation of Holy Family of
Nazareth, Sancoale, expired on October 25.
Agassaim: ALEX FX GONSALVES,
husband of Maria Concesao, father of Maria/Cedrik, Mathew/Bina (USA),
Felix/Sally, Celina/Santu, expired on Oct 25.
October 26
Margao:
PANDRURONGA DATTA CAMOTIM TIMBLO, husband of Sudini, father of Pramod,
expired on Oct 26.
Nerul: JULIA FERNANDES E RODRIGUES, wife of Vicente
Joao, mother of Rozendo, Reuben, expired on Oct 26.
Benaulim-Pulvaddo:
FRANCISCO X PEREIRA, husband of Ubaldina, father of Fatima/Aurialino,
Antonio, Michael, Agnelo/Joana, Isidorio/Benny, Philip/Delina and Edwin,
expired on Oct 26.
Mapusa/Aldona: MARTINHA AURORA ALPHONSO, wife of
late Tome, mother of Gabriel/Theona (Kent UK), Catherine/Adolf,
Joaquim/Janet & Thereza/Juliao, expired on Oct 26.
Mombasa: JOE
D'SOUZA, son of Juze & Anju, brother of Auta and Judy Correia, was
shot by bandits in Monduli, and passed away at about six in the morning on
26 October 2001. He was on his way to Serengeti. (From Maureen
D'Souza, Mombasa)
Majorda-Calata: SANTAN D'COSTA, husband of Esmelda,
father of Thomas/Nancy, Joaquim/Fatima, Lourenco/Sofia, Francisco/Bertha
and Pascoal, expired on Oct 26.
October 27
NATIVIDADE
D'SOUZA, (Prop: Undertaker), husband of Carlotina, father of
Elias/Priscilla, Connie/Querobino, Francisca/Lucas, Milagrine/Francis,
Maria/Gonzago, perpetua/Mathias, Gracy/Martino, expired on Oct
27.
Chinchinim: ERNESTO GOES, husband of Cruzine, father of Eder and
Evelyn, brother of late Santrith/Clara, late Arthur Goes/Candida, expired
on Oct 27.
Old Goa: SIMON ALMEIDA (Ex-Telco), husband of Salvation,
father of Shane, Seton and Sonia, expired on Oct 27.
Aquem Alto: BRAZ
CA PEREIRA, husband of alte Luiza, father of Isabel/Raj, Salazar/Lorraine
(Dubai), Perpetual/Peter, Flory/Auxiliu, Agnelo/Angela (Dubai), expired on
Oct 27.
Dubai: WILFRED D'SOUZA, husband of Matty, father of Rayan and
Cassendra, expired in Dubai.
Dabal: JOQUIM VINCENTE FERNANDES, husband
of catarina, father of Santana Moinica/Peter, Jessie/Socorro,
Gregorio/Savia, Prakash, expired on Oct 27.
Quepem-Cusmane: JOSE
GALDINO GOES, husband of Maria, father of Jolen and Jubin, expired on Oct
27.
October
28
Siolim-Sodiem: ANNA MARIA FERNANDES, wife of Reginaldo Francisco,
mother of Agnelo/Gracy, Felicia/Peter, Martha/Roland, Angela/Tony,
Erasmo/Maria, expired on Oct 28.
Sinquerim: MARIA AGUSTA CARDOZ, wife
of Anthony Paul, mother of Sebastian/Paul, Lourdin/Anthony, grandmother of
Maria/Stephen (London), expired on Oct 28.
Sirlim: MARTHA C FERNANDES,
wife of Edmund, mother of Melissa, expired on Oct 28.
Candolim-Orda:
VINCENT XAVIER GONSALVES, husband of Isabella, father of Camilo,
Magaret/Anthony, Sebastiana/Benny, Marietta, expired on Oct 28.
Vasco:
VASANTRAMN MEHTA, husband of Manjula.